Notice of Availability of Draft Monument Management Plan Amendment and Draft Rangeland Health Environmental Impact Statement for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Planning Area in Kane and Garfield Counties, UT and Coconino County, AZ, 60320-60321 [E8-23958]
Download as PDF
60320
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 198 / Friday, October 10, 2008 / Notices
week, to contact the Bureau of Land
Management.
Robert Childers,
Land Law Examiner, Land Transfer
Adjudication II.
[FR Doc. E8–24133 Filed 10–9–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UT030–4310–DS]
Notice of Availability of Draft
Monument Management Plan
Amendment and Draft Rangeland
Health Environmental Impact
Statement for the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument
Planning Area in Kane and Garfield
Counties, UT and Coconino County,
AZ
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
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 of 1976 (FLPMA, 43
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared Draft
Monument Management Plan
Amendment and Draft Rangeland
Health Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) (hereafter referred to as the ‘Draft
Rangeland Health Amendment’) and by
this notice is announcing the opening of
the comment period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be
considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft
Rangeland Health Amendment within
90 days following the date the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register. The BLM will
announce future meetings or hearings
and any other public involvement
activities at least 15 days in advance
through public notices, media news
releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by any of the following methods:
• E-mail: UT_GSENM_NEPA@
blm.gov.
• Fax: (435) 644–4350.
• Mail: Draft Rangeland Health
Amendment Comments—Attention Paul
Chapman, Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument, Bureau of Land
Management, 190 East Center Street,
Kanab, Utah 84741.
Copies of the Draft Rangeland Health
Amendment are available in the BLM
VerDate Aug<31>2005
20:11 Oct 09, 2008
Jkt 217001
Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument main office at the above
address; the BLM Utah State Office in
Salt Lake City; and may be viewed and
downloaded in PDF format at https://
www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning/
existing_plans.html. Please note that
public comments and information
submitted including names, street
addresses, and email addresses of
respondents will be available for public
review and disclosure at the above
address during regular business hours (8
a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday,
except holidays.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware 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 your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information and/or to have your
name added to the planning project
mailing list, contact Paul Chapman,
Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument, Bureau of Land
Management, 190 East Center Street,
Kanab, Utah 84741, telephone: (435)
644–4309, or e-mail:
UT_GSENM_NEPA@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Escalante, Paria, Vermilion and Zion
Management Framework Plans (MFPs)
provided the planning analysis baseline
for this Draft EIS. This baseline will be
carried forward as the Rangeland Health
Amendment into the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument
Management Plan (MMP) through a Plan
Amendment. Once approved, the
Record of Decision (ROD) for the
Rangeland Health Amendment will
modify or replace all existing livestock
management determinations for the
planning area.
The planning area includes all of the
public land grazing allotments managed
or administered by the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument in Kane
and Garfield Counties, Utah and
Coconino County, Arizona. The
planning area encompasses public lands
currently managed under the Grand
Staircase-Escalante National MMP, and
portions of lands managed or
administered under the Escalante, Paria,
Vermilion, and Zion MFPs. Under
Public Law 92–593, the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument
administers grazing on a portion of the
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area,
PO 00000
Frm 00093
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
which is managed by the National Park
Service under the Glen Canyon National
Recreation Area General Management
Plan. The planning area includes
approximately 2.2 million acres of lands
on which BLM administers livestock
grazing in the three county areas,
including approximately 250,000 acres
in the Glen Canyon National Recreation
Area.
The Draft Rangeland Health
Amendment analyzes five alternatives.
The alternatives present differing
management balances between the
various resources and uses, and vary in
both context and intensity. The
alternatives are:
Alternative A (No Action): The
current level of resource use and
protection would be maintained.
Grazing permits would be renewed with
existing Terms and Conditions.
Alternative B: Rangeland Health
Standards, with minimal stocking
adjustments and improved livestock
distribution and management, would be
emphasized. Rangeland restoration and
the future installation of structural
improvements would be assessed.
Grazing permits would be renewed with
modified Terms and Conditions
consistent with the actions proposed in
this alternative.
Alternative C (Preferred Alternative):
Rangeland Health Standards would be
achieved over the life of the MMP by
making allotment specific modifications
to grazing management. These
management changes would include
distribution of adjustments, stocking
adjustments, and temporary
suspensions on less than 10% of
allotments when Rangeland Health
Standards assessments and monitoring
indicate such actions are needed to meet
resource objectives. This alternative
includes the range restoration and
future structural improvements assessed
under Alternative B. Grazing permits
would be renewed with modified Terms
and Conditions consistent with the
actions proposed in this alternative.
Alternative D: Rangeland Health
Standards would be achieved over the
life of the MMP by making
modifications to grazing management
including temporary grazing
suspensions on allotments which fail to
meet Utah BLM’s Rangeland Health
Standards for upland soils or desired
specifics. Range restoration and the
installation of structural range
improvements would be assessed under
this alternative, but to a lesser degree
than in Alternatives B and C. Grazing
permits would be renewed with
modified Terms and Conditions
consistent with the actions proposed in
this alternative.
E:\FR\FM\10OCN1.SGM
10OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 198 / Friday, October 10, 2008 / Notices
Alternative E: Rangeland Health
Standards would be achieved over the
life of the MMP by making
modifications to grazing management
including temporary grazing
suspensions on allotments which fail
Utah BLM’s Rangeland Health
Standards for upland soils, desired
species, and riparian/wetland
functionality. This alternative proposes
an emphasis on vegetation restoration
activity without structural range
improvements. Grazing permits would
be renewed with modified Terms and
Conditions consistent with the actions
proposed in this alternative.
Potentially impacted resources and
conditions include: Livestock
management, compliance with
Standards and Guidelines for Rangeland
Health, socio-economics, cultural
resources, and recreation.
Jeff Rawson,
Associate Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. E8–23958 Filed 10–9–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CO–100–1610–DP]
Notice of Availability of the Additional
Air Quality Impact Assessment To
Support the Little Snake Draft
Resource Management Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/
EIS), Moffat and Routt Counties, CO
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
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 of 1976 (FLPMA, 43
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared an
Additional Air Quality Impact
Assessment to Support the Draft
Resource Management Plan Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
(DRMP/DEIS) for the Little Snake Field
Office and by this notice is announcing
the opening of the comment period.
DATES: To assure that they will be
considered, BLM must receive written
comments on the Additional Air Quality
Impact Assessment within 45 days
following the date the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) publishes their
Notice of Availability (NOA) in the
Federal Register. Additional
announcements are being made through
local media by news releases and
VerDate Aug<31>2005
20:11 Oct 09, 2008
Jkt 217001
information will be posted on the Little
Snake RMP Web site: https://
www.co.blm.gov/lsra/rmp.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by any of the following methods:
• E-mail: colsrmp@blm.gov.
• Fax: (970) 826–5002.
• Mail: Jeremy Casterson,BLM—Little
Snake Field Office,455 Emerson
St.,Craig, CO 81625.
Copies of the Additional Air Quality
Impact Assessment are available at the
Little Snake Field Office at the above
address. Copies will also be posted on
the Internet at https://www.blm.gov/co/
st/en/fo/lsfo/plans/rmp_revision/
rmp_docs.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeremy Casterson, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, BLM—
Little Snake Field Office, 455 Emerson
St., Craig, CO 81625. Phone: (970) 826–
5071. E-mail:
Jeremy_Casterson@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
planning area is located in Northwest
Colorado in Moffat, Routt, and Rio
Blanco Counties. The plan will provide
a framework to guide subsequent
management decisions on
approximately 1.3 million acres of BLMadministered public lands and 1.1
million acres of subsurface mineral
estate administered by the BLM. The
Little Snake Field Office is currently
being managing under its 1989 RMP,
which has been amended for Oil and
Gas Leasing (1991), Black-Footed Ferret
Reintroduction (1996) and Land Health
Standards (1997).
On May 16, 2007, the public comment
period on the Little Snake DRMP/DEIS
ended. During the public comment
period, the EPA, in consultation with
BLM, identified areas where additional
air quality information would improve
the existing analysis in the DEIS.
As a result, the BLM has prepared an
additional air quality analysis to inform
the public and allow public comment
on the data and conclusions. BLM will
only accept comments from the public
pertaining to the new air quality
information. Comments that are
substantive and in relation to the
material contained in the Additional Air
Quality Impact Assessment will be
responded to in the Final EIS if received
within the 45 days after the NOA is
published in the Federal Register.
Please note that public comments and
information submitted regarding the
Additional Air Quality Impact
Assessment, including names, street
addresses, and e-mail addresses of the
respondents, will be available for public
review and disclosure at the above
address during regular business hours
PO 00000
Frm 00094
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
60321
(7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday
through Friday, except holidays.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware 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 your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Sally Wisely,
State Director, Colorado.
[FR Doc. E8–23952 Filed 10–9–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of a Meeting for Gates of the
Arctic National Park Subsistence
Resource Commission
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of a meeting for Gates of
the Arctic National Park Subsistence
Resource Commission.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Gates of the Arctic
National Park Subsistence Resource
Commission (SRC) will meet to develop
and continue work on National Park
Service (NPS) subsistence hunting
program recommendations and other
related subsistence management issues.
This meeting is open to the public and
will have time allocated for public
testimony. The public is welcomed to
present written or oral comments to the
SRC. This meeting will be recorded and
meeting minutes will be available upon
request from the park superintendent for
public inspection approximately six
weeks after each meeting. The NPS
subsistence resource commission
program is authorized under Title VIII,
Section 808 of the Alaska National
Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public
Law 96–487, to operate in accordance
with the provisions of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dave Krupa, Subsistence Manager, Tel.
(907) 455–0631, Address: Gates of the
Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175
Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 or
Clarence Summers, Subsistence
Coordinator, Tel. (907) 644–3603.
Proposed Meeting Date: The SRC
meeting will be held on Thursday,
November 13 and Friday, November 14,
2008, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Anaktuvuk Pass Community
Hall, Anaktuvuk Pass, AK. The meeting
E:\FR\FM\10OCN1.SGM
10OCN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 198 (Friday, October 10, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60320-60321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23958]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UT030-4310-DS]
Notice of Availability of Draft Monument Management Plan
Amendment and Draft Rangeland Health Environmental Impact Statement for
the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Planning Area in Kane
and Garfield Counties, UT and Coconino County, AZ
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) has prepared Draft Monument Management Plan
Amendment and Draft Rangeland Health Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) (hereafter referred to as the `Draft Rangeland Health
Amendment') and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment
period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft Rangeland Health Amendment within 90 days
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce
future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities
at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media news
releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
E-mail: UT_GSENM_NEPA@blm.gov.
Fax: (435) 644-4350.
Mail: Draft Rangeland Health Amendment Comments--Attention
Paul Chapman, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Bureau of
Land Management, 190 East Center Street, Kanab, Utah 84741.
Copies of the Draft Rangeland Health Amendment are available in the
BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument main office at the
above address; the BLM Utah State Office in Salt Lake City; and may be
viewed and downloaded in PDF format at https://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/
prog/planning/existing_plans.html. Please note that public comments
and information submitted including names, street addresses, and email
addresses of respondents will be available for public review and
disclosure at the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m.
to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware 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 your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to the planning project mailing list, contact Paul
Chapman, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Bureau of Land
Management, 190 East Center Street, Kanab, Utah 84741, telephone: (435)
644-4309, or e-mail: UT_GSENM_NEPA@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Escalante, Paria, Vermilion and Zion
Management Framework Plans (MFPs) provided the planning analysis
baseline for this Draft EIS. This baseline will be carried forward as
the Rangeland Health Amendment into the Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument Management Plan (MMP) through a Plan Amendment. Once
approved, the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Rangeland Health
Amendment will modify or replace all existing livestock management
determinations for the planning area.
The planning area includes all of the public land grazing
allotments managed or administered by the Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument in Kane and Garfield Counties, Utah and Coconino
County, Arizona. The planning area encompasses public lands currently
managed under the Grand Staircase-Escalante National MMP, and portions
of lands managed or administered under the Escalante, Paria, Vermilion,
and Zion MFPs. Under Public Law 92-593, the Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument administers grazing on a portion of the Glen Canyon
National Recreation Area, which is managed by the National Park Service
under the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area General Management Plan.
The planning area includes approximately 2.2 million acres of lands on
which BLM administers livestock grazing in the three county areas,
including approximately 250,000 acres in the Glen Canyon National
Recreation Area.
The Draft Rangeland Health Amendment analyzes five alternatives.
The alternatives present differing management balances between the
various resources and uses, and vary in both context and intensity. The
alternatives are:
Alternative A (No Action): The current level of resource use and
protection would be maintained. Grazing permits would be renewed with
existing Terms and Conditions.
Alternative B: Rangeland Health Standards, with minimal stocking
adjustments and improved livestock distribution and management, would
be emphasized. Rangeland restoration and the future installation of
structural improvements would be assessed. Grazing permits would be
renewed with modified Terms and Conditions consistent with the actions
proposed in this alternative.
Alternative C (Preferred Alternative): Rangeland Health Standards
would be achieved over the life of the MMP by making allotment specific
modifications to grazing management. These management changes would
include distribution of adjustments, stocking adjustments, and
temporary suspensions on less than 10% of allotments when Rangeland
Health Standards assessments and monitoring indicate such actions are
needed to meet resource objectives. This alternative includes the range
restoration and future structural improvements assessed under
Alternative B. Grazing permits would be renewed with modified Terms and
Conditions consistent with the actions proposed in this alternative.
Alternative D: Rangeland Health Standards would be achieved over
the life of the MMP by making modifications to grazing management
including temporary grazing suspensions on allotments which fail to
meet Utah BLM's Rangeland Health Standards for upland soils or desired
specifics. Range restoration and the installation of structural range
improvements would be assessed under this alternative, but to a lesser
degree than in Alternatives B and C. Grazing permits would be renewed
with modified Terms and Conditions consistent with the actions proposed
in this alternative.
[[Page 60321]]
Alternative E: Rangeland Health Standards would be achieved over
the life of the MMP by making modifications to grazing management
including temporary grazing suspensions on allotments which fail Utah
BLM's Rangeland Health Standards for upland soils, desired species, and
riparian/wetland functionality. This alternative proposes an emphasis
on vegetation restoration activity without structural range
improvements. Grazing permits would be renewed with modified Terms and
Conditions consistent with the actions proposed in this alternative.
Potentially impacted resources and conditions include: Livestock
management, compliance with Standards and Guidelines for Rangeland
Health, socio-economics, cultural resources, and recreation.
Jeff Rawson,
Associate Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. E8-23958 Filed 10-9-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P