Department of the Interior January 19, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Boise District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-190) and Council on Environmental Quality's implementing regulations (40 CFR 1502.9(c)) that public scoping has been initiated for the conservation planning and environmental impact analysis process to identify and assess potential impacts of alternative resource protection and other considerations within the San Gabriel River Watershed Special Resource Study area in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Region. The purpose of the scoping process is to elicit public comment regarding issues and concerns, alternatives, and the nature and extent of potential environmental impacts (and as appropriate, mitigation measures) which should be addressed. Background: As authorized by Public Law 108-042, the NPS is conducting a special resource study of the San Gabriel River and its tributaries from the city of Santa Fe Springs to the north, and the San Gabriel Mountains within the territory of the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. The study area includes areas of the Angeles National Forest, as well as many urban communities along the San Gabriel River and its tributaries. Although the Angeles National Forest and various local and county parks provide recreational opportunities, many communities within the study area experience a lack of open space and their associated recreational opportunities. In conducting the San Gabriel Watershed Special Resource Study, the NPS will evaluate the national significance of the area's natural and cultural resources. The NPS will also assess the area's suitability and feasibility to be a unit of the National Park System. Factors which the NPS study team will evaluate include: Whether the study area includes types or quality of resources not already adequately represented in the National Park System; whether long-term protection and public use of the area are feasible; and whether the area can be adequately protected and administered at a reasonable cost. The NPS's conclusions may vary for different portions of the study area. The NPS will also consider: Alternative strategies for the management, protection and use of significant resources within the overall study area, including management by other public agencies or the private sector; technical or financial assistance available from established programs or special initiatives and partnerships; alternative designations to a national park unit and; cooperative management by NPS and other entities. The authorizing statute directs the NPS to consider regional flood control and drainage needs and publicly owned infrastructure such as wastewater treatment facilities. Opportunities for increased open space and recreational opportunities will also be considered in the study. Public Involvement: During the study process, a range of alternatives will be developed, in consultation with Federal, State and local governments and the public. The law authorizing this study directs the NPS to consult with the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and with other appropriate Federal, State and local governmental entities. The NPS will conduct an environmental review of the alternatives and the potential impacts of resource protection considerations as part of the San Gabriel River Watershed Special Resource Study. At this time, it has not been determined whether an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared, however, this scoping process will aid in the preparation of either document, and public comments will aid in making this determination. The public will have opportunities to comment and participate throughout the study process, including the opportunity to review the environmental document and submit additional comments. For initial scoping and alternatives development, the most useful comments are those that provide the NPS with assistance in identifying issues and concerns which should be addressed, or providing important information germane to this study. All responses to this Notice will also be used to establish a mailing list of interested persons, organizations, and agencies that desire to receive further information as the environmental document is developed. The public scoping period for the San Gabriel River Watershed Special Resource Study will conclude 90 days after the publication of this Scoping Notice in the Federal Register. As soon as this date can be determined, it will be posted on the study Web site (noted below) and announced by press release to local and regional media. Scoping meetings will be held in the Los Angeles Region in the winter and/or spring of 2005. Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies wishing to provide written comments on issues or concerns should respond to: National Park Service, San Gabriel River Watershed Special Resource Study, 1111 Jackson Street, Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94607. Comments may also be submitted electronically through the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) system (which can be accessed through the study's Web site listed below). In addition, the study team may be contacted anytime via e-mail at pwrsangabriel@nps.gov. If individuals submitting comments request that their name and/or address be withheld from public disclosure, it will be honored to the extent allowable by law. Such requests must be stated prominently in the beginning of the comments. There also may be circumstances wherein the NPS will withhold a respondent's identity as allowable by law. As always: NPS will make available to public inspection all submissions from organizations or businesses and from persons identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations and businesses; and, anonymous comments may not be considered. Future Information: Further information about the study process and opportunities for the public to participate will be distributed via direct mailings, regional and local news media, and announcements on the San Gabriel Watershed Special Resource Study Web site (https:// www.nps.gov/pwro/sangabriel). Decision Process: Availability of the forthcoming draft environmental document for review and written comment will be announced by local and regional news media, the above listed Web site, and direct mailing. At this time the draft document is anticipated to be available for public review and comment by late 2006 or early 2007. Comments on the draft document will be fully considered in the decision making process and responded to as appropriate in the final document. The official responsible for the initial recommendation will be the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service. The official responsible for amending or ratifying the recommendation and transmitting the final document to the Secretary of the Interior will be the Director of the National Park Service. The final document will identify the alternative that, in the professional judgment of the Director of the National Park Service, is the most effective and efficient method for protecting significant resources and providing for public enjoyment. The Secretary of the Interior subsequently will forward the completed study along with a recommendation regarding the Secretary's preferred management option for the area to Congress for their consideration. It is anticipated that the final study report will be available in winter 2008.

The plats of survey described below are scheduled to be officially filed in the Arizona State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix, Arizona, (30) thirty calendar days from the date of this publication.

In order to facilitate temporary operations and protect resources in the event of severe seasonal storms and/or natural disasters, the Ukiah Field Office is hereby serving notice that it will be adopting a temporary closure policy to be enacted on an as-needed basis when basic criteria are met. The policy will be in place for up to one year, or upon completion of the Ukiah RMP. The closure will be invoked or lifted through notices in news media outlets, information hot lines and on-the-ground postings. The lands covered by this temporary closure include all public lands administered by the Ukiah Field Office within the South Cow Mountain Recreation Area. Public notices listed on information lines will specify which public lands will be temporarily closed, and will reflect local conditions. One of the following criteria shall be met to temporarily close the area: (1) State, County or Federal road access to the area is closed or restricted to residents and emergency personnel; (2) BLM or emergency response personnel cannot access and/or perform their duties in a given location; (3) Roads or trails are saturated with moisture to the point where vehicle traffic causes ruts or bogs leading to increased erosion. Moisture criteria are detailed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below. The above temporary closure is intended to allow the BLM flexibility in implementing closures while utilizing the most time-effective method of notifying the public. This will also facilitate management to minimize threats to public health and safety, as well as the potential for resource damage. Any time the closure policy is enacted, the following persons will be exempt: (1) Federal, State, or local law enforcement officers, while engaged in the execution of their official duties. (2) BLM personnel or their representatives while engaged in execution of their official duties. (3) Any member of an organized rescue, fire-fighting force, and/or emergency medical services organization while in the performance and execution of an official duty. (4) Any member of a Federal, State, or local public works department while in the performance of an official duty. (5) Any person in receipt of a written authorization of exemption obtained from the Ukiah Field Office. (6) Local landowners, persons with valid existing rights or lease operations, or representatives thereof, who have a responsibility or need to access their property or to continue their operations on public land. (7) Human use and associated foot traffic into the area during the closure period are exempt from this closure restriction.

Notice is hereby given that certain lands are temporarily closed to motor vehicle use, discharge of firearms, and livestock grazing. The closed area is locally known as the Poison Spider Shooting Area. The public lands affected by this closure are lands administered by the BLM and described as: part of the North \1/2\ of the Northwest \1/4\ and part of the North \1/2\ of the Southwest \1/4\ of Section 14 in Township 33 North, Range 82 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, containing approximately 43 acres. This tract of land is bound on the east by the west bank of the Casper Canal, on the north by the old Poison Spider Road, on the west by the common section line between Sections 14 and 15, and on the south by Poison Spider Road (Natrona County Road 201). The area will be fenced and closure signs will be posted around the perimeter. Maps of the closure area and information on the rehabilitation plans may be obtained from the Casper Field Office. The Poison Spider Shooting Area has been subject to various uses that cumulatively present a hazard to the general public and has resulted in the destruction of public resources. Unrestricted shooting endangers persons traveling on Poison Spider Road (Natrona County Road 201), Natrona County employees working at a gravel pit to the northwest of the site, employees of the Casper-Alcova Irrigation District performing maintenance on the Casper Canal, and threatens livestock authorized to graze on the public lands. Various items of refuse such as refrigerators and propane tanks have been dumped at the site and used as targets for firearms. This may lead to the release of toxic substances into the air and/or soil and may result in explosive situations. The shooting of illegally dumped materials poses a potentially dangerous health hazard to individuals who live and work in this area. Uncontrolled vehicle use has resulted in the destruction of public resources, including vegetation loss, soil compaction, intensive rutting and soil erosion. The Natrona County Road and Bridge Department has agreed to assist the BLM in cleaning up the site. Upon completion of the clean-up, fencing the perimeter and posting signs, acts prohibited by this notice will be enforced.