[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26065-26066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10250]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLID9310000.L10200000.EE0000. LXSSD0010000]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Jump Creek, Succor Creek, and Cow Creek Watersheds 
Grazing Permit Renewal, ID

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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Jump Creek, Succor 
Creek, and Cow Creek Watersheds Grazing Permit Renewal and by this 
notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft EIS for the Jump Creek, Succor Creek, and 
Cow Creek Watersheds Grazing Permit Renewal by June 17, 2013.
    The BLM will announce meetings or hearings and any other public 
involvement activities regarding the Draft EIS at least 15 days in 
advance through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Draft EIS for the 
Jump Creek, Succor Creek, and Cow Creek Watersheds Grazing Permit 
Renewal by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/nepa_register/owyhee_grazing_group/grazing_permit_renewal0.html.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (208) 373-3805.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, 
Boise ID 83709.
    Copies of the Draft EIS for the Jump Creek, Succor Creek, and Cow 
Creek Watersheds Grazing Permit Renewal are also available on CD (upon 
request) from the BLM Idaho State Office at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jake Vialpando, Project Manager, 
telephone: 208-373-3814; address: 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise ID 83709; 
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: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Owyhee Field Office in Marsing, Idaho, has prepared a Draft EIS to 
address grazing permit renewal requests in the Jump Creek, Succor 
Creek, and Cow Creek areas, and announces the beginning of the 45-day 
public comment period. The area covered by the permit renewal requests 
is located in Owyhee County, Idaho, and encompasses approximately 
120,000 acres of public land. In addition to livestock grazing, a 
variety of other multiple uses exist within this area, including: Year-
long recreation activities, particularly hiking, boating, fishing, 
hunting, and off-road vehicle use; wild horse management; potential 
wind energy development and electrical transmission line development. 
The Owyhee Field Office will consult with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes 
and other parties, as applicable, on this action during regular 
consultation proceedings and briefings. Federal, state, and local 
agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be interested or 
affected by the BLM's decision on this project are invited to comment 
as well.
    The purpose of the action in the Draft EIS is to provide for 
livestock grazing opportunities on public lands using existing 
infrastructure where such grazing is consistent with meeting management 
objectives, including the Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and 
Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management (1997).
    The need is established by the Taylor Grazing Act (TGA), the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), and the Owyhee Resource 
Management Plan (ORMP) (1999), which require that the BLM respond to 
applications to renew or for new permits to graze livestock on public 
land. In detail, analysis of the actions identified in the applications 
for grazing permit renewals and the alternative actions is needed 
because:

[[Page 26066]]

     BLM-Idaho adopted the Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health 
and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management (Idaho S&Gs) in 1997. 
Rangelands should be meeting or making significant progress toward 
meeting the standards and must provide for proper nutrient cycling, 
hydrologic cycling, and energy flow. Guidelines direct the selection of 
grazing management practices and, where appropriate, livestock 
facilities to promote significant progress toward, or the attainment 
and maintenance of, the standards.
     The ORMP identifies resource management objectives and 
management actions that guide the management of a broad spectrum of 
land uses and allocations for public lands in the Owyhee Field Office. 
The ORMP allocated public lands within the 25 allotments available for 
domestic livestock grazing. Where consistent with the goals and 
objectives of the ORMP and Idaho S&Gs, allocation of forage for 
livestock use and the issuance of grazing permits to qualified 
applicants are provided for by the TGA and the FLPMA.
    Issues were identified by BLM personnel, Federal, state, and local 
agencies, and other stakeholders during scoping. Some of these key 
issues include the effects of livestock grazing on rangelands, wild 
horse herd management areas, wildlife habitats (including greater sage-
grouse habitats), as well as the potential for disease transmission 
between domestic and bighorn sheep. Livestock management modifications 
are required where current livestock grazing management is determined 
by the authorized officer to be a significant causal factor for not 
meeting or making significant progress towards meeting the Idaho 
Standards for Rangeland Health; and to achieve ORMP objectives. 
Evidence on interaction between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep 
suggests that contact between the two species can transmit disease, 
cause mortality to individual bighorn sheep, and affect herd health.
    Other key issues that are identified and analyzed in the Draft EIS 
involve the impact of livestock grazing on riparian area conditions and 
aquatic habitat causing the alteration of the health and composition of 
riparian vegetation communities, especially fish and amphibian habitat 
conditions directly related to conditions within the riparian 
vegetation community; sage-grouse habitat conditions as it relates to 
rangeland health conditions, and the maintenance and enhancement of 
sage-grouse populations in accordance with BLM policy. Additionally, 
upland vegetation and watershed conditions affected by livestock 
grazing that may reduce or remove native vegetation communities that 
protect watershed soil and hydrologic function are analyzed in the 
Draft EIS. Also included in the analysis of issues are special status 
plant species and how their reproduction can be affected by livestock 
grazing, and how noxious and invasive weeds have the potential to 
increase or spread by livestock grazing and trailing.
    The BLM analyzed the potential effects of six alternative grazing 
systems. Alternative 1 is the No Action alternative, which analyzes the 
consequences if current grazing management actions were to continue. 
Alternative 2 reflects the applications received from the current 
permittees who are authorized to graze in these allotments. This 
alternative is described as the Proposed Action which, in this case, is 
one that was developed by non-BLM parties. Alternative 3 analyzes the 
incorporation of a deferred grazing schedule where postponement or 
delay of grazing is used to achieve management objectives. Alternative 
4 incorporates a grazing schedule that prescribes seasons-of-use 
changes including rest and deferment to protect and enhance high-value 
resources during certain times of the year. Alternatives 3 and 4 both 
include AUM reductions at varying levels. Alternative 5 addresses the 
effects specific to a change in livestock classification from sheep to 
cattle. Alternative 6 analyzes the effects of no grazing in the 
allotments for a period of 10 years.
    By the time the Final EIS is published, the agency is required to 
identify its preferred alternative (40 CFR 1502.14 (e)) and will do so 
at that time. The agency seeks public comments on the proposed action 
and alternative methods of rangeland management that are analyzed in 
the Draft EIS.
    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 a.m. to 4 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.

Loretta V. Chandler,
BLM Owyhee Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2013-10250 Filed 5-2-13; 8:45 am]
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