Notice of Availability of the Proposed Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, 50397-50398 [05-16950]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Land Management Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 165 (Friday, August 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50397-50398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16950]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

National Park Service

[ID 231 1610 DQ 051D]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Management Plan and Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Craters of the Moon 
National Monument and Preserve

AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service 
(NPS).

ACTION: Reissuance of a Notice of Availability of a Final EIS for a 
Proposed Resource Management Plan / General Management Plan 
(hereinafter, Proposed Plan/Final EIS), for the Craters of the Moon 
National Monument and Preserve. The Monument is located in Blaine, 
Butte, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Power Counties, in Idaho. (This Notice of 
Availability was prematurely released on August 12, 2005 and 
retracted.)

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, the National Park and Recreation Act of 1978, and the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management and the 
National Park Service have jointly prepared a Proposed Plan/Final EIS 
for the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. The Final 
EIS discusses public and agency comments received on the draft EIS. It 
describes and analyzes four alternative management strategies, each 
presenting a different approach to resolving issues identified through 
public scoping. Alternative A is the ``no action'' or continuation of 
present management alternative. Alternative B would promote more travel 
and access within the Monument. Alternative C would emphasize retention 
and enhancement of the Monument's primitive character. The Proposed 
Plan is Alternative D, the agency preferred alternative from the draft 
Plan/EIS, refined by public comment. Alternative D, which emphasizes 
protection and restoration of physical and biological resources, is 
also considered to be the environmentally preferred alternative.

DATES: No decision on the proposed plan will be made for at least 30 
days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of 
availability of this final EIS in the Federal Register. BLM regulations 
(43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any person who participated in the 
planning process and has an interest that may be adversely affected may 
protest those proposed decisions that would be implemented on BLM-
administered lands. The protest must be filed within 30 days of the 
date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of 
availability.
    The National Park Service regulations do not provide a formal 
protest process. However, persons wishing to communicate with the 
Regional Director of the NPS during the 30 days after the Environmental 
Protection Agency's notice is published may do so by sending 
correspondence to Jonathan B. Jarvis, Regional Director, National Park 
Service, 1111 Jackson Street, Oakland CA 94607.
    Instructions for filing protests with the BLM are included in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: The Proposed Plan/FEIS is posted on Web sites at https://
www.id.blm.gov/planning/craters/index.htm or https://www.nps.gov/crmo 
and has been mailed to those who have indicated that they want to 
receive it in hard copy or on a compact disk. Additional copies in both 
paper and digital format are available in limited numbers. To receive a 
copy, write or call one of the individuals identified in the next 
paragraph.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard VanderVoet, Monument Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, Shoshone Field Office, 400 West F Street, 
Shoshone, ID 83352-1522, phone (208) 732-7200 or John Apel Acting 
Superintendent, National Park Service, P.O. Box 29, Arco, ID 83213, 
phone (208) 527-3257.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Established in 1924, the Craters of the Moon 
National Monument was expanded by Presidential Proclamation 7373 on 
November 9, 2000, for the purpose of protecting the entire Great Rift 
volcanic zone and associated lava features, all objects of scientific 
interest. On August 21, 2002, Public Law 107-213 re-designated the 
National Park Service portion of the expanded Monument as a National 
Preserve. The Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service are 
managing the National Monument and Preserve cooperatively and are 
preparing one management plan to be implemented by both agencies.
    The key components of the Proposed Plan are as follows:
     Promotes use of partnerships at off-site facilities such 
as visitor centers and state parks to provide Monument information and 
interpretation.
     Emphasizes protection of vegetation resources in North 
Laidlaw Park.
     Maintains a road network suitable for aggressive fire 
suppression and restoration activities within the Monument.
     Encourages outfitter and guide services in the expanded 
portion of the Monument, instead of new agency-provided services and 
facilities.
     Promotes a proactive Integrated Weed Management Program.
     Proactively protects and restores sagebrush steppe 
communities.
     Continues to focus visitor experience within the Monument 
on the existing lands and facilities located at the north end of the 
Monument.
     Continues management of the wilderness area within the 
original National Monument boundary and the wilderness study areas that 
are awaiting Congressional action. Proposes a joint NPS/BLM wilderness/
WSA management plan.
    Protests regarding proposed decisions affecting BLM-administered 
lands must be in writing and filed with the BLM Director. Protests may 
raise only those issues that were submitted for the record during the 
planning process. E-mail and faxed protests will not be accepted as 
valid protests unless the protesting party also provides the original 
letter by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of 
the protest period. Under these conditions the BLM will consider the e-
mail or faxed protest as an advance copy, and it will receive full

[[Page 50398]]

consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM 
Protest Coordinator at (202) 452-5112 and e-mails to Brenda--Hudgens-
Williams@blm.gov. Please direct the follow-up letters to the 
appropriate address provided below. To be considered complete, your 
protest must contain at minimum, the following information: (1) The 
name, mailing address, telephone number and interest of the person 
filing the protest; (2) a statement of the issue or issues being 
protested; (3) a statement of the part or parts of the plan being 
protested; (4) a copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues 
that were submitted during the planning process by the protesting party 
or an indication of the date the issue or issues were discussed for the 
record; and (5) a concise statement explaining why the State Director's 
decision is believed to be wrong. A protest merely expressing 
disagreement with the State Director's proposed decision without 
providing any supporting data will not be considered a valid protest.
    All written protests must be mailed to one of the following 
addresses:

Regular Mail, Director, WO-210/LS-1075, Bureau of Land Management, 
Attn: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, Department of the Interior, P.O. Box 
66538, Washington, DC 20035, or
Overnight Mail, Director, WO-210/LS-1075, Bureau of Land Management, 
Attn: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, Department of the Interior, 1610 L 
Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.

    To be considered timely, your protest must be postmarked no later 
than the last day of the protest period. Though not a requirement, it 
is suggested that protests be sent by certified mail, return receipt 
requested. You are also encouraged, but not required, to forward a copy 
of your protest to the Monument Manager at the address listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION above. This may allow the BLM to resolve the 
protest through clarification of intent or discussion with the 
protestor.
    Please note that protests, including names and street addresses, 
are available for public review and/or release under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA). Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. Respondents who wish to withhold their name and/or 
street address from public review or from disclosure under FOIA must 
state so prominently at the beginning of the written correspondence. 
Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representing organizations or businesses, 
will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.
    Following resolution of any protests of the proposed decision, a 
joint record of decision will be signed by the Regional Director of the 
Pacific West Region of the National Park Service and the State Director 
of the Bureau of Land Management for Idaho. A notice of availability of 
the record of decision will be published in the Federal Register and 
through local news media.

    Dated: August 19, 2005.
K. Lynn Bennett,
Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Director.

    Dated: August 17, 2005.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
National Park Service, Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 05-16950 Filed 8-25-05; 8:45 am]
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