[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 159 (Friday, August 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56654-56655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17787]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_WY_FRN_MO4500170700]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Rock Springs RMP Revision, 
Wyoming

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 (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLMPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rock Springs Field Office and by this 
notice is providing information announcing the opening of the comment 
period on the Draft RMP/EIS and on BLM's proposed Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs).

DATES: This notice announces the opening of a 90-day comment period for 
the Draft RMP/EIS beginning with the date following the Environmental 
Protection Agency's (EPA's) publication of its Notice of Availability 
(NOA) of the Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal Register. The EPA usually 
publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
    To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS, please ensure that the BLM receives your 
comments prior to the close of the 90-day public comment period or 15 
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
    The BLM will be holding multiple public meetings during the public 
comment period and the dates, times, and locations of these public 
meetings will be announced through public notices, news releases, 
social media, and mailings at least 15 days prior to the meetings. In 
addition, this notice also announces the opening of a 60-day comment 
period for proposed ACECs; the BLM must receive your comments by 
October 17, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The Draft RMP/EIS is available for review on the BLM 
ePlanning project website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510.
    Written comments related to the Rock Springs RMP Revision may be 
submitted by any of the following methods:

 Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510
 Email: [email protected]
 Mail: RSFO RMP Draft EIS Comments, Attn: Carlos Coontz, 280 
HWY 191 N, Rock Springs, WY 82901

    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510 and at the 
Rock Springs Field Office, address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberlee Foster, Field Manager, 
telephone 307-352-0201; address 280 HWY 191 N, Rock Springs, WY 82901; 
email [email protected]. 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./Ms. POC's last name. 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 
Wyoming State Director has prepared a Draft RMP/EIS, provides 
information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft 
RMP/EIS, and announces the comment period on BLM's proposed ACECs. The 
planning area is located in portions of Lincoln, Sweetwater, Uinta, 
Sublette, and Fremont counties in southwestern Wyoming, and encompasses 
approximately 3.6 million acres of public land.
    Resources on lands administered by the BLM within the planning area 
are currently managed under the Green River RMP (1997) and Jack Morrow 
Hills Coordinated Activity Plan (CAP) (2004), as amended. The Green 
River RMP governs multiple ACECs, Special Management Areas, and 
Wilderness Study Areas.

Purpose and Need for the Planning Effort

    The purpose of the Rock Springs RMP is to provide an updated, 
comprehensive, and environmentally adequate framework for managing and 
allocating uses of public lands and resources administered by the BLM 
Rock Springs Field Office. The Rock Springs RMP will address changing 
needs of the planning area by updating information and revising 
management goals, objectives, and decisions while ensuring that public 
lands are managed according to the principles of multiple use 
identified in FLPMA and while maintaining the valid existing rights and 
other obligations already established.
    The need for revising the Green River RMP (1997) is the result of 
considerable changes within the planning area since 1997. Current 
amendments and routine maintenance actions are no longer adequate to 
address current conditions.

Alternatives Including the Preferred Alternative

    The BLM has analyzed four alternatives in detail. Alternative A, 
the No-Action Alternative, represents a continuation of the existing 
management plans, which balances protection of resource values with the 
use and development of resources.
    Alternative B emphasizes conservation of resource values with 
constraints on resource uses. Relative to all alternatives, Alternative 
B conserves the most public lands for physical, biological, and 
cultural resources.
    Alternative C emphasizes resource uses (e.g., energy and mineral 
development and other commodity uses). Relative to all alternatives, 
Alternative C proposes the least restrictive management actions for 
energy and commodity development and the least protective management 
actions for physical, biological, and cultural resources while 
maintaining protections required by laws and regulations.
    Alternative D emphasizes less conservation than Alternative B and 
less resource use than Alternative C. This approach allows for 
opportunities to use and develop resources within the planning area 
while promoting environmental conservation.
    The BLM further considered three additional alternatives but 
dismissed these alternatives from detailed analysis as explained in the 
Draft RMP/EIS.
    The State Director has identified Alternative B as the preferred 
alternative. Alternative B was found to best meet the State Director's 
planning guidance and, therefore, was selected as the preferred 
alternative because it conserves the most land area for physical, 
biological, and cultural resources.

ACECs

    Consistent with land use planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.7-
2(b), the BLM is announcing the opening of a 60-day comment period on 
the ACECs proposed for designation in the preferred alternative. 
Comments may be submitted using any of the methods listed in the 
ADDRESSES section. The proposed ACECs included in the preferred 
alternative are:

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     Cedar Canyon ACEC: 2,540 acres with significant cultural, 
scenic, and wildlife values.
     Greater Red Creek ACEC: 468,170 acres with significant 
historic, cultural, paleontological, wildlife, and scenic values.
     Greater Sand Dunes ACEC: 39,290 acres with significant 
historic, cultural, geological, and wildlife values.
     Natural Corrals ACEC: 1,110 acres with cultural, 
historical, recreational, wildlife, scenic, and geological values.
     Oregon Buttes ACEC: 3,440 acres with significant historic, 
cultural, wildlife, and scenic values.
     Pine Springs ACEC: 6,480 acers with historic, cultural, 
and paleontological values.
     South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC: 171,300 acres with 
significant cultural, scenic, and wildlife values.
     Special Status Plant Species ACEC: 3,610 acres with 
significant Special Status Species value.
     Steamboat Mountain ACEC: 439,330 acres with significant 
historic, cultural, wildlife, and scenic values.
     White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC: 20 acres with significant 
Native American concerns and scenic values.
     South Wind River ACEC: 374,710 acres with high value air, 
cultural, biodiversity, and visual resources.
     Red Lake East Sand Dunes ACEC: 22,340 acres with scenic 
and wildlife values.
     Big Game Migration Corridor ACEC: 226,335 acres with 
wildlife and biodiversity values for the protection of big game.
     Big Sandy Openings ACEC: 2,020 acres with scenic, 
watershed, and geologic values.
     Pinnacles ACEC: 1,340 acres with scenic, paleontological, 
and wildlife values.
     Monument Valley ACEC: 69,960 acres with wildlife, 
geologic, cultural, and paleontological values.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes, 
including a 30-day public protest period and a 60-day Governor's 
consistency review on the Proposed RMP. The Proposed RMP/Final EIS is 
anticipated to be available for public protest in Spring 2024 with an 
Approved RMP and Record of Decision in Summer 2024.
    The BLM will be holding three public meetings in the following 
locations: Rock Springs, Lyman, and Big Piney, Wyoming. The specific 
date(s) and location(s) of these meetings will be announced at least 15 
days in advance through local media, newspapers, and the ePlanning 
project page (https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510).
    The BLM will continue to consult with Indian 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 Indian trust assets and potential impacts to 
cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Consultation with 
interested Indian Tribal Nations is ongoing.
    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 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 
1610.7-2)

Andrew Archuleta,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-17787 Filed 8-17-23; 8:45 am]
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