[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 8606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03010]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[20X.LLAKA02000.L16100000.DS0000.LXSS043L0000.241A]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Haines Amendment to the Ring of 
Fire Resource Management Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Haines Amendment to the 
Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the BLM-managed public 
lands in the Haines area of Alaska. The State Director signed the ROD 
on February 7, 2020, which constitutes the BLM's final decision and 
makes the ROD effective immediately.

ADDRESSES: The ROD is available on the BLM ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xpuEW. Click on the Documents and Reports link to find the 
electronic version of these materials. Hard copies of the ROD are 
available for public inspection at the following locations:
     BLM Glennallen Field Office, Milepost 186.5 Glenn Highway, 
Glennallen, Alaska 99588; BLM Alaska Public Information Center, Federal 
Building, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513;
     Haines Borough Public Library, 111 3rd Avenue Haines, 
Alaska 99827;
     Municipality of Skagway Borough, 700 Spring Street, 
Skagway, Alaska 99840;
     BLM Anchorage District Office, 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, 
Alaska 99507; and
     Alaska Resources Library and Information Services, 3211 
Providence Drive, Suite 111, Anchorage, Alaska 99507.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Loranger, BLM Anchorage District 
Office, telephone: 907-267-1221, email: [email protected]. People 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 Haines planning area is located in 
Southeast Alaska, bounded by the Canadian Border to the north and west, 
Glacier Bay National Park to the southwest, and the Tongass National 
Forest to the south and east. This planning area consists mainly of 
steep and remote mountainous terrain, with bedrock and glaciers that 
restrict road and trail access. Of the approximately 920,000 total 
acres within the planning area, the BLM manages approximately 317,000 
acres. The size of the planning area has changed since signing of the 
Ring of Fire RMP Record of Decision (ROD) in 2008 due to the conveyance 
of several sections of BLM-managed lands to the State of Alaska.
    The purpose of this planning effort was to identify which 
designations, associated management practices, and implementation 
actions best fulfill the resource and multiple-use needs within the 
Haines planning area. It also evaluated an Area of Critical 
Environmental Concern, as required by the Ring of Fire RMP ROD. In 
addition, this planning effort considered the results of a multi-year, 
BLM-funded study of goat and bear habitat in the Haines area by the 
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, completed in 2017. This amendment 
revises the applicable portions of the Ring of Fire RMP and provides a 
plan which is consistent with evolving law, regulations, and policy.
    The BLM prepared an EIS in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to analyze the direct, indirect, and 
cumulative environmental impacts associated with the proposed action 
and the alternatives. The ROD approves the Agency Preferred Alternative 
identified in the Final EIS. The BLM issued the ROD based on compliance 
with relevant laws, regulations, policies, and plans, including those 
guiding agency decisions that may have an impact on resources and their 
values, services, and functions.
    On Oct. 7, 2019, the Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Haines 
Amendment to the Ring of Fire RMP and Final EIS was published in the 
Federal Register. The publication of the NOA initiated a 30-day protest 
period for the proposed land-use-planning decision. NOA publication 
also initiated a simultaneous 60-day review by the Governor of Alaska 
to identify inconsistencies with State or local plans, policies, or 
programs.
    At the close of the protest period three protests (of which two 
were found to have standing) were received. These protests were 
resolved by the BLM Director; individual protest response letters were 
sent to all protesting parties. Protest resolution is contained in the 
Director's Protest Summary Report, which is available online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports. The Alaska Governor's review found that the RMP 
Amendment is consistent with state plans, policies, and programs.

(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3120(a); 40 CFR 1506.6(b))

Chad B. Padgett,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2020-03010 Filed 2-13-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-JA-P