Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, 80916-80917 [2024-22760]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 193 / Friday, October 4, 2024 / Notices
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
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 Indian Tribes and
other stakeholders that may be
interested in or affected by the proposed
Dodge Flat Solar II Project 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
EA 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 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2,
and 43 CFR 2800)
Jon K. Raby,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024–22982 Filed 10–3–24; 8:45 am]
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
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Jkt 265001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
[BLM_UT_FRN_MO 4500181748]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
Bears Ears National Monument in Utah
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior; Forest Service, Agriculture
(USDA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
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 (FLPMA), the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service (USDA Forest Service),
collectively ‘‘the Agencies,’’ have
prepared a Proposed Resource
Management Plan (RMP) and Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the Bears Ears National Monument
(BENM or monument) and by this notice
are announcing the start of a 30-day
protest period of the Proposed RMP.
DATES: This notice announces a 30-day
protest period to the BLM on the
Proposed RMP beginning on the date of
the Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) publication of its Notice of
Availability (NOA) of the Proposed
RMP/Final EIS in the Federal Register.
The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on
Fridays. Protests must be postmarked or
electronically submitted on the BLM’s
ePlanning site during the 30-day protest
period.
ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP, Final
EIS and associated documents are
available on the BLM ePlanning project
website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/
eplanning-ui/project/2020347/510.
Pertinent documents may also be
examined at the BLM Monticello Field
Office, 365 North Main, Monticello,
Utah 84535.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the BLM for the BENM Proposed RMP/
Final EIS can be found at: https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/filing-a-planprotest and at 43 CFR 1610.5–2.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill
Stephenson, Project Manager,
telephone: 435–259–2100; address:
Bureau of Land Management Canyon
Country District, 82 E Dogwood, Moab,
Utah 84532; email: jstephenson@
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00062
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
blm.gov. 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. Stephenson.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
planning area is located in San Juan
County, Utah, and encompasses
approximately 1.36 million acres of
federal land administered by the BLM
and USDA Forest Service.
The USDA Forest Service will adopt
the BLM’s administrative review protest
procedures, as provided by the Forest
Service Planning Rule at 36 CFR
219.59(a).
Purpose and Need for the Planning
Effort
Presidential Proclamation 10285
directs the Agencies to ‘‘prepare and
maintain a new management plan for
the entire monument’’ for the specific
purposes of ‘‘protecting and restoring
the objects identified [in Proclamation
10285] and in Proclamation 9558.’’
The RMP’s underlying purpose (40
CFR 1502.13) is to provide a
management framework, including
goals, objectives, and management
direction, to guide BENM management
consistent with the protection of BENM
objects and the management direction
provided in Proclamation 10285.
The purpose and need for the BENM
RMP is aligned with the purpose and
need to amend the plan direction and
management allocation for BENM in the
Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan (LRMP).
The proposed programmatic
amendment incorporates the proposed
BENM RMP and updated land
management allocation of the BENM
boundary area into the Manti-La Sal
LRMP. The scope of the USDA Forest
Service amendment is based on the
objects identified in Proclamation
10285, and the scale applies to National
Forest System (NFS) lands within the
BENM boundary area.
Alternatives Considered
The Final EIS evaluates six
alternatives in detail, including the no
action alternative. Alternative A (the no
action alternative) represents current
management from the 2020 BENM
Approved Monument Management
Plans, which apply to lands that
remained in BENM under Proclamation
9681, and the 2008 Monticello
Approved RMP, 2008 Moab Approved
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
04OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 193 / Friday, October 4, 2024 / Notices
RMP, and 1986 Manti-La Sal National
Forest LRMP, as amended, which apply
to the lands that were excluded from
BENM under Proclamation 9681, to the
extent that those management actions
are consistent with Proclamation 10285.
In some cases, decisions in the 2008
Monticello Approved RMP, 2008 Moab
Approved RMP, and 1986 Manti-La Sal
National Forest LRMP are inconsistent
with Proclamation 10285; in those
instances, Alternative A has been
modified to be consistent with
Proclamation 10285. Alternative B
would provide the most permissive
management for discretionary actions
that are compatible with the protection
of BENM objects. This alternative would
focus on on-site education and
interpretation and allow for the
development of facilities to protect
BENM objects. Alternative C would
allow discretionary actions if they are
necessary to protect BENM objects. This
alternative would focus on off-site
education and interpretation and allow
for limited development of facilities to
protect BENM objects. Alternative D
would allow for the continuation of
natural processes by limiting or
discontinuing discretionary uses. This
alternative would minimize humancreated facilities and management and
would emphasize natural conditions.
Alternative E would emphasize resource
protection and maximize the
consideration and use of Tribal
perspectives on managing the BENM
landscape. This alternative includes
consideration of natural processes and
seasonal cycles in the management of
BENM, and extensive collaboration with
Tribal Nations to incorporate those
considerations into the day-to-day
management of the monument. The
BLM and USDA Forest Service have
also developed the Proposed RMP as
presented in the Final EIS. The
Proposed RMP is based on Alternative
E, with a combination of components
from the various action alternatives.
Like Alternative E, the Proposed RMP
emphasizes resource protection and
maximizing the consideration and use
of Tribal perspectives.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Public Comment Period and
Development of the Proposed RMP and
Final EIS
The BLM received a total of 18,975
letter submissions during the public
comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS,
including 15,624 letters that contained
non-unique, preformulated language
that appeared elsewhere in letter
submissions. There were 3,351 unique
submissions, from which the agencies
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:26 Oct 03, 2024
Jkt 265001
identified substantive comments. Most
submissions were focused on
suggestions for specific alternatives or
alternative elements; statements of
support for or lack thereof for an
alternative; and detailed input
pertaining to various resource topics
analyzed in the draft EIS, such as travel
and transportation, livestock grazing,
and recreation and visitor services.
The agencies were informed in the
development of the Proposed RMP by
public comments; input from the Bears
Ears Commission, cooperating agencies,
and the Utah Division of Wildlife
Resources; government-to-government
consultation with Tribal Nations;
consultation under section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act; and
updates to the best available science.
The primary changes from the Draft
RMP/EIS to the Proposed RMP/Final
EIS include: the analysis of the
Proposed RMP; the use of updated
assessment, inventory, and monitoring
data; modifications to management
actions concerning recreation, travel
and transportation, livestock grazing,
visual resources, lands and realty, and
lands with wilderness characteristics;
the designation of Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACECs); the
inclusion of the public comment
process summary and responses; the
development of a monitoring plan; the
addition of an appendix to address
scenery management on the NFS lands;
and the review of applicable State and
local land use plans for plan
consistency. The agencies also made
revisions in the Final EIS for
consistency, clarity, and accuracy. In
Appendix U of the Final EIS, the
agencies provide responses to
substantive comments on the Draft
RMP/EIS, including proposed target
shooting closures and ACECs.
Protest of the Proposed RMP
The BLM planning regulations state
that any person who participated in the
preparation of the RMP and has an
interest that will or might be adversely
affected by approval of the Proposed
RMP may protest its approval to the
BLM Director. Protest on the Proposed
RMP constitutes the final opportunity
for administrative review of the
proposed land use planning decisions
prior to the BLM adopting an approved
RMP and the USDA Forest Service
approving amendment of the 1986
Manti-La Sal National Forest LRMP.
Instructions for filing a protest regarding
the Proposed RMP with the BLM
Director may be found online at https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-
PO 00000
Frm 00063
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
80917
nepa/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 earlier or
submitted electronically through the
BLM ePlanning project website as
described previously. Protests submitted
electronically by any means other than
the ePlanning project website will be
invalid unless a protest is also
submitted as a hard copy. The BLM
Director will render a written decision
on each protest. The BLM Reviewing
Official is the BLM Assistant Director
for Resources and Planning, and the
USDA Forest Service Reviewing Official
is the Regional Forester. The BLM and
USDA Forest Service will jointly sign a
memorandum documenting the
decisions on the resolutions of all
protests for both agencies. This shall be
the final decision of the Department of
the Interior and Department of
Agriculture. Responses to valid protest
issues will be compiled and
documented in a Protest Resolution
Report made available following the
protest resolution online at: https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/protestresolution-reports. Upon resolution of
protests, the BLM will issue a Record of
Decision (ROD) and Approved RMP,
and the USDA Forest Service will issue
a ROD amending the 1986 Manti-La Sal
National Forest LRMP to incorporate the
Approved RMP for BENM. The
responsible official for the BLM is the
Utah State Director; the responsible
official for the USDA Forest Service is
the Manti-La Sal Forest Supervisor.
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
(2023), 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 1610.5, 36
CFR 219.16, 36 CFR 219.59)
Gregory Sheehan,
BLM Utah State Director.
Barbara Van Alstine,
Manti-La Sal Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2024–22760 Filed 10–3–24; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80916-80917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22760]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
[BLM_UT_FRN_MO 4500181748]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan
and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Bears Ears National
Monument in Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Forest Service,
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USDA Forest Service),
collectively ``the Agencies,'' have prepared a Proposed Resource
Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the Bears Ears National Monument (BENM or monument) and by this
notice are announcing the start of a 30-day protest period of the
Proposed RMP.
DATES: This notice announces a 30-day protest period to the BLM on the
Proposed RMP beginning on the date of the Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) publication of its Notice of Availability (NOA) of the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS in the Federal Register. The EPA usually
publishes its NOAs on Fridays. Protests must be postmarked or
electronically submitted on the BLM's ePlanning site during the 30-day
protest period.
ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP, Final EIS and associated documents are
available on the BLM ePlanning project website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020347/510. Pertinent documents
may also be examined at the BLM Monticello Field Office, 365 North
Main, Monticello, Utah 84535.
Instructions for filing a protest with the BLM for the BENM
Proposed RMP/Final EIS can be found at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest and at 43
CFR 1610.5-2.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Stephenson, Project Manager,
telephone: 435-259-2100; address: Bureau of Land Management Canyon
Country District, 82 E Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532; email:
[email protected]. 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. Stephenson. 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: The planning area is located in San Juan
County, Utah, and encompasses approximately 1.36 million acres of
federal land administered by the BLM and USDA Forest Service.
The USDA Forest Service will adopt the BLM's administrative review
protest procedures, as provided by the Forest Service Planning Rule at
36 CFR 219.59(a).
Purpose and Need for the Planning Effort
Presidential Proclamation 10285 directs the Agencies to ``prepare
and maintain a new management plan for the entire monument'' for the
specific purposes of ``protecting and restoring the objects identified
[in Proclamation 10285] and in Proclamation 9558.''
The RMP's underlying purpose (40 CFR 1502.13) is to provide a
management framework, including goals, objectives, and management
direction, to guide BENM management consistent with the protection of
BENM objects and the management direction provided in Proclamation
10285.
The purpose and need for the BENM RMP is aligned with the purpose
and need to amend the plan direction and management allocation for BENM
in the Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan
(LRMP). The proposed programmatic amendment incorporates the proposed
BENM RMP and updated land management allocation of the BENM boundary
area into the Manti-La Sal LRMP. The scope of the USDA Forest Service
amendment is based on the objects identified in Proclamation 10285, and
the scale applies to National Forest System (NFS) lands within the BENM
boundary area.
Alternatives Considered
The Final EIS evaluates six alternatives in detail, including the
no action alternative. Alternative A (the no action alternative)
represents current management from the 2020 BENM Approved Monument
Management Plans, which apply to lands that remained in BENM under
Proclamation 9681, and the 2008 Monticello Approved RMP, 2008 Moab
Approved
[[Page 80917]]
RMP, and 1986 Manti-La Sal National Forest LRMP, as amended, which
apply to the lands that were excluded from BENM under Proclamation
9681, to the extent that those management actions are consistent with
Proclamation 10285. In some cases, decisions in the 2008 Monticello
Approved RMP, 2008 Moab Approved RMP, and 1986 Manti-La Sal National
Forest LRMP are inconsistent with Proclamation 10285; in those
instances, Alternative A has been modified to be consistent with
Proclamation 10285. Alternative B would provide the most permissive
management for discretionary actions that are compatible with the
protection of BENM objects. This alternative would focus on on-site
education and interpretation and allow for the development of
facilities to protect BENM objects. Alternative C would allow
discretionary actions if they are necessary to protect BENM objects.
This alternative would focus on off-site education and interpretation
and allow for limited development of facilities to protect BENM
objects. Alternative D would allow for the continuation of natural
processes by limiting or discontinuing discretionary uses. This
alternative would minimize human-created facilities and management and
would emphasize natural conditions. Alternative E would emphasize
resource protection and maximize the consideration and use of Tribal
perspectives on managing the BENM landscape. This alternative includes
consideration of natural processes and seasonal cycles in the
management of BENM, and extensive collaboration with Tribal Nations to
incorporate those considerations into the day-to-day management of the
monument. The BLM and USDA Forest Service have also developed the
Proposed RMP as presented in the Final EIS. The Proposed RMP is based
on Alternative E, with a combination of components from the various
action alternatives. Like Alternative E, the Proposed RMP emphasizes
resource protection and maximizing the consideration and use of Tribal
perspectives.
Public Comment Period and Development of the Proposed RMP and Final EIS
The BLM received a total of 18,975 letter submissions during the
public comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS, including 15,624 letters
that contained non-unique, preformulated language that appeared
elsewhere in letter submissions. There were 3,351 unique submissions,
from which the agencies identified substantive comments. Most
submissions were focused on suggestions for specific alternatives or
alternative elements; statements of support for or lack thereof for an
alternative; and detailed input pertaining to various resource topics
analyzed in the draft EIS, such as travel and transportation, livestock
grazing, and recreation and visitor services.
The agencies were informed in the development of the Proposed RMP
by public comments; input from the Bears Ears Commission, cooperating
agencies, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; government-to-
government consultation with Tribal Nations; consultation under section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; and updates to the best
available science.
The primary changes from the Draft RMP/EIS to the Proposed RMP/
Final EIS include: the analysis of the Proposed RMP; the use of updated
assessment, inventory, and monitoring data; modifications to management
actions concerning recreation, travel and transportation, livestock
grazing, visual resources, lands and realty, and lands with wilderness
characteristics; the designation of Areas of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACECs); the inclusion of the public comment process summary
and responses; the development of a monitoring plan; the addition of an
appendix to address scenery management on the NFS lands; and the review
of applicable State and local land use plans for plan consistency. The
agencies also made revisions in the Final EIS for consistency, clarity,
and accuracy. In Appendix U of the Final EIS, the agencies provide
responses to substantive comments on the Draft RMP/EIS, including
proposed target shooting closures and ACECs.
Protest of the Proposed RMP
The BLM planning regulations state that any person who participated
in the preparation of the RMP and has an interest that will or might be
adversely affected by approval of the Proposed RMP may protest its
approval to the BLM Director. Protest on the Proposed RMP constitutes
the final opportunity for administrative review of the proposed land
use planning decisions prior to the BLM adopting an approved RMP and
the USDA Forest Service approving amendment of the 1986 Manti-La Sal
National Forest LRMP. Instructions for filing a protest regarding the
Proposed RMP with the BLM Director 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 earlier or submitted electronically through the BLM ePlanning
project website as described previously. Protests submitted
electronically by any means other than the ePlanning project website
will be invalid unless a protest is also submitted as a hard copy. The
BLM Director will render a written decision on each protest. The BLM
Reviewing Official is the BLM Assistant Director for Resources and
Planning, and the USDA Forest Service Reviewing Official is the
Regional Forester. The BLM and USDA Forest Service will jointly sign a
memorandum documenting the decisions on the resolutions of all protests
for both agencies. This shall be the final decision of the Department
of the Interior and Department of Agriculture. Responses to valid
protest issues will be compiled and documented in a Protest Resolution
Report made available following the protest resolution online at:
https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports. Upon resolution of protests, the BLM will
issue a Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved RMP, and the USDA Forest
Service will issue a ROD amending the 1986 Manti-La Sal National Forest
LRMP to incorporate the Approved RMP for BENM. The responsible official
for the BLM is the Utah State Director; the responsible official for
the USDA Forest Service is the Manti-La Sal Forest Supervisor.
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 (2023), 43 CFR 1610.2, 43
CFR 1610.5, 36 CFR 219.16, 36 CFR 219.59)
Gregory Sheehan,
BLM Utah State Director.
Barbara Van Alstine,
Manti-La Sal Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2024-22760 Filed 10-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-25-P
