Notice of Availability of the Draft Cottonwood Resource Management Plan Amendment for Domestic Sheep Grazing and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Idaho, 26774-26775 [2014-10507]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26774-26775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10507]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLIDC00000.14XL1109AF.L10200000.DS0000.LXSSD0090000.241A; 4500061279]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Cottonwood Resource 
Management Plan Amendment for Domestic Sheep Grazing and Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement, Idaho

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, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment for Domestic Sheep 
Grazing and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 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 RMP Amendment/Supplemental EIS within 90 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a 
notice of availability of this document in the Federal Register. The 
BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public 
participation activities at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Draft RMP Amendment 
and Supplemental EIS by any of the following methods:
     Web site: https://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/nepa_register/cfo_SEIS-plan-amdt-sheep.html.
     Email: BLM_ID_SheepSEIS@blm.gov.
     Mail: BLM Coeur d'Alene District, ATTN: Sheep SEIS, 3815 
Schreiber Way, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815.
    The Draft RMP Amendment and Supplemental EIS is available on the 
project Web site at https://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/nepa_register/cfo_SEIS-plan-amdt-sheep.html, in the BLM Coeur d'Alene District 
Office at the above address, and at the BLM Cottonwood Field Office, 
One Butte Drive, Cottonwood, ID 83522.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Pavey, telephone 208-769-5059, 
BLM Coeur d'Alene District Office (address above); email: BLM_ID_SheepSEIS@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 proposes to amend the 2008 
Cottonwood RMP by providing new management direction and allocations 
for livestock grazing on 19,405 acres of BLM-managed lands within 4 BLM 
allotments in Idaho and Adams Counties of Idaho.
    In August 2008, the BLM published the Proposed Cottonwood RMP and 
Final EIS and subsequently received a number of protests on the 
proposed decision. The BLM Director denied all protest points but one, 
which was in regard to the adequacy of the range of alternatives for 
management of domestic sheep grazing on four BLM allotments that are 
within bighorn sheep habitat. Specifically, the Director found that the 
Final EIS did not include an adequate range of alternatives to address 
potential disease transmission from domestic sheep and goats to bighorn 
sheep, and required that the State Director complete a supplemental EIS 
that would include a reasonable range of alternatives for managing 
livestock grazing and would analyze the impacts of domestic sheep and 
goat grazing within the four allotments. The Director further specified 
that the supplemental EIS be for the limited purpose of analyzing the 
impacts of domestic sheep and goat grazing within four allotments.
    The Supplemental EIS identifies and analyzes three related planning 
issues:
    (1) Bighorn sheep--Domestic sheep and goats may contact and 
transmit diseases to bighorn sheep, which may be a contributing factor 
to the downward trend in bighorn populations.
    (2) Native American tribal interests and treaty rights--BLM 
management of livestock grazing, specifically domestic sheep and goats, 
may affect the availability of resources and uses (specifically related 
to bighorn sheep) that are important to the interests and rights of the 
Nez Perce Tribe.
    (3) Livestock grazing and social and economic interests--Changes to 
BLM management of livestock grazing may affect the local economy.
    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 (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 
p.m.), 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.


[[Page 26775]]


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

Will Runnoe,
Cottonwood Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2014-10507 Filed 5-8-14; 8:45 am]
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