[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 194 (Friday, October 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61021-61022]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24622]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVSO2000-L12320000-DA0000-LVRDNV010000 241A; 12-08807; MO 
4500033317; TAS: 14X5413]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Amendment 
and Associated Environmental Assessment To Address Use of Permanent 
Fixed Anchors for BLM Wilderness in Red Rock Canyon National 
Conservation Area, Clark County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Southern Nevada 
District, the BLM Red Rock/Sloan Field Office, Las Vegas, Nevada, 
intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an 
associated Environmental Assessment (EA) to consider new management 
decisions for permanent fixed anchors for recreational rock climbing 
within the BLM portions of the La Madre Mountain Wilderness and Rainbow 
Mountain Wilderness Areas for the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation 
Area. This notice marks the beginning of the scoping process to solicit 
input on issues and the proposed planning criteria.

DATES: This notice initiates a 45-day public scoping period for the RMP 
amendment with associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until November 19, 2012. The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through 
local media, newspapers, and the BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html. In order to be included in the EA, all comments 
should be submitted prior to the close of the 45-day scoping period.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the RMP amendment and associated EA for the Red Rock Canyon 
National Conservation Area by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 702-363-6779, attention Nick Walendziak.
     Mail: 4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89130.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Red 
Rock/Sloan Field Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas, Nevada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Nick Walendziak, Outdoor 
Recreation Planner, Climbing Lead, telephone: 702-515-5358; address: 
4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89130; email: 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 
1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM is proposing to amend the Red Rock 
Canyon National Conservation Area RMP/Record of Decision signed in 
2005, which set forth management decisions on the use of fixed anchors 
for the La Madre Mountain and Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Areas. At the 
time of that planning decision, these areas were Wilderness Study Areas 
(WSAs) governed by the 1995 Interim Management Policy (IMP) and 
Guidance for Lands Under Wilderness Review. There is a need to amend 
this RMP since these areas are now congressionally designated as 
wilderness and are no longer WSAs governed by the IMP.
    The planning area is located in Clark County, Nevada, and 
encompasses approximately 48,340 acres of public land (28,115 acres 
within the La Madre Mountain Wilderness and 20,225 acres within the 
Rainbow Mountain Wilderness). The purpose of the public scoping process 
is to identify relevant issues for the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and to identify criteria to guide the planning 
process. Preliminary issues identified by the BLM and other 
stakeholders include:
     Protecting public health and safety
     Increasing demand for more recreation opportunities
     Addressing the appropriateness of fixed anchors in 
Wilderness
     Compliance with BLM Manual 6340, Management of Designated 
Wilderness Areas
     Proximity of wilderness areas to major urban interface
     Protection of cultural and sensitive species
     Protection of visual and scenic objectives
    Planning criteria are constraints or ground rules that guide and 
direct the development of the RMP amendment. The criteria ensure that 
the RMP amendment is tailored to the identified issues while avoiding 
unnecessary data collection and analyses. The following criteria may be 
adjusted during the RMP amendment development based on management 
concerns and the results of the overall public scoping process:
     The RMP amendment assessment, analysis, and proposed 
decisions will focus on whether permanent fixed anchors should be 
considered for rock climbing within the designated Wilderness Areas.
     The RMP amendment process will comply with the BLM's 
policies in the Land Use Planning Handbook, H-1601, the National 
Environmental Policy Act Handbook H-1790-1, Manual 6340, Management of 
Designated Wilderness Areas and all other applicable laws, regulations, 
and policies.
     The RMP amendment will incorporate, where applicable, 
management decisions brought forward from existing planning documents.
     Geographic Information System (GIS) data and metadata will 
meet Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) standards, as required by 
Executive Order 12906. All other

[[Page 61022]]

applicable BLM data standards will be followed.
     Broad-based public participation and collaboration will be 
an integral part of the planning process. The BLM will work 
collaboratively with all interested groups, agencies, and individuals 
and consult with tribes.
     Planning and management direction will focus on resource 
values rather than the combination of uses that would give the greatest 
economic return or economic output.
     Where practicable, the best available science and 
information will be used.
    The proposal to amend the RMP would only affect the BLM portions of 
the La Madre Mountain and Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Areas. Management 
decisions on fixed anchors on the U.S. Forest Service portions of these 
wilderness areas will be included in the ongoing joint BLM/U.S. Forest 
Service La Madre Mountain and Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Plan.
    The public is also encouraged to help identify management questions 
and concerns that should be addressed in the plan. The BLM will work 
collaboratively with interested parties to identify the management 
decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs 
and concerns.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines 
will be involved in the planning process: wilderness, rangeland 
management, fire, minerals and geology, forestry, recreation, 
archaeology, paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, botany, lands and 
realty, hydrology, soils, sociology and economics.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the 
BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To 
be most helpful, you should submit comments by the close of the 45-day 
scoping period. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Mark Spencer,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2012-24622 Filed 10-4-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P