Notice of Availability of Vernal Field Office Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS), 49701-49702 [E8-19394]

Download as PDF jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 164 / Friday, August 22, 2008 / Notices American sacred sites; a unique community of Wyoming sensitive plant species; high-quality paleontological resources; open space and dispersed recreation opportunities; and unique geology and unstable soils. The ACEC would be unavailable for oil and gas leasing and closed to the placement of new communication sites. Off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails. Surface occupancy and disturbance would be prohibited on erosive soils, sensitive plant species habitats, and on slopes greater than 10 percent. • CCC Ponds ACEC (5,530 acres [Alternative 3]): Values of concern are a wildlife migration bottleneck on a welldefined mule deer migration route and recreational values including a developed, non-motorized trail system, fishing ponds, and interpretive facilities. The ACEC would be unavailable for oil and gas leasing and would be closed to mineral location and land disposal. Off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails. Alternative 1 proposes to maintain the status of the two existing ACECs identified in the 1988 Pinedale RMP. Alternative 2 proposes to eliminate the two existing ACECs, and establish a new ACEC at Trapper’s Point (550 acres). Alternative 3 proposes to maintain the existing Rock Creek and Beaver Creek ACECs, and establish all of the new ACECs listed above (6), for a total of eight ACECs. As a result of public scoping and the alternative development process, Alternative 4 (Agency Preferred Alternative) proposes the following ACECs: Maintain the status of one existing ACEC (Beaver Creek); maintain and reduce slightly in size one existing ACEC (Rock Creek); and establish two new ACECs: Trapper’s Point (4,000 acres) and New Fork Potholes (1,800 acres). Comments received on the Draft RMP/ EIS from the public and internal BLM review comments were incorporated into the proposed plan. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text but did not significantly change proposed land use decisions. After careful consideration of both public and internal comments received on the Draft RMP/EIS, adjustments and clarifications have been made to Alternative 4, the Preferred Alternative. As modified, Alternative 4 is now presented as the Pinedale Proposed RMP in the Final EIS. Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the PRMP/FEIS may be found in the Dear Reader Letter of the Pinedale PRMP/ VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:12 Aug 21, 2008 Jkt 214001 FEIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5. 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 those conditions, the BLM will consider the e-mail or faxed protests as an advance copy and it will receive full 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) 557–3599, and emails to Brenda_HudgensWilliams@blm.gov. All protests, including the follow-up letter (if emailing or faxing) must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware that your entire protest—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly availability at any time. While you can ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Jamie E. Connell, Acting Associate State Director. [FR Doc. E8–19534 Filed 8–21–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–22–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [UT–080–1610–010J] Notice of Availability of Vernal Field Office Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan/ Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the Vernal Field Office. DATES: The BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5–2) state that any person who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM’s PRMP/FEIS. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 49701 that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes this notice in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Copies of the Vernal Field Office PRMP/FEIS were sent to affected Federal, state, and local government agencies and to interested parties. Copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available for public inspection at: Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078 Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84145 Interested persons may also review the PRMP/FEIS on the Internet at https://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/ planning.html. All protests must be in writing and mailed to the following addresses: Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035 Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, 1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Kelly Buckner, Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078; phone: (435) 781–4400; or e-mail at: Kelly_Buckner@blm.gov. The Vernal RMP planning area is located in northeast Utah. The BLM administers approximately 1.7 million acres of surface estate and 2.8 million acres of Federal mineral estate within the planning area. The Vernal RMP will provide future broad-scale management direction for land use allocations and allowable uses on public lands within the planning area. Implementation of the decisions of the PRMP/FEIS would apply only to BLM-administered public lands and Federal mineral estate. In the Vernal Field Office Draft RMP/EIS (DRMP/ DEIS), which was released for a 90-day public review and comment period in January 2005, four alternatives were analyzed, including a No Action alternative. These alternatives were developed through issue identification during the scoping process. Such issues included: special designations (ACECs and WSRs), minerals and energy development, and recreational (OHV) use. In October 2007 a Supplemental DEIS was issued which considered an additional alternative emphasizing the protection of non-WSA lands with Wilderness Characteristics. The PRMP/FEIS would designate no new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs), and the continuation of six existing ACECs, totaling 123,227 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\22AUN1.SGM 22AUN1 49702 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 164 / Friday, August 22, 2008 / Notices acres. Resource use limitations that apply to the proposed ACECs include a range of different prescriptions as described in Table 1 below. TABLE 1—EVALUATION OF AREAS OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN Area name Values of concern Resource use limitations Browns Park ............................... Cultural, wildlife, habitat, and scenic views. Watershed, relict vegetation, and big game habitat. Cultural, and special status plant species. Closed to OHV use, or limited to designated routes .................. 18,474 No surface occupancy, or timing/controlled surface use for oil and gas; OHV use limited to designated routes. The area would be open subject to standard lease terms or managed as NSO for oil and gas leasing; OHV use would be limited to designated routes. No surface occupancy for oil and gas, closed to mineral material sales. No surface occupancy for oil and gas, closed to mineral material sales. No surface occupancy and controlled surface use; OHV use is limited to designated routes. 24,285 Red Mountain—Dry Fork ........... Nine-Mile Canyon ...................... Lears Canyon ............................. Relict vegetation ....................... Pariette ....................................... Wetland, wildlife, and plant habitat. Watershed and wildlife habitat jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES Red Creek .................................. Comments on the Vernal Field Office DRMP/DEIS received from the public and internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the PRMP/FEIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but did not significantly change proposed land use plan decisions. Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the PRMP/FEIS may be found in the Dear Reader Letter of the PRMP/FEIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5–2. 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 email or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full 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_HudgensWilliams@blm.gov. All protests, including the follow-up letter (if e-mailing or faxing) must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware that your entire protest—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:12 Aug 21, 2008 Jkt 214001 Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 1610.5–1. Selma Sierra, Utah State Director. [FR Doc. E8–19394 Filed 8–21–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [WY–090–08–1610–DQ] Notice of Availability of the Kemmerer Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, Wyoming Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with its cooperating agencies has prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan/ Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the Kemmerer Field Office planning area. DATES: BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5–2) state that any person who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM’s Proposed RMP. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Copies of the Kemmerer PRMP/FEIS have been sent to affected Federal, State, and local government agencies and to interested parties. Copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Acres 44,181 1,375 10,437 24,475 for public inspection 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 Interested persons may also review the PRMP/FEIS on the Internet at https://www.blm.gov.rmp/kemmerer. All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following addresses: Regular Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20036. Overnight Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20035. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Easley, RMP Team Leader, BLM Kemmerer Field Office, 312 HWY 189 N, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101; telephone—(307) 828–4524; e-mail Kemmerer_wymail@blm.gov with ‘‘Kemmerer RMP’’ 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 Draft RMP/EIS was made available for public review for a 90-day period on July 13, 2007. The Draft RMP/ EIS described and analyzed four alternatives for the management of the public lands and resources, including the Federal mineral estate, administered by the BLM Kemmerer Field Office: Alternative A: (No Action): Continuation of the current management goals, objectives, and direction specified in the Kemmerer RMP and ROD (1986). E:\FR\FM\22AUN1.SGM 22AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 164 (Friday, August 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49701-49702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19394]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-080-1610-010J]


Notice of Availability of Vernal Field Office Proposed Resource 
Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS)

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed Resource Management 
Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the Vernal 
Field Office.

DATES: The BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any 
person who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may 
protest the BLM's PRMP/FEIS. A person who meets the conditions and 
files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that 
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes this notice in the 
Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Vernal Field Office PRMP/FEIS were sent to 
affected Federal, state, and local government agencies and to 
interested parties. Copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available for public 
inspection at:

Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078
Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84145

    Interested persons may also review the PRMP/FEIS on the Internet at 
https://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning.html. All protests must 
be in writing and mailed to the following addresses:

Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, 
P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035
Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, 
1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Kelly Buckner, Vernal Field Office, 
170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078; phone: (435) 781-4400; or e-mail 
at: Kelly_Buckner@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Vernal RMP planning area is located in 
northeast Utah. The BLM administers approximately 1.7 million acres of 
surface estate and 2.8 million acres of Federal mineral estate within 
the planning area.
    The Vernal RMP will provide future broad-scale management direction 
for land use allocations and allowable uses on public lands within the 
planning area. Implementation of the decisions of the PRMP/FEIS would 
apply only to BLM-administered public lands and Federal mineral estate. 
In the Vernal Field Office Draft RMP/EIS (DRMP/DEIS), which was 
released for a 90-day public review and comment period in January 2005, 
four alternatives were analyzed, including a No Action alternative. 
These alternatives were developed through issue identification during 
the scoping process. Such issues included: special designations (ACECs 
and WSRs), minerals and energy development, and recreational (OHV) use. 
In October 2007 a Supplemental DEIS was issued which considered an 
additional alternative emphasizing the protection of non-WSA lands with 
Wilderness Characteristics.
    The PRMP/FEIS would designate no new Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs), and the continuation of six existing 
ACECs, totaling 123,227

[[Page 49702]]

acres. Resource use limitations that apply to the proposed ACECs 
include a range of different prescriptions as described in Table 1 
below.

                         Table 1--Evaluation of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Area name                      Values of concern          Resource use limitations       Acres
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Browns Park.............................  Cultural, wildlife,         Closed to OHV use, or limited       18,474
                                           habitat, and scenic views.  to designated routes.
Red Mountain--Dry Fork..................  Watershed, relict           No surface occupancy, or timing/    24,285
                                           vegetation, and big game    controlled surface use for oil
                                           habitat.                    and gas; OHV use limited to
                                                                       designated routes.
Nine-Mile Canyon........................  Cultural, and special       The area would be open subject      44,181
                                           status plant species.       to standard lease terms or
                                                                       managed as NSO for oil and gas
                                                                       leasing; OHV use would be
                                                                       limited to designated routes.
Lears Canyon............................  Relict vegetation.........  No surface occupancy for oil         1,375
                                                                       and gas, closed to mineral
                                                                       material sales.
Pariette................................  Wetland, wildlife, and      No surface occupancy for oil        10,437
                                           plant habitat.              and gas, closed to mineral
                                                                       material sales.
Red Creek...............................  Watershed and wildlife      No surface occupancy and            24,475
                                           habitat.                    controlled surface use; OHV
                                                                       use is limited to designated
                                                                       routes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Comments on the Vernal Field Office DRMP/DEIS received from the 
public and internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as 
appropriate into the PRMP/FEIS. Public comments resulted in the 
addition of clarifying text, but did not significantly change proposed 
land use plan decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the PRMP/FEIS may be found in the Dear Reader Letter of the 
PRMP/FEIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2.
    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 
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.
    All protests, including the follow-up letter (if e-mailing or 
faxing) must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as 
set forth in the ADDRESSES section above.
    Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 1610.5-1.

Selma Sierra,
Utah State Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-19394 Filed 8-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P
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