Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the Campbell Tract Special Recreation Management Area, Anchorage, Alaska, and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment, 17263-17264 [2023-05837]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17263-17264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05837]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLAKA01200.L1220000.DA0000.234; BLM_AK_FRN_MO4500169067]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the 
Campbell Tract Special Recreation Management Area, Anchorage, Alaska, 
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) Alaska State 
Director intends to prepare a resource management plan (RMP) amendment 
with an associated environmental assessment (EA) for the Campbell Tract 
Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Designation Amendment. This notice announces 
the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and 
seek input on issues and planning criteria.

DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the 
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of 
relevant information and studies by April 21, 2023. To afford the BLM 
the opportunity to consider issues, please ensure your comments are 
received prior to the close of 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, letters and/or postcards, local 
stakeholder email list, and through BLM Alaska social media.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the RMP Amendment and EA addressing OHV route designation on 
Campbell Tract by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022130/510.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (907) 267-1267.
     Mail: BLM, Campbell Tract OHV Designation Amendment, 
Attn.: RMPA EA, 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, AK 99507.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022130/510 and at the 
Anchorage Field Office, 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99507.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jake Vialpando, Field Manager, 
telephone (907) 267-1246; address 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, Alaska 
99507; email [email protected]. Contact Jake 
Vialpando 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 Mr. Vialpando. 
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 
Alaska State Director intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an 
associated EA for the Campbell Tract OHV Designation Amendment within 
the Anchorage Field Office, announces the beginning of the scoping 
process, and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. The 
RMP amendment is being considered to allow the BLM to conduct travel 
management planning to evaluate authorizing electric bicycles (e-bikes) 
on existing trails within the Campbell Tract Special Recreation 
Management Area (SRMA), which would require amending the existing 2008 
Ring of Fire RMP.
    The planning area is in the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, and 
encompasses approximately 730 acres of public land. The Campbell Tract 
SRMA is in an urban setting where the routes are connected to municipal 
park land in Far North Bicentennial Park and adjacent state park lands 
in Chugach State Park, both of which currently authorize specific types 
of electric vehicles where traditional bicycles are allowed.

[[Page 17264]]

Purpose and Need

    The purpose of the project is to establish management guidance 
specific to OHV use, including e-bikes, on public lands within the 
Campbell Tract SRMA. The need for this planning effort is to provide 
for recreation opportunities for a wide variety of user groups in a 
multi-use setting appropriate for a variety of recreation uses. The 
2008 Ring of Fire RMP currently identifies the Campbell Tract SRMA as 
closed for OHVs. There is a need to amend the Ring of Fire RMP to allow 
for consideration of management of e-bikes on existing trails.

Preliminary Alternatives

    The RMP amendment process will consider whether revising the 
Campbell Tract SRMA OHV designation from ``Closed'' to ``Limited by 
vehicle type'', would be allowed, which could authorize vehicles such 
as Class I e-bikes to be used on the trail system. Preliminary 
alternatives include the No Action Alternative and the Proposed Action: 
changing the current OHV designation of ``Closed'' to ``Limited by 
Vehicle Type'' to potentially allow for advances in recreational 
electric vehicle technology and provide a seamless recreation trail 
experience with adjacent park lands. 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 eleven 
preliminary issues for this planning effort's analysis. 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 public scoping meeting for this project will be in person 
and/or virtual. Public comments will be accepted at the scoping 
meeting. The specific date(s) and location(s) of the scoping meeting 
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.

Interdisciplinary Team

    The BLM will use an 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 this planning effort: cultural/Tribal, fisheries, 
hazardous material, hydrology, lands, range/wildlife/threatened and 
endangered species, recreation/travel management/visual, riparian, 
subsistence, vegetation, and environmental education.

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 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 will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Alaska Native Corporations and Alaska 
Native Tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with 
Executive Order 13175, BLM MS 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 Alaska Native Tribes and 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
Campbell Tract OHV Designation 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.
    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 1501.9 and 43 CFR 1610.2)

Steven M. Cohn,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-05837 Filed 3-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-10-P