[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 17 (Friday, January 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5486-5488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01400]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCON03000 L16100000.DP0000]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Grand Junction Field 
Office in Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance 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) has prepared a 
Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) and by this 
notice is announcing the opening of the public comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft RMP/Draft EIS within 90 days following 
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes this notice of 
the Draft RMP/Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce 
future meetings or hearings and any other public participation 
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media 
releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the GJFO Draft RMP/Draft 
EIS by any of the following methods:
     email: [email protected].
     fax: 970-244-3083.
     mail: BLM--GJFO RMP, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 
81506. Copies of the GJFO Draft RMP/Draft EIS are available in the GJFO 
at the above address or on the Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo/rmp.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Collin Ewing, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, telephone 970-244-3027; see address above; 
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 prepared the GJFO Draft RMP/Draft 
EIS to analyze and revise the current management decisions for public 
lands and resources within the GJFO planning area. The current 
management decisions for resources are described in the Grand Junction 
Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
(approved January, 1987), as amended (1987 GJFO RMP).
    The GJFO planning area includes approximately 2.2 million acres of 
BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of 
Reclamation, state, local, and private lands located in northwestern 
Colorado, primarily in Mesa and Garfield counties, with additional 
small tracts located in Montrose and Rio Blanco counties. Within the 
GJFO planning area, the BLM administers approximately 1.1 million 
surface acres and 1.2 million acres of Federal oil and gas mineral 
(subsurface) estate. Surface management decisions made as a result of 
this Draft RMP/Draft EIS will apply only to the BLM-administered lands 
in the GJFO planning area.
    The formal public scoping process for the GJFO RMP/EIS began on 
October 15, 2008, with the publication of a Notice of Intent in the 
Federal Register, and ended on January 9, 2009. The BLM held three 
scoping open houses in December 2008. The BLM held an additional six 
public workshops in February 2009 for travel management data collection 
to give the public the opportunity to review its route inventory for 
completeness and accuracy, as well as offer suggestions for possible 
reroutes or new routes that

[[Page 5487]]

would complement the existing system. Following the travel management 
workshops, the BLM held an additional public comment period was held 
from July 17 through August 21, 2009, to help the BLM evaluate the 
quantity and quality of the experiences and desired recreation setting 
available in the planning area. The BLM used public scoping comments to 
identify planning issues that led to the formulation of alternatives 
and framed the scope of analysis in the Draft RMP/Draft EIS. The 
scoping process was also used to introduce the public to preliminary 
planning criteria, which set limits on the scope of the Draft RMP/Draft 
EIS.
    Major issues considered in the Draft RMP/Draft EIS include travel 
management; energy development; recreation management; lands and 
realty/community growth and expansion; wildlife and fish; special 
designation areas; lands with wilderness characteristics; water, soil, 
and riparian areas; special status species management; and vegetation 
management, among others.
    The Draft RMP/Draft EIS evaluates in detail four alternatives, 
including the No Action Alternative (Alternative A) and three action 
alternatives (Alternatives B, C, and D). The BLM has identified 
Alternative B as the preferred alternative. Identification of this 
alternative, however, does not represent the final agency direction, 
and the Proposed RMP may reflect changes or adjustments based on 
information received during public comment, from new information, or 
from changes in BLM policies or priorities. The Proposed RMP may 
include objectives and actions described in the other analyzed 
alternatives.
    Alternative A would retain the current management goals, objectives 
and direction specified in the 1987 GJFO RMP. Alternative B seeks to 
balance resources among competing human interests and land uses with 
the conservation of natural and cultural resource values, while 
sustaining the ecological integrity of certain key habitats for plant, 
wildlife and fish species. It incorporates a balanced level of 
protection, restoration, enhancement, and use of resources and services 
to meet ongoing programs and land uses. Goals and objectives focus on 
environmental, economic and social outcomes achieved by strategically 
addressing demands across the landscape. Alternative C emphasizes non-
consumptive use and management of resources through protection, 
restoration and enhancement, while also providing for multiple uses, 
including livestock grazing and mineral development. This alternative 
would establish the greatest number of special designation areas with 
specific measures to protect or enhance resource values within these 
areas. Goals and objectives focus on environmental and social outcomes 
achieved by sustaining relatively unmodified physical landscapes and 
natural and cultural resource values for current and future 
generations. Alternative D emphasizes active management for natural 
resources, commodity production, and public use opportunities. Resource 
uses, such as recreation, livestock grazing, mineral leasing and 
development, would be emphasized. Existing uses would continue and new 
uses would be accommodated to the greatest extent possible while 
maintaining resource conditions.
    Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b), this notice announces a concurrent 
public comment period on proposed Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACECs). Proposed ACECs and the resource use limitations which 
would occur if formally designated are as follows:
     Atwell Gulch, up to 6,100 acres, Alternatives B, and C: No 
surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; Visual Resource 
Management (VRM) Class II; right-of-way (ROW) exclusion area; close to 
motorized travel including over-snow motorized travel; close to 
mechanized travel; issue no special recreation permits for competitive 
events; close 2,900 acres to livestock grazing; close to fossil 
collection; only allow vegetation treatments for the benefit of the 
identified relevance and importance values.
     Badger Wash, up to 2,200 acres, Alternatives A, B, C and 
D: No surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; limit travel 
to designated routes; VRM Class II; ROW exclusion area; issue no 
special recreation permits for competitive events.
     Colorado River Riparian, 880 acres, Alternative C: No 
surface occupancy; classify as unsuitable for coal leasing; limit 
travel to designated routes; VRM Class II; ROW avoidance area; and only 
allow vegetation treatments for the benefit of the identified relevance 
and importance values.
     Coon Creek, 110 acres, Alternative C: No surface 
occupancy; limit travel to designated routes; VRM Class III; ROW 
avoidance area; and close to livestock grazing.
     Dolores River Riparian, 7,400 acres, Alternatives B and C: 
No surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; limit travel to 
designated routes; VRM Class II; ROW avoidance area; issue no special 
recreation permits for competitive events; only allow vegetation 
treatments for the benefit of the identified relevance and importance 
values; only allow camping in designated sites; and close to 
recreational placer mining.
     Glade Park-Pinyon Mesa, 27,200 acres, Alternative C: No 
surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; limit travel to 
designated routes; VRM Class II; ROW avoidance area; only allow 
vegetation treatments for the benefit of the identified relevance and 
importance values; and open to livestock grazing outside of occupied 
sage-grouse habitat.
     Gunnison River Riparian, 460 acres, Alternative C: No 
surface occupancy; limit travel to designated routes; VRM Class II; ROW 
avoidance area; and only allow camping in designated sites.
     Hawxhurst Creek, 860 acres, Alternative C: No surface 
occupancy; limit travel to designated routes; VRM Class II; and ROW 
avoidance area.
     Indian Creek, 1,700 acres, Alternatives B and C: No 
surface occupancy; limit travel to designated routes; VRM Class II; and 
ROW exclusion area.
     John Brown Canyon, 1,400 acres, Alternative C: No surface 
occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; limit travel to designated 
routes; and VRM Class II.
     Juanita Arch, 1,600 acres, Alternatives B and C: No 
surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; close to motorized 
and mechanized travel; VRM Class II; ROW exclusion area.
     Mt. Garfield, up to 5,700 acres, Alternatives B and C: No 
surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; close to motorized 
travel including over-snow travel; VRM Class I; ROW exclusion area; 
close to fossil collection; classify as unsuitable for coal leasing; 
close to recreational target shooting; close to livestock grazing.
     Nine-mile Hill Boulders, 90 acres, Alternative C: Close to 
motorized travel including over-snow travel; close to mechanized 
travel; VRM Class II; ROW exclusion area; issue no special recreation 
permits for competitive events.
     The Palisade, up to 32,200 acres, Alternatives A, B, C and 
D: No surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; close to 
motorized travel; VRM Class I; ROW exclusion area; issue no special 
recreation permits for competitive events; limit forestry cutting units 
to 20 acres or less in the pinyon-juniper woodlands; close to mineral 
material disposal.

[[Page 5488]]

     Plateau Creek, 220 acres, Alternative C: No surface 
occupancy; VRM Class II; limit travel to designated routes; close to 
recreational target shooting; only allow camping in designated sites; 
ROW avoidance area; close to all types of collection (e.g., fossil, 
vegetation, rocks, etc.); only allow vegetation treatments and wildlife 
habitat improvements for the benefit of the identified relevance and 
importance values; classify as unsuitable for coal leasing; issue only 
Class I and II special recreation permits; and close to livestock 
grazing.
     Prairie Canyon, 6,900 acres, Alternative C: No surface 
occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; VRM Class II; limit travel 
to designated routes; close to recreational target shooting; ROW 
exclusion area; close to vegetative materials sales; and only allow 
vegetation treatments and wildlife habitat improvements for the benefit 
of the identified relevance and importance values.
     Pyramid Rock, up to 1,300 acres, Alternatives A, B, C and 
D: No surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; VRM Class II; 
close to all modes of travel; close to recreational target shooting; 
close to camping; ROW exclusion area; close to all types of collection 
(e.g., fossil, vegetation, rocks, etc.); classify as unsuitable for 
coal leasing; issue no special recreation permits for competitive 
events; close to livestock grazing.
     Reeder Mesa, 470 acres, Alternative C: No surface 
occupancy; VRM Class III; limit travel to designated routes; ROW 
exclusion area.
     Roan and Carr Creeks, up to 33,600 acres, Alternatives B 
and C: No surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; VRM Class 
II; close to motorized travel including over-snow travel; close to 
mechanized travel; ROW avoidance area; and classify as unsuitable for 
coal leasing.
     Rough Canyon, up to 2,800 acres, Alternatives A, B, C and 
D: No surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; VRM Class II; 
limit travel to designated routes; ROW exclusion area; close to mineral 
material disposal.
     Sinbad Valley, 6,400 acres, Alternatives B and C: No 
surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; VRM Class II; close 
to motorized travel, except for Tabeguache Trail; ROW avoidance area.
     South Shale Ridge, 28,200 acres, Alternatives B and C: No 
surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; VRM Class II; limit 
travel to designated routes; and ROW exclusion area.
     Unaweep Seep, up to 85 acres, Alternatives A, B, C and D: 
No surface occupancy; close to fluid mineral leasing; close to 
motorized travel including over-snow travel; close to mechanized 
travel; VRM Class II; ROW exclusion area; close to camping; issue no 
special recreation permits for competitive events; close to fossil 
collection; and close to mineral material disposal.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who 
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at 
the above address during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    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 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Helen M. Hankins,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-01400 Filed 1-24-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P