[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 190 (Friday, September 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67378-67379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23566]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[14X LLIDT03100.L17110000.DF0000.241A00; 4500073052]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Craters of the Moon National 
Monument and Preserve Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact 
Statement, Idaho

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 (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Draft Monument Management Plan (MMP) Amendment and Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Craters of the Moon 
National Monument and Preserve (Monument) and by this notice is 
announcing the opening of the public comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft MMP Amendment/Draft EIS by December 29, 
2016. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other 
public participation activities at least 15 days in advance through 
public notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Draft MMP Amendment/
Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/nepa_register/Craters-plan-amdt_2013.html.
     email: [email protected].
     fax: 208-732-7317.
     mail: BLM Shoshone FO, 400 West F Street, Shoshone, ID 
83352.
    Copies of the Draft MMP Amendment/Draft EIS are available in the 
Shoshone Field Office at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Cresswell, Planning Team Lead, 
telephone 208-732-7200; BLM Shoshone Field Office, 400 West F Street 
Shoshone, ID 83352; 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 Ms. 
Cresswell. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to 
leave a message or question for Ms. Cresswell. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft MMP Amendment/Draft EIS for the 
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (Monument) is now 
available. The BLM prepared this document in consultation with 
cooperating agencies and in accordance with NEPA, FLPMA, implementing 
regulations, the BLM's Land Use Planning Handbook (H-1601-1) and 
National Environmental Policy Handbook (H-1790-1), and other applicable 
law and policy, including BLM Instruction Memorandum No. 2016-105, Land 
Use Planning and Environmental Policy Act Compliance within Greater 
Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management Plans and Plan Amendments 
Decision Area.
    The original Monument was created in 1924 by President Calvin 
Coolidge and was expanded in 2000 by President Bill Clinton. The 
Monument is part of the BLM's National Conservation Lands and one of 
two BLM national monuments jointly managed with the National Park 
Service. The MMP covers the approximately 275,100 BLM-managed acres of 
the 753,200-acre Monument.
    In 2011, the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho found 
that the 2007 MMP/EIS did not adequately consider current science and 
agency policies designed to protect Greater Sage-Grouse (GRSG) habitat, 
particularly with regard to managing livestock grazing in the Monument. 
The court also found that BLM violated NEPA by failing to analyze a 
sufficient range of livestock grazing alternatives. In September 2015, 
the BLM issued a decision amending BLM land use plans in Idaho and 
Southwestern Montana to address GRSG conservation, including the 2007 
Craters of the Moon MMP. The 2015 decision and supporting analysis 
addressed several of the deficiencies identified by the Court with 
regard to GRSG conservation in the Monument, but the BLM determined 
that issues such as the location and amount of livestock grazing and 
protection of Monument values required additional analysis, which is 
addressed in this Draft MMP Amendment/Draft EIS.
    The Draft MMP Amendment/Draft EIS analyzes management options for 
the BLM-managed portions of the Monument that were not evaluated in the 
EIS for the 2007 MMP, as amended by the 2015 Sage-Grouse Approved 
Resource Management Plan Amendment (ARMPA). This Draft MMPA/EIS will 
amend the 2007 plan, but will not change decisions from the 2015 Sage-
Grouse ARMPA. Its purpose is to consider a range of reasonable 
alternatives for managing livestock grazing and GRSG on BLM-managed 
lands in the Monument in a manner that maintains the values identified 
in the Presidential Proclamations that established and expanded it. The 
range of alternatives is broad, from those that would reduce the area 
available for grazing to those that would make the entire planning area 
unavailable for grazing.
    The Draft MMP Amendment/Draft EIS analyzes five alternatives that 
provide a range of livestock grazing levels and availability. 
Alternative C is the BLM's preferred alternative. Alternative A, the no 
action alternative, would continue the management established in the 
2007 MMP as amended by the 2015 Sage-Grouse ARMPA. Under the No Action 
Alternative, 273,900 acres would be available for livestock grazing, 
with 38,187 animal unit months (AUMs).
    Alternative B would reduce AUMs available for livestock grazing by 
75 percent (making 9,432 AUMs available) and close five areas to 
grazing: Little Park kipuka, the North Pasture of Laidlaw Park 
Allotment, Larkspur Park kipuka, the North Pasture of Bowl Crater 
Allotment, and Park Field kipuka. This alternative would adjust two 
allotment boundaries to make 21,000 acres unavailable for livestock 
grazing and for the protection of GRSG and other Monument values. A 
total of 254,100 acres would be available for livestock grazing.
    Alternative C, the agency-preferred alternative, would make 273,600 
acres available for livestock grazing and adjust two allotment 
boundaries, which would set the maximum number of AUMs at 37,792. Where 
appropriate, livestock grazing would be used as a tool to improve and/
or protect wildlife habitat. Guidelines for livestock grazing 
management would be set based on vegetation and wildlife habitat 
conditions and needs, consistent with the 2015 Sage-Grouse ARMPA.

[[Page 67379]]

    Alternative D would eliminate livestock grazing from BLM-managed 
lands within the Monument boundary (0 acres and 0 AUMs available) and 
adjust two allotment boundaries. All livestock-related developments 
would be removed, while some fences might be required to exclude 
livestock from the Monument.
    Alternative E would reduce AUMs available for livestock grazing by 
approximately 50 percent (making 19,388 AUMs available) and close 
Larkspur Park kipuka to grazing. This alternative would adjust two 
allotment boundaries and make 272,900 acres available for grazing. No 
net gain in livestock-related infrastructure would be allowed.
    The land use planning process was initiated on June 28, 2013, 
through a Notice of Intent published in the Federal Register, notifying 
the public of a formal scoping period and soliciting public 
participation in the planning process. Four scoping meetings were held 
in July 2013 in Arco, Carey, Rupert, and American Falls, Idaho. Based 
on public input regarding relevant issues to consider in the planning 
process and BLM goals and objectives, the BLM formulated the five 
alternatives considered and analyzed in the Draft MMP Amendment/Draft 
EIS. Because nominations for the designation of areas of critical 
environmental concern (ACECs) were previously analyzed for the 2007 
MMP, the BLM did not solicit new ACEC nominations during scoping.
    Following the close of the public review and comment period, the 
Draft MMP Amendment/Draft EIS will be revised in preparation for its 
release as the Proposed MMP Amendment and Final EIS. The BLM will 
respond to substantive comments by making appropriate revisions to the 
document or explain why a comment did not warrant a change.
    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.

Timothy M. Murphy,
BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-23566 Filed 9-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P