Notice of Intent To Prepare the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and Tucson Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, 52437-52438 [05-17505]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 170 / Friday, September 2, 2005 / Notices operations at the Freedom Mine. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was available for public review from April 30, 2004, to June 29, 2004. The EPA and the BLM each published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on April 30 and May 7, 2004, respectively. A formal public hearing on this application was held pursuant to 43 CFR 3425.4 on Wednesday June 23, 2004, at the Heritage Center, Bismarck, North Dakota. The purpose of the hearing was to solicit public comments on the DEIS, the fair market value, the maximum economic recovery, and the proposed competitive sale of coal included in the proposed tract. Three public meetings were also held on Tuesday June 1, 2004, at 4 Bears Casino & Lodge, New Town, North Dakota; on Wednesday June 2, 2004, at the Civic Center, Beulah, North Dakota; and on Thursday June 3, 2004, at Prairie Knights Casino & Lodge, Fort Yates, North Dakota. The purpose of the meetings was to present the DEIS to the public and to solicit comments regarding the DEIS. The 60-day comment period on the DEIS ended on June 29, 2004. All comments were considered during the preparation of the final EIS. The draft and final EIS analyze leasing the tract as applied for. To avoid bypassing coal or to increase competitive interest in the unleased Federal coal in this area, BLM identified and evaluated other tract configurations. The tract configuration that BLM has identified as the preferred configuration is described and analyzed as alternative C in the EIS. The EIS also analyzes the alternative of rejecting the application to lease Federal coals (the No Action Alternative). To protect cultural values a small portion of Federal coal was bypassed. This preferred alternative was selected in consultation with American Indian Tribes. The Proposed Actions and Alternatives that are considered in the EIS are in conformance with the ‘‘Approved Resource Management Plan for Public Lands Administered by the Bureau of Land Management North Dakota Field Office’’ (1987). The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is a cooperating agency in the preparation of this EIS. If the tract is leased as a maintenance tract, the new lease must be incorporated into the existing mining and reclamation plan for the Freedom Mine and the Secretary of the Interior must approve each revision to the MLA (Mineral Leasing Act) mining plan for the mine before the Federal coal can be mined. OSM is the Federal agency that would be responsible for recommending VerDate Aug<18>2005 18:00 Sep 01, 2005 Jkt 205001 approval, approval with conditions, or disapproval of the revised MLA mining plan to the office of the Secretary of the Interior if these tracts are leased. A Record of Decision (ROD) will be prepared for the LBA tract being considered for leasing. Comments received on the FEIS will be considered during preparation of the ROD. Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the Bureau of Land Management, North Dakota Field Office, 2933 Third Avenue West, Dickinson, North Dakota, during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. [Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.] Karen A. Wolf, Acting Field Manager. [FR Doc. 05–17502 Filed 9–1–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [AZ 422–1610–DO–090A–241E] Notice of Intent To Prepare the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and Tucson Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Field Office, Tucson, Arizona intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/ EIS) for the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and Tucson planning effort. When approved, the RMP will replace those portions of the existing Phoenix Resource Management Plan (1989) and Safford District Resource Management Plan (1992, 1994) within the Tucson Field Office administrative boundary. PO 00000 Frm 00077 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 52437 The scoping period commences with the publication of this notice and will continue for at least 60 days. Public meetings will be held approximately late 2005 to early 2006. All public meetings will be announced through the local media, newsletters, and the BLM Web site (https://www.az.blm.gov) at least 15 days prior to the first meeting (the Web site availability is subject to change). Public notice will be provided specifying the date, time, and location that the meetings will occur and include notification of when the scoping period will close and when comments are due. Formal opportunities for public participation will be provided upon publication of the Draft RMP/EIS. ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: • Web Site: https://www.az.blm.gov (subject to change). • E-mail: AZ_TucsonRMP@blm.gov. • Fax: (520) 258–7238. • Mail: Tucson Field Office, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson, Arizona 85748– 7208. Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Tucson Field Office upon request. Public comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at Bureau of Land Management, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson, Arizona 85748 during regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Marianito, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, (520) 258– 7241, or e-mail Linda_Marianito@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM Field Office, Tucson, Arizona intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) for the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and Tucson planning effort. The two planning areas, the San Pedro RNCA and the Tucson Field DATES: E:\FR\FM\02SEN1.SGM 02SEN1 52438 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 170 / Friday, September 2, 2005 / Notices Office, are located in Cochise, Gila, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties, Arizona. This planning activity encompasses approximately 465,000 acres of public land. The plan will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), and BLM management policies. The BLM will work collaboratively with interested parties to identify the management decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns. Interested governmental entities will be given the opportunity to request Cooperating Agency status in the planning process. The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis and RMP/EIS alternatives. These issues also guide the planning process. Comments on issues and planning criteria can be submitted in writing to the BLM at any public scoping meetings, or they may be mailed to the BLM at the address listed above. The changing needs and interests of the public necessitate a revision to the existing Safford District and Phoenix RMPs for this area. Preliminary issues and management concerns have been identified by BLM personnel, other agencies, and in meetings with individuals and user groups. The major issue themes that will be addressed in the plan effort include: (1) Protecting and sustaining cultural and natural resources; (2) accommodating public demands for resources and providing for appropriate uses; and, (3) providing direct community services. After gathering public comments on what issues the plan should address, the suggested issues will be placed in one of three categories. 1. Issues to be resolved in the plan. 2. Issues resolved through policy or administrative action. 3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan. In addition to these major issues, a number of management questions and concerns will be addressed in the plan. The public is encouraged to help identify these questions and concerns during the scoping phase. An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the plan in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified. Disciplines involved in the planning process will include specialists with expertise in rangeland management, minerals and geology, outdoor recreation, archaeology, paleontology, wildlife and VerDate Aug<18>2005 18:00 Sep 01, 2005 Jkt 205001 fisheries, threatened and endangered species, wilderness, lands and realty, hydrology, soils, interpretation and education, sociology and economics. Joanie Losacco, Acting Arizona State Director. [FR Doc. 05–17505 Filed 9–1–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–32–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CO–200–1220–DU] Final Supplementary Rules Regarding Operation of Motorized Vehicles and Bicycles and Closure of Public Lands to Recreational Target Shooting Bureau of Land Management; Royal Gorge Field Office, Interior. ACTION: Notice of final supplementary rules for public lands within El Paso, Fremont, Park and Teller Counties, Colorado. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s Royal Gorge Field Office is implementing supplementary rules. These supplementary rules implement three decisions from the Gold Belt Travel Management Plan, approved August 18, 2004. The rules apply to the public lands within the Gold Belt Travel Management Plan area under the management of the Royal Gorge Field Office, in El Paso, Fremont, Park, and Teller Counties, Colorado. The rules are needed in order to protect the area’s natural resources and provide for public health and safety. DATES: The rules are effective October 3, 2005. ADDRESSES: You may send inquiries or suggestions to the Bureau of Land Management, Royal Gorge Field Office, ˜ 3170 East Main Street, Canon City, Colorado 81212. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy L. Masinton, Field Manager, or Leah Quesenberry, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Royal Gorge Field Office, 3170 ˜ East Main Street, Canon City, Colorado 81212, telephone 719–269–8500. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may contact them individually through the Federal Information Relay Service at 1–800/877–8339, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I. Background II. Discussion of the Supplementary Rules III. Procedural Matters I. Background A ‘‘Notice of Intent To Prepare the Gold Belt Travel Management Plan PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 (TMP) and Amend the Royal Gorge Resource Management Plan’’ was announced in the Federal Register on June 18, 2002 (67 FR 41442). The completion of the Gold Belt Travel Management Plan Environmental Assessment led to a 30-day public comment period, starting on January 15, 2004. Following analysis of the public comments, a decision on the Gold Belt TMP was issued on August 18, 2004. The decision restricts Off-Highway Vehicle use to designated roads and trails in the TMP area and provides for the supplementary rules. II. Discussion of Supplementary Rules These supplementary rules apply to the public lands within the Gold Belt Travel Management Plan area. This area consists of 138,600 acres of public lands within El Paso, Fremont, Park, and Teller Counties, Colorado, in the following described townships: Colorado, Sixth Principal Meridian T. 15 S., R. 70 W. through 72 W. T. 16 S., R. 68 W. through 72 W. T. 17 S., R. 68 W. through 72 W. T. 18 S., R. 68 W. through 71 W. These supplementary rules implement three decisions from the Gold Belt Travel Management Plan, approved August 18, 2004. They include: (1) A supplementary rule limiting motorized travel for parking, camping, and retrieving game to a maximum of 100 feet from designated roads and trails in the Gold Belt Travel Management Plan area (138,600 acres of public lands). (2) A supplementary rule restricting mountain bikes to designated roads and trails in the Gold Belt Travel Management Plan area (138,600 acres of public lands). (3) The closure of approximately 13,200 acres of public lands to recreational target shooting in the following areas: Garden Park Fossil Area (3,000 acres), the Shelf Road campgrounds and climbing area (2,900 acres), a one-quarter mile wide corridor along Phantom Canyon Road (4,200 acres), and Penrose Commons (3,100 acres). Licensed hunters in legitimate pursuit of game during the proper season with appropriate firearms, as defined by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, are exempt from this closure. BLM has determined that these rules are necessary to prevent damage to public lands and natural resources, reduce user conflicts, protect public safety, and reduce vandalism to public and private property. The proposed supplementary rules were published in the Federal Register E:\FR\FM\02SEN1.SGM 02SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 170 (Friday, September 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52437-52438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17505]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ 422-1610-DO-090A-241E]


Notice of Intent To Prepare the San Pedro Riparian National 
Conservation Area and Tucson Resource Management Plan and Environmental 
Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Field Office, Tucson, 
Arizona intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan and Environmental 
Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) for the San Pedro Riparian National 
Conservation Area and Tucson planning effort. When approved, the RMP 
will replace those portions of the existing Phoenix Resource Management 
Plan (1989) and Safford District Resource Management Plan (1992, 1994) 
within the Tucson Field Office administrative boundary.

DATES: The scoping period commences with the publication of this notice 
and will continue for at least 60 days. Public meetings will be held 
approximately late 2005 to early 2006. All public meetings will be 
announced through the local media, newsletters, and the BLM Web site 
(https://www.az.blm.gov) at least 15 days prior to the first meeting 
(the Web site availability is subject to change). Public notice will be 
provided specifying the date, time, and location that the meetings will 
occur and include notification of when the scoping period will close 
and when comments are due. Formal opportunities for public 
participation will be provided upon publication of the Draft RMP/EIS.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Web Site: https://www.az.blm.gov (subject to change).
     E-mail: AZ--TucsonRMP@blm.gov.
     Fax: (520) 258-7238.
     Mail: Tucson Field Office, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson, 
Arizona 85748-7208.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Tucson 
Field Office upon request. Public comments, including names and street 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at Bureau 
of Land Management, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson, Arizona 85748 during 
regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, 
except holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If 
you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or 
from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state 
this prominently at the beginning of your comments. Such requests will 
be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Marianito, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, (520) 258-7241, or e-mail Linda--
Marianito@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Field Office, Tucson, Arizona intends to prepare a Resource Management 
Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) for the San Pedro 
Riparian National Conservation Area and Tucson planning effort.
    The two planning areas, the San Pedro RNCA and the Tucson Field

[[Page 52438]]

Office, are located in Cochise, Gila, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz 
Counties, Arizona. This planning activity encompasses approximately 
465,000 acres of public land. The plan will fulfill the needs and 
obligations set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), and BLM management 
policies. The BLM will work collaboratively with interested parties to 
identify the management decisions that are best suited to local, 
regional, and national needs and concerns. Interested governmental 
entities will be given the opportunity to request Cooperating Agency 
status in the planning process.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis and 
RMP/EIS alternatives. These issues also guide the planning process. 
Comments on issues and planning criteria can be submitted in writing to 
the BLM at any public scoping meetings, or they may be mailed to the 
BLM at the address listed above.
    The changing needs and interests of the public necessitate a 
revision to the existing Safford District and Phoenix RMPs for this 
area. Preliminary issues and management concerns have been identified 
by BLM personnel, other agencies, and in meetings with individuals and 
user groups. The major issue themes that will be addressed in the plan 
effort include: (1) Protecting and sustaining cultural and natural 
resources; (2) accommodating public demands for resources and providing 
for appropriate uses; and, (3) providing direct community services. 
After gathering public comments on what issues the plan should address, 
the suggested issues will be placed in one of three categories.
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan.
    2. Issues resolved through policy or administrative action.
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan.

    In addition to these major issues, a number of management questions 
and concerns will be addressed in the plan. The public is encouraged to 
help identify these questions and concerns during the scoping phase.
    An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the plan in 
order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Disciplines involved in the planning process will include 
specialists with expertise in rangeland management, minerals and 
geology, outdoor recreation, archaeology, paleontology, wildlife and 
fisheries, threatened and endangered species, wilderness, lands and 
realty, hydrology, soils, interpretation and education, sociology and 
economics.

Joanie Losacco,
Acting Arizona State Director.
[FR Doc. 05-17505 Filed 9-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P
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