Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the White River Field Office and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment for Travel and Transportation Management, Colorado, 62562-62563 [2015-26370]
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62562
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 200 / Friday, October 16, 2015 / Notices
in the Federal Register and in a
newspaper of general circulation in the
respective areas of the proposed
withdrawal at least 30 days before the
scheduled date of the meeting.
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.
Records related to the application
may be examined at the White River
National Forest, Supervisor’s Office at
900 Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs,
Colorado 81601.
For a period until October 16, 2017,
subject to valid existing rights, the lands
described in this notice will be
segregated from location and entry
under the United States mining laws
unless the application is denied or
cancelled 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
System lands and subject to
discretionary approval.
The application will be processed in
accordance with the regulations set
forth in 43 CFR part 2300.
(Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3–1(b))
Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015–26364 Filed 10–15–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4311–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCON05000 L16100000.DU0000]
Notice of Intent To Amend the
Resource Management Plan for the
White River Field Office and Prepare
an Associated Environmental
Assessment for Travel and
Transportation Management, Colorado
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior
ACTION: Notice.
srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
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 (FLPMA); the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
White River Field Office (WRFO),
Meeker, Colorado, intends to prepare a
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:54 Oct 15, 2015
Jkt 238001
Resource Management Plan (RMP)
amendment with an associated
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the
WRFO. By this notice the WRFO is
announcing the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues.
DATES: Comments on issues may be
submitted in writing until November 16,
2015. The BLM will announce the
date(s) and location(s) of any scoping
meetings at least 15 days in advance
through local news media, newspapers
and the BLM Web site at: https://
www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo.html.
The BLM must receive all comments
prior to the close of the 30-day scoping
period or 15 days after the last public
meeting, whichever is later, in order for
them to be included in the analysis. We
will provide additional opportunities
for public participation as appropriate.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on issues and planning criteria related
to the WRFO’s Travel and
Transportation Management RMP
amendment/EA by any of the following
methods:
• Web site: https://www.blm.gov/co/st/
en/fo/wrfo.html.
• Email: blm_co_wrfo_tmp@blm.gov.
• Fax: 970–989–3805.
• Mail: BLM, White River Field
Office, 220 East Market St., Meeker, CO
81641.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the White River FO.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Heather Sauls, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator; telephone
970–878–3855; address White River FO
(see address above); email hsauls@
blm.gov. Contact Ms. Sauls 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, seven 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
WRFO, Meeker, Colorado, intends to
prepare an RMP amendment with an
associated EA for the White River
Planning Area, announces the beginning
of the scoping process, and seeks public
input on issues and planning criteria.
The RMP amendment will address
comprehensive transportation and travel
management planning and will amend
the 1997 WRFO RMP. At a minimum,
the RMP amendment will consider
designation of all public lands within
PO 00000
Frm 00050
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the planning area as ‘‘open areas’’ for
off-road vehicle use, ‘‘limited areas’’ for
off-road vehicle use, or ‘‘closed areas’’ to
off-road vehicle use. The RMP
amendment will also consider whether
to further restrict other modes of
transport (e.g., mechanized and nonmotorized) through area allocations and
allowable use decisions. The BLM will
also address whether or not exceptions
should be granted within closed or
limited areas and provide general
direction for how to address resource
conflicts during future implementationlevel planning. The planning area is
located in Rio Blanco, Moffat and
Garfield counties, Colorado, and
encompasses approximately 1.5 million
acres of public 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. BLM personnel; Federal, State
and local agencies; and other
stakeholders identified the following
preliminary issues for the RMP
amendment area:
• Is there a recreational need for an
open area?
• Are there areas that should be
managed with seasonal closures on
motorized vehicle use to allow for nonmotorized hunting experiences?
• Should the White River FO provide
exceptions for off-road motorized travel
in limited areas for the purposes of
camping, firewood gathering, or
retrieval of downed big game?
• Should the WRFO provide
exceptions for physically challenged
individuals to travel off-road?
• Should the WRFO limit motorized
over-the-snow travel by vehicle type,
season, snow-depth, or other
conditions?
• Should Pike Ridge be managed as
closed to motorized vehicles?
• Should travel on existing energy
and mineral development access roads
be restricted to authorized use?
• Should right-of-way exclusion areas
also be managed as closed areas?
• What types of uses are appropriate
(e.g., motorized, mechanized,
horseback) within right-of-way
avoidance and exclusion areas?
• Should the WRFO implement
seasonal or permanent road or trail
closures in Greater Sage-Grouse habitat?
• Should construction of new roads
be allowed within lands with
wilderness characteristics?
• What types of uses are appropriate
(e.g., motorized, mechanized,
horseback) within lands with
wilderness characteristics?
E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM
16OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 200 / Friday, October 16, 2015 / Notices
srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Preliminary Planning Criteria Include
1. The RMP amendment will be
limited to making land use planning
decisions specific to transportation and
travel management.
2. The BLM will designate all public
lands within the planning area as open,
limited, or closed areas to off-road
vehicle use.
3. Lands addressed in the RMP
amendment will be surface lands
managed by the BLM and will not
include split-estate lands (i.e., private
surface with Federal mineral estate).
4. The RMP amendment, if approved,
will comply with FLPMA, NEPA,
Council on Environmental Quality
regulations at 40 CFR 1500–1508,
Department of the Interior regulations at
43 CFR 46 and 43 CFR 1600, the BLM
Land Use Planning Handbook (H–1601–
1), the BLM NEPA Handbook (H–1790–
1), the BLM Travel and Transportation
Management Handbook (H–8342–1),
and all other applicable laws and BLM
policies and guidance.
5. Land use decisions in Greater SageGrouse habitat considered in the RMP
amendment will be consistent with land
use decisions in the Northwest Colorado
Greater Sage-Grouse RMP amendment.
6. The RMP amendment will
recognize valid existing rights.
7. The BLM will use a collaborative
approach to planning.
8. The BLM will consult with Indian
tribes to identify sites, areas and
objectives important to their cultural
and religious heritage.
9. The BLM will coordinate and
communicate with State, local and tribal
governments to ensure the BLM
considers provisions of pertinent plans;
seek to resolve inconsistencies between
State, local and tribal plans; and provide
ample opportunities for State, local and
tribal governments to comment on the
development of the amendment.
10. The BLM will address
socioeconomic and Environmental
Justice impacts of the alternatives.
11. Land use allocations made for
Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) must be
consistent with the BLM Management of
WSA manual (BLM Manual 6330) and
with other laws, regulations and
policies related to WSA management.
12. The BLM will consider public
welfare and safety when addressing fire
management in the context of travel and
transportation management planning.
13. The BLM will not consider
creating any new special designations,
such as Areas of Critical Environmental
Concern, through this RMP amendment.
14. The BLM will conduct
implementation (route-by-route
designations) travel management
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:54 Oct 15, 2015
Jkt 238001
planning in a separate effort subsequent
to completing this RMP amendment.
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 15 days after the last
public meeting, whichever is later.
The BLM will use the NEPA public
participation requirements to assist 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. The
BLM will give tribal concerns, including
impacts on Indian trust assets and
potential impacts to cultural resources,
due consideration. Federal, State and
local agencies, along with tribes and
other stakeholders that may be
interested in or affected by the proposed
action the BLM is evaluating, are invited
to participate in the scoping process
and, if eligible, may request or be
requested by the BLM to participate in
the development of the environmental
analysis as a cooperating agency.
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.
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 RMP
amendment;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy
or administrative action; or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this
RMP amendment.
The BLM will provide an explanation
in the Draft RMP amendment/
preliminary EA as to why an issue was
placed in category two or three. The
BLM also encourages the public to help
PO 00000
Frm 00051
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
62563
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.
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:
Rangeland management, vegetation,
riparian and wetlands, invasive and
noxious weeds, minerals and geology,
forestry, outdoor recreation, visual
resource management, cultural
resources and Native American
concerns, paleontology, wildlife and
fisheries, threatened and endangered
species, lands and realty, hydrology,
soils, wild horses, fire ecology and
management, sociology and economics,
public safety, law enforcement, and
geographic information systems.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR
1610.2.
Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015–26370 Filed 10–15–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLES962000 L14200000.B0000 15X]
Eastern States: Filing of Plats of
Survey
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of filing of plats of
survey; Wisconsin.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) will officially file
the plats of survey of the lands
described below in the BLM-Eastern
States Office, Washington, DC at least 30
calendar days from the date of
publication in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bureau of Land Management, Eastern
States Office, 20 M Street SE.,
Washington, DC 20003. Attn: Cadastral
Survey. 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
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM
16OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 200 (Friday, October 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62562-62563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26370]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCON05000 L16100000.DU0000]
Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the
White River Field Office and Prepare an Associated Environmental
Assessment for Travel and Transportation Management, Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 (FLPMA); the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) White
River Field Office (WRFO), Meeker, Colorado, intends to prepare a
Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the WRFO. By this notice the WRFO is
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues.
DATES: Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until November
16, 2015. The BLM will announce the date(s) and location(s) of any
scoping meetings at least 15 days in advance through local news media,
newspapers and the BLM Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo.html. The BLM must receive all comments prior to the close of the
30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later, in order for them to be included in the analysis.
We will provide additional opportunities for public participation as
appropriate.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the WRFO's Travel and Transportation Management RMP
amendment/EA by any of the following methods:
Web site: https://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo.html.
Email: blm_co_wrfo_tmp@blm.gov.
Fax: 970-989-3805.
Mail: BLM, White River Field Office, 220 East Market St.,
Meeker, CO 81641.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the White
River FO.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Sauls, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator; telephone 970-878-3855; address White River
FO (see address above); email hsauls@blm.gov. Contact Ms. Sauls 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, seven 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 WRFO,
Meeker, Colorado, intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an
associated EA for the White River Planning Area, announces the
beginning of the scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and
planning criteria. The RMP amendment will address comprehensive
transportation and travel management planning and will amend the 1997
WRFO RMP. At a minimum, the RMP amendment will consider designation of
all public lands within the planning area as ``open areas'' for off-
road vehicle use, ``limited areas'' for off-road vehicle use, or
``closed areas'' to off-road vehicle use. The RMP amendment will also
consider whether to further restrict other modes of transport (e.g.,
mechanized and non-motorized) through area allocations and allowable
use decisions. The BLM will also address whether or not exceptions
should be granted within closed or limited areas and provide general
direction for how to address resource conflicts during future
implementation-level planning. The planning area is located in Rio
Blanco, Moffat and Garfield counties, Colorado, and encompasses
approximately 1.5 million acres of public 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. BLM personnel;
Federal, State and local agencies; and other stakeholders identified
the following preliminary issues for the RMP amendment area:
Is there a recreational need for an open area?
Are there areas that should be managed with seasonal
closures on motorized vehicle use to allow for non-motorized hunting
experiences?
Should the White River FO provide exceptions for off-road
motorized travel in limited areas for the purposes of camping, firewood
gathering, or retrieval of downed big game?
Should the WRFO provide exceptions for physically
challenged individuals to travel off-road?
Should the WRFO limit motorized over-the-snow travel by
vehicle type, season, snow-depth, or other conditions?
Should Pike Ridge be managed as closed to motorized
vehicles?
Should travel on existing energy and mineral development
access roads be restricted to authorized use?
Should right-of-way exclusion areas also be managed as
closed areas?
What types of uses are appropriate (e.g., motorized,
mechanized, horseback) within right-of-way avoidance and exclusion
areas?
Should the WRFO implement seasonal or permanent road or
trail closures in Greater Sage-Grouse habitat?
Should construction of new roads be allowed within lands
with wilderness characteristics?
What types of uses are appropriate (e.g., motorized,
mechanized, horseback) within lands with wilderness characteristics?
[[Page 62563]]
Preliminary Planning Criteria Include
1. The RMP amendment will be limited to making land use planning
decisions specific to transportation and travel management.
2. The BLM will designate all public lands within the planning area
as open, limited, or closed areas to off-road vehicle use.
3. Lands addressed in the RMP amendment will be surface lands
managed by the BLM and will not include split-estate lands (i.e.,
private surface with Federal mineral estate).
4. The RMP amendment, if approved, will comply with FLPMA, NEPA,
Council on Environmental Quality regulations at 40 CFR 1500-1508,
Department of the Interior regulations at 43 CFR 46 and 43 CFR 1600,
the BLM Land Use Planning Handbook (H-1601-1), the BLM NEPA Handbook
(H-1790-1), the BLM Travel and Transportation Management Handbook (H-
8342-1), and all other applicable laws and BLM policies and guidance.
5. Land use decisions in Greater Sage-Grouse habitat considered in
the RMP amendment will be consistent with land use decisions in the
Northwest Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse RMP amendment.
6. The RMP amendment will recognize valid existing rights.
7. The BLM will use a collaborative approach to planning.
8. The BLM will consult with Indian tribes to identify sites, areas
and objectives important to their cultural and religious heritage.
9. The BLM will coordinate and communicate with State, local and
tribal governments to ensure the BLM considers provisions of pertinent
plans; seek to resolve inconsistencies between State, local and tribal
plans; and provide ample opportunities for State, local and tribal
governments to comment on the development of the amendment.
10. The BLM will address socioeconomic and Environmental Justice
impacts of the alternatives.
11. Land use allocations made for Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) must
be consistent with the BLM Management of WSA manual (BLM Manual 6330)
and with other laws, regulations and policies related to WSA
management.
12. The BLM will consider public welfare and safety when addressing
fire management in the context of travel and transportation management
planning.
13. The BLM will not consider creating any new special
designations, such as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, through
this RMP amendment.
14. The BLM will conduct implementation (route-by-route
designations) travel management planning in a separate effort
subsequent to completing this RMP amendment.
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 15 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later.
The BLM will use the NEPA public participation requirements to
assist 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. The BLM will give tribal concerns, including impacts on
Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, due
consideration. Federal, State and local agencies, along with tribes and
other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the
proposed action the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in
the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis
as a cooperating agency.
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.
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 RMP amendment;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this RMP amendment.
The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP amendment/
preliminary EA as to why an issue was placed in category two or three.
The BLM also encourages the public 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.
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: Rangeland
management, vegetation, riparian and wetlands, invasive and noxious
weeds, minerals and geology, forestry, outdoor recreation, visual
resource management, cultural resources and Native American concerns,
paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, threatened and endangered
species, lands and realty, hydrology, soils, wild horses, fire ecology
and management, sociology and economics, public safety, law
enforcement, and geographic information systems.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.
Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-26370 Filed 10-15-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P
