[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 75 (Friday, April 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21454-21455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07744]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCOF02400.L16100000.DQ0000.LXSSC0100000.20X]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan 
and Associated Environmental Impact Statement for the Browns Canyon 
National Monument, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 
as amended, and the National Forest Management Act of 1976, as amended, 
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, have prepared a Proposed Resource Management 
Plan (RMP) and Forest Plan (FP) amendment, supported by an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), for the Browns Canyon National 
Monument, and by this notice are announcing its availability.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's 
Proposed RMP. The USFS has waived its objection procedures and instead 
adopted the BLM's administrative review process (36 CFR 219.59). A 
person who meets the conditions and files a protest must file the 
protest within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal 
Register The EPA publishes its NOAs in the Federal Register weekly, 
usually on Fridays.

ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP-FP amendment and Final EIS is available on 
the BLM ePlanning project website at https://go.usa.gov/xn2eC. Click 
the Documents and Reports link on the left side of the screen to find 
the electronic versions of these materials. Hard copies of the Proposed 
RMP-FP amendment and Final EIS are also available for public inspection 
by appointment at the BLM RGFO, 3028 E. Main St., Ca[ntilde]on City, CO 
81212, and at the PSICC Salida Ranger District, 5575 Cleora Road, 
Salida, CO 81201.
    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 BLM 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: Director (210), Attn: Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box 
261117, Lakewood, CO 80226.
    Overnight Delivery: Director (210), Attn: Protest Coordinator, 2850 
Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO 80215.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Vieira, Project Manager, 
telephone 719-246-9966; address 5575 Cleora Road, Salida, CO 81201; 
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. Vieira 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 BCNM was established by Presidential 
Proclamation 9232. The BLM and USFS have prepared the Proposed RMP-FP 
amendment and Final EIS for BCNM to evaluate the management strategy 
for monument resources, objects, and values, including resource uses 
and special designations within the BCNM. The planning area is located 
in Chaffee County, Colorado, and encompasses approximately 21,600 
acres. The BCNM RMP-FP amendment will determine management for 
approximately 9,790 acres of BLM-administered surface land and 
approximately 11,810 acres of USFS-administered national forest. The 
monument also includes a portion of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation 
Area, a cooperatively managed area along the Arkansas River 
administered by the BLM, the USFS, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife 
(CPW).
    Major planning issues considered in the Proposed RMP-FP amendment 
and Final EIS are conserving and protecting monument resources, objects 
or values including bighorn sheep, peregrine falcon, terrestrial and 
avian wildlife habitat, cultural and historical resources, geological 
features and riparian values; maintaining monument values and settings; 
understanding and addressing tribal values including religious and 
other significant sites; addressing existing uses such as livestock 
grazing; and managing for sustainable outdoor recreation, visitor 
growth and visitor enjoyment. The Proposed RMP-FP amendment and Final 
EIS also considers BLM decisions regarding wild and scenic rivers, 
areas

[[Page 21455]]

of critical environmental concern, management of lands with wilderness 
characteristics and USFS decisions regarding wilderness suitability 
determinations.
    The Proposed RMP-FP amendment and Final EIS describe and analyze 
three action alternatives and the No Action alternative. Each includes 
goals, objectives, allowable uses and management actions to address 
management challenges and issues and reflects management direction in 
Presidential Proclamation 9232.
    Alternative A continues existing management, as reflected in 
decisions from the Royal Gorge Resource Area Management Plan (BLM 1996) 
and the Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche 
National Grasslands Land and Resource Management Plan (USFS 1984), as 
amended. Alternative B focuses on protecting monument resources, 
objects, and values while providing primarily non-motorized recreation 
activities, such as hiking and boating, in a predominantly primitive 
and back-country setting. Alternative B limits future recreational 
infrastructure development while still allowing varied river-based and 
upland outdoor recreation experiences and outcomes. Alternative C 
focuses on a wider variety of river and upland recreation opportunities 
in backcountry, middle and front country settings to enhance the local 
economy and quality of life for residents and visitors. Alternative C 
includes protections for monument resources, objects, and values though 
emphasizes more proactive management of natural resources to address 
stressors and drivers, and a wider range of recreation opportunities 
and access as compared with management under Alternative B. Alternative 
D is the Proposed RMP-FP amendment and is a reasonable combination of 
management components from Alternatives A, B, and C presented in the 
Draft RMP-FP amendment and Draft EIS. The BLM and USFS developed the 
Proposed RMP-FP amendment consistent with DOI shared conservation and 
USFS ecosystem service and sustainable recreation priorities.
    The BCNM Draft RMP-FP amendment and Draft EIS public comment period 
began on October 4, 2019. The BLM and USFS held three open-house public 
meetings in November 2019 and two webinars in December 2019. The BLM 
and USFS consulted with cooperating agencies and considered and 
incorporated public comments, as appropriate, in the Proposed RMP-FP 
amendment and Final EIS.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed RMP-FP amendment 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 earlier. Protests submitted electronically by any 
means other than the ePlanning project website protest section, 
including by fax, also must be submitted 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

Jamie E. Connell,
Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-07744 Filed 4-16-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P