Notice of Availability of the Clear Creek Management Area Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, California, 19294-19295 [2013-07337]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 61 / Friday, March 29, 2013 / Notices
I, and other permitted activities
considered after site specific analysis
that considered values for which the
ACEC is designated.
Alternative A proposes to maintain
the nine existing ACECs for a total of
37,896 acres. Under Alternative A, 1,675
acres are recommended withdrawn from
mineral entry and 32,158 acres are not
available for fluid mineral leasing.
Alternative B proposes to retain nine
ACECs and establish three additional
ACECs for a total of 181,175 acres
(management listed above). Alternative
B would continue to withdraw 1,675
acres from locatable mineral entry,
recommend withdrawals from locatable
mineral entry for 178,749 acres, and
make 179,244 acres unavailable for fluid
mineral leasing. Alternative C proposes
to retain nine ACECs and establish two
additional ACECs for a total of 67,079
acres. Alternative C would continue to
withdraw 1,675 acres from locatable
mineral entry, recommend withdrawals
from locatable mineral entry for 1,914
acres, and make 34,558 acres
unavailable for fluid mineral leasing.
Alternative D proposes to retain nine
ACECs and establish two additional
ACECs for a total of 38,786 acres.
Alternative D would continue to
withdraw 1,675 acres from locatable
mineral entry, recommend withdrawals
from locatable mineral entry for 20,827
acres, and make 18,716 acres
unavailable for fluid mineral leasing.
The preferred alternative (Alternative
D) proposes retaining ACEC designation
for the following ACECs that are the
same acreages as designated in the 1996,
1998, and 2001 RMP amendments:
Pompeys Pillar National Monument and
ACEC (432 acres), Bridger Fossil Area
ACEC (577 acres), Castle Butte ACEC
(184 acres), Four Dances Natural Area
ACEC (784 acres), Petroglyph Canyon
ACEC (240 acres), and Stark Site ACEC
(799 acres). The following ACECs were
designated in the 1998 RMP
amendment, but ACEC boundaries
expanded or changed in the preferred
alternative:
• East Pryor ACEC (11,122 acres):
This acreage is smaller than the 29,550
acres originally designated in 1998 RMP
amendment, as the preferred alternative
removes overlapping/conflicting
management layers. The East Pryor
ACEC is located in the same area as
three wilderness study areas (WSAs)
and the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse
Range. In the preferred alternative, the
boundaries of the ACEC were changed
to exclude the WSAs, as WSAs have the
most restrictive management, and the
management of the WSAs would
provide special management needed for
the resource values of concern
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:34 Mar 28, 2013
Jkt 229001
identified in the East Pryor ACEC. The
1998 boundary of the East Pryor ACEC
included only a portion of the DemiJohn Flat National Register District. The
boundary has been expanded in the
preferred alternative to include all of
Demi-John Flat National Register
District.
• Meeteetse Spires ACEC (956 acres
plus 567 acres): The additional 576
acres were acquired from The
Conservation Fund by the BLM in 2009
using money received from the Land
and Water Conservation Fund. The
private land was surrounded on three
sides by the Meeteetse Spires ACEC and
on one side by the U.S. Forest Service
Custer National Forest (Line Creek
Plateau RNA). The 567 acres of private
land had been subdivided and further
development would have threatened the
adjoining ACEC.
• Weatherman Draw ACEC (4,365
acres plus 7,912 acres): The proposed
7,912 acre expansion of the ACEC
includes the 2009 donation of 621 acres
of private land to the BLM.
The preferred alternative (Alternative
D) proposes two additional ACECs:
Grove Creek ACEC (8,251 acres) and
Pryor Foothills RNA ACEC (2,606
acres).
The BLM Billings Field Office
conducted an inventory of certain
waterways to determine eligibility and
suitability for inclusion into the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
for designation by Congress and drafted
interim management prescriptions for
those waterway segments determined
‘‘suitable’’ in the planning process.
Following the close of the public
review and comment period on this
draft RMP/EIS, public comments will be
used to revise the BLM Billings and
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
draft RMP/EIS in preparation for its
release to the public as the BLM Billings
and Pompeys Pillar Proposed RMP and
Final EIS. While one combined RMP/
EIS has been prepared, two separate
Records of Decision (RODS) will be
issued for the Billings Field Office and
for Pompeys Pillar National Monument.
The BLM will respond to each
substantive comment by making
appropriate revisions to the document
or by explaining why a comment did
not warrant a change. Notice of the
availability of the Proposed RMP and
Final EIS will be posted in the Federal
Register.
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.),
PO 00000
Frm 00116
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Monday through Friday, except
holidays.
Before including your address, phone
number, email 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, 40 CFR
1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.
Theresa M. Hanley,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013–07196 Filed 3–28–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–DN–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[L1610000.PQ0000/LLCAC09000]
Notice of Availability of the Clear Creek
Management Area Proposed Resource
Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement,
California
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended, the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared a
Proposed Resource Management Plan
(RMP)/Final Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Clear Creek
Management Area (CCMA) and by this
notice is announcing its availability.
DATES: BLM planning regulations (43
CFR 1610) state that any person who
meets the conditions as described in the
regulations may protest the BLM’s
Proposed RMP and Final EIS. 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 (EPA) publishes its
notice in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the CCMA
Proposed RMP and Final EIS have been
sent to affected Federal, State, and local
government agencies and to other
stakeholders. Copies of the CCMA
Proposed RMP and Final EIS are
available for public inspection at the
Hollister Field Office, 20 Hamilton
Court, Hollister, California 95023.
Interested persons may also review the
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mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 61 / Friday, March 29, 2013 / Notices
CCMA Proposed RMP and Final EIS at
the following Web site: https://
www.blm.gov/ca/hollister. All protests
must be in writing and mailed to one of
the following addresses:
Regular Mail: BLM Director (210) ,
Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box
71383, Washington, DC 20024–1383.
Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210),
Attention: Brenda Williams, 20 M Street
SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC
20003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sky
Murphy, Planning and Environmental
Coordinator, telephone (831) 630–5039;
address Hollister Field Office, 20
Hamilton Court, Hollister, California
95023; email smurphy@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
planning area covers about 75,000 acres,
including about 63,000 surface acres
and 64,000 acres of subsurface mineral
estate in San Benito and Fresno
counties, California. The CCMA RMP
will provide a framework to guide
management decisions for the use and
protection of the resources managed by
the Hollister Field Office. The CCMA is
currently managed under the 1984
Hollister RMP and subsequent
amendments. The purpose of the CCMA
RMP is to establish goals, objectives,
and management actions for BLMadministered lands in CCMA that
address current issues, and conditions.
The need to develop the CCMA RMP
arose from changes in circumstances
since the current land use plan
decisions were adopted. For example,
the EPA’s CCMA Asbestos Exposure and
Human Health Risk Assessment (2008)
provides significant new information
that must be incorporated into the RMP
to evaluate the public health risk
associated with BLM land use
authorizations.
A Notice of Availability of the CCMA
Draft RMP/EIS was published in the
Federal Register on December 4, 2009.
The Draft RMP/EIS was available for
public review for 135 days. Comments
on the Draft RMP/EIS were considered,
and incorporated as appropriate into the
proposed plan. For example, the BLM
made changes to the route and trail
designations between the Draft and
Final EIS. These changes did not
significantly alter the proposed land use
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:34 Mar 28, 2013
Jkt 229001
decisions for transportation and travel
management in the CCMA.
The Hollister Field Office, through a
collaborative planning process, has
worked extensively with interested and
affected individuals, groups, and local,
State, and Federal agencies in the
development of the Proposed RMP and
Final EIS. The primary issues include
public health and safety, recreation,
protection of sensitive natural and
cultural resources, livestock grazing,
guidance for energy and mineral
development, and land tenure
adjustments. The Proposed RMP
maintains the designation of the 30,000acre Serpentine Area of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACEC) to
protect public health and safety while
also protecting special status species
and cultural, historic, and scenic
resources values. Restrictions on use of
public lands within the Serpentine
ACEC include limitations on motorized
and non-motorized activities to
minimize human health risks from
exposure to asbestos by reducing
airborne emissions of asbestos.
For example, the CCMA Proposed
RMP designates the Serpentine ACEC as
a ‘‘limited’’ vehicle use area based on
the human health risks from exposure to
asbestos; and use would be limited to
highway-licensed vehicles by permit
only. Under the Proposed RMP, the
remaining lands in the CCMA
management zones are also designated
as ‘‘limited’’ vehicle use areas where
motorized vehicle use would be limited
to highway-licensed vehicles and allterrain vehicles. In addition to the
proposed action, the BLM considered
six additional alternatives, ranging from
a no action alternative, which would
continue historic recreational use in the
area, to complete closure of the area
prohibiting all public access. Other
action alternatives analyzed variations
of limited annual visitor use days,
seasonal use restrictions, limited OHV
recreation opportunities in the
Serpentine ACEC based on vehicle
types, minimum age requirements,
vehicle access for non-motorized
recreation opportunities inside the
Serpentine ACEC, and enhancing new
OHV recreation opportunities outside of
the ACEC.
Comments on the Draft RMP/EIS
received from the public and through
internal BLM review were considered
and incorporated as appropriate into the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS. Public
comments resulted in the following
changes to the preferred alternative in
the Draft RMP/EIS: additional
information added to the Hazardous
Materials and Public Health and Safety
section; increased miles of designated
PO 00000
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19295
routes to provide greater vehicle access
with an emphasis on supporting nonmotorized recreation opportunities in
CCMA; retention of public lands
surrounding Baker, Byles, and Cane
Canyons; and pursuit of partnerships
with local private landowners, nonprofit organizations, and the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife to
develop public easements to BLM lands
in the Tucker management zone. These
changes do not significantly change
proposed land use plan decisions set
forth in the Draft RMP/EIS.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the Director of the BLM regarding the
CCMA Proposed RMP and Final EIS
may be found in the ‘‘Dear Reader’’
letter of the CCMA Proposed RMP and
Final EIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5–2. All
protests must be in writing and mailed
to the appropriate address, as set forth
in the ADDRESSES section above.
Emailed 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
emailed 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 emails to
bhudgens@blm.gov and faxed protests to
the attention of the BLM protest
coordinator at 202–912–7212.
Before including your phone number,
email 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 and 1506.10, 43
CFR 1610.2 and 1610.5.
Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013–07337 Filed 3–28–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–40–P
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29MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19294-19295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07337]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[L1610000.PQ0000/LLCAC09000]
Notice of Availability of the Clear Creek Management Area
Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact
Statement, California
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a
Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP)/Final Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Clear Creek Management Area (CCMA) and by this
notice is announcing its availability.
DATES: BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 1610) state that any person who
meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the
BLM's Proposed RMP and Final EIS. 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 (EPA) publishes its notice in the
Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the CCMA Proposed RMP and Final EIS have been sent
to affected Federal, State, and local government agencies and to other
stakeholders. Copies of the CCMA Proposed RMP and Final EIS are
available for public inspection at the Hollister Field Office, 20
Hamilton Court, Hollister, California 95023. Interested persons may
also review the
[[Page 19295]]
CCMA Proposed RMP and Final EIS at the following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/ca/hollister. All protests must be in writing and mailed to
one of the following addresses:
Regular Mail: BLM Director (210) , Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O.
Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383.
Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 20
M Street SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sky Murphy, Planning and Environmental
Coordinator, telephone (831) 630-5039; address Hollister Field Office,
20 Hamilton Court, Hollister, California 95023; email smurphy@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 planning area covers about 75,000 acres,
including about 63,000 surface acres and 64,000 acres of subsurface
mineral estate in San Benito and Fresno counties, California. The CCMA
RMP will provide a framework to guide management decisions for the use
and protection of the resources managed by the Hollister Field Office.
The CCMA is currently managed under the 1984 Hollister RMP and
subsequent amendments. The purpose of the CCMA RMP is to establish
goals, objectives, and management actions for BLM-administered lands in
CCMA that address current issues, and conditions.
The need to develop the CCMA RMP arose from changes in
circumstances since the current land use plan decisions were adopted.
For example, the EPA's CCMA Asbestos Exposure and Human Health Risk
Assessment (2008) provides significant new information that must be
incorporated into the RMP to evaluate the public health risk associated
with BLM land use authorizations.
A Notice of Availability of the CCMA Draft RMP/EIS was published in
the Federal Register on December 4, 2009. The Draft RMP/EIS was
available for public review for 135 days. Comments on the Draft RMP/EIS
were considered, and incorporated as appropriate into the proposed
plan. For example, the BLM made changes to the route and trail
designations between the Draft and Final EIS. These changes did not
significantly alter the proposed land use decisions for transportation
and travel management in the CCMA.
The Hollister Field Office, through a collaborative planning
process, has worked extensively with interested and affected
individuals, groups, and local, State, and Federal agencies in the
development of the Proposed RMP and Final EIS. The primary issues
include public health and safety, recreation, protection of sensitive
natural and cultural resources, livestock grazing, guidance for energy
and mineral development, and land tenure adjustments. The Proposed RMP
maintains the designation of the 30,000-acre Serpentine Area of
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) to protect public health and
safety while also protecting special status species and cultural,
historic, and scenic resources values. Restrictions on use of public
lands within the Serpentine ACEC include limitations on motorized and
non-motorized activities to minimize human health risks from exposure
to asbestos by reducing airborne emissions of asbestos.
For example, the CCMA Proposed RMP designates the Serpentine ACEC
as a ``limited'' vehicle use area based on the human health risks from
exposure to asbestos; and use would be limited to highway-licensed
vehicles by permit only. Under the Proposed RMP, the remaining lands in
the CCMA management zones are also designated as ``limited'' vehicle
use areas where motorized vehicle use would be limited to highway-
licensed vehicles and all-terrain vehicles. In addition to the proposed
action, the BLM considered six additional alternatives, ranging from a
no action alternative, which would continue historic recreational use
in the area, to complete closure of the area prohibiting all public
access. Other action alternatives analyzed variations of limited annual
visitor use days, seasonal use restrictions, limited OHV recreation
opportunities in the Serpentine ACEC based on vehicle types, minimum
age requirements, vehicle access for non-motorized recreation
opportunities inside the Serpentine ACEC, and enhancing new OHV
recreation opportunities outside of the ACEC.
Comments on the Draft RMP/EIS received from the public and through
internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate
into the Proposed RMP/Final EIS. Public comments resulted in the
following changes to the preferred alternative in the Draft RMP/EIS:
additional information added to the Hazardous Materials and Public
Health and Safety section; increased miles of designated routes to
provide greater vehicle access with an emphasis on supporting non-
motorized recreation opportunities in CCMA; retention of public lands
surrounding Baker, Byles, and Cane Canyons; and pursuit of partnerships
with local private landowners, non-profit organizations, and the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop public easements
to BLM lands in the Tucker management zone. These changes do not
significantly change proposed land use plan decisions set forth in the
Draft RMP/EIS.
Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM
regarding the CCMA Proposed RMP and Final EIS may be found in the
``Dear Reader'' letter of the CCMA Proposed RMP and Final EIS and at 43
CFR 1610.5-2. All protests must be in writing and mailed to the
appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above.
Emailed 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 emailed 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 emails to bhudgens@blm.gov and faxed
protests to the attention of the BLM protest coordinator at 202-912-
7212.
Before including your phone number, email 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 and 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2 and 1610.5.
Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-07337 Filed 3-28-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P
