Notice of Availability of the Proposed Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, New Mexico, 78104-78105 [2014-30169]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78104-78105]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30169]



[[Page 78104]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNML0000 L16100000.DQ0000 14XL1109AF]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Prehistoric Trackways 
National Monument Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental 
Impact Statement, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), 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 Prehistoric Trackways National Monument and by 
this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's 
proposed RMP. A person who meets the conditions must file their protest 
within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed RMP/final EIS have been sent to 
affected Federal, tribal, State, and local government agencies and to 
other stakeholders. Copies of the proposed RMP/final EIS are available 
for public inspection at the Las Cruces District Office, 1800 Marquess 
St., Las Cruces, NM 88005, and the New Mexico State Office, 301 
Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87502. Interested persons may also review 
the proposed RMP/final EIS at: https://www.blm.gov/nm/trackwaysrmp.
    All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following 
addresses:

Regular Mail: BLM Director (210); Attention: Protest Coordinator; P.O. 
Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383.
Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210); Attention: Protest Coordinator; 20 
M Street SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Montoya, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, Las Cruces District Office; telephone 575-
525-4316; address 1800 Marquess St., Las Cruces, NM 88005; email 
jamontoy@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 Ms. Montoya during normal business hours. The 
FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or 
question for Ms. Montoya. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed RMP/final EIS analyzes the 
environmental consequences of four alternatives under consideration by 
the BLM for managing the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, which 
consists of approximately 5,280 acres in southern New Mexico. The RMP 
will provide a comprehensive management plan for the long-term 
protection and management of the Prehistoric Trackways National 
Monument. The plan is needed to prescribe the appropriate uses and 
management of the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, consistent 
with the provisions of its designating legislation (Omnibus Public 
Lands Management Act of 2009), and would replace the 1993 Mimbres RMP 
for this specific location. The proposed RMP/final EIS includes 
decisions for all BLM-managed surface estate and subsurface mineral 
estate within the National Monument's boundary.
    The four alternatives analyzed in detail in the proposed RMP/final 
EIS are Alternative A (No Action Alternative), which is a continuation 
of the existing management decisions and the legislation; Alternative 
B, which emphasizes resource conservation and protection; Alternative 
C, which strives to balance resource uses with protections; and 
Alternative D, which allows greater opportunity for resource use and 
development. Alternative C was selected as the Proposed RMP because it 
protects and enhances the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument 
objects, resources, and values, while allowing uses such as scientific 
research, recreation, and livestock grazing. In Alternative C, the 
impacts of uses are limited in sensitive areas and management decisions 
for monitoring and mitigation are included. As required by the 
legislation, the existing designations of the Wilderness Study Area and 
Area of Critical Environmental Concern would remain within the 
Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. These designations overlap 
about 789 acres of the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. The 
designating legislation withdraws the Prehistoric Trackways National 
Monument from the following, subject to valid existing rights: (1) 
Entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) 
Location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) Operation of 
the mineral leasing laws, geothermal leasing laws, and minerals 
materials laws.
    The RMP process began with a Notice of Intent published in the 
Federal Register on January 5, 2010 (75 FR 431). This announced a 30-
day public comment period. During that time, a public meeting was held 
in Las Cruces in order to introduce the planning process to the public 
and solicit comments. On September 22, 2010, the BLM held a public 
workshop to get feedback on preliminary RMP alternatives. A Notice of 
Availability of the Draft RMP/EIS was published in the Federal Register 
on July 20, 2012 (77 FR 42758) to announce a 90-day public review and 
comment period of the draft document. During this period, the BLM held 
one public open-house meeting in Las Cruces for the purpose of 
assisting the public in its review and to solicit their comments. The 
draft RMP/EIS was sent to multiple Federal, tribal, State, and local 
government agencies and interested parties and was made available for 
viewing at the Las Cruces District Office, the New Mexico State Office, 
and on the Internet. During the comment period, the Las Cruces District 
Office received about 45 comment letters, emails, or comment forms. 
Each submission was carefully reviewed to identify substantive comments 
in accordance with regulations on the implementation of NEPA (40 CFR 
1503.4). Comments on the draft RMP/EIS received from the public and 
internal BLM reviews were considered and incorporated as appropriate 
into the proposed RMP/final EIS. Public comments resulted in the 
addition of data and clarifying text, but did not significantly change 
proposed land use plan decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the proposed plan may be found in the ``Dear Reader Letter'' 
of the proposed RMP/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 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 protest as an advance copy and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance

[[Page 78105]]

notification, please direct emails to protest@blm.gov.
    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; 43 CFR 
1610.5-2)

Sheila Mallory,
Acting, State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-30169 Filed 12-24-14; 8:45 am]
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