[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 71825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29222]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVC02000 LF2200000.DD0000.LFSPGVF60000; 12-08807; 
MO4500041562; TAS: 14X1125]


Notice of Temporary Restriction of Vehicle Use and Temporary 
Closure to Tree Cutting and Wood Harvesting on Public Land in Douglas 
County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as authorized under the 
provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and 
pursuant to BLM regulations, is temporarily restricting travel by 
motorized vehicles to existing posted roads and two-track trails and 
issuing a temporary closure to wood harvesting and/or tree cutting on 
public land within the Topaz Ranch Estates (TRE) and Preacher fires 
burn areas. These areas are located south of Gardnerville, Nevada, in 
the Pine Nut Mountains east of U.S. Highway 395 in Douglas County, 
Nevada.

DATES: Effective Dates: The temporary restriction and closure of the 
described public use will be in effect from December 4, 2012 to 
December 4, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Elliott, fire planner, 775-885-
6167, 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: A temporary restriction of cross-country 
vehicle travel and a temporary closure to tree cutting and wood 
collecting on areas burned by the TRE and Preacher fires in May and 
June 2012 are necessary to promote successful rehabilitation of the 
burn areas. The burn areas are located on public land on the west side 
of the Pine Nut Mountains. The affected public lands are described as 
follows:

Mount Diablo Meridian

TRE Fire

T. 10 N., R 22 E.,
    Sec. 1, lots 2, 3, and 4;
    Sec. 2, lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, N\1/
2\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 3, lots 1 and 2, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\.

T. 11 N., R. 22 E.,
    Sec. 24, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 25;
    Sec. 26, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 27, S\1/2\SW\1/4\, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 33, E\1/2\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 34, N\1/2\, NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 35;
    Sec. 36.

T. 10 N., R. 23 E.,
    Sec. 6, lots 2, 3, 4, and 5, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\.

T. 11 N., R. 23 E.,
    Sec. 19, lots 3 and 4, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, E\1/
2\SW\1/4\, W\1/2\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 20, S\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 28, W\1/2\NW\1/4\, W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 29;
    Sec. 30, lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, E\1/2\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/
4\;
    Sec. 31, lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, E\1/
2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 32, N\1/2\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 33, NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\.

    The area described contains 8,070.4 acres, more or less in 
Douglas County, Nevada.

Preacher Fire

T. 12 N., R 21 E.,
    Sec. 24, S\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 25, NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 26, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\, S\1/
2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 35, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\.

    The area described contains 720 acres, more or less in Douglas 
County, Nevada.

    This temporary restriction and temporary closure order will be 
posted at the Carson City District Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, 
Carson City, Nevada and at primary access points on BLM land into the 
burn areas. Maps of the closure areas are also available at the Carson 
City District Office.
    On July 24, 2012, the BLM signed a Decision Record for the TRE and 
Preacher Fires, Emergency Action, Temporary Closures Environmental 
Assessment (EA) to implement these restrictions and closure. The EA 
analyzed these actions and is available to the public on the District 
Web site at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field/blm_information/nepa/nepa_archives.html. Temporarily restricting vehicle 
use to posted roads and two-track track trails and temporarily closing 
the areas to wood collecting and cutting will improve post-fire 
recovery and rehabilitation of the TRE and Preacher fires burn areas. 
To meet the goals for post-fire rehabilitation, restrictions and 
closures need to be in effect for at least two growing seasons, 
ensuring sufficient regrowth of perennial plants and adequate 
stabilization of soils.
    Motorized vehicle use within the burn areas will be restricted to 
existing posted roads and two-track trails. The BLM will post roads and 
two-track trails open to use during this period. This restriction 
applies to all motorized vehicles, excluding:
    (1) Any emergency or law enforcement vehicle while being used for 
emergency or administrative purposes; and
    (2) Any vehicle whose use is expressly authorized in writing by the 
manager, Sierra Front Field Office.
    Closing the areas to wood harvesting and/or tree cutting is 
necessary because the BLM uses the burned trees to create erosion 
breaks. This restriction applies to all persons excluding:
    (1) BLM personnel; and
    (2) Any person who is expressly authorized in writing by the 
manager, Sierra Front Field Office.
    If satisfactory rehabilitation is achieved prior to December 4, 
2014, the temporary restriction and temporary closure will be lifted. 
If the rehabilitation has not met the established benchmarks for 
success in the TRE and Preacher fires rehabilitation, the BLM will 
consider reissuing a temporary order.
    Penalties: Any person who fails to comply with the restriction 
order is subject to arrest and, upon conviction, may be fined not more 
than $1,000 and/or imprisonment for not more than 12 months.

    Authority:  43 CFR 8364.1.

Christopher J. McAlear,
District Manager, Carson City District Office.
[FR Doc. 2012-29222 Filed 12-3-12; 8:45 am]
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