[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 2 (Friday, January 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 334]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-28397]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCOF07000.L10200000.DS0000.20X]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for Domestic Sheep Grazing Permit Renewals, Gunnison Field 
Office, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Domestic Sheep Grazing 
Permit Renewals in the Gunnison Field Office and by this notice is 
announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a 
minimum of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. 
The BLM will issue a proposed decision, followed by a 15-day protest 
period and a 30-day appeal period for the final decision.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for Domestic Sheep Grazing Permit 
Renewals are available for review at Gunnison Field Office, 210 West 
Spencer, Gunnison, CO 81230. Interested persons may also review the 
Final EIS on the internet at https://go.usa.gov/xQTyQ. Click the 
``Documents'' link on the left side of the screen to find the 
electronic version of the document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristi Murphy, Outdoor Recreation 
Planner, 970-642-4955; 210 West Spencer, Gunnison, CO 81230; 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 Ms. Murphy during normal business hours. The 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 Gunnison Field office is proposing 
to renew the permits on nine domestic sheep grazing allotments, 
totaling 65,710 acres in Gunnison, Hinsdale and Ouray counties in 
Colorado. In 2015, the BLM published a Notice of Intent to prepare an 
EIS, initiating public scoping to identify issues through public 
participation and collaboration with partners. Initial scoping with 
internal staff, cooperating agencies, and the public identified the 
risk of contact and disease transmission between domestic sheep and 
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep as the primary issue. Additional issues 
identified during scoping included potential impacts to threatened and 
endangered species, local and regional economics, cultural resources, 
Native American religious concerns, and public land health. The purpose 
of the action is to determine whether or not to authorize domestic 
sheep or goat grazing on nine BLM allotments, such that domestic sheep 
or goat grazing is in compliance with the Gunnison Resource Area 
Resource Management Plan, as amended, and BLM policy. The need for the 
action is to respond to permit applications for the nine allotments.
    The BLM published a Notice of Availability on June 28, 2019, 
announcing the public comment period for the draft EIS (84 FR 31088). 
The draft EIS included alternatives that responded to the purpose and 
need, reduced the risk of contact and disease transmission, made 
progress in achieving land health standards, met objectives of the 
Canada Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy, and met the habitat 
and management guidelines of the Candidate Conservation Agreement for 
Gunnison Sage-Grouse and the draft Recovery Plan for Gunnison Sage-
Grouse. The Draft EIS was available for a 45-day public comment period. 
The BLM hosted public meetings on July 17 and 18, 2019, in Montrose and 
Lake City, CO, respectively. The BLM received 31 comment submissions.
    Alternatives analyzed in the EIS include the Proposed Action 
generated by the permittee applications. This alternative would provide 
grazing on nine allotments. Alternative B is the no-action alternative 
and would continue current management. Alternative C emphasizes a 
reduction in the risk of contact between domestic sheep/goats and Rocky 
Mountain bighorn sheep by not authorizing domestic sheep/goat grazing 
in pastures that overlap with Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep summer 
range. Alternative D emphasizes reduction of risk by not authorizing 
domestic sheep/goat grazing in the overall range of Rocky Mountain 
bighorn sheep. Alternative E is the no-grazing alternative. The BLM 
completed a risk of contact model for each of the action alternatives 
to aid in analyzing the potential levels of sheep interaction.
    The BLM did not identify a preferred alternative in the Draft EIS 
but has identified a preferred alternative in the Final EIS, as 
required by Council on Environmental Quality regulations. The BLM has 
identified Alternative C as the preferred alternative. Alternative C 
applies new Terms and Conditions and eliminates domestic sheep/goat 
grazing in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep summer range, providing 
additional spatial and temporal separation of the species.
    The BLM considered comments on the Draft EIS received from the 
public and internal BLM review, and made changes in the Final EIS as 
appropriate. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying 
text and correction of data discrepancies in the EIS, but did not 
significantly change the alternatives.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)


Jamie E. Connell,
Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-28397 Filed 1-2-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P