[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 4 (Friday, January 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 807-809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28889]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500175963]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the 
Uncompahgre Field Office and Prepare an Associated Environmental Impact 
Statement, Colorado

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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State 
Director intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment 
with an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Uncompahgre Field Office and by this notice is announcing the beginning 
of the scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues 
and is providing the planning criteria for public review.

DATES: The BLM requests the public submit comments concerning the scope 
of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant 
information and studies by February 20, 2024. To afford the BLM the 
opportunity to consider issues raised by commenters in the draft RMP 
amendment/EIS, please ensure your comments are received prior to the 
close of the 45-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 Uncompahgre Field Office RMP Amendment by any of the 
following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2026528/510.
     Mail: Uncompahgre Field Office RMP amendment/EIS, BLM 
Uncompahgre Field Office, 2465 South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, CO 
81401.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at: 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2026528/510 and at the 
Uncompahgre Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela LoSasso, Project Manager; 
telephone: 970-210-5579; address: BLM Uncomphagre Field Office, 2465 
South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, CO 81401; email: [email protected]. 
Contact Ms. LoSasso 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 
Ms. LoSasso. 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 
Colorado State Director intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an 
associated EIS, announces the beginning of the scoping process, and 
seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. The RMP amendment 
would change the existing 2020 Uncompahgre Field Office RMP. The RMP 
amendment is being considered to allow the BLM to evaluate oil and gas 
leasing decisions, previously proposed Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACECs), and management of lands with wilderness 
characteristics, which would require amending the existing Uncompahgre 
Field Office RMP.
    The planning area is located in Delta, Gunnison, Mesa, Montrose, 
Ouray, and San Miguel counties, Colorado, and encompasses approximately 
678,400 acres of public land. The BLM will re-evaluate ACECs previously 
nominated during scoping for the 2019 Uncompahgre Field Office RMP 
revision in the RMP amendment and EIS.

Purpose and Need

    The Uncompahgre Field Office approved RMP and Record of Decision 
was signed in April 2020. The BLM received and settled three lawsuits 
on the approved RMP. Under one settlement agreement, the BLM initiated 
two planning efforts in 2022: one statewide amendment for big game 
priority habitat and one range wide amendment for Gunnison Sage-Grouse 
habitat. Those planning efforts are currently underway. In the 
remaining two settlement agreements, the BLM agreed to complete an RMP 
amendment process with a specific scope and within a specific timeline 
for the Uncompahgre Field Office decision area.
    The BLM needs to undertake this planning process to fulfill its 
responsibilities under the settlement agreements that resolved 
litigation challenging the 2020 Uncompahgre Field Office approved RMP. 
The purpose of this effort is to consider different management of oil 
and gas resources, lands with wilderness characteristics, and 
previously proposed and analyzed ACECs within the specific scope 
described in settlement agreements.
    Consistent with settlement agreements, the scope of this land use 
planning process includes considering ACECs previously analyzed under 
Alternative B of the 2019 Uncompahgre Field Office proposed RMP/final 
EIS.

Preliminary Alternatives

    Consistent with the settlement agreements, the BLM will consider: 
closing to new oil and gas leasing all areas within the Federal mineral 
estate that were analyzed under Alternative B/B.1 of the 2019 proposed 
RMP/final EIS as either closed to leasing or open to leasing subject to 
no surface occupancy; a minimum of 350,000 acres previously analyzed as 
controlled surface use under Alternative B/B.1 of the 2019 proposed 
RMP/final EIS as subject to no surface occupancy; and protections for 
lands with wilderness characteristics and ACEC designations that are 
the same as those analyzed under Alternative B of the 2019 proposed 
RMP/final EIS. The BLM may also consider alternatives specifically for 
oil and gas leasing decisions only (areas open and closed to leasing, 
open subject to no surface occupancy, and open subject to controlled 
surface use) that are consistent with the BLM Colorado planning efforts 
for range-wide Gunnison Sage-Grouse conservation and statewide big game 
habitat conservation. The BLM welcomes comments on all preliminary 
alternatives 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 stakeholders. The BLM has identified 18 
preliminary issues for this planning effort's analysis. The planning 
criteria are available for public review and comment at the ePlanning 
website (see ADDRESSES).

Summary of Expected Impacts

    The BLM expects impacts from alternatives to include beneficial or 
adverse changes to air quality; climate; oil and gas development 
opportunity; paleontological resources; soils including highly erodible 
salt and selenium soils; water including surface, ground, and municipal 
drinking water; wildlife including big game, threatened,

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and endangered species, BLM special status terrestrial and aquatic 
species, and migratory birds; vegetation including native plant 
communities, riparian vegetation, noxious and invasive species, and BLM 
special status, threatened, and endangered plant species; cultural 
resources; Native American religious concerns; socioeconomics; 
environmental justice; recreational opportunity; visual resources; 
travel and transportation; lands and reality authorizations; livestock 
grazing authorizations; ACECs; and lands managed for wilderness 
characteristics.

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 90-day public comment period on the draft RMP amendment/EIS 
and concurrent 30-day public protest period and 60-day Governor's 
consistency review on the proposed RMP amendment. The draft RMP 
amendment/EIS is anticipated to be available for public review in 
winter 2024/2025 and the proposed RMP amendment/final EIS is 
anticipated to be available for public protest of the proposed RMP 
Amendment in fall 2025 with an approved RMP amendment and Record of 
Decision in winter 2025/2026.

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 draft RMP amendment/EIS. The BLM will be holding three 
scoping meetings in the following locations: two scoping meetings will 
be held virtually, and one scoping meeting will be held in Montrose, 
Colorado, at the BLM Public Lands Center. The specific date(s) and 
location(s) of these scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 
days in advance through local media and newspapers, and the BLM 
ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES).

ACECs

    The following ACECs are currently designated in the planning area: 
Adobe Badlands ACEC/Outstanding Natural Area (ONA)/Instant Study Area 
(ISA) (6,370 acres), Biological Soil Crust ACEC (390 acres), Fairview 
South BLM Expansion ACEC (610 acres), Needle Rock ACEC/ONA (80 acres), 
Paradox Rock Art ACEC (1,080 acres), and San Miguel River ACEC (21,660) 
acres. Information about each existing ACEC, including the size, 
relevant and important values, and other helpful information is 
available in the Uncompahgre Field Office ACEC Fact Sheet online on the 
project's website in ADDRESSES. The BLM will reevaluate these 
designated ACECs for consideration in the draft RMP amendment/EIS.
    During the Uncompahgre Field Office RMP Revision planning process 
in 2010 the BLM solicited nominations for new ACECs. A total of 21 
nominated ACECs covering a third of the field office met relevance and 
importance criteria, and all were analyzed in the 2019 proposed RMP/
final EIS. Consistent with settlement agreements, the following 15 
areas which were nominated and previously analyzed under Alternative B 
of the 2019 proposed RMP/final EIS will be reconsidered for ACEC 
designation in this planning effort:

 Coyote Wash ACEC--2,100 acres
 Dolores Slickrock ACEC--10,670 acres
 East Paradox ACEC--7,630 acres
 Fairview South CNHP Expansion ACEC--4,250 acres
 La Sal Creek ACEC--10,490 acres
 Lower Uncompahgre Plateau ACEC--31,810 acres
 Needle Rock ACEC--80 acres
 Paradox Rock Art ACEC--1,080 acres
 Roubideau-Potter-Monitor ACEC--20,430 acres
 Salt Desert Shrub Ecosystem ACEC--34,510 acres (includes the 
existing Adobe Badlands ACEC)
 San Miguel Gunnison Sage-Grouse ACEC--470 acres)
 San Miguel River Expansion ACEC--35,480 acres
 Sims-Cerro Gunnison Sage-Grouse ACEC--25,620 acres
 Tabeguache Pueblo and Tabeguache Caves ACEC--26,400 acres
 West Paradox ACEC--5,190 acres

    Additional information on these proposed ACECs can be found in the 
2013 final ACEC report on the project website (see ADDRESSES). The BLM 
has identified the anticipated issues related to the consideration of 
ACECs in the planning criteria.

Cooperating Agencies

    The BLM is the lead agency. The BLM has invited Federal, State, and 
local agencies that are eligible to participate in the development of 
the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency. These include the 
Bureau of Reclamation; National Park Service; U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Geological 
Survey; USDA Forest Service Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison 
National Forests; Natural Resource Conservation Service; Department of 
Energy Office of Legacy Management; Western Area Power Administration; 
Colorado Department of Natural Resources; Colorado Division of 
Reclamation, Mining, and Safety; Colorado Energy and Carbon Management 
Commission; Colorado State Forest Service; Colorado Department of 
Agriculture; Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Colorado River Water 
Conservation District; Denver Water Board; Delta, Gunnison, Mesa, 
Montrose, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties; and the Town of Paonia.

Responsible Official

    The Colorado State Director is the deciding official for this 
planning effort. Other responsible officials include the BLM Colorado 
Southwest District Manager and the BLM Colorado Uncompahgre Field 
Manager.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The nature of the decision to be made will be the State Director's 
selection of land use planning decisions pursuant to this RMP amendment 
for managing BLM-administered lands under the principles of multiple 
use and sustained yield in a manner that best addresses the purpose and 
need.

Interdisciplinary Team

    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
amendment 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: air quality, 
climate, wildlife, threatened and endangered species, vegetation, 
hydrology, soils, energy and minerals, lands and reality, outdoor 
recreation management, geologic resources, archaeology, environmental 
justice, and socioeconomics.

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan 
amendment and all 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

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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 amendment will assist 
the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will 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. Federal, State, and local agencies, along 
with Indian Tribal Nations and other stakeholders that may be 
interested in or affected by the proposed Uncompahgre Field Office RMP 
Amendment 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 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2)


Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-28889 Filed 1-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-16-P