Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the Sonoran Desert National Monument, Arizona, and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment, 52026-52027 [2022-18254]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52026-52027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18254]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LAZP04000.L17110000.DU0000.223]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the 
Sonoran Desert National Monument, Arizona, and Prepare an Associated 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona State 
Director intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment 
with an associated environmental assessment (EA) concerning 
recreational target shooting for the Sonoran Desert National Monument 
(SDNM). By this notice the BLM is announcing the beginning of the 
scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues and is 
providing the planning criteria for public review.

DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the 
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, planning criteria, and 
identification of relevant information, and studies by September 23, 
2022. To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider issues please 
ensure your comments are received prior to the close of the 30-day 
scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is 
later. The date(s) and time(s) of scoping meetings will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through local news releases, newspapers, and 
the BLM Arizona Phoenix District web page, https://www.blm.gov/office/phoenix-district-office.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the SDNM RMP Amendment and EA addressing Recreational Target 
Shooting availability in the monument by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019811/510.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: BLM, Sonoran Desert National Monument, Attn.: RMPA 
EA, 2020 E. Bell Road, Phoenix AZ 85022.

    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019811/510 and at the 
Phoenix District Office, 2020 E. Bell Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie White Bull, Acting Field 
Manager, telephone (480) 739-8721; address 2020 E. Bell Road, Phoenix, 
Arizona 85022; email [email protected]. Contact Ms. White Bull to have 
your name added to our mailing list. Individuals in the United States 
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability 
may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications 
relay services for contacting Ms. White Bull. Individuals outside the 
United States should use the relay services offered within their 
country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the 
United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Arizona State Director intends to prepare and consider an RMP amendment 
with an associated EA for recreational target shooting availability in 
the SDNM, announces the beginning of the scoping process, and seeks 
public input on issues, preliminary alternatives, and planning 
criteria. The RMP amendment would change the existing SDNM Record of 
Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (BLM 2012), as amended 
by the 2018 Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan 
Amendment.
    The planning area is located in Maricopa and Pinal Counties, 
Arizona and encompasses approximately 486,400 acres of public land.
    The scope of this land use planning process does not include 
addressing the evaluation or designation of Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs), and the BLM is not considering ACEC 
nominations as part of this process.

Purpose and Need

    The purpose of the RMP amendment is to establish management 
guidance specific to recreational target shooting on public land within 
the SDNM while ensuring the decisions are consistent with the SDNM 
proclamation and other resource decisions in the 2012 SDNM Record of 
Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan. The need for this 
planning effort is to fulfill requirements of an April 2022 settlement 
agreement that the BLM entered to resolve litigation concerning the 
agency's 2018 Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan 
Amendment for the SDNM.

Preliminary Alternatives

    The RMP amendment process will consider whether and where 
recreational target shooting should be allowed in the SDNM, along with 
any associated management actions. Preliminary alternatives include the 
No Action alternative, which reflects the 2018 Record of Decision and 
approved resource management plan amendment that identified 
approximately 435,700 acres of public land as available for dispersed 
recreational target shooting along with a monitoring and mitigation 
framework to avoid or minimize impacts on monument objects while 
increasing public safety. In accordance with the April 2022 settlement 
agreement referenced earlier, the BLM will also analyze an alternative 
under which several areas in the monument would be unavailable to 
recreational target shooting, including designated wilderness; lands 
with wilderness characteristics managed to protect those 
characteristics; an area in the northwest portion of the monument where 
the Komatke Trail is suspected to exist, along with a 0.5 mile buffer 
north of the suspected trail, unless, prior to the completion of the 
land use planning process, additional field work demonstrates the 
nonexistence of the trail; the area south of Highway 238 from the 
western edge of the monument boundary to the western edge of the South 
Maricopa Mountains Wilderness area boundary, and the area south of I-8 
and west of the Table Top Wilderness, known as the Vekol Valley; the 
portion of the monument that used to be part of the Barry M. Goldwater 
Air Force Range before it was reconveyed to the BLM; and any area where 
the BLM's suitability analysis identifies monument objects and 
determines target shooting is inconsistent with the objects' proper

[[Page 52027]]

care and management. This alternative will also include a mitigation 
and monitoring protocol to protect monument objects where target 
shooting is allowed. The BLM welcomes comments on all preliminary 
alternatives as well as suggestions for additional alternatives.

Planning Criteria

    The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the 
groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues 
and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning 
area have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement 
conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local 
agencies; Tribes; and other stakeholders. The BLM has identified three 
preliminary issues for this planning effort's analysis: (1) impacts on 
monument objects from recreational target shooting, (2) effectiveness 
of the mitigation and monitoring protocol in protecting monument 
objects, and (3) public health and safety. The planning criteria are 
available for public review and comment at the ePlanning website (see 
ADDRESSES).

Public Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public 
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and 
analysis of the RMP amendment and EA.
    The BLM will be holding a minimum of two virtual public meetings. 
The specific date(s) and location(s) of these scoping meetings will be 
announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers, 
and the project ePlanning page. You may submit comments to the BLM 
using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section previously.

Dingell Act Recreational Target Shooting Closures

    In accordance with the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, 
Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 (Dingell Act, Pub. L. 116-9, 
Section 4103), the BLM is generally required to provide public notice 
and comment before a final decision is made to close an area to 
recreational shooting. If the BLM proposes any recreational shooting 
closures as part of the RMP amendment process, it will provide 
opportunities for public participation in accordance with 16 U.S.C. 
7913.

Interdisciplinary Team

    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
amendment to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Specialists with expertise in various disciplines, such as 
recreation management, National Conservation Lands, wildlife, 
vegetation, range management and soils, cultural and heritage 
resources, social and economic conditions and environmental justice, 
planning and environmental coordination, and Geographic Information 
Systems will be involved in this planning effort.

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan 
amendment and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance 
with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not 
already included in the proposed plan amendment or alternatives. 
Mitigation may include avoidance, minimization, rectification, 
reduction or elimination over time, and compensation; and it may be 
considered at multiple scales, including the landscape scale.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning 
processes for this planning effort to help support compliance with 
applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered Species Act (16 
U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including public 
involvement requirements of Section 106. The information about historic 
and cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the 
area potentially affected by the proposed plan amendment will assist 
the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual 
Section 1780, and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns, 
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to 
cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Federal, State, 
and local agencies, along with Indian Tribal nations and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed plan 
amendment that 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. The BLM intends to hold a series of government-
to-government consultation meetings. The BLM will send invites to 
potentially affected Tribal nations prior to the meetings. The BLM will 
provide additional opportunities for government-to-government 
consultation during the NEPA process.
    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 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2)

Raymond Suazo,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-18254 Filed 8-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P