Notice of Availability of the Draft Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Associated Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan, CA, 14623-14624 [2010-6670]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 58 (Friday, March 26, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14623-14624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6670]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD070000 L16100000 DP0000]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Imperial Sand Dunes 
Recreation Area Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement and Associated Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan, CA

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 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Recreation Area 
Management Plan (RAMP)/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) and associated plan 
amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan in 
Imperial County, California 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 RAMP/EIS within 90 days following the 
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice 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 releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments at the public meetings or by any of 
the following methods:
     E-mail: caisdrmp@ca.blm.gov.
     Fax: (760) 337-4490.
     Mail: 1661 So. 4th St., El Centro, California 92243.
    Copies of the Draft Imperial Sand Dunes RAMP/EIS are available in 
the El

[[Page 14624]]

Centro Field Office at the above address and at the BLM California 
State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. 
Interested persons may also review the Draft Resource Management Plan 
(RMP)/EIS at the following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/en/fo/elcentro.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Erin 
Dreyfuss, Environmental Protection Specialist, telephone (916) 978-
4642; BLM California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, 
California 95825.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As a result of a court order (U.S. District 
Court, Northern District of California), dated September 26, 2006, Case 
No. C-03-2509 SI, the BLM has prepared the Draft RAMP/EIS for the ISDRA 
and associated plan amendment to the CDCA.
    The ISDRA project area encompasses approximately 200,000 acres of 
lands, approximately 150,000 acres of which are public lands bounded to 
the west by the Old Coachella Canal, to the east by the Union Pacific 
Railroad, to the north by Mammoth Wash, and to the south by Interstate 
8 and the California/Mexico border. The primary activities in the ISDRA 
include off-highway vehicle use and camping. The Draft RAMP/EIS has 
been developed through a collaborative planning process and considers 
eight alternatives. Issues addressed in the Draft RAMP/EIS include: 
Recreation; transportation and public access; wildlife and botany; 
cultural resources and paleontology; renewable energy; water resources; 
geology and soils; mineral resources; socioeconomics; public health and 
safety; and visual resources.
    The Draft RMP/EIS also considers the designation of two Areas of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), Plank Road and East Mesa. The 
preferred alternative would continue the 298-acre Plank Road ACEC to 
protect cultural resources and other resources values identified in the 
Draft RAMP/EIS. The preferred alternative would reduce the East Mesa 
ACEC from 6,454 acres to 5,799 acres, which overlaps the Planning Area. 
The East Mesa ACEC would continue to protect biological resources and 
other resource values identified in the Draft RAMP/EIS. The acreage of 
this ACEC varies by alternative. The preferred alternative would also 
remove the North Algodones Dunes ACEC, which encompasses 25,756 acres, 
in order to remove conflicting management prescriptions between this 
ACEC and the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area. Limitations on use 
of public lands within the Plank Road ACEC include restrictions on wind 
and solar energy development, as well as geothermal leasing. 
Limitations on use of public lands within the East Mesa ACEC include 
restrictions on wind and solar energy development, as well as 
geothermal leasing that includes surface occupancy.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and e-mail 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.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 1506.10, and 43 CFR 1610.2

Vicki L. Wood,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-6670 Filed 3-25-10; 8:45 am]
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