Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus), Colorado and Utah, 84383-84384 [2024-24335]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices
with respect to eligible renewable
energy projects on covered land, with
the goal of accelerating responsible
development of renewable energy (i.e.,
geothermal) on public lands.
Authorities: NEPA, the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); E.O.
11514, March 5, 1970, as amended by
E.O. 11991, May 24, 1977; and CEQ
regulations (40 CFR 1507.3).
Stephen G. Tryon,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024–24358 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–84–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500182301]
Notice of Availability of the Record of
Decision and Approved Resource
Management Plan Amendment for the
Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus
minimus), Colorado and Utah
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) announces the
availability of the Record of Decision
(ROD) for the Approved Resource
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment
for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse
(Centrocercus minimus) located in
Southwest Colorado and Southeast
Utah. The Colorado and Utah State
Directors signed the ROD on October 17,
2024, which constitutes the decision of
the BLM and makes the Approved RMP
Amendment effective immediately.
DATES: The Colorado and Utah State
Directors signed the ROD/Approved
RMP Amendment on October 17, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The ROD/Approved RMP
Amendment is available online at
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2019031/510. Printed copies of
the ROD/Approved RMP Amendment
are available for public inspection at the
Grand Junction, Uncompahgre, Tres
Rios, Gunnison, San Luis Valley, Moab,
and Monticello Field Offices or can be
provided upon request by contacting
Gina Phillips, Project Manager, BLM
Colorado, telephone 970–589–9852,
BLM Southwest District Office, 2465 S
Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401,
email BLM_CO_GUSG_RMPA@blm.gov.
A copy of the Protest Resolution
Report is available at: https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
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17:10 Oct 21, 2024
Jkt 265001
Gina
Phillips, Project Manager, telephone
970–589–9852, BLM Colorado, BLM
Southwest District Office, 2465 S
Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401,
email BLM_CO_GUSG_RMPA@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. Phillips. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The
Approved RMP Amendment for the
Gunnison Sage-Grouse changes the
following existing plans:
Colorado:
• Canyons of the Ancients National
Monument RMP (2010)
• Dominguez-Escalante National
Conservation Area RMP (2017)
• Grand Junction Field Office RMP
(2015)
• Gunnison Gorge National
Conservation Area RMP (2004)
• Gunnison Resource Area RMP
(1993)
• McInnis Canyons National
Conservation Area RMP (2004)
• San Luis Resource Area RMP (1991)
• Tres Rios Field Office RMP (2015)
• Uncompahgre Field Office RMP
(2020)
Utah:
• Moab Field Office RMP (2008)
• Monticello Field Office RMP (2008)
The Gunnison Sage-Grouse Approved
RMP Amendment modifies management
decisions and actions to promote
Gunnison sage-grouse recovery and
maintain and enhance habitat, as
identified in the 2020 U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) Recovery
Plan, across the eight currently
recognized populations in southwest
Colorado and southeast Utah. Gunnison
sage-grouse is federally listed as a
threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C.
1531–1544). The planning area spans
portions of 19 Colorado Counties:
Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla,
Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Gunnison,
Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral,
Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio
Grande, Saguache, San Juan, and San
Miguel; and two Utah Counties: Grand
and San Juan, and encompasses
approximately 25 million acres of
public land. The Approved RMP
Amendment makes decisions for
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Bureau of Land Management
SUMMARY:
nepa/public-participation/protestresolution-reports.
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84383
approximately 2,182,660 acres of BLMmanaged surface lands (1,951,440 acres
in Colorado and 231,220 acres in Utah)
and 2,852,390 acres of Federal
subsurface mineral estate (2,563,220
acres in Colorado and 289,170 acres in
Utah). The alternative selected as the
Approved RMP Amendment is a
clarified version of Alternative F, as
described in the Proposed RMP
Amendment. The Approved RMP
Amendment focuses conservation
measures on occupied and unoccupied
habitat. For all populations, the
Approved RMP Amendment would
apply buffers to protect all lek statuses
(active, inactive, historic, unknown,
occupied, and unoccupied). The
Approved RMP Amendment includes a
1-mile adjacent non-habitat buffer
around occupied and unoccupied
habitat areas, where minimization
measures could apply. For Recreation
and Lands and Realty program areas, the
Approved RMP Amendment applies
management designed for the Gunnison
Basin population and different
management designed for the seven
satellite populations (those outside of
the Gunnison Basin). For all
populations, the Approved RMP
Amendment manages resource uses
with an objective for no increase in net
surface disturbance in habitat. Also, the
Approved RMP Amendment closes all
areas with no and low potential for fluid
mineral leasing in both occupied and
unoccupied habitat management areas.
The Approved RMP Amendment
designates three new Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern: Dry Creek
Basin (San Miguel population; 10,920
acres), Sapinero Mesa (Gunnison Basin
population; 17,240 acres), and Chance
Gulch (Gunnison Basin population;
13,150 acres), specifically for the
protection and enhancement of
Gunnison sage-grouse habitat. One new
Backcountry Conservation Area
(referred to as Sugar Creek Backcountry
Conservation Area in the Gunnison
Basin population; 17,210 acres) is
designated to preserve intact, public
lands and priority habitat for wildlife,
while offering primitive recreation
opportunities.
These landscape level management
decisions provide habitat conservation
and reduction of threats to Gunnison
sage-grouse populations. They reflect a
long-term commitment by the BLM and
cooperating agencies for conservation of
the species by continuing protection,
restoration, and enhancement of
Gunnison sage-grouse habitat.
The BLM published a notice of intent
in the Federal Register to initiate the
public scoping period for this planning
effort on July 6, 2022 (87 FR 40262).
E:\FR\FM\22OCN1.SGM
22OCN1
84384
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices
After preparing the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS in coordination with
30 cooperating agencies and working
with Tribes, the BLM announced the 90day comment period through
publication of its Notice of Availability
in the Federal Register on November 9,
2023 (88 FR 77353). Based on public
comments received on the Draft RMP
Amendment/Draft EIS, the BLM
updated the Proposed RMP
Amendment/Final EIS (Alternative F)
by incorporating management actions
and allowable uses from Alternatives A,
B, C, D and E, including corrections and
rewording for clarification of purpose
and intent.
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP
Amendment on July 5, 2024, for a 30day protest period. The BLM received
five unique protest letter submissions.
Three letters contained valid protest
issues. After careful review of the
responses to the valid protest issues in
the protest resolution report, the BLM
Director concluded that the BLM
Colorado and Utah State Directors
followed the applicable laws,
regulations, and policies, and
considered all relevant resource
information and public input. The BLM
Director dismissed the protests, and that
decision is the final decision of the U.S.
Department of the Interior. Responses to
protest issues are compiled and
documented in a Protest Resolution
Report (see ADDRESSES).
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP
Amendment to the Governors of
Colorado and Utah for a 60-day
Governor’s consistency review. The
State of Utah identified potential
inconsistencies with State policy and
the State Resource Management Plan. In
response, the BLM modified a travel
management action and followed up
with a response letter to address
additional topics of concern. The State
of Colorado did not identify any
inconsistencies with State or local
plans, policies or programs identified
during the Governor’s consistency
review of the Proposed RMP
Amendment.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.5–
1)
Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024–24335 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–16–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:10 Oct 21, 2024
Jkt 265001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500182534]
Notice of Availability of the Record of
Decision for the Approved Resource
Management Plan Amendment for Big
Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and
Gas Management, Colorado
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) announces the
availability of the Record of Decision
(ROD) for the Approved Resource
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment
for Big Game Habitat Conservation for
Oil and Gas Management in Colorado.
The Colorado State Director signed the
ROD on October 17, 2024, which
constitutes the final decision of the BLM
and makes the Approved RMP
Amendment effective immediately.
DATES: The Colorado State Director
signed the ROD on October 17, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The ROD/Approved RMP
Amendment is available online at
https://go.usa.gov/xzXxY. Printed
copies of the ROD/Approved RMP
Amendment are available for public
inspection at the Colorado State Office,
Denver Federal Center Building 40,
Lakewood, CO 80215, or can be
provided upon request by contacting the
BLM at BLM_CO_corridors_planning@
blm.gov.
A copy of the Protest Resolution
Report is available at: https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/protestresolution-reports.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alan Bittner, Deputy State Director,
Resources, telephone 303–239–3768;
address BLM Colorado State Office,
Attn: Big Game Corridor amendment/
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),
Denver Federal Center Building 40, P.O.
Box 151029, Lakewood, CO 80215;
email BLM_CO_corridors_planning@
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 Mr. Bittner.
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
Approved RMP Amendment changes
the following existing plans:
SUMMARY:
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
• Eastern Colorado RMP for the Royal
Gorge Field Office (2024)
• San Luis Resource Area RMP (1991)
• Gunnison Resource Area RMP (1993)
• Uncompahgre Field Office RMP
(2020)
• Colorado River Valley Field Office
RMP (2015) and Roan Plateau
Amendment (2016)
• Grand Junction Field Office RMP
(2015)
• Kremmling RMP (2015)
• Little Snake RMP (2011)
• White River Field Office RMP (1997)
• Tres Rios Field Office RMP (2015)
• Canyons of the Ancients National
Monument RMP (2010)
• Gunnison Gorge National
Conservation Area RMP (2004)
The planning area includes all
counties in Colorado and encompasses
approximately 8.3 million acres of
public land and approximately 27
million acres of Federal mineral estate.
The decision area includes all 8.3
million acres of BLM-administered
surface land (except where Federal
minerals have been withdrawn from
mineral leasing) plus approximately 4.7
million acres of Federal mineral split
estate where the surface is owned by
private owners, local government, or the
State.
The Approved RMP Amendment
describes the actions and management
guidance for the conservation of big
game High Priority Habitat (HPH) and
oil and gas management. The RMP
Amendment aligns BLM management of
oil and gas in big game HPH with the
Colorado Energy and Carbon
Management Commission (ECMC) rules
for oil and gas development in elk, mule
deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep
HPH (Rule 1202.c, d; Rule 1203). Where
lands are open to oil and gas leasing
under existing RMPs, the plan
prescribes measures consistent with the
ECMC rules to conserve seasonal
habitats and connectivity within big
game HPH in support of Colorado Parks
and Wildlife’s (CPW) big game
population objectives. The approved
RMP Amendment calls for the BLM to
consider alternative locations for oil and
gas operations that either avoid big
game HPH altogether, or, where
avoidance is not feasible, minimize
adverse impacts to the maximum extent
possible. The plan includes a controlled
surface use stipulation that limits
facility density to no more than one
active oil and gas location per square
mile in big game HPH. A consideration
of CPW recommendations for route
density is included as an objective and
as a lease notice to further guide
implementation.
E:\FR\FM\22OCN1.SGM
22OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84383-84384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24335]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500182301]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved
Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse
(Centrocercus minimus), Colorado and Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Approved Resource Management
Plan (RMP) Amendment for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus
minimus) located in Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah. The Colorado
and Utah State Directors signed the ROD on October 17, 2024, which
constitutes the decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP
Amendment effective immediately.
DATES: The Colorado and Utah State Directors signed the ROD/Approved
RMP Amendment on October 17, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The ROD/Approved RMP Amendment is available online at
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019031/510. Printed
copies of the ROD/Approved RMP Amendment are available for public
inspection at the Grand Junction, Uncompahgre, Tres Rios, Gunnison, San
Luis Valley, Moab, and Monticello Field Offices or can be provided upon
request by contacting Gina Phillips, Project Manager, BLM Colorado,
telephone 970-589-9852, BLM Southwest District Office, 2465 S Townsend
Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, email [email protected].
A copy of the Protest Resolution Report is available at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina Phillips, Project Manager,
telephone 970-589-9852, BLM Colorado, BLM Southwest District Office,
2465 S Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, 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. Phillips. 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 Approved RMP Amendment for the Gunnison
Sage-Grouse changes the following existing plans:
Colorado:
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument RMP (2010)
Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area RMP (2017)
Grand Junction Field Office RMP (2015)
Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area RMP (2004)
Gunnison Resource Area RMP (1993)
McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area RMP (2004)
San Luis Resource Area RMP (1991)
Tres Rios Field Office RMP (2015)
Uncompahgre Field Office RMP (2020)
Utah:
Moab Field Office RMP (2008)
Monticello Field Office RMP (2008)
The Gunnison Sage-Grouse Approved RMP Amendment modifies management
decisions and actions to promote Gunnison sage-grouse recovery and
maintain and enhance habitat, as identified in the 2020 U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) Recovery Plan, across the eight currently
recognized populations in southwest Colorado and southeast Utah.
Gunnison sage-grouse is federally listed as a threatened species under
the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544). The planning area
spans portions of 19 Colorado Counties: Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos,
Costilla, Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa,
Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan,
and San Miguel; and two Utah Counties: Grand and San Juan, and
encompasses approximately 25 million acres of public land. The Approved
RMP Amendment makes decisions for approximately 2,182,660 acres of BLM-
managed surface lands (1,951,440 acres in Colorado and 231,220 acres in
Utah) and 2,852,390 acres of Federal subsurface mineral estate
(2,563,220 acres in Colorado and 289,170 acres in Utah). The
alternative selected as the Approved RMP Amendment is a clarified
version of Alternative F, as described in the Proposed RMP Amendment.
The Approved RMP Amendment focuses conservation measures on occupied
and unoccupied habitat. For all populations, the Approved RMP Amendment
would apply buffers to protect all lek statuses (active, inactive,
historic, unknown, occupied, and unoccupied). The Approved RMP
Amendment includes a 1-mile adjacent non-habitat buffer around occupied
and unoccupied habitat areas, where minimization measures could apply.
For Recreation and Lands and Realty program areas, the Approved RMP
Amendment applies management designed for the Gunnison Basin population
and different management designed for the seven satellite populations
(those outside of the Gunnison Basin). For all populations, the
Approved RMP Amendment manages resource uses with an objective for no
increase in net surface disturbance in habitat. Also, the Approved RMP
Amendment closes all areas with no and low potential for fluid mineral
leasing in both occupied and unoccupied habitat management areas.
The Approved RMP Amendment designates three new Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern: Dry Creek Basin (San Miguel population; 10,920
acres), Sapinero Mesa (Gunnison Basin population; 17,240 acres), and
Chance Gulch (Gunnison Basin population; 13,150 acres), specifically
for the protection and enhancement of Gunnison sage-grouse habitat. One
new Backcountry Conservation Area (referred to as Sugar Creek
Backcountry Conservation Area in the Gunnison Basin population; 17,210
acres) is designated to preserve intact, public lands and priority
habitat for wildlife, while offering primitive recreation
opportunities.
These landscape level management decisions provide habitat
conservation and reduction of threats to Gunnison sage-grouse
populations. They reflect a long-term commitment by the BLM and
cooperating agencies for conservation of the species by continuing
protection, restoration, and enhancement of Gunnison sage-grouse
habitat.
The BLM published a notice of intent in the Federal Register to
initiate the public scoping period for this planning effort on July 6,
2022 (87 FR 40262).
[[Page 84384]]
After preparing the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS in coordination with 30
cooperating agencies and working with Tribes, the BLM announced the 90-
day comment period through publication of its Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register on November 9, 2023 (88 FR 77353). Based on public
comments received on the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS, the BLM updated
the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS (Alternative F) by incorporating
management actions and allowable uses from Alternatives A, B, C, D and
E, including corrections and rewording for clarification of purpose and
intent.
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP Amendment on July 5, 2024, for a
30-day protest period. The BLM received five unique protest letter
submissions. Three letters contained valid protest issues. After
careful review of the responses to the valid protest issues in the
protest resolution report, the BLM Director concluded that the BLM
Colorado and Utah State Directors followed the applicable laws,
regulations, and policies, and considered all relevant resource
information and public input. The BLM Director dismissed the protests,
and that decision is the final decision of the U.S. Department of the
Interior. Responses to protest issues are compiled and documented in a
Protest Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES).
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP Amendment to the Governors of
Colorado and Utah for a 60-day Governor's consistency review. The State
of Utah identified potential inconsistencies with State policy and the
State Resource Management Plan. In response, the BLM modified a travel
management action and followed up with a response letter to address
additional topics of concern. The State of Colorado did not identify
any inconsistencies with State or local plans, policies or programs
identified during the Governor's consistency review of the Proposed RMP
Amendment.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.5-1)
Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-24335 Filed 10-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-16-P
