[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 4 (Friday, January 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1753-1754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31976]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[17X.LLAKF02000.L16100000.DR0000.LXSS094L0000]


Notice of Availability of Records of Decision and Approved 
Resource Management Plans for the Four Subunits of the Eastern Interior 
Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Records of Decision (RODs) for the Approved Resource Management 
Plans (RMPs) for the Fortymile, Draanjik, Steese, and White Mountains 
planning areas located in Eastern Interior Alaska. The Alaska State 
Director signed the RODs on December 30, 2016, which constitutes the 
final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMPs effective 
immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the RODs/Approved RMPs are available upon request 
from the Field Manager, Eastern Interior Field Office, Bureau of Land 
Management, 222 University Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 or via the 
internet at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/alaska/eastern-interior-rmp. Copies of the RODs/Approved 
RMPs are available for public inspection at the Fairbanks District 
Office, 222 University Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeanie Cole; telephone: 907-474-2340; 
address: 222 University Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709; email: 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FRS 
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 Eastern Interior planning process 
resulted in four RODs and Approved RMPs covering approximately 6.5 
million acres of BLM-administered lands in interior Alaska: 1.8 million 
acres under the Fortymile Approved RMP (including the Fortymile Wild 
and Scenic River); 1.3 million acres under the Steese Approved RMP 
(including the Steese National Conservation Area and Birch Creek Wild 
and Scenic River); 2.4 million acres under the Draanjik Approved RMP; 
and 1 million acres under the White Mountains Approved RMP (including 
the White Mountains National Recreation Area and Beaver Creek Wild and 
Scenic River). The Approved RMPs describe the actions and landscape-
level conservation and management needed to meet desired resource 
conditions and objectives for upland and riparian vegetation, fish and 
wildlife habitats, cultural resources, water and wetland resources, 
wilderness characteristics, recreation, and mineral development. The 
Approved RMPs designate three Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 
(ACECs): the Salmon Fork ACEC in the Draanjik Approved RMP, and the 
Fortymile ACEC and the Mosquito Flats ACEC in the Fortymile Approved 
RMP. Additionally, four Research Natural Areas (RNAs) are carried 
forward as valid existing administrative designations in the Steese and 
White Mountains Approved RMPs: Big Windy Hot Springs (Steese), Mount 
Prindle (Steese and White Mountains), Limestone Jags (White Mountains), 
and Serpentine Slide (White Mountains) RNAs.
    The Eastern Interior Field Office used the wild and scenic river 
inventory conducted for the Eastern Interior planning process to 
identify outstandingly remarkable values for Birch Creek, Beaver Creek, 
and Fortymile wild and scenic rivers because these values were not 
identified in the designating legislation. Section 2.1.3 of each 
Approved RMP identifies outstandingly Remarkable Values. Values for 
Birch Creek are scenic, recreation, and fisheries; values for Beaver 
Creek are scenic, recreation, geologic, fisheries, and wildlife; values 
for the Fortymile River vary by segment and include scenic, recreation, 
geologic, historic, and wildlife.
    The Eastern Interior RMP/EIS was subject to extensive public 
review. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Notice of 
Availability for the Eastern Interior Draft RMP/Draft EIS in the 
Federal Register on March 2, 2012 (77 FR 12835), beginning a 150-day 
public comment period that was later extended pending publication of a 
supplemental EIS. The EPA published the Notice of Availability of the 
supplemental EIS, Hardrock Mineral Leasing in the White Mountains 
National Recreation Area for the Eastern Interior Draft RMP 
(Supplement), in the Federal Register on January 11, 2013 (78 FR 2397), 
beginning a 90-day public comment period on the Supplement. The comment 
period for both the Eastern Interior Draft RMP/Draft EIS and the 
Hardrock Mineral Leasing Supplement closed on April 11, 2013. The BLM 
published a Notice of Availability of Additional Information on 
Proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) (80 FR 52) in 
the Federal Register on January 2, 2015, beginning a 60-day comment 
period on two proposed ACECs. That comment period closed on March 3, 
2015.
    The preferred alternative in the Draft RMP/EIS was Alternative C. 
The Proposed RMP/Final EIS added Alternative E as the Proposed RMP. 
This Alternative E was a revised version of Alternative C, based on 
public comment and tribal consultation. Alternative E represented the 
mix and variety of actions that the BLM believed best resolved the 
issues and management concerns in consideration of all values and 
programs. Alternative E was a minor variation of the alternatives 
analyzed in the Draft RMP/EIS and was within the spectrum of 
alternatives analyzed in the Draft. The Proposed RMP/Final EIS 
considered five rivers to be eligible for potential designation as Wild 
and Scenic Rivers, but the RODs do not determine them to be suitable 
for designation as Wild and Scenic Rivers, instead protecting them 
through other means.
    The EPA published a Notice of Availability for the Eastern Interior 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS in the Federal Register on July 29, 2016. The 
BLM provided a 30-day protest period for the Proposed RMP/Final EIS in 
accordance with 43 CFR part 1610.5-2. The BLM Director received nine 
protest letters.

[[Page 1754]]

Concurrent with the protest period, the BLM made the Proposed RMP/Final 
EIS available to the Governor of Alaska for a 60-day consistency review 
as required by 43 CFR 1610.3-2(e). The Alaska Department of Natural 
Resources responded on behalf of the Governor with four issues. The BLM 
Alaska State Director determined that one of these points was within 
the scope of the Governor's Consistency Review Process. The BLM Alaska 
State Director did not find the Proposed RMP inconsistent with state or 
local plans, policies, or programs.
    On November 8, 2016, the Governor appealed the BLM Alaska State 
Director's decision to not accept his recommendations to the BLM 
Director. In the Governor's appeal letter, the State of Alaska 
requested the BLM Director to reconsider the issues and recommendations 
raised in the Governor's Consistency Review letter. The BLM Director 
issued a final response to the Governor affirming the State Director's 
decision.
    As a result of protests and internal reviews, the BLM made minor 
modifications, corrections, and clarifications in preparing the 
Approved RMPs. These modifications provide further clarification of 
some of the decisions and future monitoring efforts. Clarifications 
correct typographical errors in the Proposed RMP and clarify language 
of some decisions.
    The following decisions are appealable under 43 CFR, part 4:
    Draanjik ROD: Draanjik Travel Management Plan and limitations on 
placement of bait and wildlife lures (Appendix E and sections 2.2.20, 
and 2.2.21 of the RMP); White Mountains ROD: Designate trails and areas 
for UTV use, change weight limitations from gross vehicle weight rating 
to curb weight, allow for use of hovercraft and airboats, and 
limitations on placement of bait and wildlife lures (sections 2.2.16, 
2.2.20, and 2.2.21 of the RMP);
    Steese ROD: change weight limitations from gross vehicle weight 
rating to curb weight, allow for use of hovercraft and airboats, and 
limitations on placement of bait and wildlife lures (sections 2.2.16, 
2.2.20, and 2.2.21 of the RMP);
    Fortymile ROD: Establish width and weight limits on use of OHVs 
outside of the Fortymile WSR corridor; change weight limitations from 
gross vehicle weight rating to curb weight; allow for use of 
motorboats, hovercraft, and airboats within the Fortymile WSR; and 
limitations on placement of bait and wildlife lures (sections 2.2.15, 
2.2.19, and 2.2.20 of the RMP). Any party adversely affected by these 
proposed decisions may appeal within 30 days of publication of this 
Notice of Availability pursuant to 43 CFR, part 4, subpart E.
    The appeal should state the specific items on which the decision is 
being appealed. The appeal must be filed with the Eastern Interior 
Field Manager at the above listed address. Please consult the 
appropriate regulations (43 CFR, part 4, subpart E) for further appeal 
requirements.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6.

Bud Cribley,
State Director .
[FR Doc. 2016-31976 Filed 1-5-17; 8:45 am]
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