[Federal Register: January 28, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 18)] [Notices] [Page 4464-4465] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr28ja99-120] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [NM-930-1020-00] Availability of Draft Statewide Resource Management Plan Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement, of Land Use Plans in New Mexico for Implementation of New Mexico Standards for Public Land Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office. ACTION: Notice of Availability, and Public Hearing Schedule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management announces the availability for public review of the Draft Statewide Resource Management Plan Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement, of Land Use Plans in New Mexico for Implementation of New Mexico Standards for Public Land Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management. The Draft Statewide Resource Management Plan Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement addresses the effects of adopting statewide standards for public land health and guidelines for livestock grazing on BLM administered lands in New Mexico. When adopted the standards and guidelines would be incorporated into eight BLM land use plans that cover approximately 13.5 million acres of BLM-administered land. This action is proposed in accordance with revised regulations for livestock grazing on BLM-administered lands (43 CFR 4100). Notice also is given that public hearings will be held to seek public comment on the adequacy of the Draft Statewide Resource Management Plan Amendment/ Draft Environmental Impact Statement, including alternatives and the impacts of those alternatives. DATES: Twelve public hearings have been scheduled. All hearings will have an afternoon and an evening session. The afternoon hearing will begin at 2:00 p.m. and continue until those signed up to speak have done so or until 5:00 p.m., at which time there will be a dinner recess. After a break for dinner the hearing will reconvene at 7:00 p.m. for the evening hearing and run until those signed up to speak have had an opportunity to do so. Both oral and written testimony will be accepted at the hearings. A 5-minute time limit will be placed on oral comments, which should be accompanied by a written synopsis of the presentation. Written and oral comments will be equally evaluated in full and considered in the preparation of the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement. Hearings are scheduled for the following locations and dates: March 08, 1999--Crownpoint Institute of Technology, Crownpoint, NM. March 09, 1999--Civic Center located at 200 West Arrington, Farmington, NM. March 10, 1999--Cuba High School, 50 County Road 13, Cuba, NM. March 11, 1999--Lucero Center in the Espanola Plaza, Espanola, NM. March 15, 1999--Holiday Inn at Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM. March 16, 1999--BLM Office, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 1474 Rodeo Rd., Santa Fe, NM. March 17, 1999--BLM Office, Conference Room, 1800 Marquess St., Las Cruces, NM. March 18, 1999--110 South Diamond, Deming, NM. March 22, 1999--BLM Office, Conference Room, 435 Montano NE, Albuquerque, NM. March 23, 1999--Otero County Courthouse, Commission Chambers, Room 253, 1000 New York Ave., Alamogordo, NM. March 24, 1999--Carlsbad Public Library Annex at 101 St. Halagueno, Carlsbad, NM. March 25, 1999--NM Military Institute, Toles Learning Center, Maybee Room, 101 W College, Roswell, NM. Oral and written testimony will be accepted at the hearings. ADDRESSES: Written comments on the document must be postmarked on or before May 17, 1999 (closing date for public comments) and should be addressed to: J.W. Whitney, BLM Project Team Leader, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, NM 87502-7115, telephone: 505-438-7438. Copies of the Draft Statewide Resource Management Plan Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement are available at BLM field offices in Farmingtom, Taos, Albuquerque, Socorro, Las Cruces, Roswell and Carlsbad. The BLM and State have also requested County Managers to make individual copies available for review at each County Manager's Office throughout the State of New Mexico. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J.W. Whitney, BLM Project Leader, BLM, New Mexico State Office, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, NM 87502-7115. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the above address during regular business hours [[Page 4465]] (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) Monday through Friday, except holidays, and may be published as part of the Proposed Statewide Resource Management Plan Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or business, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. Four alternatives are considered in detail in the Draft Statewide Resource Management Plan Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The no action alternative (continuation of current management) provides a baseline for comparison with other alternatives. The proposed action (RAC alternative) is to incorporate statewide standards and guidelines into affected land use plans. The proposed action is also the BLM preferred alternative. The county alternative is to adopt and implement county developed standards and guidelines into affected land use plans. The fallback alternative is to adopt and implement standards and guidelines defined in BLM's grazing regulations into affected land use plans. Dated: January 21, 1999. Richard A. Whitley, Associate State Director. [FR Doc. 99-2013 Filed 1-27-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-FB-M