Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the Medford District Office, Oregon and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment, 53207-53209 [2014-21320]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53207-53209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21320]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[14X LLORM050000.L63340000.DU0000 HAG 14-0138]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the 
Medford District Office, Oregon and Prepare an 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, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Medford 
District Office, Medford, Oregon intends to prepare a Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental 
Assessment (EA) for the Medford RMP, and by this notice 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 with an associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until October 8, 2014. The

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date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through local news media, newspapers and the 
BLM Web site at https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/index.php. In 
order to be included in the analysis, all comments must be received 
prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the 
last public meeting, whichever is later. We will provide additional 
opportunities for public participation as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Medford RMP Amendment/EA by any of the following 
methods:
     Web site: https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/index.php
     Email: BLMORMDMail@blm.gov
     Fax: 541-618-2400
     Mail: 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Medford 
Interagency Office, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Williams, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, telephone: 541-618-2385; address: 3040 
Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504; email: 
BLMORMDMail@blm.gov. Contact Ms. Williams to 
have your name added to our mailing list. 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: This document provides notice that the BLM 
District Office, Medford, Oregon intends to prepare an RMP amendment 
with an associated EA for the Medford RMP, announces the beginning of 
the scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and planning 
criteria. The planning area is located in Jackson County, Oregon and 
encompasses approximately 13,556 acres, including 2,327 acres of BLM 
land, 589 acres of land managed by State and local government agencies, 
1,741 acres owned by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), 795 acres of TNC 
Easement on private lands, and 8,104 acres of other private land. The 
purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant issues 
that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including 
alternatives, and guide the planning process. Preliminary issues for 
the plan amendment area have been identified by BLM personnel; Federal, 
State, and local agencies; and other stakeholders. The issues include: 
Incorporating acquired parcels and potential future acquisitions into 
the Table Rocks Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) to help 
disperse recreation use and reduce impacts to sensitive resources; 
identifying long-term management needed to protect and enhance the 
unique historical, cultural, and natural features for which the Table 
Rocks ACEC and Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) were designated including 
state and federally threatened species; potentially removing a 0.9 acre 
graveled parcel used for overflow parking that does not contain ACEC 
resources from ACEC and ONA management; identifying opportunities to 
apply hierarchical mitigation strategies for on-site, regional, and 
compensatory mitigation strategies; and identifying areas appropriate 
to apply landscape-level conservation and management actions to achieve 
regional mitigation objectives.
    Preliminary planning criteria include:
    1. The BLM will complete the plan amendment in compliance with 
Federal Land Policy Management Area (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), 
NEPA, and other applicable laws and regulations.
    2. Lands addressed in this amendment will be public lands managed 
by the BLM. No decisions will apply to lands the BLM does not manage.
    3. Where existing resource management planning decisions are still 
valid, those decisions will remain unchanged and will be incorporated 
into the Table Rocks RMP amendment.
    4. The plan amendment will recognize valid existing rights.
    5. The BLM will use a collaborative and multi-jurisdictional 
approach, when practical, to determine the desired future condition of 
these public lands.
    6. The BLM will strive to make land use plan decisions compatible 
with existing plans and policies of adjacent local, state, and Federal 
agencies.
    7. The BLM will ensure that land use plan decisions are consistent 
with other applicable laws and regulations governing the administration 
of public land.
    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 listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To 
be most helpful, you should submit comments by the close of the 30-day 
scoping period or within 30 days after the last public meeting, 
whichever is later.
    The BLM will use the NEPA public participation requirements to 
assist the agency in satisfying the public involvement requirements 
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 
U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about 
historic and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by 
the proposed action will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating 
impacts to such resources in the context of both NEPA and Section 106 
of the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate 
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request of, or be 
requested by, the BLM to participate in the development of the 
environmental analysis as a cooperating agency.
    The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping meeting will be 
available to the public and open for 30 days after the meeting to any 
participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she expressed. The 
BLM will evaluate identified issues to be addressed in the plan, and 
will place them into one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP Amendment/EA 
as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. The public is 
also encouraged to help identify any management questions and concerns 
that should be addressed in the plan. The BLM will work collaboratively 
with interested parties to identify the management decisions that are 
best suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns.
    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

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cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
amendment 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: Botany, cultural 
resources, fisheries, wildlife, geographic information systems, 
recreation management, and the National Environmental Policy Act.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Dayne Barron,
Medford District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2014-21320 Filed 9-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P