[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21352-21353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09837]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCOF02400.L16100000. LXSSC0100000.DO0000.19X]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan and 
Associated Environmental Impact Statement for the Browns Canyon 
National Monument, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA); the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended (FLPMA); and the National Forest Management Act of 
1976, as amended (NFMA); the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Royal 
Gorge Field Office (RGFO), Ca[ntilde]on City, Colorado and U.S. Forest 
Service (USFS), Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Comanche-Cimarron 
National Grasslands (PSICC), Pueblo, Colorado, intend to prepare a 
joint Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Forest Plan (FP) amendment, 
supported by an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), for the Browns 
Canyon National Monument (BCNM). This notice announces the public 
scoping process to solicit comments and identify issues for BLM and 
USFS consideration in the EIS. The management plan will revise a 
portion of the existing Royal Gorge RMP and amend the Pike-San Isabel 
National Forests and Comanche-Cimarron National Grasslands FP.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP-FP 
and EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until June 13, 
2019. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be 
announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers 
and the BLM website at: https://go.usa.gov/xn2eC. In order to be 
considered in the Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the 
close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public 
meeting, whichever is later. The BLM and USFS will provide additional 
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft 
EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the BCNM RMP-FP and EIS by the following methods:

 Electronically via the BLM ePlanning website: https://go.usa.gov/xn2eC
 Hard copy via mail to: BCNM RMP/EIS, 5575 Cleora Road, Salida, 
CO 81201

    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the RGFO, 
3028 E. Main St., Ca[ntilde]on City, Colorado 81212, at the PSICC 
Salida Ranger District, 5575 Cleora Road, Salida, CO 81201, or on the 
BLM ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xn2eC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Vieira, Project Manager, 
telephone 719-246-9966; address 5575 Cleora Road, Salida, Colorado 
81201; email [email protected]. Contact Mr. Vieira at 
[email protected] to add your name to our mailing list. 
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, 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 
RGFO and USFS PSICC intend to prepare a joint RMP/FP and EIS for the 
BCNM, announces and initiates the public scoping process, and seeks 
public input on issues and planning criteria. The USFS published a 
Notice of Intent to begin the Plan Assessment Phase of its planning 
process on April

[[Page 21353]]

17, 2017, consistent with 36 CFR 219 Subpart B. The planning area is 
located in Chaffee County, Colorado and encompasses approximately 
21,600 acres (9,790 acres on BLM and 11,810 acres on USFS) of public 
land and national forest. The purpose of the public scoping process is 
to determine relevant issues that will influence the scope of the 
environmental analysis, develop alternatives and guide the planning 
process. Preliminary issues for the planning area have been identified 
by the BLM and USFS personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; and 
other stakeholders. The issues include: Managing for sustainable 
outdoor recreation, visitor growth and visitor enjoyment; conserving 
and protecting monument resources and objects or values including 
bighorn sheep, peregrine falcon, terrestrial and avian wildlife 
habitat, cultural and historical resources, geological features and 
riparian values; understanding and addressing tribal values; and 
addressing existing uses such as livestock grazing. Preliminary 
planning criteria include: Compliance with FLPMA, NFMA, NEPA, and other 
applicable laws and regulations; consultation and coordination with 
Native American Tribes with due consideration to Tribal concerns; 
incorporate the BLM Colorado Standards for Public Land Health and USFS 
planning criteria; management decision consistency across agency 
boundaries within the BCNM and with other contiguous public lands; 
continue managing Wilderness Study Areas under the Interim Management 
Policy for Lands under Wilderness Review until Congress acts on a 
designation or releases lands from consideration; recognize valid 
existing land-use and ownership rights; include adaptive management 
criteria to explore alternative ways to meet future management 
objectives; comply with existing plans and policies of adjacent local, 
State, Federal agencies and local Native American Tribes to the extent 
practicable; and use the best available scientific information and 
research where practicable for the planning effort.
    The BLM and USFS 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;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan.
    The BLM and USFS will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP-FP 
and Draft EIS as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. 
The public is encouraged to help identify any management questions and 
concerns that should be addressed in the plan. The BLM and USFS will 
work collaboratively with interested parties to identify management 
decisions best suited to local, regional, and national needs and 
concerns. The BLM and USFS 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 and USFS in identifying and evaluating impacts to such 
resources.
    The BLM and USFS will consult with Native American Tribes on a 
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 
and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Native 
American trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will 
be given due consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along 
with Tribes and other stakeholders that may be interested in or 
affected by the proposed action that the BLM and USFS are evaluating, 
are invited to participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may 
request or may be requested by the BLM and USFS to participate in the 
development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency. The 
BLM and USFS will use a joint interdisciplinary approach to develop the 
plan 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: Outdoor recreation, wildlife 
and fisheries, threatened and endangered species; vegetation; invasive 
and noxious weeds; rangeland management; forestry; soils; hydrology; 
riparian systems; cultural resources and Native American interests; 
minerals and geology; fire ecology and management; paleontology; lands 
and realty; sociology and economics; visual resource management; law 
enforcement; and geographic information systems.
    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. To 
be most helpful, you should submit comments by the close of the 30-day 
scoping period or within 15 days after the last public meeting, 
whichever is later.
    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 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Jamie E. Connell,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-09837 Filed 5-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P