[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 120 (Friday, June 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29235-29236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13087]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCOF02000.L16100000.DP0000.19X]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Eastern Colorado Resource
Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Royal
Gorge Field Office, Colorado
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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a
Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Royal Gorge Field Office and by this notice is
announcing the opening of the comment period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft RMP/Draft EIS within 90 days following
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of
availability 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: Comments related to the Draft Eastern Colorado RMP/EIS must
be submitted by the following methods:
Electronic comments must be submitted via the ePlanning
website at https://go.usa.gov/xQcZT.
Hard copy comments must be submitted via mail or hand-
delivered to the Royal Gorge Field Office, 3028 E. Main St.,
Ca[ntilde]on City, CO 81212.
A copy of the Draft Eastern Colorado RMP/EIS is available at the Royal
Gorge Field Office at the address above or on the RMP ePlanning website
at: https://go.usa.gov/xQcZT. Click the Documents & Reports link on the
left side of the screen to find the electronic version of these
materials.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Smeins, Project Manager,
telephone: 719-269-8581; 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 Mr. Smeins during normal
business hours. FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to
leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM prepared the Draft Eastern Colorado
RMP/EIS to evaluate and revise the management strategy for resources,
resource uses, and special designations within the Royal Gorge Field
Office, which is the planning area for the RMP. Existing management
decisions for public lands and resources in the Royal Gorge Field
Office are currently described in two documents: The 1986 Northeast
RMP, as amended; and the 1996 Royal Gorge RMP, as amended.
The Royal Gorge Field Office encompasses approximately 35 million
acres of land under various jurisdictions, including the BLM, U.S.
Forest Service, National Park Service, State of Colorado, and local and
private lands in 37 counties across south-central and eastern Colorado.
The
[[Page 29236]]
Browns Canyon National Monument is not part of the planning area for
this RMP/EIS. The Eastern Colorado RMP will determine management for
approximately 658,200 acres of BLM-administered surface land and
approximately 3,311,900 acres of BLM-administered mineral estate
located throughout south-central and eastern Colorado. Planning
decisions for Federal minerals underlying National Forests and
Grasslands are contained in separate documents prepared by the U.S.
Forest Service.
The formal public scoping process for the Eastern Colorado RMP/EIS
began on June 1, 2015, with the publication of a Notice of Intent in
the Federal Register (80 FR 31063). The BLM held eight open-house
scoping meetings in June and July 2015. The BLM used public scoping
comments to help identify planning issues to formulate alternatives and
frame the scope of analysis in the Draft RMP/EIS. The BLM also used the
scoping process to introduce the public to the preliminary planning
criteria, which defined the scope of the Draft RMP/EIS. Following the
formal scoping period, the BLM made the Preliminary Alternatives and
Draft Basis for Analysis available for public review to obtain feedback
on the alternatives and the analysis strategy. The BLM held eight
public meetings to review the alternatives. Based on information
received during this review, the BLM modified the alternatives and the
analysis.
Major issues considered in the Draft RMP/EIS are management of
biological resources, special status species, renewable and
nonrenewable energy, minerals, human activities, and uses including
recreation and livestock grazing, utility/energy corridors and rights-
of-way, and cultural resources. The RMP also considers decisions
regarding wild and scenic rivers, areas of critical environmental
concern (ACECs), and management of lands with wilderness
characteristics. The Draft RMP/EIS evaluates in detail the No Action
Alternative (Alternative A) and three action alternatives (Alternatives
B, C and D). The BLM identified Alternative D as the Preferred
Alternative. This alternative, however, does not represent the final
agency direction. After the public comment period closes, the BLM will
prepare a Proposed RMP, which may reflect changes or adjustments based
on information received during public comment on the Draft RMP/EIS, new
information, or changes in BLM policies or priorities. The Proposed RMP
may include objectives and actions described in any of the alternatives
analyzed in the Draft.
Alternative A retains the current management goals, objectives, and
direction specified in the 1986 Northeast RMP and the 1996 Royal Gorge
RMP. Alternative B emphasizes improving, rehabilitating, and restoring
resources; sustaining the ecological integrity of habitats for all
priority plant, wildlife and fish species; and allowing appropriate
development scenarios for allowable uses (such as mineral leasing,
recreation, communication sites and livestock grazing). Alternative C
emphasizes a mix of uses that maximizes utilization of resources while
protecting land health. The development scenarios for allowable uses in
this alternative emphasize maximizing resource production in an
environmentally responsible manner while maintaining the basic
protection needed to sustain resources, including mitigating impacts on
land health. Alternative D emphasizes balancing resources and resource
use among competing human interests, land uses, and the conservation of
natural and cultural resource values, while sustaining and enhancing
ecological integrity across the landscape, including plant, wildlife,
and fish habitat. This alternative has four geographic landscapes with
distinct management, and incorporates a balanced level of protection,
restoration and enhancement, as well as use of resources and services
to meet ongoing programs and land uses with an emphasis on local
community visions for the future of public lands.
Pursuant to 43 CFR 3461.2-1(a)(2), this notice announces a
concurrent public comment period on the application of unsuitability
criteria to lands with coal development potential. Maps and other
information describing the results of the application of unsuitability
criteria are available on the RMP ePlanning website and at the BLM
Royal Gorge Field Office (see contact information above).
Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b), this notice announces a concurrent
public comment period on the proposed designation of ACECs. The BLM
analyzed ten potential ACECs meeting the relevance and importance
criteria within the range of action alternatives:
Alternative B would retain four ACECs in their current
size--Arkansas Canyonlands (23,700 acres), Droney Gulch (700 acres),
Grape Creek (16,600 acres) and Ruby Mountain/Railroad Gulch (1,800
acres); would expand three existing ACECs--Cucharas Canyon (6,100
acres), Garden Park (3,100 acres) and Top of the World (8,700 acres);
and expand two existing ACECs into a single area--South Pikes Peak
(40,400 acres).
Alternative C would retain three current ACECs in their
current size--Cucharas Canyon (1,400 acres), Garden Park (2,700 acres)
and Top of the World (Mosquito Pass existing) (4,200 acres); reduce
three existing ACECs--Arkansas Canyonlands (18,700 acres), Grape Creek
(2,300 acres) and Phantom Canyon (5,500 acres); and eliminate three
ACECs--Beaver Creek (12,100 acres), Droney Gulch (700 acres) and Ruby
Mountain/Railroad Gulch (1,800 acres).
Alternative D would retain one ACEC in its current size--
Droney Gulch (700 acres); propose one new ACEC--Castle Gardens (300
acres); expand three existing ACECs--Cucharas Canyon (6,100), Garden
Park (3,100 acres) and Top of the World (8,700 acres); reduce three
existing ACECs--Arkansas Canyonlands (19,600 acres), Grape Creek (2,300
acres) and Phantom Canyon (5,500 acres); and eliminate two existing
ACECs--Beaver Creek (12,100 acres) and portions of the Browns Canyon
ACEC outside the National Monument (Ruby Mountain/Railroad Gulch (1,800
acres).
The following management prescriptions may apply to the individual
ACECs under consideration if designated: Avoid rights-of-way, close or
restrict fluid mineral development, close to mineral material disposal,
restrict vehicles and bicycles to designated roads and trails, prohibit
fuelwood permits and retain in public ownership. 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 and disclosure at the above address during
regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday,
except 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)
Jamie E. Connell,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-13087 Filed 6-20-19; 8:45 am]
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