[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25758-25760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10374]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD00000.L16100000.DS0000.LXSSB0010000]


Amended Notice of Intent To Clarify the Scope of Analysis of the 
Environmental Document and Proposed Plan Amendment in the West Mojave 
Planning Area, to the Motorized Vehicle Access Element of the 
California Desert Conservation Area Plan, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles and 
San Bernardino Counties, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
announces its intent to clarify the scope of the Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an

[[Page 25759]]

Environmental Document and Proposed Plan Amendment for the West Mojave 
(WEMO) Plan, Motorized Vehicle Access Element, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles 
and San Bernardino Counties, CA, which was published in the Federal 
Register on September 13, 2011 (76 FR 56466). By this notice, the BLM 
is announcing the beginning of a further, more focused scoping process 
to solicit public comments and identify issues related to the clarified 
scope of the West Mojave (WEMO) Route Network Project Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS)/Plan Amendment as described under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION below.

DATES: This notice initiates public scoping on the clarified scope of 
the WEMO Route Network Project EIS/plan amendment and concurrent travel 
management designation planning. Comments must be submitted in writing 
within 30 days from the publication date of this notice in the Federal 
Register. The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: The public may submit comments on the modified scope of the 
analysis and related issues, by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/west_mojave_wemo.
     Fax: 951-697-5299.
     Mail: BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle 
San Juan de Los Lagos, ATTN: West Mojave Route Network Project, Moreno 
Valley, CA 92553-9046
    Documents relevant to this proposal may be examined at the 
California Desert District Office or Web site (address above), or the 
BLM's California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edythe Seehafer, telephone 760-252-
6021; address Bureau of Land Management, Barstow Field Office, 2601 
Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; 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: In January 2011, the U.S. District Court for 
the Northern District of California partially remanded the 2006 WEMO 
Plan Amendment Record of Decision (ROD) to the BLM and directed the BLM 
to amend the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and 
reconsider route designation throughout the WEMO area, as well as other 
specified issues in the WEMO Plan (Center for Biological Diversity v. 
US Bureau of Land Management Order Re: Remedy (N.D. Cal. Jan 28, 
2011)). By court order, the BLM must issue a revised decision by March 
31, 2014. The September 13, 2011 Notice of Intent (NOI) invited 
comments on the proposed scope and content of the environmental 
document to address the court's issues related to the 2006 WEMO ROD.
    The public scoping process for this action has been utilized to 
determine relevant issues, impacts, and possible alternatives that 
could influence the scope of the environmental analysis, and guide the 
entire process from plan decision-making to route designation review in 
order to comply with the court order. The BLM conducted two scoping 
meetings in Ridgecrest and Barstow, on September 27 and 29, 2011 
respectively. The BLM asked for comments on the issues to be addressed, 
motor vehicle access amendment alternatives to be considered, decision 
criteria for route designation, the best approach to integrate recent 
BLM transportation management guidance into the document, and how to 
address both plan-level and implementation-level decisions. As a result 
of initial scoping, the BLM subsequently held eight working group 
meetings in February and March of 2012 to collect additional travel 
management input on issues related to planning and implementation for 
route designation in specific geographic subregions within the WEMO 
area.
    The original NOI stated that the plan amendment would:
    1. Update and amend the Motorized Vehicle Access Element of the 
CDCA Plan. The NOI requested input on those portions of the Element to 
be amended, including to reflect current management policy regarding 
access management. The plan amendment proposes to eliminate the 
``existing routes'' language in the CDCA Plan. This language currently 
constrains the development of a travel network in the WEMO area.
    2. Identify and analyze alternatives for amending the Motorized 
Vehicle Access Element of the CDCA Plan. The NOI indicated that 
subsequently, concurrently, or in a combination of both, additional 
environmental analysis would address current route designation within 
the WEMO sub-regional areas. This analysis would result in new 
decisions for each sub-regional area within the WEMO plan area that 
would either retain or modify, in whole or in part, current route 
designations.
    3. Identify processes, decision criteria, and related issues for 
designating travel routes within sub-regional areas of the WEMO plan 
area. The NOI identified preliminary decision criteria and requested 
input on issues and concerns, and best science and technology to 
establish viable networks within each subarea.
    Clarifications to the original NOI as a result of scoping include 
the following:
    1. The appropriate analytical document for the plan amendment has 
been determined to be an EIS.
    2. This plan amendment also proposes to modify Stopping/Parking/
Camping guidelines and other potential area-wide impact minimization 
strategies in addition to ``existing routes'' language.
    3. The BLM has determined that it would be in the best interest of 
public land management to evaluate concurrently the plan amendments and 
the activity planning that would adopt route designations and 
implementation strategies.
    4. In response to the court order BLM will establish a consistent 
baseline for route designation.
    5. Consistent with current guidance, the plan amendment proposes to 
adopt Travel Management Areas and broad goals for these areas to 
provide the basis for concurrent travel management activity plans.
    6. The activity plans will designate specific travel routes and 
trails within the travel management areas as part of the site-specific 
implementation planning, and will include consideration of both public 
(casual use) and other access needs and opportunities on public lands.
    7. This document will amend the CDCA Plan Motor Vehicle Access 
Element as it pertains to the West Mojave Planning area. Amendment and 
activity plan changes will update and augment the 2006 West Mojave 
Plan, through the replacement of Section 2.2.6, updates of Planning and 
Regulatory Framework Section 3.1, Affected Environment Sections 3.5, 
affected impact analyses, strategies provided in the activity plans, 
and elsewhere as appropriate.
    8. The BLM generally identified issues of concern in the original 
Notice. The following post-2006 ROD issues also will be considered: New 
critical habitat, designation of the Old Spanish National Historic 
Trail, new wilderness areas, consideration of lands with wilderness 
characteristics, changes to access from major rights-of-way and other 
large plan amendment proposals

[[Page 25760]]

and decisions, and the proposed transfer of management to the military 
of the Johnson Valley OHV Open Area. Several issues were specifically 
identified by the court which will be addressed in the document, 
including soils, unusual plant assemblages, riparian and water 
resources, cultural resources, grazing, air quality in open areas, 
cumulative effects, and mitigation. The BLM will evaluate identified 
issues to be addressed in the plan amendment, and will place them into 
one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment and associated 
activity plans;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the Scoping Report or the 
draft EIS as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. An 
updated inventory of lands with wilderness characteristics for public 
lands in the plan area will be completed for analysis in the EIS. The 
public is also encouraged to help identify any management questions and 
concerns that should be addressed in the clarified scope of 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.
    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, 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 
1610.2.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-10374 Filed 5-1-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P