Notice of Availability of the Kemmerer Draft Resource Management Plan Revision and Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 38615-38617 [E7-13702]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management
• Land Management Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 134 (Friday, July 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38615-38617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13702]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-090-07-1610-DP]


Notice of Availability of the Kemmerer Draft Resource Management 
Plan Revision and Draft Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Kemmerer Draft 
Resource Management Plan Revision and Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DRMP/DEIS).

DATES: The Kemmerer DRMP/DEIS will be available for public review for 
90 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The 
BLM can best use comments and resource information submitted within 
this review period. To ensure that the public has an opportunity to 
comment on the DRMP/DEIS, public involvement activities will be 
scheduled in Cokeville, Lyman, Kemmerer, Evanston, and Rock Springs, 
Wyoming. All meetings, hearings or other public involvement activities 
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through public notices, 
media news releases, Web site announcements, or mailings.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DRMP/DEIS have been sent to affected Federal, 
State and local governments and to interested parties. The document 
will be available electronically on the following Web site: https://
www.blm.gov/rmp/kemmerer.Copies of the document will be available for 
public inspection during normal business hours at the following 
locations:
     Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009.
     Bureau of Land Management, Kemmerer Field Office, 312 HWY 
189 N, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101.
    Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Web site: https://www.blm.gov/rmp/kemmerer.
     Facsimile: (307) 828-4539.
     Mail: Send to the contact listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Easley, Team Leader, BLM 
Kemmerer Field Office, 312 HWY 189 N, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101. Ms. 
Easley may also be contacted by telephone: (307) 828-4524. Requests for 
information may be sent electronically to: kemmerer_wymail@blm.gov 
with ``Attention: Kemmerer RMP Info Request'' in the subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Kemmerer Field Office planning area is 
located in Lincoln, Uinta, and Sweetwater counties, Wyoming. It 
includes approximately 1.4 million acres of public land surface and 1.6 
million acres of Federal mineral estate administered by the BLM.
    The existing Kemmerer RMP was completed and its Record of Decision 
(ROD) signed on April 29, 1986. New information and changed conditions 
within the planning area have resulted in a need for the BLM to update 
the existing RMP. These changes include but are not limited to: 
increasing interest in development of domestic energy sources, 
including wind power; increased off-highway-vehicle use and demand for 
outdoor recreation opportunities; heightened public awareness of and 
interest in BLM management actions and permitted uses; and concerns 
over wildlife habitat, including sensitive species habitat and 
populations.
    The BLM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register 
on June 16, 2003 to prepare an RMP/EIS and initiate its revision of the 
Kemmerer RMP. The DRMP/DEIS describes

[[Page 38616]]

existing conditions of the physical, biological, cultural, historic, 
and socioeconomic resources in and around the planning area. Based on 
the analyses of alternative management strategies, public input, and 
interdisciplinary team and cooperating agency discussions, a preferred 
alternative was developed to address resources such as air and water 
quality, crucial big game range and other wildlife habitats, scenic 
views, healthy vegetative cover, and soil stability, while providing 
for resource uses such as mineral exploration and development, wind 
energy development, livestock grazing, timber extraction, and motorized 
and non-motorized recreation. The BLM analyzed four alternatives in the 
DRMP/DEIS:
     Alternative A: Continuation of Existing Management (No 
Action): Continuation of the current management goals, objectives, and 
direction specified in the Kemmerer RMP and ROD (1986).
     Alternative B: Provide a high level of environmental 
protection for wildlife habitat and other resource values, while 
allowing the production of resource commodities.
     Alternative C: Maximize the production of resource 
commodities while providing an adequate level of environmental 
protection for other resources.
     Alternative D (BLM's Preferred Alternative): Optimize the 
mix of resource outputs, including production of resource commodities 
and wildlife habitat while providing enhancement of environmental 
protection for all resources.
    Ten areas were proposed for consideration as Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACEC): The Transcontinental Railroad; Raymond 
Mountain Expansion Area--existing and expansion; the Dry Fork, Upper 
Tributary, and Lower Tributary watersheds; Bridger Butte; White-tailed 
Prairie Dog colonies; the Fossil Basin; Special status plant species 
habitats; and Cushion plant communities. The BLM found that nine of 
these areas meet relevance and importance criteria, and effects of 
including these proposals were analyzed. One (Transcontinental 
Railroad) did not meet the relevance criteria for ACEC consideration. 
Currently one ACEC, Raymond Mountain, exists within the planning area. 
This area was included for consideration of retention. In summary, the 
areas meeting relevance and importance criteria are as follows:
     Raymond Mountain Expansion (33,928 potential acres): 
Values of critical concern are wildlife and fisheries habitat. 
Management limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian resources 
and wildlife habitat in the area.
     Dry Fork Watershed (4,690 potential acres): Values of 
critical concern are wildlife and fisheries habitat. Management 
limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian resources and wildlife 
habitat in the area.
     Upper Tributary Watershed (5,595 potential acres): Values 
of critical concern are wildlife and fisheries habitat. Management 
limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian resources and wildlife 
habitat in the area.
     Lower Tributary Watersheds (1,371 potential acres): Values 
of critical concern are wildlife and fisheries habitat. Management 
limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian resources and wildlife 
habitat in the area.
     Bridger Butte (1,127 potential acres): Values of critical 
concern are Native American concerns, cultural and historic properties, 
and special status plant communities. Management limitations--limit 
surface uses to preserve surface and visual values.
     White-tailed Prairie Dog colonies (30,913 potential 
acres): Values of critical concern are white-tailed prairie dog 
habitats. Management limitations--limit surface disturbance to preserve 
prairie dog colonies, individuals, and their habitat.
     Fossil Basin (451,452 potential acres): Values of critical 
concern are the preservation and scientific research of the 
paleontological resource. Management limitations--preserve the fossil 
resources for scientific study and prevent destruction of the 
paleontological resource.
     Special status plant species habitats (907 acres currently 
identified): Values of critical concern are special status plant 
species including Trelease's Milkvetch (Astragalus racemosus var. 
treleasei), Entire-Leaved Peppergrass (Lepidium integrifolium var. 
integrifolium), Large-fruited Bladderpod (Lesquerella macrocarpa), 
Western Bladderpod (Lesquerella multiceps), Prostrate Bladderpod 
(Lesquerella prostrata), Beaver Rim Phlox (Phlox pungens), Tufted 
Twinpod (Physaria condensata), and Dorn's Twinpod (Physaria dornii). 
Use restrictions would be designed to protect the identified plant 
habitat and would include closure to surface activities that would 
remove the plant communities from the soil or alter soil chemistry. 
These areas are proposed for withdrawal from locatable mineral entry. 
Identified habitat areas will be assessed during the life of the plan 
for addition to the ACEC.
     Cushion Plant Communities (61 acres currently identified): 
Values of critical concern are uncommon and regional endemic plant 
species communities. Typical plant associations found in these areas 
include different species of phlox, twin pods, bladderpods, and many 
legume species. Use restrictions in the ACEC would include closure to 
surface activities that would remove the plant communities from the 
soil or alter soil chemistry. The ACEC is proposed for withdrawal from 
locatable mineral entry. Areas of known cushion plant communities would 
be assessed during the life of the plan for addition to the ACEC. The 
current known endemic cushion plant community that exists northeast of 
Kemmerer would be included in the ACEC.
     Raymond Mountain (13,926 acres): Values of critical 
concern are Bonneville cutthroat trout habitat and associated riparian 
resources. Management limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian 
resources in the area.
    With Alternative D (BLM Preferred Alternative), the BLM proposes to 
establish the Bridger Butte (727 acres); Special status plant species 
(907 acres); and Cushion plant community (61 acres) ACECs; and retain 
the Raymond Mountain ACEC (13,926 acres). More detailed management 
prescriptions for these areas are provided in Table 2-3 of the DRMP/
DEIS.
    Alternative D establishes four Special Recreation Management Areas 
(SMRAs): Pine Creek Canyon, Raymond Mountain, Dempsey Ridge and Oregon-
California National Historic Trails. Alternative D also describes 
special management objectives and prescriptions for Rock Creek/Tunp and 
the Bear River Divide.
    Under Alternative D, two rivers are determined to meet suitability 
factors for further consideration for inclusion in the National Wild 
and Scenic Rivers System. These are Huff Creek (7.31 miles) and Raymond 
Creek (4.10 miles). Both waterways are located within the Raymond 
Mountain WSA.
    Alternative D opens 3,963 acres for consideration of future coal 
leasing. The proposed coal lease area is situated in T. 17 N., R. 117 
W., Section 18, 20, 30, and 32; T. 16 N., R. 118 W., Section 2; 17 N., 
R. 118 W., Section 24.
    The DRMP/DEIS considered oil and gas, coal, and wind energy 
development in support of the National Energy Policy and the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 in areas with high potential for energy 
development.The DRMP/DEIS considers and is in conformance with the 
BLM's

[[Page 38617]]

National Fire Plan and Healthy Forest Initiative. Since the publication 
of the NOI in the Federal Register, the BLM solicited public comments 
and input through open houses, newsletters, a public Web site and 
mailings. Meetings were held to provide the public with an opportunity 
to gain information about the RMP revision process and to submit 
comments. Public meetings were held in the following Wyoming 
communities: Kemmerer, November 17, 2003; Evanston, November 18, 2003; 
and Rock Springs, November 19, 2003. During the scoping period, the BLM 
received over 1,000 public comments. Cooperating agencies assisting BLM 
in the development and preparation of the DRMP/DEIS include county 
governments, conservation districts, other Federal agencies and the 
State of Wyoming. The BLM contacted tribal governments with possible 
interests and offered opportunities for participation in the plan 
revision process. In preparation of the DRMP/DEIS, the BLM considered 
all comments presented throughout the process. Background information 
and maps used in developing the DRMP/DEIS are available for public 
review at the Kemmerer Field Office. The BLM welcomes your comments. To 
facilitate analysis of comments and information the public is 
encouraged to submit comments in an electronic format through either 
the Web site identified in this notice or through electronic mail. All 
comment submittals must include the commenter's name and street 
address. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. Before 
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, be advised 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 from public review your personal identifying information, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from 
organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-13702 Filed 7-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P