Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments for the Great Basin Region Greater Sage-Grouse Sub-Regions of Idaho and Southwestern Montana; Nevada and Northeastern California; Oregon; and Utah, 57633-57635 [2015-24213]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 185 / Thursday, September 24, 2015 / Notices
Sec. 15, SW1⁄4SE1⁄4;
Sec. 22, lots 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8;
Sec. 26, NW1⁄4NE1⁄4 except for that portion
within Homestead Entry Survey 235
subject to Patent 529631.
The area described contains 239.60
acres in Pennington County.
North Fork of Castle Creek Area
T. 1 N., R. 2 E.,
Sec. 2, lots 3 and 4;
T. 2 N., R. 2 E.,
Sec. 22, SW1⁄4SE1⁄4;
Sec. 26, W1⁄2;
Sec. 27, E1⁄2 and E1⁄2NW1⁄4;
Sec. 34, NE1⁄4, E1⁄2NW1⁄4, and E1⁄2SE1⁄4;
Sec. 35, S1⁄2NE1⁄4, W1⁄2, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4, and
W1⁄2SE1⁄4.
The area described aggregates
1,681.72 acres in Pennington County.
The areas described in South Dakota
aggregate approximately 12,698.50 acres
in Custer, Lawrence, and Pennington
Counties.
Wyoming
Black Hills National Forest
Sixth Principal Meridian
Dugout Gulch Botanical Area
T. 52 N., R 60 W.,
Sec. 19, lots 3 and 4, E1⁄2SW1⁄4, and
W1⁄2SE1⁄4;
Sec. 30, lots 1 thru 4, W1⁄2NE1⁄4, E1⁄2NW1⁄4,
E1⁄2SW1⁄4, and SE1⁄4;
Sec. 31, lot 1, NE1⁄4, NE1⁄4NW1⁄4, and
N1⁄2SE1⁄4.
T. 52 N., R. 61 W.,
Sec. 24, SE1⁄4SE1⁄4;
Sec. 25, lots 1 thru 4, inclusive,
NW1⁄4NE1⁄4, and E1⁄2SE 1⁄4;
Sec. 36, E1⁄2NE1⁄4.
The area described aggregates
1,515.33 acres in Crook County.
Hay Creek Research Natural Area
T. 54 N., R. 62 W.,
Sec. 7, S1⁄2NE1⁄4, SE1⁄4NW1⁄4, E1⁄2SW1⁄4,
and SE1⁄4;
Sec. 8, NW1⁄4SW1⁄4, and S1⁄2SW1⁄4;
Sec. 17, NW1⁄4, and N1⁄2SW1⁄4;
Sec. 18, NE1⁄4, NE1⁄4NW1⁄4, NE1⁄4SW1⁄4,
NE1⁄4SE1⁄4, and W1⁄2SE 1⁄4.
The area described contains 1,080.00
acres in Crook County.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Upper Sand Creek Botanical Area
T. 51 N., R. 60 W.,
Sec. 7, S1⁄2SE1⁄4;
Sec. 17, lots 1 and 2, NW1⁄4NW1⁄4,
SE1⁄4NW1⁄4, E1⁄2SW1⁄4, SW1⁄4SW1⁄4, and
W1⁄2SE1⁄4;
Sec. 18, lots 5 thru 8, inclusive, W1⁄2NE1⁄4,
SE1⁄4NW1⁄4, W1⁄2SE1⁄4, and SE1⁄4SE1⁄4;
Sec. 19, E1⁄2;
Sec. 20, lot 1, W1⁄2NE1⁄4, SE1⁄4NW1⁄4,
W1⁄2SE1⁄4, SE1⁄4SE1⁄4;
Sec. 21, lots 8 thru 11, lots 14 and 15, and
NW1⁄4SE1⁄4;
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Sec. 29, lots 2 and 3, N1⁄2NE1⁄4 and
SW1⁄4NW1⁄4;
Sec. 30, NE1⁄4.
The area described contains 2,233.07
acres in Crook County.
The total areas described in Wyoming
aggregate 4,828.40 acres in Crook
County.
The purpose of the withdrawal is to
protect the Research Natural Areas and
Botanical Areas and allow the USFS to
explore administrative alternatives in
managing the lands.
The use of a right-of-way, interagency
agreement, or cooperative agreement
would not provide adequate protection
for these areas due to the broad scope
and nondiscretionary nature of the
general mining laws.
No alternative sites are feasible due to
the resource significance of the areas.
No water will be needed to fulfill the
purpose of the requested withdrawal.
Records relating to the application
may be examined by contacting the
USFS, Rocky Mountain Region at the
above address and phone number.
For a period until December 23, 2015,
all persons who wish to submit
comments, suggestions, or objections in
connection with the withdrawal
application may present their views in
writing to the Forest Supervisor, Black
Hills National Forest at the address
indicated above.
Comments, including names and
street addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the Forest
Supervisor’s Office, Black Hills National
Forest, 1019 North 5th Street, Custer,
South Dakota 57730, during regular
business hours. Individual respondents
may request confidentiality. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, be advised 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 from public review your
personal identifying information, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Notice is hereby given that public
meetings in connection with the
proposed withdrawal will be held at the
Mystic Ranger District, 8221 South Hwy
16, Rapid City, South Dakota 67702 on
October 27, 2015 at 6 p.m. and at the
Sundance Community Center, Basement
of the Crook County Courthouse, 309
Cleveland St., Sundance, Wyoming
82729 on October 28, 2015 at 6 p.m. The
USFS will publish a notice of the time
and place in a least one newspaper of
general circulation no less than 30 days
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57633
before the scheduled dates of the
meetings.
For a period until September 25,
2017, subject to valid existing rights, the
lands will be segregated from location
and entry under the United States
mining laws, unless the application is
denied or canceled or the withdrawal is
approved prior to that date. The lands
will remain open to other uses within
the statutory authority pertinent to
National Forest lands and subject to
discretionary approval.
The application will be processed in
accordance with the regulations set
forth in 43 CFR 2310.
Peter A. McFadden,
Chief, Branch of Realty and Renewable
Energy.
[FR Doc. 2015–24312 Filed 9–23–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWO2100000
L11100000.DR0000.LXSISGST0000]
Notice of Availability of the Record of
Decision and Approved Resource
Management Plan Amendments for the
Great Basin Region Greater SageGrouse Sub-Regions of Idaho and
Southwestern Montana; Nevada and
Northeastern California; Oregon; and
Utah
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) announces the
availability of the Record of Decision
(ROD) and Approved Resource
Management Plan Amendments
(ARMPAs) for the Great Basin Region
Greater Sage-Grouse (GRSG) sub-regions
of Idaho and Southwestern Montana,
Nevada and Northeastern California,
Oregon, and Utah. The Assistant
Secretary for Land and Minerals
Management of the U.S. Department of
the Interior signed the ROD.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD and
ARMPAs are available upon request and
are also available for public inspection
at the addresses listed in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
Interested persons may also review the
ROD and ARMPAs on the internet at
https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/
more/sagegrouse.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
the Idaho and Southwestern Montana
GRSG ARMPA: Jonathan Beck, BLM
Idaho State Office GRSG Planning Lead,
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 185 / Thursday, September 24, 2015 / Notices
telephone 208–373–4070; address 1387
South Vinnell Way, Boise ID 83709;
email jmbeck@blm.gov.
For the Nevada and Northeastern
California GRSG ARMPA: Lauren
Mermejo, BLM Nevada State Office
GRSG Project Lead, telephone 775–861–
6580; address 1340 Financial Boulevard,
Reno NV, 89502; email lmermejo@
blm.gov.
For the Oregon GRSG ARMPA: Joan
Suther, BLM Oregon/Washington State
Office GRSG Planning Lead, telephone
541–573–4445; address BLM Burns
District, 28910 Hwy 20 West, Hines, OR,
97738; email jsuther@blm.gov.
For the Utah GRSG ARMPA: Quincy
Bahr, BLM Utah State Office GRSG
Project Lead, telephone 801–539–4122;
address 440 West 200 South, Suite 500,
Salt Lake City, UT 84101–1345; email
qfbahr@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: This ROD
and the ARMPAs for the Great Basin
Region GRSG sub-regions of Idaho and
Southwestern Montana, Nevada and
Northeastern California, Oregon, and
Utah were developed through a
collaborative planning process in order
to incorporate land use plan level
measures into existing BLM land use
plans to protect, enhance, and restore
GRSG and their habitat by reducing,
eliminating, or minimizing threats to
GRSG habitat in the context of the
BLM’s multiple-use and sustained yield
mission under FLPMA.
The ARMPAs approved by the ROD
include land use allocations that limit
or eliminate new surface disturbance in
GRSG Priority Habitat Management
Areas (PHMA), while minimizing
disturbance in GRSG General Habitat
Management Areas (GHMA). The Idaho
and Southwestern Montana ARMPA
also includes Important Habitat
Management Areas (IHMA) in Idaho,
where management provides a buffer for
PHMAs and connects patches of
PHMAs. IHMAs encompass areas of
generally moderate to high value habitat
and/or populations, but that are not as
important as PHMAs. The Nevada and
Northeastern California ARMPA also
includes Other Habitat Management
Areas (OHMA), which is unmapped
habitat that contains seasonal or
connectivity habitat areas. BLM
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management of these areas is limited to
the application of required design
features (RDFs) for certain
authorizations when applicable.
In addition to establishing protective
land use allocations, the ARMPAs
implement a suite of management
decisions, such as the establishment of
disturbance limits, GRSG habitat
objectives, mitigation requirements,
monitoring protocols, and adaptive
management triggers and responses, as
well as other conservation measures
throughout the range.
The cumulative effect of these
measures is to protect, improve, and
restore GRSG habitat across the
remaining range of the species in the
Great Basin and provide greater
certainty that BLM land and resource
management activities in GRSG habitat
will lead to conservation of the GRSG
and other species associated with the
sagebrush ecosystem in the region.
The ARMPAs approved by the ROD
amend the following BLM Resource
Management Plans (RMPs) and
Management Framework Plans (MFPs),
completed in the year indicated:
California
• Alturas RMP (2008)
• Eagle Lake RMP (2008)
• Surprise RMP (2008)
Idaho
• Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills MFP
(1980)
• Big Desert MFP (1981)
• Big Lost MFP (1983)
• Bruneau MFP (1983)
• Cassia RMP (1985)
• Cascade RMP (1988)
• Challis RMP (1999)
• Craters of the Moon National
Monument RMP (2006)
• Kuna (1983)
• Jarbidge RMP (2015)
• Lemhi RMP (1987)
• Little Lost-Birch Creek MFP (1981)
• Magic MFP (1975)
• Monument RMP (1985)
• Medicine Lodge RMP (1985)
• Owyhee RMP (1999)
• Pocatello RMP (2012)
• Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area RMP (2008)
• Sun Valley MFP (1981)
• Twin Falls MFP (1982)
Montana
• Dillon RMP (2006)
Nevada
• Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon
NCA RMP (2004)
• Carson City Consolidated RMP (2001)
• Elko RMP (1987)
• Ely RMP (2008)
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•
•
•
•
Shoshone-Eureka RMP (1986)
Tonopah RMP (1997)
Wells RMP (1985)
Winnemucca RMP (2015)
Oregon
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Andrews RMP (2005)
Baker RMP (1989)
Brothers-LaPine RMP (1989)
Lakeview RMP (2003)
Southeastern Oregon RMP (2003)
Steens RMP (2005)
Three Rivers RMP (1992)
Upper Deschutes RMP (2005)
Utah
• Box Elder RMP (1986)
• Cedar/Beaver/Garfield/Antimony
RMP (1986)
• Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument Management Plan (2000)
• House Range RMP (1987)
• Kanab RMP (2008)
• Park City MFP (1975)
• Pinyon MFP (1978)
• Pony Express RMP (1990)
• Price RMP (2008)
• Randolph MFP (1980)
• Richfield RMP (2008)
• Salt Lake District Isolated Tracts
Planning Analysis (1985)
• Vernal RMP (2008)
• Warm Springs RMP (1987)
The Idaho and Southwestern
Montana, Nevada and Northeastern
California, and Utah Draft Land Use
Plan Amendments (LUPAs)/Draft
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs)
and Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs
included proposed GRSG management
direction for National Forest System
lands. However, the U.S. Forest Service
(USFS) has completed a separate ROD
and Land and Resource Management
Plans under USFS planning authorities.
Management decisions within the ROD
and ARMPAs apply only to BLMadministered lands.
Across all four sub-regions in the
Great Basin Region, the ROD and
ARMPAs amend existing land use plan
decisions on a total of approximately 90
million BLM-administered surface
acres.
A Notice of Availability (NOA) for the
Great Basin Region GRSG Proposed
LUPAs and Final EISs for the Idaho and
Southwestern Montana, Nevada and
Northeastern California, Oregon, and
Utah sub-regions was published in the
Federal Register on May 29, 2015,
which initiated a 30-day protest period
and a 60-day Governor’s consistency
review period.
The BLM received 133 timely and
valid protest submissions across all four
Great Basin Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs.
All protests have been resolved and/or
dismissed. For a full description of the
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 185 / Thursday, September 24, 2015 / Notices
issues raised during the protest period
and how they were addressed, please
refer to the Director’s Protest Resolution
Reports for all four ARMPAs, which are
available at the following Web site:
https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/
planning/planning_overview/protest_
resolution/protestreports.html.
The BLM received notifications of
inconsistencies and recommendations
as to how to resolve them during the
Governor’s consistency review period
from the States of Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, Oregon, and Utah. The BLM
also received a concurrence letter of
consistency from the State of California.
On August 6, 2015, the BLM State
Directors for Idaho, Montana, Nevada,
Oregon, and Utah sent notification
letters to their respective States as to
whether they accepted or rejected their
recommendations for consistency. The
States were then given thirty days to
appeal the State Directors’ decisions.
The States of Idaho, Nevada, and Utah
appealed the BLM State Directors’
decisions. The BLM Director affirmed
the State Directors’ decisions on these
recommendations as the
recommendations did not provide the
balance required by 43 CFR 1610.3–2(e).
The Director communicated his
decisions on the appeals in writing to
the Governors concurrently with the
release of the RODS.
The Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs were
selected in the ROD as the ARMPAs,
with some minor modifications and
clarifications based on protests received,
the Governors’ consistency reviews, and
internal agency deliberations.
Copies of the Idaho and Southwestern
Montana GRSG ROD and ARMPA are
available upon request and are
available for public inspection at:
• BLM Idaho State Office, 1387 S.
Vinnell Way, Boise ID 83709;
• BLM Boise District Office, 3948
Development Avenue, Boise, ID
83705;
• BLM Owyhee Field Office, 20 First
Avenue West, Marsing, ID 83639;
• BLM Idaho Falls District Office, 1405
Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, ID
83401;
• BLM Salmon Field Office, 1206 South
Challis Street, Salmon, ID 83467;
• BLM Challis Field Office, 1151 Blue
Mountain Road, Challis, ID 83226;
• BLM Pocatello Field Office, 4350
Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204;
• BLM Twin Falls District Office, 2536
Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, ID 83301;
• BLM Shoshone Field Office, 400 West
F Street, Shoshone, ID 83352;
• BLM Burley Field Office, 15 East 200
South, Burley, ID 83318;
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Jkt 235001
• BLM Coeur d’Alene District Office,
3815 Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene,
ID 83815;
• BLM Cottonwood Field Office, 1 Butte
Drive, Cottonwood, ID 83522;
• BLM Montana State Office, 5001
Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101;
• BLM Butte District Office, 106 North
Parkmont, Butte, MT 59701; and
• BLM Dillon Field Office, 1005 Selway
Drive, Dillon, MT 59725–9431.
Copies of the Nevada and
Northeastern California GRSG ROD and
ARMPA are available upon request and
are available for public inspection at:
• BLM Nevada State Office, 1340
Financial Boulevard, Reno, NV,
89502;
• BLM Winnemucca District Office,
5100 E. Winnemucca Boulevard,
Winnemucca, NV, 89445;
• BLM Ely District Office, 702 North
Industrial Way, Ely, NV, 89301;
• BLM Elko District Office, 3900 E.
Idaho Street, Elko, NV, 89801;
• BLM Carson City District Office, 5665
Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV,
89701;
• BLM Battle Mountain District Office,
50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain,
NV, 89820;
• BLM California State Office, 2800
Cottage Way, Suite W–1623,
Sacramento, CA, 95825;
• BLM Alturas Field Office, 708 W.
12th Street, Alturas, CA, 96101;
• BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, 2950
Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA,
96130; and
• BLM Surprise Field Office, 602
Cressler Street, Cedarville, CA, 96104.
Copies of the Oregon GRSG ROD and
ARMPA are available upon request and
are available for public inspection at:
• BLM Oregon State Office, 1220 SW.
3rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97204;
• BLM Baker Resource Area Office,
3100 H Street, Baker City, OR 97814;
• BLM Burns District Office, 28910
Highway 20 West, Hines, OR 97738;
• BLM Lakeview District Office, 1301 S.
G Street, Lakeview, OR 97630;
• BLM Prineville District Office, 3050
NE. 3rd Street, Prineville, OR 97754;
and
• BLM Vale District Office, 100 Oregon
Street, Vale, OR 97918.
Copies of the Utah GRSG ROD and
ARMPA are available upon request and
are available for public inspection at:
• BLM Utah State Office, 440 West 200
South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT,
84101;
• BLM Cedar City Field Office, 176 East
D.L. Sargent Drive, Cedar City, UT
84721;
• BLM Fillmore Field Office, 95 East
500 North, Fillmore, UT 84631;
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57635
• BLM Kanab Field Office and Grand
Staircase-Escalante National
Monument, 669 South Highway 89A,
Kanab, UT 84741;
• BLM Price Field Office, 125 South
600 West, Price, UT 84501;
• BLM Richfield Field Office, 150 East
900 North, Richfield, UT 84701;
• BLM Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 S.
Decker Lake Boulevard, West Valley
City, UT 84119; and
• BLM Vernal Field Office, 170 South
500 East, Vernal, UT 84078.
Authority: 36 CFR 219.59, 40 CFR 1506.6,
40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2; 43 CFR
1610.5.
Amy Lueders,
Acting Assistant Director, Renewable
Resources & Planning.
[FR Doc. 2015–24213 Filed 9–22–15; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWO210000.15X.L11100000.PH0000
LXSISGST0000]
Notice of Proposed Withdrawal;
Sagebrush Focal Areas; Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and
Wyoming and Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Land and Minerals
Management has approved an
application to withdraw approximately
10 million acres of public and National
Forest System lands identified as
Sagebrush Focal Areas in Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and
Wyoming from location and entry under
the United States mining laws to protect
the Greater Sage-Grouse and its habitat
from adverse effects of locatable mineral
exploration and mining, subject to valid
existing rights. This notice temporarily
segregates the lands for up to 2 years
while the application is processed. This
notice also provides the public with an
opportunity to comment on the
proposed withdrawal application. In
addition, this notice initiates the public
scoping process for an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze and
disclose impacts of the proposed
withdrawal.
SUMMARY:
Comments on the proposed
withdrawal application or scoping
comments on issues to be analyzed in
the EIS must be received by December
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\24SEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 185 (Thursday, September 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57633-57635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24213]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWO2100000 L11100000.DR0000.LXSISGST0000]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved
Resource Management Plan Amendments for the Great Basin Region Greater
Sage-Grouse Sub-Regions of Idaho and Southwestern Montana; Nevada and
Northeastern California; Oregon; and Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan
Amendments (ARMPAs) for the Great Basin Region Greater Sage-Grouse
(GRSG) sub-regions of Idaho and Southwestern Montana, Nevada and
Northeastern California, Oregon, and Utah. The Assistant Secretary for
Land and Minerals Management of the U.S. Department of the Interior
signed the ROD.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD and ARMPAs are available upon request and
are also available for public inspection at the addresses listed in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Interested persons may also review
the ROD and ARMPAs on the internet at https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/sagegrouse.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the Idaho and Southwestern Montana
GRSG ARMPA: Jonathan Beck, BLM Idaho State Office GRSG Planning Lead,
[[Page 57634]]
telephone 208-373-4070; address 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise ID 83709;
email jmbeck@blm.gov.
For the Nevada and Northeastern California GRSG ARMPA: Lauren
Mermejo, BLM Nevada State Office GRSG Project Lead, telephone 775-861-
6580; address 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno NV, 89502; email
lmermejo@blm.gov.
For the Oregon GRSG ARMPA: Joan Suther, BLM Oregon/Washington State
Office GRSG Planning Lead, telephone 541-573-4445; address BLM Burns
District, 28910 Hwy 20 West, Hines, OR, 97738; email jsuther@blm.gov.
For the Utah GRSG ARMPA: Quincy Bahr, BLM Utah State Office GRSG
Project Lead, telephone 801-539-4122; address 440 West 200 South, Suite
500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1345; email qfbahr@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: This ROD and the ARMPAs for the Great Basin
Region GRSG sub-regions of Idaho and Southwestern Montana, Nevada and
Northeastern California, Oregon, and Utah were developed through a
collaborative planning process in order to incorporate land use plan
level measures into existing BLM land use plans to protect, enhance,
and restore GRSG and their habitat by reducing, eliminating, or
minimizing threats to GRSG habitat in the context of the BLM's
multiple-use and sustained yield mission under FLPMA.
The ARMPAs approved by the ROD include land use allocations that
limit or eliminate new surface disturbance in GRSG Priority Habitat
Management Areas (PHMA), while minimizing disturbance in GRSG General
Habitat Management Areas (GHMA). The Idaho and Southwestern Montana
ARMPA also includes Important Habitat Management Areas (IHMA) in Idaho,
where management provides a buffer for PHMAs and connects patches of
PHMAs. IHMAs encompass areas of generally moderate to high value
habitat and/or populations, but that are not as important as PHMAs. The
Nevada and Northeastern California ARMPA also includes Other Habitat
Management Areas (OHMA), which is unmapped habitat that contains
seasonal or connectivity habitat areas. BLM management of these areas
is limited to the application of required design features (RDFs) for
certain authorizations when applicable.
In addition to establishing protective land use allocations, the
ARMPAs implement a suite of management decisions, such as the
establishment of disturbance limits, GRSG habitat objectives,
mitigation requirements, monitoring protocols, and adaptive management
triggers and responses, as well as other conservation measures
throughout the range.
The cumulative effect of these measures is to protect, improve, and
restore GRSG habitat across the remaining range of the species in the
Great Basin and provide greater certainty that BLM land and resource
management activities in GRSG habitat will lead to conservation of the
GRSG and other species associated with the sagebrush ecosystem in the
region.
The ARMPAs approved by the ROD amend the following BLM Resource
Management Plans (RMPs) and Management Framework Plans (MFPs),
completed in the year indicated:
California
Alturas RMP (2008)
Eagle Lake RMP (2008)
Surprise RMP (2008)
Idaho
Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills MFP (1980)
Big Desert MFP (1981)
Big Lost MFP (1983)
Bruneau MFP (1983)
Cassia RMP (1985)
Cascade RMP (1988)
Challis RMP (1999)
Craters of the Moon National Monument RMP (2006)
Kuna (1983)
Jarbidge RMP (2015)
Lemhi RMP (1987)
Little Lost-Birch Creek MFP (1981)
Magic MFP (1975)
Monument RMP (1985)
Medicine Lodge RMP (1985)
Owyhee RMP (1999)
Pocatello RMP (2012)
Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area RMP
(2008)
Sun Valley MFP (1981)
Twin Falls MFP (1982)
Montana
Dillon RMP (2006)
Nevada
Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon NCA RMP (2004)
Carson City Consolidated RMP (2001)
Elko RMP (1987)
Ely RMP (2008)
Shoshone-Eureka RMP (1986)
Tonopah RMP (1997)
Wells RMP (1985)
Winnemucca RMP (2015)
Oregon
Andrews RMP (2005)
Baker RMP (1989)
Brothers-LaPine RMP (1989)
Lakeview RMP (2003)
Southeastern Oregon RMP (2003)
Steens RMP (2005)
Three Rivers RMP (1992)
Upper Deschutes RMP (2005)
Utah
Box Elder RMP (1986)
Cedar/Beaver/Garfield/Antimony RMP (1986)
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Management Plan
(2000)
House Range RMP (1987)
Kanab RMP (2008)
Park City MFP (1975)
Pinyon MFP (1978)
Pony Express RMP (1990)
Price RMP (2008)
Randolph MFP (1980)
Richfield RMP (2008)
Salt Lake District Isolated Tracts Planning Analysis (1985)
Vernal RMP (2008)
Warm Springs RMP (1987)
The Idaho and Southwestern Montana, Nevada and Northeastern
California, and Utah Draft Land Use Plan Amendments (LUPAs)/Draft
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) and Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs
included proposed GRSG management direction for National Forest System
lands. However, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has completed a separate
ROD and Land and Resource Management Plans under USFS planning
authorities. Management decisions within the ROD and ARMPAs apply only
to BLM-administered lands.
Across all four sub-regions in the Great Basin Region, the ROD and
ARMPAs amend existing land use plan decisions on a total of
approximately 90 million BLM-administered surface acres.
A Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Great Basin Region GRSG
Proposed LUPAs and Final EISs for the Idaho and Southwestern Montana,
Nevada and Northeastern California, Oregon, and Utah sub-regions was
published in the Federal Register on May 29, 2015, which initiated a
30-day protest period and a 60-day Governor's consistency review
period.
The BLM received 133 timely and valid protest submissions across
all four Great Basin Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs. All protests have been
resolved and/or dismissed. For a full description of the
[[Page 57635]]
issues raised during the protest period and how they were addressed,
please refer to the Director's Protest Resolution Reports for all four
ARMPAs, which are available at the following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/planning/planning_overview/protest_resolution/protestreports.html.
The BLM received notifications of inconsistencies and
recommendations as to how to resolve them during the Governor's
consistency review period from the States of Idaho, Montana, Nevada,
Oregon, and Utah. The BLM also received a concurrence letter of
consistency from the State of California. On August 6, 2015, the BLM
State Directors for Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah sent
notification letters to their respective States as to whether they
accepted or rejected their recommendations for consistency. The States
were then given thirty days to appeal the State Directors' decisions.
The States of Idaho, Nevada, and Utah appealed the BLM State Directors'
decisions. The BLM Director affirmed the State Directors' decisions on
these recommendations as the recommendations did not provide the
balance required by 43 CFR 1610.3-2(e). The Director communicated his
decisions on the appeals in writing to the Governors concurrently with
the release of the RODS.
The Proposed LUPAs/Final EISs were selected in the ROD as the
ARMPAs, with some minor modifications and clarifications based on
protests received, the Governors' consistency reviews, and internal
agency deliberations.
Copies of the Idaho and Southwestern Montana GRSG ROD and ARMPA are
available upon request and are available for public inspection at:
BLM Idaho State Office, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise ID 83709;
BLM Boise District Office, 3948 Development Avenue, Boise, ID
83705;
BLM Owyhee Field Office, 20 First Avenue West, Marsing, ID
83639;
BLM Idaho Falls District Office, 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho
Falls, ID 83401;
BLM Salmon Field Office, 1206 South Challis Street, Salmon, ID
83467;
BLM Challis Field Office, 1151 Blue Mountain Road, Challis, ID
83226;
BLM Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID
83204;
BLM Twin Falls District Office, 2536 Kimberly Road, Twin
Falls, ID 83301;
BLM Shoshone Field Office, 400 West F Street, Shoshone, ID
83352;
BLM Burley Field Office, 15 East 200 South, Burley, ID 83318;
BLM Coeur d'Alene District Office, 3815 Schreiber Way, Coeur
d'Alene, ID 83815;
BLM Cottonwood Field Office, 1 Butte Drive, Cottonwood, ID
83522;
BLM Montana State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT
59101;
BLM Butte District Office, 106 North Parkmont, Butte, MT
59701; and
BLM Dillon Field Office, 1005 Selway Drive, Dillon, MT 59725-
9431.
Copies of the Nevada and Northeastern California GRSG ROD and ARMPA
are available upon request and are available for public inspection at:
BLM Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, NV,
89502;
BLM Winnemucca District Office, 5100 E. Winnemucca Boulevard,
Winnemucca, NV, 89445;
BLM Ely District Office, 702 North Industrial Way, Ely, NV,
89301;
BLM Elko District Office, 3900 E. Idaho Street, Elko, NV,
89801;
BLM Carson City District Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson
City, NV, 89701;
BLM Battle Mountain District Office, 50 Bastian Road, Battle
Mountain, NV, 89820;
BLM California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1623,
Sacramento, CA, 95825;
BLM Alturas Field Office, 708 W. 12th Street, Alturas, CA,
96101;
BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, 2950 Riverside Drive, Susanville,
CA, 96130; and
BLM Surprise Field Office, 602 Cressler Street, Cedarville,
CA, 96104.
Copies of the Oregon GRSG ROD and ARMPA are available upon request
and are available for public inspection at:
BLM Oregon State Office, 1220 SW. 3rd Avenue, Portland, OR
97204;
BLM Baker Resource Area Office, 3100 H Street, Baker City, OR
97814;
BLM Burns District Office, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, OR
97738;
BLM Lakeview District Office, 1301 S. G Street, Lakeview, OR
97630;
BLM Prineville District Office, 3050 NE. 3rd Street,
Prineville, OR 97754; and
BLM Vale District Office, 100 Oregon Street, Vale, OR 97918.
Copies of the Utah GRSG ROD and ARMPA are available upon request
and are available for public inspection at:
BLM Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt
Lake City, UT, 84101;
BLM Cedar City Field Office, 176 East D.L. Sargent Drive,
Cedar City, UT 84721;
BLM Fillmore Field Office, 95 East 500 North, Fillmore, UT
84631;
BLM Kanab Field Office and Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument, 669 South Highway 89A, Kanab, UT 84741;
BLM Price Field Office, 125 South 600 West, Price, UT 84501;
BLM Richfield Field Office, 150 East 900 North, Richfield, UT
84701;
BLM Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 S. Decker Lake Boulevard,
West Valley City, UT 84119; and
BLM Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078.
Authority: 36 CFR 219.59, 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR
1610.2; 43 CFR 1610.5.
Amy Lueders,
Acting Assistant Director, Renewable Resources & Planning.
[FR Doc. 2015-24213 Filed 9-22-15; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
