Notice of Availability of the Rocky Mountain Region Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed Land Use Plan Amendments and Final Environmental Impact Statements for the Wyoming, Northwest Colorado, Lewistown, and North Dakota Sub-Regions., 30703-30705 [2015-12950]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 103 (Friday, May 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30703-30705]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-12950]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWO2100000 L11100000.DQ0000.LXSISGST0000]


Notice of Availability of the Rocky Mountain Region Greater Sage-
Grouse Proposed Land Use Plan Amendments and Final Environmental Impact 
Statements for the Wyoming, Northwest Colorado, Lewistown, and North 
Dakota Sub-Regions.

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availibility.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (FLPMA), as amended, and the Resources Planning Act of 1974, as 
amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (NFMA), the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service have prepared 
Proposed Land Use Plan Amendments (LUPA) and Final Environmental Impact 
Statements (EISs) for planning units in Wyoming, Lewistown (Montana), 
Northwest Colorado, and North Dakota. There are four separate Final 
EISs being conducted in the Rocky Mountain Region and this notice 
announces the availability of all four.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's and 
Forest Service's Proposed LUP/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 publishes its Notice 
of Availability in the Federal Register. In accordance with 36 CFR 
219.59, the Forest Service will waive its objection procedures of this 
subpart and instead adopt the BLM's protest procedures outlined in 43 
CFR 1610.5-2.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Wyoming, Lewistown, Northwest Colorado, and 
North Dakota Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs have been 
sent to affected Federal, State and local government agencies, tribal 
governments, and to other stakeholders and members of the public who 
have requested copies. Copies of the Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs are 
available for public inspection at the addresses listed in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Interested persons may also review 
the Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs on the Internet at https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/sagegrouse.html.
    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 Delivery: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, 
20 M Street SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    For the Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPA/Final EIS: 
William West, BLM Planning and Environmental Coordinator, telephone 
307-352-0259; address Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 North, 
Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901; email wwest@blm.gov.
    For the Northwest Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPA/Final 
EIS: Erin Jones, BLM Northwest District NEPA Coordinator, telephone 
970-244-3008; address Northwest District Office, 2815 H Road, Grand 
Junction, CO, 81506; email erjones@blm.gov.
    For the Lewistown Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPA/Final EIS: Adam 
Carr, BLM Project Lead, telephone 406-538-1913; address Lewistown Field 
Office, 920 Northeast Main, Lewistown, MT 59457; email acarr@blm.gov.
    For the North Dakota Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPA/Final EIS: 
Ruth Miller, BLM Team Lead, telephone 406- 896-5023; address Montana/
Dakotas State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT, 5910; email 
ramiller@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 individuals 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 and Forest Service prepared the 
Wyoming and Northwest Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse LUPAs and EISs. The 
Lewistown and North Dakota EISs were prepared solely by the BLM because 
there were no National Forest System lands involved. All four of these 
Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs address a range of alternatives focused on 
specific conservation measures across the range of the Greater Sage-
Grouse (GRSG). All four of these EISs are part of a total of 15 
separate EISs that make up the BLM and Forest Service National Greater 
Sage-Grouse Planning Strategy. These four EISs will amend the following 
BLM Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and Forest Service Land and 
Resource Management Plans (LRMP) in the Rocky Mountain Region:

Wyoming

 Casper RMP (2007)
 Kemmerer RMP (2010)
 Newcastle RMP (2000)
 Pinedale RMP (2008)
 Rawlins RMP (2008)
 Green River RMP (1997) (being revised under the Rock Springs 
RMP)
 Bridger-Teton National Forest, LRMP (1990)
 Medicine Bow National Forest, LRMP (2003)
 Thunder Basin National Grassland, LRMP (2002)

[[Page 30704]]

Northwest Colorado

 Glenwood Springs RMP (1984)
 Grand Junction RMP (1987)
 Kremmling RMP (1984)
 Little Snake RMP (2011)
 White River RMP (1997)
 Routt National Forest, LRMP (1997)

Lewistown (Montana)

 Judith RMP (1994)
 Headwaters RMP (1984)

North Dakota

 North Dakota RMP (1988)

    Management decisions made as a result of these Proposed LUPAs/Final 
EISs will apply only to BLM-administered and National Forest System 
lands in the planning area. The planning areas for all four EISs 
includes approximately 56.3 million acres of BLM, National Park 
Service, Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, State, local, and 
private lands located in 17 Wyoming counties (Albany, Campbell, Carbon, 
Converse, Crook, Fremont, Goshen, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Niobrara, 
Platte, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta, and Weston), 10 Colorado 
counties (Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Larimer, Mesa, Moffat, Rio 
Blanco, Routt, and Summit), five Montana counties (Petroleum, Fergus, 
Judith Basin, Chouteau, and Meagher), and three North Dakota counties 
(Bowman, Slope, and Golden Valley). The decision area for these 
Proposed LUP Amendments/Final EISs is defined as those BLM-admistered 
and National Forest System lands and Federal mineral estate within the 
following habitat management categories:
     Priority Habitat Management Area (PHMA)--Areas identified 
as having the highest conservation value for maintaining sustainable 
GRSG populations; includes breeding, late brood-rearing, and winter 
concentration areas.
     Linkage Habitat (applicable to Northwest Colorado only)--
Areas identified as broader regions of connectivity important to 
facilitate the movement of GRSG and maintain ecological processes.
     General Habitat Management Area (GHMA)--Areas of seasonal 
or year-round GRSG habitat outside of PHMAs.
    The Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the Wyoming, Northwest 
Colorado, Lewistown, and North Dakota Greater Sage-Grouse LUPAs/EISs 
was published in the Federal Register on December 9, 2011. The Wyoming 
Draft LUPA/EIS was released to the public on December 27, 2013; the 
Northwest Colorado Draft LUPA/EIS was released to the public on August 
16, 2013; the Lewistown Draft LUPA/Draft EIS was released to the public 
on November 8, 2013; and the North Dakota Draft LUPA/EIS was released 
to the public on September 27, 2013.
    Comments on the Draft LUP Amendments/EISs received from the public 
and internal BLM and Forest Service review were considered and 
incorporated, as appropriate, into the Proposed Plan.
    The alternatives presented in Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs are 
described below:
     Alternative A would retain the current management goals, 
objectives and direction specified in the existing BLM RMPs and the 
Forest Service LRMPs.
     Alternative B is based on the conservation measures 
developed by the National Technical Team (NTT) planning effort in 
Washington Office Instructional Memorandum (IM) Number 2012-044. As 
directed in the IM, the conservation measures developed by the NTT must 
be considered and analyzed, as appropriate, through the land use 
planning process and NEPA by all BLM state and field offices that 
contain occupied GRSG habitat. Most management actions included in 
Alternative B would be applied to PHMAs.
     Alternative C is based on a citizen groups' recommended 
alternative. This alternative emphasizes improvement and protection of 
habitat for GRSG and is applied to all occupied GRSG habitat. 
Alternative C would limit commodity development in areas of occupied 
GRSG habitat, and would close or designate portions of the planning 
area to some land uses.
     Alternative D, which was identified as the Preferred 
Alternative in the Draft EIS, balances opportunities to use and develop 
the planning area and ensures protection of GRSG habitat based on 
scoping comments and input from Cooperating Agencies involved in the 
alternatives development process. Protective measures would be applied 
to GRSG habitat.
     The Proposed LUPA incorporates guidance from specific 
State Conservation strategies, as well as additional management based 
on the NTT recommendations. This alternative emphasizes management of 
GRSG seasonal habitats and maintaining habitat connectivity to support 
population objectives. For the Wyoming Proposed LUPA, this guidance is 
consistent with guidelines provided in the Governor's Sage-Grouse 
Implementation Team's Core Population Area strategy and the Governor's 
Executive Order (WY E.O. 2011-05).
    The BLM and Forest Service received approximately 3,500 substantive 
comments, contained in 39,000 submissions during the Draft EISs' 
comment periods. Based on comments received during the NEPA process, 
the following topics were frequently identified:
     General (Process/Policy);
     Lands and Realty;
     Livestock Grazing;
     Minerals and Energy;
     Predation;
     Recreation;
     Socioeconomic;
     Special Management Area Designations;
     Special Status Species (Including GRSG);
     Travel and Access Management;
     Vegetation;
     Wildland Fire Management;
     Wildlife and Fisheries.
    For the Wyoming GRSG Proposed LUPA/Final EIS, the BLM and Forest 
Service conducted six public meetings on the Draft EIS. These meetings 
were held in Casper, Douglas, Laramie, Pinedale, Rawlins and Rock 
Springs, Wyoming during February 2014. For the Northwest Colorado GRSP 
Proposed LUPA/Final EIS, the BLM and Forest Service conducted four 
public meetings on the Draft EIS. These meetings were held in Walden, 
Lakewood, Silt, and Craig, Colorado during October 2013. For the 
Lewistown GRSG Proposed LUPA/Final EIS, the BLM conducted two public 
meetings on the Draft EIS. These meetings were held in Lewistown and 
Winnett, Montana during December 2013. For the North Dakota GRSG 
Proposed LUPA/Final EIS, the BLM conducted one public meeting in 
Bowman, North Dakota on October 22, 2013. Comments on the Draft LUPAs/
Draft EISs received from the public and internal BLM and Forest Service 
review were carefully considered and incorporated as appropriate into 
the proposed LUPAs/Final EISs. The BLM and Forest Service, via the 
Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) Management 
Zone Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Team, will develop a Regional 
Mitigation Strategy to guide the application of the mitigation 
hierarchy to address impacts within that Zone. The Regional Mitigation 
Strategy should consider any State-level GRSG mitigation guidance that 
is consistent with the requirements. The Regional Mitigation Strategy 
will be developed in a transparent manner, based on the best science 
available and standardized metrics.

[[Page 30705]]

    Copies of the Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPA/Final EIS 
are available for public inspection at:

 BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, 
Wyoming 82009
 BLM Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, 
Wyoming 82604
 BLM Kemmerer Field Office, 312 Highway 189 North, Kemmerer, 
Wyoming 83101
 BLM Newcastle Field Office, 1101 Washington Boulevard, 
Newcastle, Wyoming 82701
 BLM Pinedale Field Office, 1625 West Pine Street, Pinedale, 
Wyoming 82941
 BLM Rawlins Field Office, 1300 North Third, Rawlins, Wyoming 
82301
 BLM Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock 
Springs, Wyoming 82901
 Bridger-Teton National Forest, 340 North Cache, Jackson, 
Wyoming 83001
 Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National 
Grassland, 2468 Jackson Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82070

    Copies of the Northwest Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPA/
Final EIS are available for public inspection at:

 BLM Northwest District Office, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, 
Colorado, 81506
 BLM Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, 
Colorado, 80215
 Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National 
Grassland, 2468 Jackson Street, Laramie, Wyoming 82070

    Copies of the Lewistown Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPA/Final EIS 
are available for public inspection at:

 BLM Montana/Dakotas State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, 
Billings, Montana, 59101
 BLM Lewistown Field Office, 920 Northeast Main, Lewistown, 
Montana 59457

    Copies of the North Dakota Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed LUPA/Final 
EIS are available for public inspection at:

 BLM Montana/Dakotas State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, 
Billings, Montana, 59101
 BLM North Dakota Field Office, 99 23rd Avenue East, Suite A, 
Dickinson, North Dakota, 58601

    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs may be found in the ``Dear 
Reader'' Letter of the Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs 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 mail or overnight 
delivery postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under these 
conditions, the BLM and Forest Service will consider an emailed protest 
as an advance copy and it will receive full consideration. If you wish 
to provide the BLM and Forest Service with such advance notifications, 
please direct emails to protest@blm.gov.
    Before including your address, 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 may 
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.

Amy Lueders,
Acting Assistant Director, Renewable Resources & Planning.

    Authority: 36 CFR 219.59, 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 
1610.2; 43 CFR 1610.5

[FR Doc. 2015-12950 Filed 5-28-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P