[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 43 (Friday, March 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11587-11589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04805]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCOS01000.L12200000.DP0000]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the 
Tres Rios Field Office and Prepare an Associated Environmental 
Assessment, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management

[[Page 11588]]

Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Tres Rios Field Office, Dolores, Colorado, intends to prepare a 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Tres Rios Field Office to 
evaluate the management of 18 potential Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACEC) and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the 
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP 
Amendment with an associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until April 4, 2016. The BLM will announce the date(s) and 
location(s) of any scoping meetings at least 15 days in advance through 
local news media, newspapers and the BLM Web site at: www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/TRFO_NEPA.html. The BLM must receive all 
comments prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days 
after the last public meeting, whichever is later, in order to include 
them in the analysis. We will provide additional opportunities for 
public participation as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Tres Rios Field Office RMP ACEC Amendment EA by any of 
the following methods:
     Web site: www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/TRFO_NEPA.html.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (970) 240-5367.
     Mail: BLM, 2465 S. Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Tres 
Rios Field Office, Dolores Public Lands Center, 29211 Highway 184, 
Dolores, CO 81323.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina Jones, District NEPA Coordinator; 
telephone (970) 240-5381; address 2465 S. Townsend Ave. Montrose, CO 
81401; email [email protected]. Contact Gina Jones to have your 
name added to our 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, seven 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 
Tres Rios Field Office, Dolores, Colorado, intends to prepare an RMP 
Amendment with an associated EA for the Tres Rios Field Office, 
announces the beginning of the scoping process, and seeks public input 
on issues and planning criteria. The amendment planning area is located 
in Dolores, Montezuma, Montrose, San Juan and San Miguel counties in 
southwest Colorado and encompasses approximately 130,000 acres of 
Federal surface public land. The BLM is considering amending the Tres 
Rios RMP to address 18 areas found to have relevance and importance 
consistent with BLM Manual 1613--Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern. The RMP Amendment and associated EA will evaluate these areas 
to determine if they should be designated as an ACEC, and if so, what 
management prescriptions are necessary to protect the relevant and 
important values of each area. There are suitable Wild and Scenic River 
segments and lands with wilderness characteristics units within the 
nominated ACEC areas. These resources will be considered throughout the 
analysis process. 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 planning 
process. BLM personnel; Federal, State and local agencies; and other 
stakeholders identified preliminary issues for the plan amendment area. 
Preliminary issues include those resources within the analysis area 
that would meet the relevance and importance criteria as set forth in 
BLM Manual 1613 and require special management attention to address 
resource conflicts. See the plan amendment Web site at www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/TRFO_NEPA.html to view maps and additional 
information on the previously nominated areas being considered. The 
areas nominated include:
     Anasazi Culture (currently designated as an ACEC): 
Approximately 1,200 acres;
     Cement Creek: Approximately 450 acres;
     Cinnamon Pass: Approximately 560 acres;
     Coyote Wash: Approximately 650 acres;
     Disappointment Valley: Approximately 2,700 acres;
     Dolores River Canyon: Approximately 12,000 acres;
     Dry Creek Basin: Approximately 35,000 acres;
     Grassy Hills: Approximately 450 acres;
     Gypsum Valley (currently designated as ACEC): 
Approximately 13,200 acres (combined Big Gypsum Valley and Little 
Gypsum Valley);
     Lake Como: Approximately 100 acres;
     McIntyre Canyon: Approximately 3,000 acres;
     Mesa Verde Entrance: Approximately 1,300 acres;
     Muleshoe Bench: Approximately 700 acres;
     Northdale: Approximately 4,000 acres;
     Silvey's Pocket: Approximately 700 acres;
     Slick Rock: Approximately 3,600 acres;
     Snaggletooth: Approximately 24,000 acres; and
     Spring Creek Basin: Approximately 25,500 acres.
    Preliminary planning criteria include:
    1. The BLM will continue to manage the Tres Rios Field Office in 
accordance with FLPMA and other applicable laws and regulations. 
Section 202(c)(3) of FLPMA mandates the agency to give priority to the 
designation and protection of ACECs in the planning process;
    2. The BLM will comply with NEPA, including preparing appropriate 
environmental analysis for the proposed action;
    3. Planning decisions will strive for compatiblility 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;
    4. The planning area only includes areas that meet the relevance 
and importance criteria defined in BLM Manual 1613; and
    5. The BLM will follow the procedures for ACEC planning in BLM 
Manual 1613.
    You may submit comments on 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. 
Please 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 will use and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to help 
fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 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.

[[Page 11589]]

    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. The BLM will give tribal concerns, including impacts on 
Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, due 
consideration. The BLM invites 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, to participate 
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by 
the BLM to participate in developing the environmental analysis as a 
cooperating agency.
    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. The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping 
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days after the 
meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she 
expressed. The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be addressed in 
the plan, and will place them into one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the Plan Amendment;
    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 Preliminary EA as to why 
an issue was placed in category two or three. The BLM also encourages 
the public to identify any management questions and concerns that 
should be addressed in the amendment process. The BLM will 
collaborative with interested parties to identify the management 
decisions best suited to local, regional, and national needs and 
concerns.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the Plan 
Amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the following 
disciplines will be involved in the planning process: Rangeland 
management, minerals and geology, outdoor recreation, archaeology, 
paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, hydrology, 
soils, sociology and economics.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-04805 Filed 3-3-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P