Bureau of Land Management October 16, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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) White River Field Office (WRFO), Meeker, Colorado, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for the WRFO. By this notice the WRFO is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

The United States Forest Service (USFS) has filed an application (COC 77206) with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw approximately 4,200 acres of National Forest System lands within the White River National Forest from location and entry under the United States mining laws for a period of 20 years to protect multiple outstanding features, including scenic, recreational, geologic, ecologic, wildlife, and fisheries values, in the Deep Creek canyon and corridor. The character of the canyon and corridor is natural and essentially primitive, and the lands and free-flowing waters were found to be eligible for Wild and Scenic designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in the 2002 White River National Forest, Land and Resource Management Plan Revision. The Forest Plan decision recommended withdrawal of the canyon and corridor from location and entry under the United States mining laws. This notice temporarily segregates the land for up to 2 years from location and entry under the United States mining laws while the application is being processed. This notice also provides the public an opportunity to comment on the application and to request a public meeting. The lands have been and will remain open to mineral and geothermal leasing, and to such forms of disposition as may be allowed by law on National Forest System lands.