[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70892-70893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28004]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVC00000.L16100000.DP0000 LXSS155F0000; 14-08807; MO# 4500065255]


Notice of Availability of the Carson City District Draft Resource 
Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 the 
Carson City District Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Carson City District 
Office, Sierra Front and Stillwater Field Offices, and by this notice 
is announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Carson City District Draft RMP and Draft EIS 
within 120 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes this notice of the Draft RMP/Draft EIS in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Carson City District 
Draft RMP/Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field.html.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 775-885-6147.
     Mail: BLM Carson City District, Attn: CCD RMP, 5665 Morgan 
Mill Rd., Carson City, NV 89701.

Copies of the Carson City District Draft RMP/Draft EIS are available in 
the Carson City District Office at the above address or on the 
following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colleen Sievers, RMP Project Manager, 
telephone: 775-885-6168; address: 5665 Morgan Mill Rd., Carson City, NV 
89701; 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 Carson City District Draft RMP/Draft EIS 
would replace the existing 2001 Carson City Field Office Consolidated 
RMP. The Draft RMP/Draft EIS was developed through a collaborative 
planning process. The Carson City District Draft RMP decision area 
encompasses approximately 4.8 million acres of public land administered 
by the BLM Carson City District in portions of 11 counties within 2 
States (Washoe, Storey, Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, Churchill, Mineral, 
and Nye counties in Nevada; and Alpine, Plumas, and Lassen counties in 
California). It does not include private lands, State lands, Indian 
reservations, or Federal lands not administered by BLM.
    The Carson City District Draft RMP/Draft EIS includes goals, 
objectives and management actions for protecting and preserving natural 
resources which includes air quality, soil and water resources, 
vegetation, fish and wildlife, special status species, wild horses and 
burros, wildland fire management, cultural and paleontological 
resources, and visual resource values. Multiple resource uses are 
addressed which include management and forage allocations for livestock 
grazing; delineation of lands open, closed, or subject to special 
stipulations or mitigation measures for minerals development; 
recreation and travel management designations; management of lands and 
realty actions, including delineation of avoidance and exclusion areas 
applicable to rights-of-ways, land tenure adjustments, and solar and 
wind energy development. Eligible river segments will be identified for 
suitability designation as components of the National Wild and Scenic 
River System and 24 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) are 
proposed. The ACECs are proposed to protect biological, botanical, 
historic, cultural, paleontological and scenic values.
    The Draft RMP/Draft EIS analyzes five management alternatives. 
Alternative A is the No Action Alternative, which is the continuation 
of current management under the existing 2001 Consolidated RMP and 
subsequent amendments. This alternative describes the current goals and 
actions for management of resources and land uses in the planning area. 
The management direction could also be modified by current laws, 
regulations, and policies. Alternative B emphasizes opportunities to 
use and develop resources within the planning area. It would provide 
for motorized access and commodity production with minimal restrictions 
while providing protection of natural and cultural resources to the 
extent required by law, regulation, and policy. This alternative would 
largely rely on existing laws, regulations, and policies, rather than 
special management or special designations, to protect sensitive 
resources. Alternative C emphasizes the protection of the planning 
area's resource values while allowing commodity uses as consistent with 
current laws, regulations, and policies. Management actions would 
emphasize resource values such as habitat for wildlife and plant 
species (including special status species), protection of riparian 
areas and water quality, preservation of ecologically important areas, 
maintenance of wilderness characteristics, and protection of 
scientifically important cultural and paleontological sites. Access to 
and development of resources within the planning area could occur with 
intensive management and mitigation of surface-disturbing and 
disruptive activities. Alternative D emphasizes the increased demand on 
BLM-administered lands within the urban interface area. The interface 
is a set of conditions that affect resources and how they can be 
managed, rather than a geographic place. Enhanced community development 
through a change in land tenure is reflected in this alternative. 
Alternative D provides for increased management of recreational 
opportunities in areas of high use while reducing conflict between use 
of the BLM-administered land and adjacent private landowners. Specific 
measures would also be applied to manage for increased pressures on the 
land and a higher demand from the public while minimizing adverse 
effects on local communities. Alternative E emphasizes a balance 
between resource protection and resource use, which provides 
opportunities to use and develop resources within the planning area 
while ensuring resource protection. The BLM Carson City District's 
preferred alternative is Alternative E.
    Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b), this notice announces a concurrent 
public comment period for potential ACECs. There are 4 existing and 9 
new ACECs proposed in Alternative B, 5 existing and 18 new ACECs 
proposed in Alternative C, 3 existing and 8 new ACECs proposed in 
Alternative D, and 4 existing and 4 new ACECs in Alternative E. The 
ACECs are proposed to protect biological, botanical, historic, 
cultural, paleontological and scenic values. Alternatives B, D, and E 
all

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propose to remove the ACEC designation from the current Carson 
Wandering Skipper ACEC (330 acres). Alternative D proposes to remove 
the ACEC designation from the Stewart Valley Paleontological ACEC 
(15,900 acres). Additionally, Alternatives B, C, D, and E propose to 
remove the ACEC designation from the Steamboat Hot Springs Geyer Basin 
ACEC (40 acres). One existing ACEC is proposed to be expanded under 
Alternatives B, C, D and E.
    The new potential ACECs in Alternative B include: Black Mountain/
Pistone Archaeological District (3,400 acres), Churchill Narrows 
Buckwheat Botanical (6,600 acres), Fox Peak Cultural (48,400 acres), 
Greater Sand Mountain (17,000 acres), Grimes Point Archaeological 
District (15,900 acres), Namazii Wunu Cultural (158,300 acres), 
Ruhenstroth Paleontological (2,300 acres), Tagim asa Cultural (81,800 
acres), and the Virginia City National Landmark Historic District 
(14,700 acres). Alternative B would retain the existing Incandescent 
Rocks Scenic (1,100 acres), Stewart Valley Paleontological (15,900 
acres), and the Virginia Range Williams Combleaf Botanical (470 acres) 
ACECs and would expand the Pah Rah High Basin Petroglyph ACEC (5,300 
acres).
    The new potential ACECs in Alternative C include: Black Mountain/
Pistone Archaeological District (3,400 acres), Churchill Narrows 
Buckwheat Botanical (6,600 acres), Clan Alpine Greater Sage-Grouse 
(98,400 acres), Desatoya Greater Sage-Grouse (105,100 acres), Dixie 
Valley Toad (410 acres), Fox Peak Cultural (48,400 acres), Greater Sand 
Mountain (17,000 acres), Grimes Point Archaeological District (15,900 
acres), Lassen Red Rock Scenic (800 acres), Namazii Wunu Cultural 
(158,300 acres), Pine Nut Bi-State Sage-Grouse (100,400 acres), Pine 
Nut Mountains Williams Combleaf Botanical (330 acres), Ruhenstroth 
Paleontological (2,300 acres), Sand Springs Desert Study Area (50 
acres), Steamboat Buckwheat Botanical (80 acres), Tagim asa Cultural 
(81,800 acres), Virginia City National Landmark Historic District 
(14,700 acres) and the Virginia Mountains Greater Sage-Grouse (109,200 
acres). Alternative C would retain the existing Carson Wandering 
Skipper (330 acres), Incandescent Rocks Scenic (1,100 acres), Stewart 
Valley Paleontological (15,900 acres), and the Virginia Range Williams 
Combleaf Botanical (470 acres) ACECs and would expand the Pah Rah High 
Basin Petroglyph ACEC (5,300 acres).
    The new potential ACECs in Alternative D include: Black Mountain/
Pistone Archaeological District (3,400 acres), Churchill Narrows 
Buckwheat Botanical (6,600 acres), Fox Peak Cultural (48,400 acres), 
Grimes Point Archaeological District (15,900 acres), Pine Nut Mountains 
Williams Combleaf Botanical (330 acres), Ruhenstroth Paleontological 
(2,300 acres), Tagim asa Cultural (81,800 acres), and the Virginia City 
National Landmark Historic District (14,700 acres). Alternative D would 
retain the existing Incandescent Rocks Scenic (1,100 acres) and the 
Virginia Range Williams Combleaf Botanical (470 acres) ACECs and would 
expand the Pah Rah High Basin Petroglyph ACEC (5,300 acres).
    The new potential ACECs in Alternative E include: Churchill Narrows 
Buckwheat Botanical (6,600 acres), Fox Peak Cultural (48,400 acres), 
Grimes Point Archaeological District (15,900 acres), and the 
Ruhenstroth Paleontological (2,300 acres). Alternative E would retain 
the existing Incandescent Rocks Scenic (1,100 acres), Stewart Valley 
Paleontological (15,900 acres), and the Virginia Range Williams 
Combleaf Botanical (470 acres) ACECs and would expand the Pah Rah High 
Basin Petroglyph ACEC (5,300 acres).
    The following management prescriptions could apply to potential 
ACECs, if formally designated, depending on each individual ACEC: avoid 
or exclude linear ROWs; avoid or exclude site-type ROWs; close to or 
place use constraints on fluid leasable mineral development; close to 
solid leasable mineral development; recommend withdrawal of locatable 
mineral development; close to saleable mineral development; not 
available for livestock grazing; manage as VRM Class II; Special 
Recreation Permits would not be issued; close to camping; closed or 
limited to designated routes for motorized travel; place seasonal 
restrictions of ground disturbing actions; prohibit the collection of 
vegetation; and seasonally closed for Native American cultural/
religious use.
    Public meetings on the Draft RMP/Draft EIS are currently scheduled 
for 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.; on January 13, at the John Ascuaga's Nugget 
(1100 Nugget Ave.) in Sparks, Nevada; on January 15, at the Fallon 
Convention Center (100 Campus Way) in Fallon, Nevada; on January 20, at 
the Mineral County Library (First & A Street) in Hawthorne, Nevada; on 
January 22, at the Carson Valley Inn (1627 US Hwy 395 N) in Minden, 
Nevada; and on January 29, at the Yerington Elementary School (112 N. 
California St.) in Yerington, Nevada. An additional public meeting will 
be held from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., on January 24, at the Carson City Plaza 
Hotel and Event Center (801 South Carson Street) in Carson City, 
Nevada. Additional public meetings are anticipated in coordination with 
local County Commissions and Boards of Supervisors. Any such additional 
meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.
    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, 43 CFR 1610.2

Marci Todd,
Associate State Director, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 2014-28004 Filed 11-26-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P