[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8888-8889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03035]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[20X.LLIDB00000.L16100000.DP0000.LXSS053D0000.241A.4500141729]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Four Rivers Field Office 
Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, 
Idaho

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 
Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Four Rivers Field Office (FRFO) and by this 
notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: Persons or groups with standing to protest the Proposed RMP and 
Final EIS must submit protests in writing within 30 days of the date 
that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP and Final EIS are available on the BLM 
ePlanning project website at http://go.usa.gov/xnsn6 (case sensitive). 
Click the ``Documents and Report'' link on the left side of the screen 
to find the electronic version of these materials. Hard copies of the 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS are also available for public inspection at the 
Idaho State Office, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise ID 83709 and the 
Boise District Office, 3948 Development Ave., Boise ID 83705.
    All protests must be in writing and filed with the BLM Director, 
either as a hard copy or electronically via the BLM's ePlanning project 
website listed previously. To submit a protest electronically, go to 
the ePlanning project website and follow the protest instructions 
highlighted at the top of the home page. If submitting a protest in 
hard copy, it must be mailed to one of the following addresses:
Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, P.O. 
Box 71383, Washington, D.C. 20024-1383
Overnight Delivery: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, 
Attention: Protest Coordinator, 20 M Street SE., Room 2134LM, 
Washington, D.C. 20003

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brent Ralston, Field Manager; 
telephone 208-384-3300; address 3948 Development Ave, Boise, ID 83705; 
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. Ralston 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 FRFO encompasses an area in southwestern 
Idaho extending north of the Snake River from approximately Glenns 
Ferry in the southeast, west to Weiser, and north to McCall. The 
planning area includes all public lands within the FRFO located outside 
of the the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National 
Conservation Area (NCA), which is governed by a separate RMP. The Four 
Rivers RMP will determine management for approximately 783,000 surface 
acres and 1,173,150 acres of mineral estate in Ada, Adams, Boise, 
Camas, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley, and Washington 
counties administered by the BLM. Much of the planning area comprises 
interspersed sections of public, private, State or U.S. Forest Service 
lands. When approved, the Four Rivers RMP will replace the 1983 Kuna 
Management Framework Plan, the 1987 Jarbidge RMP, and the 1988 Cascade 
RMP.
    The BLM engaged in public scoping to help identify planning issues 
that directed the formulation of alternatives and framed the analysis. 
Issues include managing the scattered BLM-administered land base, 
balancing increasing public demand with conservation of resources, and 
balancing resource uses (including energy development). The planning 
effort also considers socio-economic concerns and special designations 
including lands

[[Page 8889]]

with wilderness characteristics, wild and scenic rivers and Areas of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).
    The Draft RMP/Draft EIS evaluated four alternatives in detail. 
Alternative A, the No Action Alternative, continues current management 
in the existing Land Use Plans (LUP). It does not address issues that 
were nonexistent or unforeseen when the BLM prepared the original LUPs.
    Alternative B protects natural resource values from potential 
impacts of population growth and increased use and incorporates 
protective measures for plants and wildlife compared to other 
alternatives. While some areas emphasize recreation and community 
development uses, the primary emphases are for conservation and 
reduction of habitat fragmentation and resource degradation.
    Alternative C accommodates increased population growth and use of 
public lands by emphasizing land disposal for local community 
expansion, providing economic expansion through extractive and 
renewable energy resource development and continues to provide 
recreational opportunities.
    Alternative D, the Preferred Alternative in the Draft RMP/Draft 
EIS, is the Proposed Plan in the Final EIS and emphasizes management of 
public lands to promote economic development while maintaining natural 
resource values. The Proposed RMP opens some areas to fluid mineral 
development, improves opportunities to manage or reduce invasive annual 
grasses, maintains three ACECs, and improves opportunities for access 
to public lands. The FRFO Draft RMP/Draft EIS public comment period 
began on May 24, 2019, and was extended for 30 days at the request of 
the State of Idaho to September 23, 2019. The BLM conducted four public 
open house meetings during the public comment period. The BLM 
considered and incorporated, as appropriate, comments on the Draft RMP/
Draft EIS received from the public, State of Idaho, other cooperating 
agencies and internal BLM review. Public comments resulted in the 
addition of management actions and clarifying text and the retention of 
the Boise Front ACEC. These changes do not significantly change the 
proposed LUP decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed RMP and Final EIS may be found online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. All protests must be in writing 
and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES 
section or submitted electronically through the BLM ePlanning project 
website as described above. Protests submitted electronically by any 
means other than the ePlanning project website protest section will be 
invalid unless a protest is also submitted in hard copy. Protests 
submitted by fax will also be invalid unless also submitted either 
through ePlanning project website protest section or in hard copy.
    Before including your phone number, email address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest 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, 43 CFR 
1610.5)

John F. Ruhs,
Idaho BLM State Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-03035 Filed 2-14-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P