[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 154 (Friday, August 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54660-54662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17224]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_NM_FRN_MO#4500172602]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Taos Resource Management Plan for 
the R[iacute]o Grande del Norte National Monument Management Plan and 
Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New 
Mexico State Director intends to prepare a resource management plan 
(RMP) amendment with an associated environmental assessment (EA) for 
the R[iacute]o Grande del Norte National Monument and by this notice is 
announcing the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public 
comments and identify issues. We are also providing the planning 
criteria for public review.

DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the 
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of 
relevant information and studies by September 11, 2023. To afford the 
BLM the opportunity to consider issues raised by commenters in the 
draft RMP amendment/EA, please ensure your comments are received prior 
to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last 
public meeting, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the management plan for R[iacute]o Grande del Norte National 
Monument by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2024165/510
     Mail: Brad Higdon, Project Manager, BLM Taos Field Office, 
1024 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2024165/510 and at the 
BLM Taos Field Office, New Mexico.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad Higdon, Planning and 
Environmental Specialist, telephone: (575) 751-4725; address: 1024 
Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571; or email: [email protected]. 
Contact Mr. Higdon to have your name added to our mailing list. 
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services for contacting 
Mr. Higdon. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay 
services offered within their country to make international calls to 
the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
New Mexico State Director intends to prepare a RMP amendment with an 
associated EA for the R[iacute]o Grande del Norte National Monument, 
announces the beginning of the scoping process, and seeks public input 
on issues and planning criteria. The RMP amendment would change the 
existing Taos RMP.
    The planning area is located in Taos and Rio Arriba counties, New 
Mexico, and encompasses approximately 247,852 acres of public land.

Purpose and Need

    Need: The need for the RMP amendment was established by the 
Presidential Proclamation that designated the Monument. The 
Proclamation states, ``For purposes of protecting and restoring the 
objects. . . the Secretary, through the BLM, would prepare and maintain 
a management plan. . . .'' An RMP amendment is necessary--as mandated 
by the Proclamation--for providing the management guidance critical for 
ensuring the Monument objects are preserved.
    FLPMA, which established public land policy, also requires the BLM 
to ``develop, maintain, and, when appropriate, revise land use plans'' 
for the management of public lands. Furthermore, it is BLM policy that 
each Monument has an independent decision document that specifies the 
management guidance for that Monument.
    In addition to these mandates, an amendment to the Taos RMP is 
necessary to address the new information that has been accrued and the 
changed circumstances the Monument has experienced since its 
designation in 2013. New surveys of seeps and springs, cultural 
resources, sagebrush distribution, sensitive species, wildlife 
corridors, among other resources, have been conducted in recent years 
that add to the BLM's catalogue of the best-available information. This 
new information will enable the BLM to reevaluate and adjust its 
current management of the Monument under an amended Taos RMP. Changed 
circumstances include increased demand for recreational opportunities 
and increased pressure on recreation facilities and infrastructure 
within the Monument. The public is seeking a wider array of trail use 
opportunities, particularly around the communities of Taos and Questa, 
and increased pressure on existing trails and recreational facilities 
has been especially evident since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Trailhead parking is regularly at or exceeds capacity throughout much 
of the Monument. New types of recreation, such as e-bikes, also need to 
be addressed.
    Opportunities for new rights-of-way for electrical transmission in 
support of renewable energy development is an evolving circumstance 
that may require new authorizations consistent with the parameters 
specified in the Proclamation. Changed circumstances regarding climatic 
conditions also

[[Page 54661]]

requires careful management considerations for a broad spectrum of 
resources in an updated plan, including those contributing to the 
objects for which the Monument was established to protect.
    A RMP amendment is also necessary for providing protective 
management of Cerro del Yuta Wilderness and Rio San Antonio Wilderness, 
designated by Congress in 2019. Wilderness areas are required to be 
managed according to the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964, and 
this management plan would provide the framework for the 
implementation-level wilderness plans that would be completed once a 
management plan is approved.
    Purpose: As specified in the Presidential Proclamation, the 
overarching purpose of this action--the RMP amendment--is to provide 
for the protection and restoration of the Monument objects presented 
below, as well as allowing for the enjoyment and use of the Monument 
lands and resources through recreation, traditional uses, and other 
means. The management plan would establish goals and objectives and 
identify allocations and allowable uses to achieve a balance of 
protection and use for the Monument. More specifically, the BLM seeks 
to achieve the objectives outlined below under the guidance of an 
approved management plan.

To Protect Monument Objects Listed Under the Proclamation

     To provide protection and preservation for cultural 
resources and the integrity of cultural landscapes from conflicts that 
have emerged from resource uses. The BLM also has an opportunity to 
promote stewardship, interpretation, and an understanding of the area's 
ethnography, as well as to provide opportunities for Tribal co-
stewardship.
     To provide for the protection and restoration of the 
Monument's ecological diversity. The BLM would foster resistance and 
resilience of diverse, native vegetative communities in the face of 
changing climate and water conditions, and public use. The BLM would 
identify opportunities for sustaining the health of a broad range of 
species, their habitats, and conditions that contribute to the 
ecological diversity of the Monument, including, for example, various 
special status biological species, pollinators, and soils in the face 
of the same challenges. The BLM will also update strategies and 
practices for wildlife corridors and restoring vegetative communities 
through treatments and management of fuels.
     To provide for the protection and restoration of diverse 
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife populations and their habitats, 
including threatened and endangered species and other special status 
species and their habitats. The BLM would minimize fragmentation of 
seasonal habitats, habitat connectivity, and the displacement of 
wildlife from those habitats, while allowing for recreational and 
traditional uses of the Monument.
     To protect the geologic features, functions, and visual 
integrity of the Monument, while balancing the increased recreational 
use, demand for rights-of-way, and other uses that could impact 
Monument lands.

Resolve Conflicts Between Recreational and Other Uses and Protect 
Monument Objects

     To provide for a variety of recreational opportunities in 
diverse settings in a manner that meets the demand of the public and 
resolves conflicts between recreational use and the protection of 
Monument objects.
     To provide for traditional uses of the public lands in a 
manner consistent with the protection, preservation, and restoration of 
Monument objects. Traditional uses are very important to sustaining 
cultural customs and traditions of local populations, such as those 
associated with food, shelter, and other basic human needs. Traditional 
uses include livestock grazing, fuelwood collection, pi[ntilde]on nut 
collection, herb collection, hunting, fishing, and other similar uses.
     To allow for motorized and non-motorized access to the 
Monument, consistent with the Proclamation (which states ``[e]xcept for 
emergency or authorized administrative purposes, motorized vehicle use 
in the monument shall be permitted only on designated roads and non-
motorized mechanized vehicle use shall be permitted only on designated 
roads and trails.''), for traditional uses, livestock grazing, fuelwood 
collection, and recreational opportunities, while protecting Monument 
objects. A long-term, sustainable travel and transportation network 
must be defined by allocations necessary to provide for access while 
preventing any degradation to Monument objects, wild and scenic river 
corridors, and the two new wilderness areas. FLPMA requires that, among 
other uses, ``the public lands be managed in a manner that will . . . 
provide for outdoor recreation'' (43 CFR 1701).
     To update the use of existing designated corridors, 
allowing for new, expanded, and upgraded utility rights-of-way that 
serve local communities in a manner consistent with the protection, 
preservation, and restoration of Monument objects. The Presidential 
Proclamation that established the Monument allows for limited 
opportunities to upgrade or modify utility rights-of-way. The linear 
layout of the Monument makes it difficult to avoid crossing the 
Monument with transmission lines and other utilities.

To Protect Newly Designated Wilderness Areas Within the Monument

    To preserve the wilderness character of the newly designated Cerro 
del Yuta Wilderness and Rio San Antonio Wilderness areas.

Preliminary Alternatives

No Action Alternative

    Under the No Action Alternative, management of the Monument would 
continue to follow the decisions of the existing Taos Field Office RMP. 
Two areas of critical environmental concern, the Taos Plateau Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern (222,500 acres) and the Lower Gorge Area 
of Critical Environmental Concern (21,190 acres), overlap the Monument 
nearly in its entirety. The Taos Plateau Area of Critical Environmental 
Concern contains relevant and important values associated with wildlife 
habitat, special status species, water quality and quantity, wetlands, 
and scenic quality. The Lower Gorge Area of Critical Environmental 
Concern was established to provide direct management of relevant and 
important riparian vegetation, special status species and wildlife 
habitat, and cultural values. Management of the Lower Gorge Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern also includes emphasis on recreation and 
contains the Orilla Verde Recreation Area. The remainder of the 
Monument not managed as an area of critical environmental concern is 
included with the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, which includes a 
segment of the Red River, and is managed pursuant to the National Wild 
and Scenic Rivers Act, as amended. Under the No Action Alternative, 
existing management for BLM-administered lands within the Monument 
would be largely consistent with the purposes of the Monument's 
designation.
    To meet the mandates of Presidential Proclamation 8946, the BLM 
proposes to manage the R[iacute]o Grande del Norte National Monument 
consistent with existing management direction contained in the 2012 
Taos RMP except for the following Monument objects,

[[Page 54662]]

resources, or uses for which goals and objectives, administrative 
designations, allocations for allowable uses, and/or management 
direction may be updated:

 Cultural and historic resources
 Ecological resources
 Geologic resources
 Fish and wildlife and their habitat
 Recreation
 Motorized and mechanized vehicle use
 Lands and realty
 Livestock grazing
 Wilderness

    Other existing goals, objectives, and other land use planning-level 
decisions from the 2012 Taos RMP will be modified under the Proposed 
Action if necessary to ensure that the protection, restoration, and/or 
increased resiliency of Monument objects. The BLM welcomes comments on 
the preliminary proposed action as well as suggestions for additional 
alternatives.

Planning Criteria

    The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the 
groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues 
and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning 
area have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement 
conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local 
agencies; Tribes; and other stakeholders. The BLM has identified 
multiple preliminary issues regarding various resources and uses for 
this planning effort's analysis. The planning criteria are available 
for public review and comment at the ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES).

Public Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public 
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and 
analysis of the RMP Amendment and Environmental Analysis.
    The BLM will be holding two public scoping meetings in the 
following locations: Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico. One virtual meeting 
will also be held. The specific date and location of these scoping 
meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through media 
outlets, social media, and the project ePlanning website (see 
ADDRESSES).
    Comments submitted during public scoping that provide pertinent 
information, express relevant concerns and issues, and identify 
reasonable management options, especially when submitted with 
sufficient detail, are most substantive and useful for evaluating 
alternatives and conducting impact analysis.

Interdisciplinary Team

    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines 
will be involved in this planning effort: aquatic resources, 
archaeology, botany, ecology, environmental justice, forestry, geology, 
lands and realty, paleontology, outdoor recreation, rangeland 
management, soils, socioeconomics, visual resources, wild and scenic 
rivers, wilderness, wildlife and fisheries.

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan 
amendment and any analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance 
with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not 
already included in the proposed plan amendment or alternatives. 
Mitigation may include avoidance, minimization, rectification, 
reduction or elimination over time, and compensation; and may be 
considered at multiple scales, including the landscape scale.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning 
processes for this planning effort to help support compliance with 
applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered Species Act (16 
U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including public 
involvement requirements of Section 106. The information about historic 
and cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the 
area potentially affected by the proposed plan will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM MS 1780, 
and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on 
Tribal trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will 
be given due consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along 
with Tribal Nations and other stakeholders that may be interested in or 
affected by the proposed approval that the BLM is evaluating, are 
invited to participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may 
request or be requested by the BLM to participate in the development of 
the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency.
    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 1501.9 and 43 CFR 1610.2.)

Melanie G. Barnes,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-17224 Filed 8-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-23-P