Notice of Availability of the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Haines Amendment to the Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan; Notice of Public Meeting, 21353-21354 [2019-09931]

Download as PDF khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 93 / Tuesday, May 14, 2019 / Notices 17, 2017, consistent with 36 CFR 219 Subpart B. The planning area is located in Chaffee County, Colorado and encompasses approximately 21,600 acres (9,790 acres on BLM and 11,810 acres on USFS) of public land and national forest. The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, develop alternatives and guide the planning process. Preliminary issues for the planning area have been identified by the BLM and USFS personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; and other stakeholders. The issues include: Managing for sustainable outdoor recreation, visitor growth and visitor enjoyment; conserving and protecting monument resources and objects or values including bighorn sheep, peregrine falcon, terrestrial and avian wildlife habitat, cultural and historical resources, geological features and riparian values; understanding and addressing tribal values; and addressing existing uses such as livestock grazing. Preliminary planning criteria include: Compliance with FLPMA, NFMA, NEPA, and other applicable laws and regulations; consultation and coordination with Native American Tribes with due consideration to Tribal concerns; incorporate the BLM Colorado Standards for Public Land Health and USFS planning criteria; management decision consistency across agency boundaries within the BCNM and with other contiguous public lands; continue managing Wilderness Study Areas under the Interim Management Policy for Lands under Wilderness Review until Congress acts on a designation or releases lands from consideration; recognize valid existing land-use and ownership rights; include adaptive management criteria to explore alternative ways to meet future management objectives; comply with existing plans and policies of adjacent local, State, Federal agencies and local Native American Tribes to the extent practicable; and use the best available scientific information and research where practicable for the planning effort. The BLM and USFS 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 plan; 2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; or 3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan. The BLM and USFS will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP–FP and Draft EIS as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. The public is VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:57 May 13, 2019 Jkt 247001 encouraged to help identify any management questions and concerns that should be addressed in the plan. The BLM and USFS will work collaboratively with interested parties to identify management decisions best suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns. The BLM and USFS use and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to help fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 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 and USFS in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources. The BLM and USFS will consult with Native American Tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Native American trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribes and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed action that the BLM and USFS are evaluating, are invited to participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or may be requested by the BLM and USFS to participate in the development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency. The BLM and USFS will use a joint interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 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: Outdoor recreation, wildlife and fisheries, threatened and endangered species; vegetation; invasive and noxious weeds; rangeland management; forestry; soils; hydrology; riparian systems; cultural resources and Native American interests; minerals and geology; fire ecology and management; paleontology; lands and realty; sociology and economics; visual resource management; law enforcement; and geographic information systems. 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. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 21353 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 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2. Jamie E. Connell, BLM Colorado State Director. [FR Doc. 2019–09837 Filed 5–13–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [19X.LLAKA02000.L16100000.DS0000. LXSS0L3l0000.241A] Notice of Availability of the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Haines Amendment to the Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan; Notice of Public Meeting Bureau of Land Management, Interior ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Glennallen Field Office is issuing for public comment the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Haines Amendment to the Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan. BLM Alaska will hold a public meeting in Haines to receive comments on the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS. The Supplemental Draft EIS will supplement the December 2012 Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Haines Planning Area that originally analyzed which, if any, designations and associated management practices best fulfill the resource needs and multiple use demands within the Haines Planning Area. DATES: To ensure that the BLM will consider your comments on the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS, BLM Alaska must receive your comments no later than August 1, 2019, which is 90 days after the Environmental Protection Agency published its notice of availability of the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS in the Federal Register. BLM Alaska will announce the date, time, and location of the public meeting in Haines on its website, through public notices, media news releases, and/or mailings. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\14MYN1.SGM 14MYN1 21354 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 93 / Tuesday, May 14, 2019 / Notices You may provide comments by mail, email, online through ePlanning or in person. Mail comments to: Bureau of Land Management, Anchorage District Office, Attn: Haines Amendment, 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99507, email comments to blm_ak_afo_rof_amend@ blm.gov, or submit comments on BLM’s ePlanning website. A link to Haines Amendment ePlanning page can be found on the project website at www.blm.gov/alaska/rof-hainesamendment. You may also review copies of the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS at the Glennallen Field Office or request a CD or paper copy of the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS by contacting Bruce Loranger, BLM project lead, at 907–267–1221. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Loranger, BLM Anchorage District Office, 907–267–1221. People who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS analyzes which, if any, designations and associated management practices best fulfill the resource needs and multiple-use demands on approximately 326,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands within the Haines Planning Area. BLM has considered new information and developed supplemental alternatives to the previous Ring of Fire Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment. Decisions to be made include whether to retain or change special land area designations, whether to retain a monitor and control area for wildlife studies, and whether to establish a maximum number of annual helicopter landings on these BLMmanaged public lands. The Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan was completed in 2006, but it did not address issues related to heli-skiing or its possible impacts to mountain goat habitat. Lynn Canal Conservation (LCC) filed a protest on the Final EIS for the Ring of Fire RMP because its recommendation for an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in the Haines Planning Area was not carried forward. LCC asserted a need for an ACEC due to the area’s goat populations. The BLM’s Record of Decision (ROD) for the Ring of Fire RMP issued in March 2008 acknowledged khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES ADDRESSES: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:57 May 13, 2019 Jkt 247001 LCC’s protest, but deferred action on an ACEC designation to a later planning effort. The BLM initiated a plan amendment in 2009 to address the commitment in the ROD, but that planning effort was paused because data was needed on goat and bear habitat for analysis of a proposed ACEC. The BLM funded a multi-year study of goat and bear habitat in the Haines area by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game which was completed in 2017. A nomination was received from both LCC and Chilkat Tribal Village for ACECs. An ACEC—Research Natural Area (RNA) of 77,797 acres in the North Block of the planning area is being considered. If approved, the ACEC would preclude the issuing of special recreation permits for helicopters and UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) use within the area. An ACEC would also restrict placement or construction of structures within the designated area and include a Right-of-Way (ROW) avoidance area. Portions of the ACEC– RNA on Takshanuk Ridge would be a ROW exclusion area and no surface disturbing activities would occur on these lands. Off-Road Vehicles used in support of military, fire, emergency, or law enforcement purposes, as well as any vehicle whose use is expressly authorized by the authorized officer (43 CFR part 8340.0–7) is exempt from the ACEC–RNA limitations. This amendment would resolve conflicts among heli-skiing Special Recreation Permit holders and others by providing a consistent approach to recreation management while balancing the need for wildlife habitat. The BLM is using data from the recently completed study of goat and bear habitat in the Haines Area to address concerns about wildlife populations while allowing the expansion of helicopter-supported recreation. BLM Alaska will hold a public meeting on the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS in Haines at a date and location to be announced. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personally identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personally identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3120(a); 40 CFR 1506.6(b). Chad B. Padgett, State Director, Alaska. [FR Doc. 2019–09931 Filed 5–13–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS–NCR–WHHO–SSB–NPS0027381; PPNCWHHOP0, PPMVSIE1Z.I00000 (199); OMB Control Number 1024–0277] Agency Information Collection Activities; National Park Service President’s Park National Christmas Tree Music Program Application National Park Service, Interior. Notice of Information Collection; request for comment. AGENCY: ACTION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the National Park Service (NPS) are proposing to renew an information collection. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before July 15, 2019. ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request (ICR) by mail to Phadrea Ponds, Acting, NPS Information Collection Clearance Officer, 1201 Oakridge Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525; or by email at phadrea_ponds@nps.gov; or by telephone at 970–267–7231. Please reference OMB Control Number 1024– 0277 in the subject line of your comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information about this ICR, contact Katie Wilmes, National Park Service, Chief of Interpretation, President’s Park, by mail at 1100 Ohio Drive SW, Rm 344, Washington, DC 20242; or by email at Katie_Wilmes@ nps.gov; or by telephone at 202–208– 1778. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. We are soliciting comments on the proposed Information Collection SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\14MYN1.SGM 14MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21353-21354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09931]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[19X.LLAKA02000.L16100000.DS0000. LXSS0L3l0000.241A]


Notice of Availability of the Supplemental Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Haines Amendment to the Ring of Fire Resource 
Management Plan; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Glennallen Field Office 
is issuing for public comment the Supplemental Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Haines Amendment to the Ring of Fire 
Resource Management Plan. BLM Alaska will hold a public meeting in 
Haines to receive comments on the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft 
EIS. The Supplemental Draft EIS will supplement the December 2012 Draft 
Resource Management Plan Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Haines Planning Area that originally analyzed which, if any, 
designations and associated management practices best fulfill the 
resource needs and multiple use demands within the Haines Planning 
Area.

DATES: To ensure that the BLM will consider your comments on the Haines 
Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS, BLM Alaska must receive your comments 
no later than August 1, 2019, which is 90 days after the Environmental 
Protection Agency published its notice of availability of the Haines 
Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS in the Federal Register. BLM Alaska 
will announce the date, time, and location of the public meeting in 
Haines on its website, through public notices, media news releases, 
and/or mailings.

[[Page 21354]]


ADDRESSES: You may provide comments by mail, email, online through 
ePlanning or in person. Mail comments to: Bureau of Land Management, 
Anchorage District Office, Attn: Haines Amendment, 4700 BLM Road, 
Anchorage, Alaska 99507, email comments to 
[email protected], or submit comments on BLM's ePlanning 
website. A link to Haines Amendment ePlanning page can be found on the 
project website at www.blm.gov/alaska/rof-haines-amendment. You may 
also review copies of the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS at 
the Glennallen Field Office or request a CD or paper copy of the Haines 
Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS by contacting Bruce Loranger, BLM 
project lead, at 907-267-1221.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Loranger, BLM Anchorage District 
Office, 907-267-1221. People who use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-
8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The 
FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or 
question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during 
normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft EIS 
analyzes which, if any, designations and associated management 
practices best fulfill the resource needs and multiple-use demands on 
approximately 326,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands within the 
Haines Planning Area. BLM has considered new information and developed 
supplemental alternatives to the previous Ring of Fire Draft Resource 
Management Plan Amendment. Decisions to be made include whether to 
retain or change special land area designations, whether to retain a 
monitor and control area for wildlife studies, and whether to establish 
a maximum number of annual helicopter landings on these BLM-managed 
public lands. The Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan was completed 
in 2006, but it did not address issues related to heli-skiing or its 
possible impacts to mountain goat habitat. Lynn Canal Conservation 
(LCC) filed a protest on the Final EIS for the Ring of Fire RMP because 
its recommendation for an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) 
in the Haines Planning Area was not carried forward. LCC asserted a 
need for an ACEC due to the area's goat populations. The BLM's Record 
of Decision (ROD) for the Ring of Fire RMP issued in March 2008 
acknowledged LCC's protest, but deferred action on an ACEC designation 
to a later planning effort. The BLM initiated a plan amendment in 2009 
to address the commitment in the ROD, but that planning effort was 
paused because data was needed on goat and bear habitat for analysis of 
a proposed ACEC. The BLM funded a multi-year study of goat and bear 
habitat in the Haines area by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game 
which was completed in 2017. A nomination was received from both LCC 
and Chilkat Tribal Village for ACECs. An ACEC--Research Natural Area 
(RNA) of 77,797 acres in the North Block of the planning area is being 
considered. If approved, the ACEC would preclude the issuing of special 
recreation permits for helicopters and UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) use 
within the area. An ACEC would also restrict placement or construction 
of structures within the designated area and include a Right-of-Way 
(ROW) avoidance area. Portions of the ACEC-RNA on Takshanuk Ridge would 
be a ROW exclusion area and no surface disturbing activities would 
occur on these lands. Off-Road Vehicles used in support of military, 
fire, emergency, or law enforcement purposes, as well as any vehicle 
whose use is expressly authorized by the authorized officer (43 CFR 
part 8340.0-7) is exempt from the ACEC-RNA limitations. This amendment 
would resolve conflicts among heli-skiing Special Recreation Permit 
holders and others by providing a consistent approach to recreation 
management while balancing the need for wildlife habitat. The BLM is 
using data from the recently completed study of goat and bear habitat 
in the Haines Area to address concerns about wildlife populations while 
allowing the expansion of helicopter-supported recreation. BLM Alaska 
will hold a public meeting on the Haines Amendment Supplemental Draft 
EIS in Haines at a date and location to be announced.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personally identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personally identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personally identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3120(a); 40 CFR 1506.6(b).

Chad B. Padgett,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2019-09931 Filed 5-13-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JA-P
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