Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Glade Run Recreation Area, Farmington Field Office, New Mexico, and Associated Environmental Assessment, 41819-41820 [2011-17776]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 136 (Friday, July 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41819-41820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17776]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNM01000 L16100000 DO0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Amendment 
for the Glade Run Recreation Area, Farmington Field Office, New Mexico, 
and Associated Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Farmington Field Office (Field Office), Farmington, New Mexico, intends 
to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment to the 2003 
Farmington RMP with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) to 
address recreation and travel management in the Glade Run Recreation 
Area (the Glade). By this Notice, the Field Office is announcing the 
beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and 
identify issues.

DATES: This Notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP 
amendment/EA. Comments on issues and planning criteria may be submitted 
30 days from the date of publication of this Notice in the Federal 
Register (the scoping period). The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meeting(s) will be announced at least 15 days in advance 
through the local news media, mailings to interested individuals, and 
on the BLM Field Office Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en.html. 
In order to be included in the Draft RMP amendment/EA, all comments 
must be received prior to the close of the scoping period or 30 days 
after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
    The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation and comment upon publication of the Draft RMP amendment/
EA.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Farmington Field Office Glade Run Recreation Area RMP 
amendment/EA by any of the following methods:
     Web site: https://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en.html.
     E-mail: FFO_Comments@blm.gov.
     Fax: 505-599-8999 Attention: Outdoor Recreation Planner.
     Mail: 1235 La Plata Highway, Farmington, New Mexico 87401, 
Attention: Outdoor Recreation Planner.
    Public comments, maps and other information related to the Glade 
RMP amendment/EA may be examined at the Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Janelle Alleman, Outdoor 
Recreation Planner, telephone: 505-599-8944; address: 1235 La Plata 
Highway, Farmington, New Mexico 87401; or by e-mail at FFO_Comments@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Farmington Field Office, Farmington, 
New Mexico, intends to prepare an RMP amendment/EA to address 
recreation and travel management decisions in the Glade. The Glade 
encompasses 21,544 acres of which 17,935 acres are Federal lands. The 
remaining acres consist of State of New Mexico and private lands. The 
planning area is located in San Juan County, New Mexico. The purpose of 
the public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will 
influence the scope of the RMP amendment/EA, including alternatives, 
and will help to guide the planning process.
    New forms of motorized vehicles and technology, population growth, 
increasing user conflicts, and related developments have out-paced 
guidance and decisions in the current recreation and travel management 
plan for the Glade, which was approved in 1996. To address these 
developments, the RMP amendment/EA will consider proposals to amend the 
RMP to make changes in off-highway vehicle (OHV) area designations (43 
CFR 8342.2). OHV area designations are land use allocations that 
classify areas of public lands as open, limited, or closed to motorized 
travel. The RMP amendment/EA will also consider a proposal to designate 
the Glade as a Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA). SRMA 
designations recognize specified public lands where recreation 
opportunities and recreation settings are the predominant land use 
planning focus and are managed through the land use planning process.
    In addition, this planning effort will develop management 
alternatives that include specific activity planning targeted at 
identifying a travel and transportation network of routes for specified 
uses within the planning area.
    The BLM anticipates the following planning issues (43 CFR 
1610.2(c)(3)): (1) How to best address conflicts between recreational 
users? (2) What is an appropriate balance in providing for the 
different kinds of recreation uses and opportunities? (3) Is there an 
opportunity for a Recreation & Public Purpose lease within the planning 
area? and (4) How can BLM best promote and address public safety?
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines 
will be involved in the planning process: Rangeland management, 
minerals and geology, forestry, outdoor recreation, archaeology, 
paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, hydrology, 
soils, sociology, and economics.
    Proposed planning criteria include the following:
    1. The RMP amendment/EA will comply with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies;
    2. For program-specific guidance for decisions at the land use 
planning level, the process will follow the BLM's policies in the Land 
Use Planning Handbook, H-1601-1;

[[Page 41820]]

    3. Public participation and collaboration will be an integral part 
of the planning process;
    4. The BLM will strive to make decisions in the plan compatible 
with the existing plans and policies of adjacent local, State, and 
Federal agencies and local American Indian tribes, as long as the 
decisions are consistent with the purposes, policies, and programs of 
Federal laws and regulations applicable to public lands;
    5. The RMP amendment/EA will recognize valid existing rights;
    6. The RMP amendment/EA will incorporate, where applicable, 
management decisions brought forward from existing planning documents;
    7. The BLM staff will work with cooperating agencies and all other 
interested groups, agencies, and individuals;
    8. The BLM and cooperating agencies will jointly develop 
alternatives for resolution of resource management issues and 
management concerns;
    9. GIS and metadata information will meet Federal Geographic Data 
Committee standards, as required by Executive Order 12906 and all other 
applicable BLM data standards will be followed;
    10. The planning process will provide for ongoing consultation with 
American Indian tribes to identify strategies for protecting recognized 
traditional uses;
    11. Planning and management direction will focus on the relative 
values of resources and not the combination of uses that will give the 
greatest economic return or economic output;
    12. The BLM will consider the quantity and quality of non-commodity 
resource values;
    13. Where practicable and timely for the planning effort, the best 
available scientific information, research, and new technologies will 
be used;
    14. Actions must comply with all applicable regulations and must be 
reasonable, achievable, and allow for flexibility while supporting 
adaptive management principles; and
    15. The Economic Profile System will be used as one source of 
demographic and economic data for the planning process, which will 
provide baseline data and contribute to estimates of existing and 
projected social and economic conditions.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to 
satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3). Native American tribal consultations will be conducted in 
accordance with policy, and tribal concerns will be given due 
consideration, including concerns related to impacts on Indian trust 
assets. Federal, State, tribal and local agencies, along with 
stakeholders, are invited to participate in the scoping process and, if 
eligible, may participate as a cooperating agency.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the 
BLM using one of the methods set forth in the ADDRESSES section of this 
Notice, and within the timeframes set forth in the DATES section of 
this Notice. Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who 
submit comments 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. 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 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Jesse J. Juen,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-17776 Filed 7-14-11; 8:45 am]
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