Notice of Enforcement of Temporary Court-Ordered Closure To Target Shooting on Public Lands in the Sonoran Desert National Monument, Arizona, 3468 [2016-01186]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 13 (Thursday, January 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 3468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01186]



[[Page 3468]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ-P040-2016-1711-PH-1000-241A]


Notice of Enforcement of Temporary Court-Ordered Closure To 
Target Shooting on Public Lands in the Sonoran Desert National 
Monument, Arizona

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Temporary Court-Ordered Closure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that enforcement of a temporary court-
ordered closure to target shooting is in effect on public lands within 
the Sonoran Desert National Monument (SDNM), administered by the Lower 
Sonoran Field Office, Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

DATES: Implementation of the temporary court-ordered closure within the 
described area commenced on September 15, 2015, and will remain in 
effect and enforced until a land use planning decision(s) regarding 
recreational target shooting for the SDNM is completed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Scarbrough, Manager; SDNM; 
Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix District Office, 21605 North 7th 
Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027; 623-580-5500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This temporary closure affects public lands 
within the SDNM, Maricopa County, Arizona. A map of this closure can be 
viewed online at https://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/az/NLCS/SD_NM/maps.Par.40841.File.dat/AZ_SonoranDesert_NM.pdf.
    The temporary closure is the result of a Federal Court Order. On 
March 27, 2015, the Court issued a ruling in the case of National Trust 
for Historic Preservation et al v. Raymond Suazo, BLM, and Department 
of the Interior (docket #CV-13-01973-PHX-DGC). The Court found that the 
BLM violated the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when making its decision to 
designate the SDNM as open to recreational target shooting.
    The Court vacated portions of the Record of Decision, Resource 
Management Plan, and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that 
permit recreational target shooting throughout the SDNM and remanded 
the decision to BLM for reconsideration. The Court also required the 
BLM to ensure the Final EIS's analysis of mitigation measures and 
cumulative impacts are consistent with the order.
    On July 17, 2015, the Court granted the plaintiffs' request for 
injunctive relief and ordered the BLM to close approximately 10,599 
acres (2.1%) of the SDNM to recreational target shooting pending 
compliance with the Court's March 27, 2015, Order. Closure of this area 
is expected to disperse shooters to other areas and eliminate potential 
impacts to SDNM resources and monument objects until the land use plan 
amendment to address recreational target shooting on the SDNM is 
completed. The July 17, 2015, Order also provided a deadline of 
September 15, 2015, to implement the closure, and a deadline of 
September 30, 2017, to address the planning shortfalls discussed in the 
Court's March 27, 2015, Order.
    This temporary closure affects the following public lands within 
the SDNM, Maricopa County, Arizona:

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona

T. 3 S., R. 1 W.,
    Sec. 18, lot 4;
    Sec. 19, lots 1 thru 3, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, NE\1/
4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 20, W\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 28, W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 29, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\, SE\1/
4\NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 30, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 32, E\1/2\NE\1/4\ and E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 33, W\1/2\NW\1/4\ and S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 34, S\1/2\SW\1/4\.
T. 4 S., R. 1 W.,
    Sec. 2, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 3, lots 1 thru 4, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, and NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 4, lots 1 thru 4;
    Sec. 5, lot 1;
    Sec. 11, NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\, and NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 12, W\1/2\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 13, N\1/2\NE\1/4\ and SE\1/4\NE\1/4\.
T. 2 S., R. 2 W.,
    Sec. 31, lots 3 and 4, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\.
T. 3 S., R. 2 W.,
    Sec. 5, lot 2, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 6, lots 1 thru 7, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, E\1/
2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 8, lots 1 thru 6;
    Sec. 9, lots 1, 2, 4, and 8, NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\, SE\1/
4\NW\1/4\, and NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 10, lot 1, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, 
N\1/2\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 11, NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and 
SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 13, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, 
and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 14, lots 1, 3, and 4, NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 15, lots 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 10, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, and SE\1/
4\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 16, lot 4;
    Sec. 17, lots 2 and 7;
    Sec. 20, lot 4;
    Sec. 21, lot 3;
    Sec. 23, lots 1, 2, and 6, and NE\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 24, lots 1, 2, 3, and 5, NE\1/4\, and NW\1/4\.
T. 2 S., R. 3 W.,
    Sec. 33, N\1/2\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 34, NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 35;
    Sec. 36, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\.
T. 3 S., R. 3 W.,
    Sec. 1;
    Sec. 2;
    Sec. 3, lots 1 and 2, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/
4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 10, lots 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 15, lots 2, 3, 6 and 7, NW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 16, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, and E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 19, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 20, S\1/2\SW\1/4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 21, lot 1, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\, N\1/
2\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 22, lots 2, 3, 7, 8, and 10, NW\1/4\, and N\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 23, lot 4;
    Sec. 26, lot 4;
    Sec. 28, lots 1, 3, 5, and 7;
    Sec. 29, lots 1, 2, 3, and 5;
    Sec. 30, lots 1, 5, 7, 9, and 10;
    Sec. 32, lots 2, 6, and 9;
    Sec. 33, lots 1, 4, 5, and 6.
T. 3 S., R. 4 W.,
    Sec. 25, lots 1 thru 5, 12, 17, 19, 21, and 24;
    Sec. 26, lots 1, 8, and 9.

    The BLM has now posted closure signs at main entry points to the 
affected area and at approximately 1/10-mile intervals along the 
closure boundary and road access points. In addition to the signs, a 
map showing the extent of the closure and a notice from the BLM 
advising the public of the Court's Order has also been posted at these 
locations and in the Phoenix District Office. Maps of the affected area 
and other documents associated with this closure are available at the 
BLM Phoenix District Office located at 21605 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix, 
Arizona 85027.
    Under the authority of Section 303(a) of the FLPMA of 1976 (43 
U.S.C. 1733(a)), 43 CFR 8360-7, and 43 CFR 8364.1, the BLM will enforce 
the following rule within the SDNM: You must not target shoot in the 
closed area. Any person who violates the above rule and/or restriction 
may be tried before a United States Magistrate and fined no more than 
$1,000, imprisoned for no more than 12 months, or both. Such violations 
may also be subject to the enhanced fines provided for by 18 U.S.C. 
3571.

    Authority:  43 CFR 8364.1.

Edward J. Kender,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2016-01186 Filed 1-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-32-P