Notice of Availability of the Canyons of the Ancients Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Colorado, 60877-60879 [E7-21011]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 207 (Friday, October 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60877-60879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21011]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO-800-1610-DP 016C]


Notice of Availability of the Canyons of the Ancients Draft 
Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 
Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource 
Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS) for 
the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and by this notice is 
announcing the opening of the comment period. This notice also meets 
BLM requirements in 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b) concerning potential Areas of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).

DATES: A 90-day public comment period will begin the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of Availability 
in the Federal Register. The Canyon of the Ancients National Monument 
will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public 
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, local media news releases, and/or mailings, and posting on the 
project Web site at https://www.blm.gov/rmp/canm. Public meetings will 
be held in Cortez, Denver, and Durango, Colorado and in other 
locations, if warranted.

ADDRESSES: The DRMP/DEIS will be posted on the Internet at: https://
www.blm.gov/rmp/canm/. You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods:
    Web site: https://www.blm.gov/rmp/canm/.
    Fax: (970) 882-7035.
    Mail: Monument Manager, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, 
27501 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323.
    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Hwy 
184, Dolores, CO 81323. 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. Copies of the DRMP/DEIS are also available during 
regular business hours at the following locations:

Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323.
Dolores Public Lands Center, 29211 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323.
San Juan Public Lands Center, 15 Burnett Court, Durango, CO 81301.
Dolores Public Library, 420 Railroad Ave., Dolores, CO 81323.
Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park, Cortez, CO 81321.
Mancos Public Library, 111 N. Main, Macos, CO 81328.
Durango Public Library, 1188 E. 2nd Ave, Durango, CO 81301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Musclow, Monument Planner, 
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, 27501 Highway 184, Dolores, 
CO 81323; Phone: (970) 882-5632.
    To have your name added to the Canyons of the Ancients Resource 
Management Plan mailing list or to view and download the DRMP/DEIS in 
portable document format (PDF) go to the project Web site: https://
www.blm.gov/rmp/canm/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The planning area is located in Southwest 
Colorado in Dolores and Montezuma counties. The plan will provide a 
framework to guide subsequent management decisions on approximately 
164,000 acres managed by the BLM. Within the Monument boundary, there 
are approximately 400 acres of National Park Service lands (Hovenweep 
National Monument) and 18,000 acres of private inholdings. The Canyons 
of the Ancients National Monument is currently being managing under the 
BLM 1985 San Juan/San Miguel RMP and the Interim Guidance provided 
after the Monument was established.
     San Juan/San Miguel Resource Management Plan.
    The current RMP was approved in 1985 and has been amended five 
times. The Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) within the Monument are being 
managed under interim guidance provided by the Interim Management 
Policy and Guidance for Lands under Wilderness Review until such time 
that Congress makes a final wilderness decision. The DRMP/DEIS 
discusses how those lands would be managed if Congress released them 
from wilderness study.
    The Canyons of the Ancients National Monument has worked 
extensively with the community, interested and affected publics, Native 
American tribes, and cooperating agencies in the development of the 
DRMP/DEIS. The Monument has conducted a broad community-based public 
input process. Cooperating agencies include The Colorado State 
Historical Society and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 
Five alternatives are analyzed in the DRMP/DEIS.
     Alternative I: This is the No Action Alternative. This 
alternative is comprised of current management actions and goals and 
assumes existing or approved land uses would continue.

[[Page 60878]]

Current management actions are assembled from three sources: Colorado 
Interim Management for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (BLM 
2001f), Anasazi ACEC Plan Management Guideline (BLM 1986a), and San 
Juan/San Miguel RMP (BLM 1985). Under this alternative, cultural 
resource sites would continue to be developed for visiting and 
interpretation.
     Alternative II: This alternative maximizes cultural 
resource protection by avoiding impacts to cultural resource 
communities, sites and isolated finds. This management strategy 
maintains large blocks of undisturbed land that provide information on 
not only individual sites and artifacts but also their 
interconnectedness (i.e., how they relate to each other). Alternative 
II would develop the ``outdoor museum'' concept for self-discovery of 
cultural and natural resources. The outdoor museum concept provides a 
backcountry experience to visiting publics. In addition, 13 cultural 
sites would be developed for public access, facilitating visitation 
through developed routes and interpretive signs. The development of 
these cultural resource sites would enhance front country visitor 
experiences.
     Alternative III: This alternative emphasizes the 
protection of cultural resource communities and sites, while providing 
for resource use and development. This management strategy also 
maintains large blocks of undisturbed land, although not as large as 
Alternative II, and provides for the retrieval of information on not 
only individual sites but also their interconnectedness (i.e., how they 
relate to each other). Alternative III would develop the ``outdoor 
museum'' concept for self-discovery of cultural and natural resources 
in addition to developing 13-25 sites for public access.
     Alternative IV: This alternative emphasizes the protection 
of cultural resource communities and sites while encouraging resource 
use and development. This management strategy maintains large blocks of 
undisturbed land, although not as large as Alternative II, and provides 
for the retrieval of information on not only individual sites but also 
their interconnectedness (i.e., how they relate to each other). 
Alternative IV would develop the ``outdoor museum'' concept for self-
discovery of cultural and natural resources in addition to developing 
13-25 sites for public access.
     Alternative V: This is the Preferred Alternative. 
Alternative V represents the best fit between protection of objects of 
the Monument and the multiple use of all resources. Alternative V 
emphasizes the protection of cultural resource communities and sites, 
while providing for resource use and development. This management 
strategy maintains large blocks of undisturbed land, although not as 
large as Alternative II, and provides for the retrieval of information 
on not only individual sites and artifacts but also their 
interconnectedness (i.e., how they relate to each other). Alternative V 
would promote self-discovery through the ``outdoor museum'' concept, in 
addition to 13-25 cultural sites developed for public access.
    Section 202(c)(3) of FLPMA requires the DRMP/DEIS to examine the 
designation of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) on BLM 
lands. The Monument was an Anasazi ACEC prior to being designated a 
Monument. The ACEC designation has continued but is considered of 
little value since the Monument designation provides protection of the 
same outstanding characteristics. Therefore, the Anasazi ACEC 
designation is proposed to be dropped in this plan. The Values and 
Limitations to protect the natural and cultural resources of the 
Monument are consistent with the previous ACEC. The McElmo Research 
Natural Area (RNA) would continue its ACEC designation with four units 
proposed located immediately north of, and adjacent to, McElmo Canyon:
     McElmo Unit (existing RNA, 427 acres),
     McElmo Expansion Unit (2,738 acres),
     Cannonball Mesa Unit (2,797 acres), and
     Sand Canyon Unit (1,864 acres).
    All of the RNA units have the same values and use limitations.
    Potential ACEC acres vary by alternative as shown in the table 
below.

 Acres of BLM-Managed Surface Estate Proposed To Be Managed as ACECs Under the Alternatives in the Draft LMP/EIS
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                                   Alternative I                    Alternative                    Alternative V
   Values and use limitations       (no action)   Alternative II        III       Alternative IV    (preferred)
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McElmo RNA (ACEC)...............             427           7,826             427           7,297           7,826
Values: natural systems
 (sensitive plants)
Limitations: apply a no surface
 occupancy (NSO/NGD) stipulation
 for areas not previously leased
 for oil and gas leasing and
 other surface disturbing
 activities.
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Manage as VRM I.
    Total Acres.................             427           7,826             427             427           7,826
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    Major issues considered in the DRMP/DEIS include:
     Cultural Issues: Concerns included the protection/
preservation of cultural resources for purposes of current and future 
scientific research, education, and Native American cultural heritage; 
development opportunities; access to cultural resource sites; and 
looting.
     General Recreation: Concerns included permitted and 
restricted types of recreation and their allocated ``zones'' or 
locations, and related roads and transportation issues, such as 
motorized and mechanized access and limitations.
     Transportation Network: Concerns included road closures 
and access, and road maintenance and improvements.
     Rangeland Management/Grazing: Concerns included management 
for Land Health Standards, administration of grazing allotments, and 
evaluation of grazing impacts in terms of current standards and 
guidelines.
     Mineral Resources: Concerns included limitations on oil 
and gas exploration and development, mitigation of impacts from 
existing and new mineral exploration and development.
     Visitor Use: Concerns included visitor education 
opportunities, facility development and improvements, and commercial 
and not-for-profit tours.

[[Page 60879]]

     Soil, Water, and Air: Concerns included the protection/
preservation of soil, water, and air quality.

Sally Wisely,
Colorado State Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-21011 Filed 10-25-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P