Notice of Availability of the Idaho Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement, 63529-63531 [2018-26702]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 236 / Monday, December 10, 2018 / Notices
Greater Sage-Grouse and its habitat. The
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final
EIS also addresses the issues remanded
to the agency by a March 31, 2017 Order
by the United States District Court for
the District of Nevada, which
determined that the BLM had violated
the NEPA when it finalized the 2015
Nevada plan.
The BLM developed the proposed
land use plan amendment in
collaboration with the Governors’
Offices in Nevada and California, state
wildlife managers, and other concerned
organizations and individuals, largely
through the Western Governors
Association’s Sage-Grouse Task Force.
Using its discretion and authority under
the FLPMA, the BLM proposes
amending land use plans that address
Greater Sage-Grouse management to
improve alignment with State of Nevada
and State of California plans and
management strategies, in accordance
with the BLM’s multiple use and
sustained yield mission.
This Proposed RMP Amendment and
Final EIS is one of six separate planning
efforts that are being undertaken in
response to the Secretary’s Order (SO)
3353 (Greater Sage-grouse Conservation
and Cooperation with Western States)
and in accordance with SO 3349
(American Energy Independence). The
proposed plans refine the previous
management plan adopted in 2015 and
aims to strike a regulatory balance and
build greater trust among neighboring
interests in Western communities. The
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final
EIS proposes to amend the RMPs for
field offices on BLM-administered lands
within BLM Nevada and Northeastern
California boundaries. The current
management decisions for resources are
described in the following RMPs:
• Alturas RMP (2008)
• Black Rock Desert-High Rock
Canyon NCA RMP (2004)
• Carson City Consolidated RMP
(2001)
• Eagle Lake RMP (2008)
• Elko RMP (1987)
• Ely RMP (2008)
• Shoshone-Eureka RMP (1986)
• Surprise RMP (2008)
• Tonopah RMP (1997)
• Wells RMP (1985)
• Winnemucca RMP (2015)
The planning area includes
approximately 70.3 million acres of
BLM, National Park Service, United
States Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation, State, local, and private
lands located in Nevada and
Northeastern California, in 17 counties:
Churchill, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt,
Lander, Lassen, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral,
Modoc, Nye, Pershing, Plumas, Sierra,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:10 Dec 07, 2018
Jkt 247001
Storey, Washoe, and White Pine. Within
the decision area, the BLM administers
approximately 45.4 million acres of
public lands, providing approximately
20.5 million acres of Greater SageGrouse habitat. Surface management
decisions made as a result of this
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final
EIS will apply only to BLM
administered lands in the decision area.
The formal public scoping process for
this RMP Amendment and EIS began on
October 11, 2017, with publication of a
Notice of Intent in the Federal Register
(82 FR 47248) and ended on December
1, 2017. The BLM in Nevada and
Northeastern California held public
scoping meetings in Alturas, California
on November 3, 2017; Reno/Sparks,
Nevada on November 7, 2017; Elko,
Nevada on November 8, 2017; and Ely,
Nevada on November 9, 2017. The
Notice of Availability for the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS was published on May
4, 2018 (83 FR 19800), and the BLM
accepted public comments on the range
of alternatives, effects analysis, and
Draft RMP Amendment/EIS for 90 days,
ending on August 2, 2018. During the
public comment period public meetings
were held in Alturas, California on June
29, 2018; Reno/Sparks, Nevada on June
26, 2018; Elko, Nevada on June 28,
2018; and Ely, Nevada on June 27, 2018.
The Draft RMP Amendment/EIS
focused on the issue of Sagebrush Focal
Area designations, mitigation,
adjustments to habitat management area
designations to reflect new information,
reversing adaptive management
responses when the BLM determines
that resource conditions no longer
warrant those responses (in addition to
addressing updates to the adaptive
management strategy based on best
available science), allocation exception
processes, seasonal timing restrictions,
modifying habitat objectives when best
available science is available, and
through plan clarification: Modifying
lek buffers, requirements for required
design features, and removal and/or
modification to three livestock grazing
management decisions in order to
comply with 43 CFR 4160.1. The Draft
RMP Amendment/EIS evaluated two
alternatives in detail, including the NoAction Alternative and one action
alternative, the Management Alignment
Alternative. Comments on the Draft
RMP Amendment/EIS received from the
public and internal BLM review were
considered and incorporated as
appropriate into the proposed plan
amendment. The No-Action Alternative
would retain the current management
goals, objectives, and direction specified
in the current RMPs, as amended in
2015, for each field office. The
PO 00000
Frm 00064
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
63529
Management Alignment Alternative has
been identified as the BLM’s Preferred
Alternative. Identification of this
alternative, however, does not represent
final agency direction.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the Director of the BLM regarding the
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final
EIS may be found online at https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/filing-a-planprotest 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 or
submitted electronically through the
BLM ePlanning project website as
described above. Protests submitted
electronically by any means other than
the ePlanning project website protest
section will be invalid unless a protest
is also submitted in hard copy. Protests
submitted by fax will also be invalid
unless also submitted either through
ePlanning project website protest
section or in hard copy.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
protest, please 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 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, 43 CFR 1610.5.
Brian C. Amme,
BLM Nevada Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018–26703 Filed 12–7–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWO200000.18X
L11100000.PH0000.LXSCPL000000]
Notice of Availability of the Idaho
Proposed Resource Management Plan
Amendment and Final Environmental
Impact Statement
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared the Idaho Proposed Resource
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\10DEN1.SGM
10DEN1
63530
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 236 / Monday, December 10, 2018 / Notices
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment
and Final Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for Greater Sage-Grouse
Conservation for the Idaho Greater SageGrouse Sub-Region. By this notice, the
BLM is announcing its availability and
the opening of a protest period
concerning the Proposed RMP
Amendment.
DATES: The BLM’s planning regulations
state that any person who meets the
conditions as described in the
regulations may protest the BLM’s
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final
EIS. A person who meets the conditions
outlined in 43 CFR 1610.5–2 and wishes
to file a protest must do so within 30
days of the date that the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes its Notice
of Availability in the Federal Register.
A protest regarding the Proposed RMP
Amendment announced with this notice
must be filed by January 9, 2019.
ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP
Amendment and Final EIS is available
on the BLM ePlanning project website at
https://go.usa.gov/xPc3a. Click the
Documents and Report link on the left
side of the screen to find the electronic
version of these materials. Hard copies
of the Proposed RMP Amendment and
Final EIS are available for public
inspection at the Boise, Idaho Falls, and
Twin Falls District Offices.
All protests must be in writing (43
CFR 1610.5–2(a)(1)) and filed with the
BLM Director, either as a hard copy or
electronically via the BLM’s ePlanning
project website listed previously. To
submit a protest electronically, go to the
ePlanning project website and follow
the protest instructions highlighted at
the top of the home page.
If submitting a protest in hard copy,
it must be mailed to one of the following
addresses:
U.S. Postal Service Mail: BLM
Director (210), Attention: Protest
Coordinator, WO–210, P.O Box 71383,
Washington, DC 20024–1383
Overnight Delivery: BLM Director
(210), Attention: Protest Coordinator,
WO–210, 20 M Street SE, Room
2134LM, Washington, DC 20003
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jonathan Beck, Greater Sage-Grouse
Implementation Coordinator, telephone,
(208) 373–3841; address, 1387 South
Vinnell Way, Boise Idaho 83709; email,
jmbeck@blm.gov. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at (800) 877–8339 to
contact Mr. Beck. The FRS is available
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave
a message or question with Mr. Beck.
You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:10 Dec 07, 2018
Jkt 247001
The BLM
prepared the Idaho Greater SageGrouse
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final
EIS to enhance cooperation with the
States by improving alignment with
state management plans and strategies
for Greater Sage-Grouse, while
continuing to conserve, enhance, and
restore Greater Sage-Grouse and its
habitat. The Proposed RMP Amendment
and Final EIS also addresses the issues
remanded to the agency by a March 31,
2017 Order by the United States District
Court for the District of Nevada, which
determined that the BLM had violated
the NEPA when it finalized the 2015
Nevada plan.
The BLM developed the proposed
land use plan amendment in
collaboration with Idaho Governor
Butch Otter, state wildlife managers,
and other concerned organizations and
individuals, largely through the Western
Governors Association’s Sage-Grouse
Task Force. Using its discretion and
authority under the FLPMA, the BLM
proposes amending land use plans that
address Greater Sage-Grouse
management to improve alignment with
State of Idaho plans and management
strategies, in accordance with the BLM’s
multiple use and sustained yield
mission.
This Proposed RMP Amendment and
Final EIS is one of six separate planning
efforts that are being undertaken in
response to the Secretary’s Order (SO)
3353 (Greater Sage-grouse Conservation
and Cooperation with Western States)
and in accordance with SO 3349
(American Energy Independence). The
proposed plans refine the previous
management plan adopted in 2015 and
aims to strike a regulatory balance and
build greater trust among neighboring
interests in Western communities. The
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final
EIS proposes to amend the resource
management plans for field offices on
BLM-administered lands within Idaho.
The current management decisions for
resources are described in the following
RMPs:
• Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills
Management Framework Plan (MFP)
(BLM 1980)
• Big Desert MFP (BLM 1981)
• Big Lost MFP (BLM 1983)
• Bruneau MFP (BLM 1983)
• Cascade RMP (BLM 1988)
• Cassia RMP (BLM 1985)
• Challis RMP (BLM 1999)
• Craters of the Moon National
Monument RMP (BLM 2006)
• Jarbidge RMP (BLM 1988)
• Jarbidge RMP (Revised) (BLM 2015)
• Kuna MFP (BLM 1983)
• Lemhi RMP (BLM 1987)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00065
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
• Little Lost-Birch Creek MFP (BLM
1981)
• Magic MFP (BLM 1975)
• Medicine Lodge MFP (BLM 1981)
• Monument RMP (BLM 1985)
• Owyhee RMP (BLM 1999)
• Pocatello RMP (BLM 2012)
• Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area RMP (BLM 2008)
• Sun Valley MFP (BLM 1981)
• Twin Falls MFP (BLM 1982)
The Idaho planning area includes
approximately 39.5 million acres of
BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Forest
Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,
State, local, and private lands in 28
counties: Ada, Adams, Bear Lake,
Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Butte,
Camas, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Custer,
Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Gooding,
Jefferson, Jerome, Lemhi, Lincoln,
Madison, Minidoka, Oneida, Owyhee,
Payette, Power, Twin Falls, and
Washington. Within the planning area,
the BLM administers 11,470,301 acres of
public land, providing 8,809,326 acres
of Greater Sage-Grouse habitat. Surface
management decisions resulting from
this Proposed RMP Amendment and
Final EIS will apply only to BLMadministered lands in the planning area.
The formal public scoping process for
the RMP Amendment/EIS began on
October 11, 2017, with publication of a
Notice of Intent in the Federal Register
(82 FR 47248). The scoping period
ended on December 1, 2017. The BLM
in Idaho held three public scoping
meetings:
—Twin Falls, Idaho; November 2, 2017
—Idaho Falls, Idaho; November 6, 2017
—Marsing, Idaho; November 7, 2017
The Notice of Availability for the
Draft EIS published in the Federal
Register (83 FR 19801) on May 4, 2018,
and the BLM accepted public comments
on the range of alternatives, effects
analysis and draft RMP amendments for
90 days, ending on August 2, 2018.
During the public comment period, the
BLM held three additional public
meetings:
—Marsing, Idaho; June 21, 2018
—Twin Falls, Idaho; June 26, 2018
—Idaho Falls, Idaho; June 28, 2018
The Idaho Draft RMP Amendment/
Draft EIS focused on the issues of the
designation of sagebrush focal areas,
mitigation standards, lek buffers,
disturbance and density caps, and
adjustments to habitat boundaries to
reflect new information. The Draft RMP
Amendment/Draft EIS evaluated two
alternatives in detail: The No Action
Alternative (Alternative A) and an
action alternative (Management
Alignment Alternative). Comments on
the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS
received from the public and internal
E:\FR\FM\10DEN1.SGM
10DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 236 / Monday, December 10, 2018 / Notices
BLM review were considered and
incorporated as appropriate into the
proposed plan amendment. Alternative
A would retain the current management
goals, objectives, and direction specified
in the current RMPs, as amended, for
each field office. The BLM identified the
Management Alignment Alternative as
the Preferred Alternative. Identification
of this alternative, however, does not
represent final agency direction.
Instructions for filing a protest with the
Director of the BLM regarding the
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final
EIS may be found online at https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/filing-a-planprotest 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 or
submitted electronically through the
BLM ePlanning project website as
described above. Protests submitted
electronically by any means other than
the ePlanning project website protest
section will be invalid unless a protest
is also submitted in hard copy. Protests
submitted by fax will also be invalid
unless also submitted either through
ePlanning project website protest
section or in hard copy.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
protest, please 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 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, 43 CFR 1610.5
Peter J. Ditton,
Acting BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018–26702 Filed 12–7–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[NPS–WASO–NRNHL–DTS#–27048;
PPWOCRADI0, PCU00RP14.R50000]
National Register of Historic Places;
Notification of Pending Nominations
and Related Actions
National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
The National Park Service is
soliciting comments on the significance
of properties nominated before
17:10 Dec 07, 2018
Jkt 247001
Comments may be sent via
U.S. Postal Service and all other carriers
to the National Register of Historic
Places, National Park Service, 1849 C St.
NW, MS 7228, Washington, DC 20240.
ADDRESSES:
The
properties listed in this notice are being
considered for listing or related actions
in the National Register of Historic
Places. Nominations for their
consideration were received by the
National Park Service before November
24, 2018. Pursuant to Section 60.13 of
36 CFR part 60, written comments are
being accepted concerning the
significance of the nominated properties
under the National Register criteria for
evaluation.
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.
Nominations submitted by State
Historic Preservation Officers:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles County
Filipino Christian Church (Asian
Americans in Los Angeles, 1850–1980
MPS), 301 N Union Ave., Los Angeles,
MP100003291
WISCONSIN
Sheboygan County
SELAH CHAMBERLAIN (bulk carrier)
Shipwreck (Great Lakes Shipwreck Sites
of Wisconsin MPS), 2 mi. NE of
Sheboygan Pt. in Lake Michigan,
Sheboygan, MP100003288
Additional documentation has been
received for the following resource:
Authority: Section 60.13 of 36 CFR part 60.
AGENCY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Comments should be submitted
by December 26, 2018.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
DATES:
IOWA
Webster County
Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District, 1st
Ave. N, Central Ave., and 1st Ave. S
from 3rd St. on West to 12th St. on East,
Fort Dodge, AD10000918
National Park Service
SUMMARY:
November 24, 2018, for listing or related
actions in the National Register of
Historic Places.
63531
Dated: November 27, 2018.
Christopher Hetzel,
Acting Chief, National Register of Historic
Places/National Historic Landmarks Program.
[FR Doc. 2018–26647 Filed 12–7–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
PO 00000
Frm 00066
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
[NPS–WASO–NRNHL–DTS#–27009;
PPWOCRADI0, PCU00RP14.R50000]
National Register of Historic Places;
Notification of Pending Nominations
and Related Actions
AGENCY:
ACTION:
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
The National Park Service is
soliciting comments on the significance
of properties nominated before
November 17, 2017, for listing or related
actions in the National Register of
Historic Places.
SUMMARY:
Comments should be submitted
by December 26, 2018.
DATES:
Comments may be sent via
U.S. Postal Service and all other carriers
to the National Register of Historic
Places, National Park Service, 1849 C St.
NW, MS 7228, Washington, DC 20240.
ADDRESSES:
The
properties listed in this notice are being
considered for listing or related actions
in the National Register of Historic
Places. Nominations for their
consideration were received by the
National Park Service before November
17, 2017. Pursuant to Section 60.13 of
36 CFR part 60, written comments are
being accepted concerning the
significance of the nominated properties
under the National Register criteria for
evaluation.
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.
Nominations submitted by State
Historic Preservation Officers:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles County
Mar Vista Gardens (Garden Apartment
Complexes in the City of Los Angeles,
1939–1955 MPS), 11965 Allin St., Los
Angeles, MP100003283
Sierra County
Webber Lake Hotel, Off Jackson Meadow Rd./
Tahoe NF Rd. 7, Sierraville vicinity,
SG100003281
E:\FR\FM\10DEN1.SGM
10DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 236 (Monday, December 10, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63529-63531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26702]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWO200000.18X L11100000.PH0000.LXSCPL000000]
Notice of Availability of the Idaho Proposed Resource Management
Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared the Idaho Proposed Resource
[[Page 63530]]
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Final Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation for the Idaho
Greater Sage-Grouse Sub-Region. By this notice, the BLM is announcing
its availability and the opening of a protest period concerning the
Proposed RMP Amendment.
DATES: The BLM's planning regulations state that any person who meets
the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS. A person who meets the conditions
outlined in 43 CFR 1610.5-2 and wishes to file a protest must do so
within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. A protest
regarding the Proposed RMP Amendment announced with this notice must be
filed by January 9, 2019.
ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS is available on the
BLM ePlanning project website at https://go.usa.gov/xPc3a. Click the
Documents and Report link on the left side of the screen to find the
electronic version of these materials. Hard copies of the Proposed RMP
Amendment and Final EIS are available for public inspection at the
Boise, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls District Offices.
All protests must be in writing (43 CFR 1610.5-2(a)(1)) and filed
with the BLM Director, either as a hard copy or electronically via the
BLM's ePlanning project website listed previously. To submit a protest
electronically, go to the ePlanning project website and follow the
protest instructions highlighted at the top of the home page.
If submitting a protest in hard copy, it must be mailed to one of
the following addresses:
U.S. Postal Service Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest
Coordinator, WO-210, P.O Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383
Overnight Delivery: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest
Coordinator, WO-210, 20 M Street SE, Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Beck, Greater Sage-Grouse
Implementation Coordinator, telephone, (208) 373-3841; address, 1387
South Vinnell Way, Boise Idaho 83709; email, [email protected]. Persons
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at (800) 877-8339 to contact Mr. Beck. The
FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or
question with Mr. Beck. You will receive a reply during normal business
hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM prepared the Idaho Greater
SageGrouse Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS to enhance cooperation
with the States by improving alignment with state management plans and
strategies for Greater Sage-Grouse, while continuing to conserve,
enhance, and restore Greater Sage-Grouse and its habitat. The Proposed
RMP Amendment and Final EIS also addresses the issues remanded to the
agency by a March 31, 2017 Order by the United States District Court
for the District of Nevada, which determined that the BLM had violated
the NEPA when it finalized the 2015 Nevada plan.
The BLM developed the proposed land use plan amendment in
collaboration with Idaho Governor Butch Otter, state wildlife managers,
and other concerned organizations and individuals, largely through the
Western Governors Association's Sage-Grouse Task Force. Using its
discretion and authority under the FLPMA, the BLM proposes amending
land use plans that address Greater Sage-Grouse management to improve
alignment with State of Idaho plans and management strategies, in
accordance with the BLM's multiple use and sustained yield mission.
This Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS is one of six separate
planning efforts that are being undertaken in response to the
Secretary's Order (SO) 3353 (Greater Sage-grouse Conservation and
Cooperation with Western States) and in accordance with SO 3349
(American Energy Independence). The proposed plans refine the previous
management plan adopted in 2015 and aims to strike a regulatory balance
and build greater trust among neighboring interests in Western
communities. The Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS proposes to amend
the resource management plans for field offices on BLM-administered
lands within Idaho. The current management decisions for resources are
described in the following RMPs:
Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills Management Framework Plan
(MFP) (BLM 1980)
Big Desert MFP (BLM 1981)
Big Lost MFP (BLM 1983)
Bruneau MFP (BLM 1983)
Cascade RMP (BLM 1988)
Cassia RMP (BLM 1985)
Challis RMP (BLM 1999)
Craters of the Moon National Monument RMP (BLM 2006)
Jarbidge RMP (BLM 1988)
Jarbidge RMP (Revised) (BLM 2015)
Kuna MFP (BLM 1983)
Lemhi RMP (BLM 1987)
Little Lost-Birch Creek MFP (BLM 1981)
Magic MFP (BLM 1975)
Medicine Lodge MFP (BLM 1981)
Monument RMP (BLM 1985)
Owyhee RMP (BLM 1999)
Pocatello RMP (BLM 2012)
Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area RMP
(BLM 2008)
Sun Valley MFP (BLM 1981)
Twin Falls MFP (BLM 1982)
The Idaho planning area includes approximately 39.5 million acres
of BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation, State, local, and private lands in 28 counties: Ada,
Adams, Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Butte, Camas, Caribou,
Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Jefferson,
Jerome, Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette,
Power, Twin Falls, and Washington. Within the planning area, the BLM
administers 11,470,301 acres of public land, providing 8,809,326 acres
of Greater Sage-Grouse habitat. Surface management decisions resulting
from this Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS will apply only to BLM-
administered lands in the planning area.
The formal public scoping process for the RMP Amendment/EIS began
on October 11, 2017, with publication of a Notice of Intent in the
Federal Register (82 FR 47248). The scoping period ended on December 1,
2017. The BLM in Idaho held three public scoping meetings:
--Twin Falls, Idaho; November 2, 2017
--Idaho Falls, Idaho; November 6, 2017
--Marsing, Idaho; November 7, 2017
The Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS published in the
Federal Register (83 FR 19801) on May 4, 2018, and the BLM accepted
public comments on the range of alternatives, effects analysis and
draft RMP amendments for 90 days, ending on August 2, 2018. During the
public comment period, the BLM held three additional public meetings:
--Marsing, Idaho; June 21, 2018
--Twin Falls, Idaho; June 26, 2018
--Idaho Falls, Idaho; June 28, 2018
The Idaho Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS focused on the issues of
the designation of sagebrush focal areas, mitigation standards, lek
buffers, disturbance and density caps, and adjustments to habitat
boundaries to reflect new information. The Draft RMP Amendment/Draft
EIS evaluated two alternatives in detail: The No Action Alternative
(Alternative A) and an action alternative (Management Alignment
Alternative). Comments on the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS received
from the public and internal
[[Page 63531]]
BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the
proposed plan amendment. Alternative A would retain the current
management goals, objectives, and direction specified in the current
RMPs, as amended, for each field office. The BLM identified the
Management Alignment Alternative as the Preferred Alternative.
Identification of this alternative, however, does not represent final
agency direction. Instructions for filing a protest with the Director
of the BLM regarding the Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS may be
found online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest 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 or submitted electronically
through the BLM ePlanning project website as described above. Protests
submitted electronically by any means other than the ePlanning project
website protest section will be invalid unless a protest is also
submitted in hard copy. Protests submitted by fax will also be invalid
unless also submitted either through ePlanning project website protest
section or in hard copy.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your protest, please 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 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, 43 CFR
1610.5
Peter J. Ditton,
Acting BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-26702 Filed 12-7-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P
