[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 103 (Friday, May 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30716-30718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-12941]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWYR0000.L16100000.DP0000.LXSS042K0000]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan 
and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Bighorn Basin Resource 
Management Plan Revision, Cody and Worland Field Offices, Wyoming

AGENCY: The Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

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ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance 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) has 
prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Cody and Worland Field 
Offices and by this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS. A person who meets the conditions and files a 
protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability in 
the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Bighorn Basin Proposed RMP/Final EIS have been 
sent to affected Federal, State, Tribal, and local Government agencies 
and to other stakeholders and members of the public. Copies of the 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS are available for public inspection at:

 The Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
 The Bureau of Land Management, Cody Field Office, 1002 
Blackburn Avenue, Cody, Wyoming 82414
 The Bureau of Land Management, Worland Field Office, 101 South 
23rd Street, Worland, Wyoming 82401
    Interested persons may also review the Proposed RMP/Final EIS on 
the internet at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Planning/rmps/bighorn.html. All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the 
following addresses:

Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, P.O. 
Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383.
Overnight Delivery: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, 
20 M Street SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Holly Elliott, RMP Project Manager, 
telephone: 307-347-5193; address: 101 South 23rd Street, Worland, 
Wyoming 82401; 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 Planning Area includes lands within the 
BLM Cody and Worland Field Offices' administrative boundaries, in all 
of Big Horn, Park, and Washakie counties, and most of Hot Springs 
County in north-central Wyoming. The Planning Area includes all lands, 
regardless of jurisdiction, totaling 5.6 million acres; however, the 
BLM will only make decisions on lands that fall under the BLM's 
jurisdiction. Lands within the Planning Area under the BLM's 
jurisdiction make up the Decision Area. The Decision Area consists of 
BLM-administered surface, totaling 3.2 million acres, and the Federal 
mineral estate, totaling 4.2 million acres. The revised RMP will 
replace the Washakie and Grass Creek RMPs in the Worland Field Office, 
Wyoming, and the Cody RMP in the Cody Field Office, Wyoming.
    The Proposed RMP/Final EIS includes a series of management actions, 
within six management alternatives, designed to address management 
challenges and issues raised during scoping, including, but not limited 
to: recreation, areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs), 
wildlife habitats, livestock grazing, energy development, air quality 
and global climate change, and wilderness characteristics. Protection 
of Greater Sage-Grouse habitat is analyzed in all alternatives 
considered. The six alternatives are:
     Alternative A (No Action Alternative): Continues existing 
management practices;
     Alternative B: Fosters conservation of natural and 
cultural resources while providing for compatible development and use;
     Alternative C: Emphasizes resource development and use;
     Alternative D (Proposed Plan): Provides development 
opportunities and protects sensitive resources;
     Alternative E: Provides conservation of natural and 
cultural resources and protection of Greater Sage-Grouse Key Habitat 
Areas through the designation of an ACEC; and
     Alternative F: Provides development opportunities and 
protects sensitive resources and protection of Greater Sage-Grouse Core 
Habitat Areas through the designation of an ACEC.
    The Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the Bighorn Basin RMP/EIS was 
published in the Federal Register on October 17, 2008, and the Draft 
RMP/EIS was released to the public on April 22, 2011. On July 12, 2013 
the Supplement to the Draft RMP/EIS was published in the Federal 
Register to include Alternatives E and F.
    Comments on the Draft RMP/EIS and Supplemental Draft EIS received 
from the public and internal BLM review were considered and 
incorporated as appropriate into the proposed plan. As modified, 
Alternative D is now presented as the Proposed Bighorn Basin RMP in the 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS.
    Alternative D generally allows resource use if the activity can be 
conducted in a manner that conserves physical, biological, heritage and 
visual resources. Alternative D proposes ACEC designations for:
     Big Cedar Ridge (264 acres): Value(s) of Concern--
Paleontological. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Right-of-way (ROW) 
exclusion area, no-surface occupancy (NSO) restriction applied to fluid 
mineral leases, closed to geophysical exploration, closed to mineral 
material disposals and related exploration and development activities, 
motorized vehicle use limited to existing roads and trails, and pursue 
a withdrawal from appropriation under the mining laws.
     Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite (1,798 acres): Value(s) of 
Concern--Paleontological. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Closed to surface 
disturbing activities except to enhance public education, heavy 
equipment restriction on fire suppression activities, motorized vehicle 
use limited to designated roads and trails, interpretive area closed to 
livestock grazing, an NSO restriction applied to fluid mineral leases, 
and pursue a withdrawal from appropriation under the mining laws.
     Sheep Mountain Anticline (13,260 acres): Value(s) of 
Concern--Geologic, Caves, Cultural and Scenic. Proposed Use 
Limitation(s)--Motorized vehicle use limited to designated roads and 
trails, generally closed to surface disturbing activities, unavailable 
for fluid mineral leasing, and pursue a withdrawal from appropriation 
under the mining laws.
     Spanish Point Karst (11,854 acres): Value(s) of Concern--
Caves, Recreational, Sinking Stream Segments and Water Quality. 
Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Unavailable for fluid mineral leasing, 
closed to geophysical exploration, closed to off highway vehicle use, 
ROW avoidance/mitigation area, and pursue a withdrawal from 
appropriation under the mining laws.
     Brown/Howe Dinosaur Area (5,521 acres): Value(s) of 
Concern--Paleontological. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Closed to mineral 
material disposals, unavailable for fluid

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mineral leasing, ROW avoidance/mitigation area, and pursue a withdrawal 
from appropriation under the mining laws.
     Carter Mountain (10,947 acres): Value(s) of Concern--
Vegetation, Wildlife, Cultural, Recreational, Special Status Species, 
Watershed and Soils. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Heavy equipment 
restriction on fire suppression activities, ROW avoidance/mitigation 
area, motorized vehicle use limited to designated roads and trails, 
closed to surface-disturbing activities on slopes greater than 7 
percent, unavailable for fluid mineral leasing, closed to mineral 
material disposals, and pursue a withdrawal from appropriation under 
the mining laws.
     Five Springs Falls (163 acres): Value(s) of Concern--
Recreational, Scenic, Special Status Species, Geologic and Public 
Safety. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Heavy equipment restriction on fire 
suppression activities, ROW avoidance/mitigation area, climbing not 
allowed on the cliff that forms the falls, motorized vehicle use 
limited to designated roads and trails, and unavailable for fluid 
mineral leasing.
     Little Mountain (21,478 acres): Value(s) of Concern--
Caves, Cultural, Paleontological, Scenic, Recreational, Special Status 
Species, Vegetation and Wildlife. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Heavy 
equipment restriction for fire suppression activities, motorized 
vehicle use limited to designated roads and trails, a ROW avoidance/
mitigation area, unavailable for fluid mineral leasing, and pursue a 
withdrawal from appropriation under the mining laws.
     Upper Owl Creek (13,572 acres): Value(s) of Concern--
Cultural, Fish, Recreational, Scenic, Soils, Special Status Species, 
Vegetation and Wildlife. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Motorized vehicle 
use limited to designated roads and trails, closed to surface-
disturbing activities, pursue a withdrawal from appropriation under the 
mining laws for 13,238 acres, ROW avoidance/mitigation area, and 
unavailable for fluid mineral leasing.
     Clarks Fork Canyon (4,759 acres): Value(s) of Concern--
Geologic, Open Space, Recreational, Special Status Species, and 
Wildlife. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--Close 1,211 acres to motorized 
vehicle use with the remainder limited to designated roads and trails, 
closed to surface-disturbing activities, closed to mineral material 
disposals, closed to geophysical exploration, unavailable for fluid 
mineral leasing, pursue a withdrawal from appropriation under the 
mining laws, renewable energy ROW exclusion area, and ROW avoidance/
mitigation area.
     Sheep Mountain (25,962 acres): Value(s) of Concern--
Special Status Species, Vegetation and Wildlife. Proposed Use 
Limitation(s)--Motorized vehicle use limited to designated roads and 
trails, unavailable for fluid mineral leasing, closed to mineral 
material disposals, pursue a withdrawal from appropriation under the 
mining laws, closed to surface-disturbing activities, and ROW 
avoidance/mitigation area.
     Paleocene, Eocene Thermal Maximum (14,913 acres): Value(s) 
of Concern--Paleontological. Proposed Use Limitation(s)--NSO 
restriction applied to fluid mineral leases, and closed to mineral 
material disposals.
    The Proposed plan also makes a determination that 20 waterways (92 
miles) are not suitable for WSR designation and releases those eligible 
waterways from further interim protection.
    The Bighorn Basin Proposed RMP/Final EIS is one of a total of 15 
separate EISs that make up the BLM and Forest Service National Greater 
Sage-Grouse Planning Strategy. Greater-Sage Grouse habitat within the 
planning area consists of:
     Priority Habitat Management Area (PHMA)--Areas identified 
as having the highest conservation value for maintaining sustainable 
greater sage-grouse populations; include breeding, late brood-rearing, 
and winter concentration areas.
     General Habitat Management Area (GHMA)--Areas of seasonal 
or year-round habitat outside of PHMA.
    Alternative D supports management of greater sage-grouse seasonal 
habitats and maintaining habitat connectivity to achieve population 
objectives. Alternative D would limit or eliminate new surface 
disturbance in PHMA, while minimizing disturbance in GHMA. Alternative 
D is also consistent with guidelines provided in the Governor's Sage-
Grouse Implementation Team's Core Population Area strategy and the 
Governor's Executive Order (WY EO 2011-05).
    The BLM and Forest Service, via the Western Association of Fish and 
Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) Management Zone Greater Sage-Grouse 
Conservation Team, will develop a Regional Mitigation Strategy to guide 
the application of the mitigation hierarchy to address impacts within 
that Zone. The Regional Mitigation Strategy should consider any State-
level greater sage-grouse mitigation guidance that is consistent with 
the requirements. The Regional Mitigation Strategy will be developed in 
a transparent manner, based on the best science available and 
standardized metrics.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed RMP/Final EIS may be found in the ``Dear 
Reader'' letter of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS for the Bighorn Basin RMP 
Revision Project and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. All protests must be in 
writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the 
ADDRESSES section above. Emailed protests will not be accepted as valid 
protests unless the protesting party also provides the original letter 
by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the 
protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the 
emailed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct emails to [email protected].
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be 
aware that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you may 
ask us in your protest 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, 43 CFR 
1610.5

Mary Jo Rugwell,
Acting State Director, Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 2015-12941 Filed 5-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-22-P