[Federal Register: June 16, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 115)]
[Notices]               
[Page 32251]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jn99-84]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NV-040-1610-00]

 
Notice of Availability of the Proposed Caliente Management 
Framework Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Management of Desert Tortoise Habitat

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Proposed Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Caliente Management Framework Plan would implement 
management goals and actions for Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-
administered desert tortoise habitat in Lincoln County, Nevada. The 
Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) was listed as a threatened 
species in 1990, based on declining numbers in some areas of its range. 
These goals and actions, some of which are recommended in the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service's approved Desert Tortoise (Mojave Population) 
Recovery Plan, would assist the recovery and delisting of the desert 
tortoise in the Northeastern Mojave Recovery Unit. This amendment is 
required to comply with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 which 
mandates that all federal agencies conserve and recover listed species 
within their administrative units. The accompanying Final EIS satisfies 
the National Environmental Policy Act, which mandates that federal 
agencies analyze the environmental consequences of major federal 
actions.
    The planning area for this amendment consists of approximately 
754,600 acres of public land In southern Lincoln County, administered 
by the Caliente Field Station, within BLM's Ely Field Office. No 
private lands would be directly affected by management direction 
described under the Proposed Action or alternatives. The planning area 
is located within the Northeastern Mojave Recovery Unit, as defined by 
the Recovery Plan. The document discusses several alternatives for the 
protection of desert tortoise habitat and recovery of the species.
    The Proposed Plan Amendment may be protested by any person who 
participated in the planning process, and who has an interest which is 
or may be adversely affected by the approval of the Proposed Plan 
Amendment. A protest may raise only those issues which were submitted 
for the record during the planning process (see 43 CFR 1610.5-2).
    All protests must be written and must be postmarked on or before 
July 23, 1999 and shall contain the following information:
    <bullet> The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest 
of the person filing the protest.
    <bullet> A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
    <bullet> A statement of the part or parts of the document being 
protested.
    <bullet> A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues 
previously submitted during the planning process by the protesting 
party, or an indication of the date the issue or issues were discussed 
for the record.
    <bullet> A concise statement explaining precisely why the Bureau of 
Land Management, Nevada State Director's decision is wrong.
    Upon resolution of any protests, an Approved Plan Amendment and 
Record of Decision will be issued. The Approved Plan Amendment/Record 
of Decision will be mailed to all individuals who participated in this 
planning process and all other interested publics upon their request.

DATES: All written protests must be postmarked no later than July 23, 
1999.

ADDRESSES: Protests must be filed with: Director, Bureau of Land 
Management, Attn. Ms. Brenda Williams, Protests Coordinator, WO-210/LS-
1075, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.
    Copies of the Proposed Plan Amendment/FEIS may be obtained from the 
Ely Field Office, HC33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301 and the Caliente Field 
Station, U.S. Highway 93, P.O. Box 237, Caliente, NV 89008.
    Public reading copies are available for review at the public 
libraries of Clark, White Pine and Lincoln Counties, all government 
document repository libraries and at the following BLM locations:

Office of External Affairs, Main Interior Building, Room 5000, 1849 C 
Street, NW., Washington, DC.;
Public Room, Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV;
The Caliente Field Station and the Ely Field Office at the above 
addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gene L. Drais, Project Manager at 
(775) 289-1880 at the Ely Field Office.

    Dated: June 4, 1999.
Gene A. Kolkman,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 99-15209 Filed 6-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M