Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Uinkaret Mountains Landscape Restoration Project, Arizona Strip, Mohave County, AZ, 62954-62955 [2014-24986]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 203 (Tuesday, October 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62954-62955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24986]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[14X.LLAZA03000.L17110000.DF0000.241A]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Uinkaret Mountains Landscape Restoration Project, Arizona 
Strip, Mohave County, AZ

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) Grand Canyon-
Parashant National Monument and Arizona Strip Field Office, St. George, 
Utah, intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Uinkaret Mountains Landscape Restoration Project and by this notice is 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until November 20, 2014. 
Two public open-house meetings will be held--one in St. George, Utah, 
and one in Mesquite, Nevada. The dates and locations of these meetings 
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, 
newspapers and the BLM Web sites at: https://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/fo/grand_canyon-parashant.html, and https://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/fo/arizona_strip_field.html. In order to be considered during preparation 
of the Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the close of 
the 30 day scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, 
whichever is later. The BLM will provide additional opportunities for 
public participation upon publication of the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues related to the proposed 
Uinkaret Mountains Landscape Restoration Project by any of the 
following methods:
     Email: blm_az_uinkaret_eis@blm.gov.
     Fax: 435-688-3258.
     Mail: 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790.
     In person: At either open-house meeting.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Grand 
Canyon-Parashant National Monument and Arizona Strip Field offices.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Spotts, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator; telephone 435-688-3207; address 345 East 
Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790; email: 
blm_az_uinkaret_eis@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during 
normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You 
will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM is proposing to conduct the Uinkaret 
Mountains Landscape Restoration Project located on public lands 
administered by the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and 
Arizona Strip Field Office in Mohave County, Arizona. The project area 
encompasses approximately 128,535 acres. Individual areas ranging from 
several acres to several thousand acres would be treated using a 
variety of methods including manual, mechanical, chemical, management 
of wildfires, use of prescribed fire, and seeding depending on the 
resource management goals and desired outcomes for the specific 
treatment area. Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and the 
Arizona Strip Field Office completed interdisciplinary land health 
evaluations of existing resource conditions throughout the project 
area. These evaluations identified areas where one or more of the 
Standards for Rangeland Health were not being met. The information from 
these land health evaluations will be used in development of the 
Uinkaret Mountains Landscape Restoration Project. The project will be 
conducted in conformance with the Grand Canyon-Parashant National 
Monument and Arizona Strip Field Office Resource Management Plans and 
Records of Decision approved January 29, 2008.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS. 
At present, the BLM has identified the following preliminary issues:
     Excessive fuel loadings, including closed-canopy stands 
and ladder fuels, are contributing to the risk of large high-intensity 
wildfires, and posing a threat to resources including wildlife habitat, 
species diversity, wildland urban interface areas, and the ponderosa 
pine ecosystem in the Mt. Trumbull area which is identified as a 
biologic resource of scientific interest to be protected in the 
Monument proclamation.
     Past management practices, such as timber harvest, 
livestock grazing, and fire suppression have affected vegetation 
communities; this has altered species composition, structure and 
function in many portions of the project area including within 
designated wilderness.
     Pinyon and juniper species are encroaching or expanding 
into the sagebrush and ponderosa pine communities causing a decline in 
species diversity, hydrologic function, and a decrease in the quality 
of important wildlife habitat, as well as habitat fragmentation.
     Accelerated soil erosion in parts of the project area is 
decreasing nutrient cycling and soil productivity.
     Habitat conditions have declined in areas with sagebrush 
monoculture and continuous closed canopy stands, resulting in a lack of 
species diversity and accelerated soil erosion.
    The BLM anticipates that potential direct and indirect impacts of 
the project will be mitigated to an acceptable level onsite. The BLM 
will consider and analyze potential regional mitigation actions through 
the NEPA process.
    The BLM will use NEPA public participation requirements to assist 
the agency in satisfying the public involvement requirements under 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 
470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about historic 
and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by the 
proposed Uinkaret Mountains Landscape Restoration Project will assist 
the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources in the 
context of both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to

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cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Federal, State, 
and local agencies, along with tribes and other stakeholders that may 
be interested in or affected by the proposed Uinkaret Mountains 
Landscape Restoration Project 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.

Timothy J. Burke,
District Manager, Arizona Strip District.
[FR Doc. 2014-24986 Filed 10-20-14; 8:45 am]
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