[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19801-19803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09522]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWO200000.LXSGPL000000.18x.L11100000.PH0000]


Notice of Availability of the Idaho Draft Resource Management 
Plan Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Greater 
Sage-Grouse Conservation

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, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared the Idaho Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Idaho Greater Sage-
Grouse (GRSG) Planning Area, and by this notice is announcing the 
opening of the comment period. BLM Idaho is soliciting comments on the 
entire Draft EIS, as well as the specific planning issues mentioned in 
this NOA, and the cumulative effects analysis.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS within 90 days 
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a 
notice of availability of the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS in the 
Federal Register. 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 Idaho Draft RMP 
Amendment/Draft EIS by any of the following methods:

 Website: https://goo.gl/f94eKW
 Mail: BLM Idaho State Office, 1387 S Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 
83709
 Fax: 208-373-3805

Copies of the Idaho Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS for Greater Sage-
Grouse Conservation are available in the BLM Idaho State Office at the 
above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact 
Jonathan Beck, Greater Sage-Grouse Implementation Coordinator, 
telephone (208) 373-3841; address 1387 S Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709; 
email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay

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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: Greater Sage-Grouse is a state-managed 
species that is dependent on sagebrush steppe ecosystems. These 
ecosystems are managed in partnership across the range of the Greater 
Sage-Grouse by federal, state, and local authorities. Efforts to 
conserve the species and its habitat date back to the 1950s. Over the 
past two decades, state wildlife agencies, federal agencies, and many 
others in the range of the species have been collaborating to conserve 
Greater Sage-Grouse and its habitats. The United States Department of 
the Interior (DOI) and the BLM have broad responsibilities to manage 
federal lands and resources for the public benefit. Nearly half of 
Greater Sage-Grouse habitat is managed by the BLM. The BLM is committed 
to being a good neighbor and investing in on-the-ground conservation 
activities through close collaboration with State governments, local 
communities, private landowners, and other stakeholders.
    In September 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
determined that the Greater Sage-Grouse did not warrant listing under 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The USFWS based its ``not 
warranted'' determination, in part, on the conservation commitments and 
management actions in the BLM and U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) 
Greater Sage-Grouse land use plan amendments and revisions (2015 GRSG 
land use plan decisions), as well as on other private, state, and 
federal conservation efforts. Since 2015 the BLM, in discussion with 
partners, primarily Governors and state wildlife management agencies, 
recognized that several refinements and policy updates could help 
strengthen conservation efforts, while providing increased economic 
opportunity to local communities. The BLM and Department of Interior 
worked closely with Governors charged with managing Greater Sage-Grouse 
to determine whether some, none, or all of the 2015 Land Use Plans 
should be amended. After carefully considering the Governor's input, 
and using its discretion and authority under FLPMA, as well as under 
direction from the Secretary, including Secretary's Order (SO) 3353, 
the BLM proposes amending the Idaho Greater Sage-Grouse land use plans 
that address GRSG management. This action is proposed to enhance 
cooperation and improve alignment with the state plans or management 
strategies, in accordance with the BLM's multiple use and sustained 
yield mission. The BLM prepared the Idaho Greater Sage-Grouse Draft RMP 
Amendment/Draft EIS to address alternatives that will build upon its 
commitment to conserve and restore Greater Sage-Grouse habitat, while 
improving collaboration and alignment with state management strategies 
for Greater Sage-Grouse. The BLM seeks to improve management alignment 
in ways that will increase management flexibility, maintain access to 
public resources, and promote conservation outcomes. The BLM used 
internal, agency, and public scoping to identify issues considered in 
the environmental analysis. As part of this analysis, the BLM also 
examined the range of alternatives evaluated in the BLM's 2015 GRSG 
land use plan decisions and their supporting NEPA analyses.
    This Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS is one of six separate planning 
efforts that are being undertaken in response to SO 3353, Greater Sage-
Grouse Conservation and Cooperation with Western States (June 7, 2017), 
and in accordance with SO 3349, American Energy Independence (March 29, 
2017). The Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS proposes to amend the RMPs for 
field offices on BLM lands within BLM Idaho boundaries. The current 
management decisions for resources are described in the following RMPs 
and Management Framework Plans (MFPs):

 Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills MFP (BLM 1980)
 Big Desert MFP (BLM 1981)
 Big Lost MFP (BLM 1983)
 Bruneau MFP (BLM 1983)
 Cascade RMP (BLM 1988)
 Cassia RMP (BLM 1985)
 Challis RMP (BLM 1999)
 Craters of the Moon National Monument RMP (BLM 2006)
 Four Rivers RMP Revision
 Jarbidge RMP Revision (BLM 2015)
 Jarbidge RMP (BLM 1987)
 Kuna MFP (BLM 1983)
 Lemhi RMP (BLM 1987)
 Little Lost-Birch Creek MFP (BLM 1981)
 Magic MFP (BLM 1975)
 Medicine Lodge RMP (BLM 1981)
 Monument RMP (BLM 1985)
 Owyhee RMP (BLM 1999)
 Pocatello RMP (BLM 2012)
 Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area RMP (BLM 
2008)
 Sun Valley MFP (BLM 1981)
 Twin Falls MFP (BLM 1982)
 Upper Snake RMP Revision

    The Idaho planning area includes approximately 39,553,628 acres of 
BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of 
Reclamation, State, local, and private lands in 28 counties: (Ada, 
Adams, Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Butte, Camas, Caribou, 
Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Jefferson, 
Jerome, Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, 
Power, Twin Falls, and Washington). Within the decision area, the BLM 
administers approximately 11,470,301 acres of public lands, providing 
approximately 8,809,326 acres of GRSG habitat. Surface management 
decision changes proposed in this Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS would 
apply only to BLM administered lands in the decision area.
    The formal public scoping process for the RMP Amendment/EIS began 
on October 11, 2017, with the publication of a Notice of Intent in the 
Federal Register (82 FR 47248), and ended on December 1, 2017. Meetings 
were held in:

--Twin Falls, Idaho; November 2, 2017
--Idaho Falls, Idaho; November 6, 2017
--Marsing, Idaho; November 7, 2017

    The RMP Amendment/EIS addresses the designation of sagebrush focal 
areas, mitigation standards, lek buffers, disturbance and density caps, 
and adjustments to habitat boundaries to reflect new information. The 
Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS evaluates two alternatives in detail, 
including the No Action Alternative (Alternative A) and one action 
alternative (Management Alignment Alternative). The Management 
Alignment Alternative has been identified as BLM's Preferred 
Alternative for the purposes of public comment and review. 
Identification of these alternatives, however, does not represent final 
agency direction, and the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS may reflect 
changes or adjustments from information received during public comment, 
from new information, or from changes in BLM policies or priorities. 
The Proposed RMP Amendments/Final EIS may include objectives and 
actions described in the other analyzed alternative as well. 
Alternative A would retain the current management goals, objectives, 
and direction specified in the current land use plans for each field 
office.
    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 at the address 
provided in the ADDRESSES section of this notice during regular 
business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except

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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.

Peter J. Ditton,
Acting BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-09522 Filed 5-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-84-P