Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, Colorado, 43226-43228 [2016-15526]
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asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 127 / Friday, July 1, 2016 / Notices
the BLM determined that a new RMP
Amendment and supplemental analysis
under NEPA were warranted. The
parties involved in the litigation
regarding the 2007 plan amendment
reached a settlement in November 2014.
Based on that agreement, the Roan
Plateau Proposed RMP Amendment/
Final Supplemental EIS includes an
alternative that was identified in the
November 2014 settlement. That
‘‘Settlement Alternative’’ was identified
as the Proposed Alternative in the Draft
Supplemental EIS.
The planning area, which is in westcentral Colorado, includes
approximately 73,602 acres of BLMmanaged land (Federal surface, Federal
mineral estate, or both). It is located
primarily in Garfield County with a
small portion in southern Rio Blanco
County. The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment proposes to amend the
management decisions in the Glenwood
Springs and White River RMPs as they
relate to the planning area.
The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment
process began originally with scoping in
2000. The BLM published the Draft EIS
in November 2004 and the Final EIS in
August 2006. The BLM then issued two
Records of Decision, one in June 2007
and a second, pertaining to Areas of
Critical Environmental Concern, in
March 2008. Following the District
Court ruling in 2012, the BLM
published a Notice of Intent to develop
the Draft RMP Amendment/
Supplemental EIS on January 28, 2013
(78 FR 5834), which initiated a second
scoping period. The Draft RMP
Amendment/Supplemental EIS was
published on November 20, 2015 (80 FR
72732), and made available for public
comment. The BLM held three public
meetings to discuss the Draft RMP
Amendment/Supplemental EIS and
received approximately 50,000
comment submissions during the
comment period. The BLM carefully
considered those comments. The BLM
made changes to the Proposed RMP
Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS in
response to comments received from the
public and cooperating agencies, United
States Fish and Wildlife Service
consultation, and extensive internal
BLM reviews. These changes included
the addition of clarifying text and
updated information, however, none of
the changes constituted a substantial
change in the proposed land use plan
decisions or the analysis in the Draft
Supplemental EIS that would require
additional supplementation.
Major issues considered in the
Proposed RMP Amendment/Final
Supplemental EIS include fluid
minerals management; social and
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economic impacts; riparian habitat
management; recreation; and air, water,
and ecological resources. The RMP also
addresses decisions regarding Wild and
Scenic Rivers, Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern, and lands with
wilderness characteristics. Decisions
related to Greater Sage-Grouse
management in the proposed
Amendment are consistent with last
year’s Northwestern Colorado Greater
Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan
Amendment Record of Decision.
The Proposed RMP Amendment/Final
Supplemental EIS focuses on evaluating
new information and new issues raised
since the BLM developed the 2006 Roan
Plateau Final EIS. This includes an
evaluation of four alternatives including
the No Action Alternative (Alternative
I). Alternative II is based on the
Proposed Plan from the 2006 Roan RMP
Amendment/Final EIS and includes
updated decisions and analysis based
on new information and issues raised
during the scoping period for the
Supplemental EIS. Alternative III is
based on the ‘‘Community Alternative’’
raised during the original EIS process by
Rock the Earth. Alternative III was
augmented with input from other
Supplemental EIS scoping comments.
This alternative allows oil and gas
leasing throughout the planning area,
but limits surface disturbance on BLM
lands above the rim. Wilderness
characteristics would be managed for
protection in this alternative, and all
eligible river segments in the planning
area would be determined to be suitable
for designation as Wild and Scenic
Rivers. Alternative III also analyzes two
proposed sub-alternatives for target
shooting restrictions in an open OffHighway Vehicle area. Alternative IV is
the BLM’s Proposed Alternative and is
based on the terms of the 2014
Settlement Agreement. This alternative
would allow for leasing at the base of
the plateau (11,170 acres) and within
several retained lease areas on the top
of the plateau (1,830 acres). Other
resource management decisions in this
alternative would be similar to
Alternative II.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the Director of the BLM regarding the
Proposed RMP Amendment/Final
Supplemental EIS may be found in the
‘‘Dear Reader’’ Letter of the Roan
Plateau Proposed RMP Amendment/
Final Supplemental 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
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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 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.
Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016–15527 Filed 6–30–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCON06000 L16100000.DQ0000]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Dominguez-Escalante National
Conservation Area, Colorado
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, 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 DominguezEscalante National Conservation Area
(D–E NCA) located in Mesa, Delta and
Montrose counties in Colorado and by
this notice is announcing its
availability.
SUMMARY:
The BLM planning regulations
state that any person who meets the
conditions as described in the
regulations may protest the BLM’s
Proposed RMP/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.
DATES:
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 127 / Friday, July 1, 2016 / Notices
Copies of the DominguezEscalante National Conservation Area
Proposed RMP/Final EIS have been sent
to affected Federal, State and local
government agencies; tribal
governments; and other stakeholders.
Copies of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS
are available for public inspection at the
Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H
Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506; and
the BLM’s Uncompahgre Field Office at
2465 South Townsend Ave., Montrose,
CO 81401. Interested persons may also
review the Proposed RMP/Final EIS on
the Internet at https://www.blm.gov/co/
st/en/nca/denca/denca_rmp.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:
Collin Ewing, NCA Manager, telephone
970–244–3049; address Grand Junction
Field Office (see address above); email
dencarmp@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 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: The D–E
NCA planning area includes
approximately 218,000 acres of State,
private and BLM-managed lands located
in Delta, Mesa and Montrose counties in
western Colorado. Within the D–E NCA
planning area, the BLM administers
approximately 210,000 acres of Federal
surface and subsurface estate.
Management decisions made as a result
of the RMP will apply only to the BLMadministered lands in the D–E NCA
planning area. The D–E NCA was
established by the Omnibus Public
Lands Management Act of 2009. The D–
E NCA is currently managed under the
1987 Grand Junction Record of Decision
(ROD) and Approved RMP, as amended;
the 1989 Uncompahgre Basin ROD and
Approved RMP, as amended; and the
BLM’s 2010 Interim Management Policy
for the D–E NCA and Dominguez
Canyon Wilderness. When approved,
this RMP will replace all of these
existing plans for the D–E NCA
planning area.
The Draft RMP and Draft EIS public
comment period, which began on May
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
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17, 2013, and ended September 23,
2013, included a 45-day extension in
response to requests from the public.
The total comment period encompassed
129 days.
The Proposed RMP/Final EIS
describes and analyzes five management
alternatives, each of which includes
objectives and management actions to
address management challenges and
issues, including the conservation and
protection of the unique and important
resources that were identified as
purposes of the area’s designation.
Alternative A is the no action
alternative and would retain the current
management goals, objectives and
direction specified in the 1987 Grand
Junction RMP and 1989 Uncompahgre
Basin RMP, where the management is
consistent with the Omnibus Act.
Alternative B focuses on allowing
natural processes to influence the
condition of resources, which would
involve placing additional restrictions
on allowable uses to manage the D–E
NCA. Recreation would be managed
largely through Extensive Recreation
Management Areas, where the BLM
would commit to providing activity
opportunities but not specific recreation
outcomes or settings. Alternative C
emphasizes active management for
biological restoration and cultural
resource protection. The BLM would set
objectives that provide a high level of
resource protection and restoration.
Only two areas would be managed as
Special Recreation Management Areas,
with the rest of the D–E NCA not
managed as recreation areas. Alternative
D would also emphasize an active
management approach for biological
restoration and cultural resource
protection, but with objectives that
provide a lower level of restoration and
protection for these resources as
compared to Alternative C. Resource
uses, particularly trail-based recreation
and livestock grazing, would be
emphasized. The Proposed RMP is
based upon the Preferred Alternative (E)
identified in the Draft. Alternative E
from the draft was largely a combination
of management approaches already
considered under alternatives A through
D. The Proposed RMP also includes
changes from the draft in response to
public comments and advisory council
recommendations. Public comments
identified opportunities to better resolve
conflicts or impacts as well as identified
parts of the EIS in need of greater
clarity. As with the Draft Preferred
Alternative, the Proposed RMP would
set objectives for biological resources
that are more ambitious than those in
Alternative D but less ambitious than
those in Alternative C. As with
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43227
Alternatives C and D, a wide range of
tools would be available to achieve
these objectives.
The Proposed RMP would provide
comprehensive, long-range decisions for
the use and management of resources in
the D–E NCA, focusing on the
conservation and protection of the
unique and important resources that
were identified as purposes of the area’s
designation.
The Proposed RMP includes: goals,
objectives, management actions,
allowable use, and implementation
decisions to ensure future BLM
management supports the protection of
two Areas of Critical Environmental
Concern, four Special Recreation
Management Areas, Extensive
Recreation Management Areas,
Wilderness Study Areas, the Old
Spanish National Historic Trail, and a
stream segment, Cottonwood Creek,
which was found suitable for inclusion
in the National Wild and Scenic River
System. The following is a brief
summary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers
study process findings: of the 147.6
miles of 8 streams inventoried, 64.4
miles were found ineligible and 83.2
miles were found eligible; of the 83.2
eligible stream miles, 69.1 miles were
determined non-suitable and 14.1 miles
were determined suitable for inclusion
in the National Wild and Scenic River
System. Maps are included to illustrate
the Proposed RMP as well as the other
alternatives considered in the Final EIS.
The D–E NCA is withdrawn from all
the mineral laws and BLM expects very
little ground disturbance. The proposed
plan alternative includes mitigation to
protect soils, wildlife and habitat (e.g.,
measures to reduce risk of disease
transmission from domestic sheep to
wild bighorn sheep), a national trail
management corridor to protect the Old
Spanish National Historic Trail, and
protections relevant to the National
Historic Preservation Act.
The BLM made changes to the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS in response to
public comment on the Draft RMP/Draft
EIS in addition to cooperating agency
reviews, advisory council reviews, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service consultation,
and extensive internal BLM reviews of
the Proposed RMP/Final EIS. The BLM
carefully considered all comments and
incorporated them into the Proposed
RMP as appropriate. Public comments
resulted in the addition of clarifying
text, but did not constitute a substantial
change that would require a
supplemental EIS.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the Director of the BLM regarding the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS may be found
in the ‘‘Dear Reader’’ Letter of the D–E
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43228
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 127 / Friday, July 1, 2016 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10,
43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 1610.5.
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
NCA 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 notification, please direct
emails to protest@blm.gov.
Unlike land use planning decisions,
implementation decisions included in
this Proposed RMP/Final EIS are not
subject to protest under the BLM
planning regulations, but are subject to
an administrative review process
through appeals to the Office of
Hearings and Appeals, Interior Board of
Land Appeals, pursuant to 43 CFR part
4 Subpart E. Implementation decisions
generally constitute the BLM’s final
approval allowing on-the-ground
actions to proceed. Where
implementation decisions are made as
part of the land use planning process,
they are subject to the appeals process
or other administrative review as
prescribed by specific resource program
regulations once the BLM resolves the
protests to land use planning decisions
and issues an Approved RMP and ROD.
The Approved RMP and ROD will,
therefore, identify the implementation
decisions made in the plan that may be
appealed to the Office of Hearing and
Appeals.
Before including your 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 can 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.
Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada
T. 33 N., R. 24 E., unsurveyed,
Sec. 1, that portion lying northwesterly of
East Playa Road;
Sec. 2, that portion lying northwesterly of
East Playa Road;
Sec. 3;
Sec. 4, that portion lying southeasterly of
Washoe County Road 34;
Sec. 5;
Sec. 8, NE1⁄4;
Sec. 9, N1⁄2;
Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016–15526 Filed 6–30–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P
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Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVW03500.L51050000.EA0000.
LVRCF1604630 241A; MO#]
Notice of Temporary Closure and
Temporary Restrictions of Specific
Uses on Public Lands for the Burning
Man Event (Permitted Event), Pershing
County, NV
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
under the authority of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) Winnemucca
District, Black Rock Field Office, will
implement a temporary closure and
temporary restrictions to protect public
safety and resources on public lands
within and adjacent to the Burning Man
event on the Black Rock Desert playa.
DATES: The temporary closure and
temporary restrictions will be in effect
from August 1 to September 21, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
William Mack, Jr., Black Rock Field
Office Manager, Winnemucca District,
5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd.,
Winnemucca, NV 89445–2921,
telephone: 775–623–1500, email:
wmack@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 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
above individual. You will receive a
reply during normal hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
temporary closure and temporary
restrictions affect public lands within
and adjacent to the Burning Man event
permitted on the Black Rock Desert
playa within the Black Rock Desert-High
Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National
Conservation Area in Pershing County,
Nevada. The legal description of the
affected public lands in the temporary
public closure area is:
SUMMARY:
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Sec. 10, N1⁄2;
Sec. 11, that portion of the N1⁄2 lying
northwesterly of East Playa Road.
T. 331⁄2 N., R. 24 E., unsurveyed,
Secs. 25, 26, and 27;
Sec. 28, that portion lying easterly of
Washoe County Road 34;
Sec. 33, that portion lying easterly of
Washoe County Road 34;
Secs. 34, 35, and 36.
T. 34 N., R. 24 E., partly unsurveyed,
Sec. 23, S1⁄2;
Sec. 24, S1⁄2;
Secs. 25 and 26;
Sec. 27, E1⁄2NE1⁄4, E1⁄2SW1⁄4, SE1⁄4;
Sec. 33, NE1⁄4NE1⁄4, S1⁄2NE1⁄4, that portion
of the SW1⁄4 lying northeasterly of
Washoe County Road 34, SE1⁄4;
Secs. 34, 35, and 36.
T. 33 N., R. 25 E.,
Sec. 4, that portion lying northwesterly of
East Playa Road.
T. 34 N., R. 25 E., unsurveyed,
Sec. 16, S1⁄2;
Sec. 21;
Sec. 22, W1⁄2NW1⁄4, SW1⁄4;
Sec. 27, W1⁄2;
Sec. 28;
Sec. 33, that portion lying northwesterly of
East Playa Road;
Sec. 34, that portion of the W1⁄2 lying
northwesterly of East Playa Road.
The temporary closure area comprises
approximately 14,153 acres in Pershing
County, Nevada.
The public closure is necessary for the
period of time from August 1 through
September 21, 2016, because of the
Burning Man event activities in the area,
starting with fencing the site perimeter,
final setup, the actual event (August 28
through September 5), initial phases of
cleanup, and concluding with final site
cleanup.
The public closure area comprises
about 13 percent of the Black Rock
Desert playa. Public access to other
areas of the playa will remain open and
the other 87 percent of the playa outside
the temporary closure area will remain
open to dispersed casual use.
The event area is contained within the
temporary closure area. The event area
is defined as the portion of the
temporary closure area (1) entirely
contained within the event perimeter
fence, including 50 feet from the outside
of the event perimeter fence; and (2)
within 25 feet from the outside edge of
the event access road; and includes the
entirety of the aircraft parking area
outside the event perimeter fence.
The temporary closure and temporary
restrictions are necessary to provide a
safe environment for the participants of
the permitted event and for members of
the public visiting the Black Rock
Desert, and to protect public land
resources by addressing law
enforcement and public safety concerns
associated with the event. The event is
expected to attract approximately
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 127 (Friday, July 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43226-43228]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15526]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCON06000 L16100000.DQ0000]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan
and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Dominguez-Escalante
National Conservation Area, Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, 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 Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area
(D-E NCA) located in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties in Colorado and
by this notice is announcing its availability.
DATES: The BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's
Proposed RMP/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.
[[Page 43227]]
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area
Proposed RMP/Final EIS have been sent to affected Federal, State and
local government agencies; tribal governments; and other stakeholders.
Copies of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS are available for public
inspection at the Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, Grand
Junction, CO 81506; and the BLM's Uncompahgre Field Office at 2465
South Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401. Interested persons may also
review the Proposed RMP/Final EIS on the Internet at https://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/nca/denca/denca_rmp.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: Collin Ewing, NCA Manager, telephone
970-244-3049; address Grand Junction Field Office (see address above);
email dencarmp@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 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: The D-E NCA planning area includes
approximately 218,000 acres of State, private and BLM-managed lands
located in Delta, Mesa and Montrose counties in western Colorado.
Within the D-E NCA planning area, the BLM administers approximately
210,000 acres of Federal surface and subsurface estate. Management
decisions made as a result of the RMP will apply only to the BLM-
administered lands in the D-E NCA planning area. The D-E NCA was
established by the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. The D-E
NCA is currently managed under the 1987 Grand Junction Record of
Decision (ROD) and Approved RMP, as amended; the 1989 Uncompahgre Basin
ROD and Approved RMP, as amended; and the BLM's 2010 Interim Management
Policy for the D-E NCA and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. When approved,
this RMP will replace all of these existing plans for the D-E NCA
planning area.
The Draft RMP and Draft EIS public comment period, which began on
May 17, 2013, and ended September 23, 2013, included a 45-day extension
in response to requests from the public. The total comment period
encompassed 129 days.
The Proposed RMP/Final EIS describes and analyzes five management
alternatives, each of which includes objectives and management actions
to address management challenges and issues, including the conservation
and protection of the unique and important resources that were
identified as purposes of the area's designation.
Alternative A is the no action alternative and would retain the
current management goals, objectives and direction specified in the
1987 Grand Junction RMP and 1989 Uncompahgre Basin RMP, where the
management is consistent with the Omnibus Act.
Alternative B focuses on allowing natural processes to influence
the condition of resources, which would involve placing additional
restrictions on allowable uses to manage the D-E NCA. Recreation would
be managed largely through Extensive Recreation Management Areas, where
the BLM would commit to providing activity opportunities but not
specific recreation outcomes or settings. Alternative C emphasizes
active management for biological restoration and cultural resource
protection. The BLM would set objectives that provide a high level of
resource protection and restoration. Only two areas would be managed as
Special Recreation Management Areas, with the rest of the D-E NCA not
managed as recreation areas. Alternative D would also emphasize an
active management approach for biological restoration and cultural
resource protection, but with objectives that provide a lower level of
restoration and protection for these resources as compared to
Alternative C. Resource uses, particularly trail-based recreation and
livestock grazing, would be emphasized. The Proposed RMP is based upon
the Preferred Alternative (E) identified in the Draft. Alternative E
from the draft was largely a combination of management approaches
already considered under alternatives A through D. The Proposed RMP
also includes changes from the draft in response to public comments and
advisory council recommendations. Public comments identified
opportunities to better resolve conflicts or impacts as well as
identified parts of the EIS in need of greater clarity. As with the
Draft Preferred Alternative, the Proposed RMP would set objectives for
biological resources that are more ambitious than those in Alternative
D but less ambitious than those in Alternative C. As with Alternatives
C and D, a wide range of tools would be available to achieve these
objectives.
The Proposed RMP would provide comprehensive, long-range decisions
for the use and management of resources in the D-E NCA, focusing on the
conservation and protection of the unique and important resources that
were identified as purposes of the area's designation.
The Proposed RMP includes: goals, objectives, management actions,
allowable use, and implementation decisions to ensure future BLM
management supports the protection of two Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern, four Special Recreation Management Areas,
Extensive Recreation Management Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, the Old
Spanish National Historic Trail, and a stream segment, Cottonwood
Creek, which was found suitable for inclusion in the National Wild and
Scenic River System. The following is a brief summary of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers study process findings: of the 147.6 miles of 8 streams
inventoried, 64.4 miles were found ineligible and 83.2 miles were found
eligible; of the 83.2 eligible stream miles, 69.1 miles were determined
non-suitable and 14.1 miles were determined suitable for inclusion in
the National Wild and Scenic River System. Maps are included to
illustrate the Proposed RMP as well as the other alternatives
considered in the Final EIS.
The D-E NCA is withdrawn from all the mineral laws and BLM expects
very little ground disturbance. The proposed plan alternative includes
mitigation to protect soils, wildlife and habitat (e.g., measures to
reduce risk of disease transmission from domestic sheep to wild bighorn
sheep), a national trail management corridor to protect the Old Spanish
National Historic Trail, and protections relevant to the National
Historic Preservation Act.
The BLM made changes to the Proposed RMP/Final EIS in response to
public comment on the Draft RMP/Draft EIS in addition to cooperating
agency reviews, advisory council reviews, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service consultation, and extensive internal BLM reviews of the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS. The BLM carefully considered all comments and
incorporated them into the Proposed RMP as appropriate. Public comments
resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but did not constitute a
substantial change that would require a supplemental EIS.
Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM
regarding the Proposed RMP/Final EIS may be found in the ``Dear
Reader'' Letter of the D-E
[[Page 43228]]
NCA 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
notification, please direct emails to protest@blm.gov.
Unlike land use planning decisions, implementation decisions
included in this Proposed RMP/Final EIS are not subject to protest
under the BLM planning regulations, but are subject to an
administrative review process through appeals to the Office of Hearings
and Appeals, Interior Board of Land Appeals, pursuant to 43 CFR part 4
Subpart E. Implementation decisions generally constitute the BLM's
final approval allowing on-the-ground actions to proceed. Where
implementation decisions are made as part of the land use planning
process, they are subject to the appeals process or other
administrative review as prescribed by specific resource program
regulations once the BLM resolves the protests to land use planning
decisions and issues an Approved RMP and ROD. The Approved RMP and ROD
will, therefore, identify the implementation decisions made in the plan
that may be appealed to the Office of Hearing and Appeals.
Before including your 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 can
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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR
1610.5.
Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-15526 Filed 6-30-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P
