[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 178 (Friday, September 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56730-56731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22326]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCOS06000 L12200000.DP0000]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the 
Gunnison Field Office and Prepare an Associated Environmental 
Assessment for Hartman Rocks Special Recreation Area Management Plan, 
Gunnison County, CO

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Gunnison Field Office, Gunnison, Colorado, intends to prepare a 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated 
Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze potential updates to the 
Hartman Rocks Recreation Area Management Plan (2006). This action will 
determine the appropriate course of management for the area and may 
include an amendment to the Gunnison Resource Area Approved Resource 
Management Plan of February 1993. The BLM, by this notice, is 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues. The BLM will amend the existing Gunnison 
Resource Area RMP if necessary.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP 
amendment and associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until October 15, 2013. The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 calendar days in 
advance, through local media, newspapers and the BLM Web site at: 
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gfo.html. To be considered, all comments 
must be received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 30 
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will 
provide additional opportunities for public participation as 
appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to Hartman Rocks Special Recreation Area Management Plan, 
Gunnison County by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gfo.html
     Email: [email protected]
     Fax: 970-642-4425
     Mail: BLM, Gunnison Field Office, 650 S. 11th St., 
Gunnison, CO 81230
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Gunnison Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristi Murphy, Outdoor Recreation 
Planner, telephone 970-642-4955; Gunnison Field Office (see address 
above); email [email protected]. You may also contact Kristi to have your 
name added to the mailing list.
    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 
Gunnison Field Office, Gunnison, Colorado, intends to prepare an RMP 
amendment with an associated EA for the Gunnison Resource Area; 
announces the beginning of the scoping process; and seeks public input 
on issues and preliminary planning criteria. The planning area is 
located in Gunnison County, Colorado, and encompasses approximately 
14,423 acres of public land in the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area. The 
BLM is proposing to amend the RMP for the Gunnison Resource Area dated 
February 1993 to designate Hartman Rocks Recreation Area as a Special 
Recreation Management Area. The proposed plan amendment will provide 
guidance and direction toward managing recreation in a manner that 
maintains or improves the condition and health of the unique landscape 
and natural resources while creating a sustainable recreation 
environment to promote a diversity of high quality recreation 
opportunities and provide for the health and safety of visitors.
    The proposed plan amendment is needed due to issues with sensitive 
species, site-specific decisions that are no longer valid, increased 
visitor use, and other conditions. The proposed plan amendment would 
provide more

[[Page 56731]]

direction to reduce human use impacts and conflicts in this area.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the process. BLM personnel; Federal, 
State, and local agencies; and other stakeholders have identified the 
following preliminary issues for the plan amendment area:
     Special Recreation Management Area boundary determination;
     Travel management system to accommodate many uses while 
maintaining recreation settings;
     Cross country ski trails for winter recreation and 
motorized winter travel opportunities;
     Dispersed target shooting that maintains public safety;
     Managing a terrain park for motor-cross users;
     Human impacts from rock climbing;
     Camping impacts;
     Facility development;
     Public outreach and education;
     Law enforcement;
     Deer and elk winter range;
     Threatened and endangered species;
     Cultural resources and Native American concerns;
     Soils and erosion;
     Fire and fuels management; and
     Invasive non-native weed species.
    You may submit comments on preliminary 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 30-day scoping period or within 15 days after the last 
public meeting, whichever is later.
    The BLM has also identified preliminary planning criteria, which 
include:
    1. The BLM will continue to manage the Gunnison Resource Area to 
protect resources in accordance with FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), 
and other applicable laws and regulations.
    2. The BLM will use a collaborative and multi-jurisdictional 
approach, where possible, to jointly determine the desired future 
condition of public lands, such as continued consultation with the 
Shooting Sports Roundtable.
    3. The BLM will address the socioeconomic impacts of the 
alternatives.
    4. The BLM will comply with NEPA, including the preparation of 
appropriate environmental analysis for the proposed action.
    5. Planning decisions will strive to be compatible with existing 
plans and policies of adjacent Federal, State, local and tribal 
agencies as long as the decisions are consistent with Federal law 
governing the administration of public land.
    The BLM will use the NEPA public participation requirements to 
assist the agency in satisfying the public involvement requirements 
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 
U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about 
historic and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by 
the proposed action will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating 
impacts to such resources in the context of both NEPA and Section 106 
of the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State and local agencies, along with tribes and 
other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in 
the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by 
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis 
as a cooperating agency.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
amendment to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified during public scoping. Disciplines involved in the planning 
process will include specialists with expertise in rangeland 
management, minerals and geology, forestry, outdoor recreation, law 
enforcement, archaeology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, 
hydrology, soils, vegetation and fire. The BLM will notify the Governor 
of Colorado, County Commissioners, local tribes and potentially 
affected members of the public of the planning process. The public is 
encouraged to help identify questions and concerns during the scoping 
phase.
    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.

Helen M. Hankins,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-22326 Filed 9-12-13; 8:45 am]
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