[Federal Register: July 30, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 146)]
[Notices]
[Page 45848-45849]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jy04-123]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CO-134-1610-DQ-006C]
Notice of Availability of a Proposed Resource Management Plan and
Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the Colorado
Canyons National Conservation Area (CCNCA)
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Proposed Colorado Canyons Resource Management Plan and
Final Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/FEIS) is available to the
public for a 30-day protest period. The Proposed Plan and associated
FEIS were developed in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act (FLPMA) of 1976.
DATES: BLM will accept written protests on the FEIS if postmarked
within 30 calendar days from the date that a Notice of Availability is
published in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection
Agency. Instructions for filing a protest are described in the Dear
Reader letter in the PRMP/FEIS and are also included in the
Supplementary Information section of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Jane Ross, 2815 H Road,
Grand Junction, Colorado 81506. Comments also may be sent by e-mail to
Jane_Ross@co.blm.gov. Written comments, including names and addresses
of respondents, will be available for public review at the offices of
the BLM Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction,
Colorado 81506, during normal working hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
except holidays).
The PRMP/FEIS and other associated documents or background
information may be viewed and downloaded in PDF format at the project
Web site at http://www.co.blm.gov/cocanplan/. Copies of the DRMP/EIS
are available at the BLM Grand Junction Office at the address above; at
the BLM Moab (UT) Field Office, 82 E. Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532. Copies
are also available at the following Mesa County Public Library District
locations during regular business hours:
Central Library, 530 Grand Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501;
Fruita Branch, 325 East Aspen Avenue, Fruita, CO 81521;
Palisade Branch, 711 Iowa Street, Palisade, CO 81526;
Clifton Branch, Peachtree Shopping Center, 3225 I-70 Business Loop
A-1, Clifton, CO 81520;
Orchard Mesa Branch, 2736 Unaweep Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81503.
The planning documents and direct supporting record for the
analysis for the DRMP/EIS will be available for inspection at the BLM
Grand Junction Field Office during normal working hours, 7:30 a.m.-4:30
p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Jane Ross (970) 244-3027,
Planning and Environmental Coordinator (jane_ross@co.blm.gov), or Raul
Morales at (970) 244-3066 (raul_morales@co.blm.gov), acting Colorado
Canyons NCA Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Grand Junction Field
Office, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CCNCA was officially designated on
October 24, 2000, when the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area
and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Act of 2000 was signed into public
law by the President. The purpose of the Act is to conserve, protect,
and enhance, for the benefit and enjoyment of both present and future
generations, the nationally important values of the public lands making
up the CCNCA, including the Black Ridge Canyons, Ruby Canyon, and
Rabbit Valley. The CCNCA, located west of Grand Junction, includes
122,300 rugged acres of sandstone canyons, natural arches, spires, and
alcoves carved into the Colorado Plateau along a 24-mile stretch of the
Colorado River. Included in the CCNCA are 75,550 acres of wilderness
designated as the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness. At the western
boundary of the CCNCA, 5,200 acres stretch into eastern Utah.
The Environmental Protection Agency published the Notice of
Availability of the Colorado canyons National Conservation Area
Resource Management Plan and Draft EIS in the Federal Register on
October 17, 2003. The public comment period on the DEIS ended January
30, 2004. The agency preferred alternative, Alternative 3, is the
selected alternative for the Proposed Plan and FEIS. The agency
preferred
[[Page 45849]]
alternative is the Adaptive Management Alternative that emphasizes
maintaining the current level of enjoyment of the area's recreational
opportunities and unique characteristics while recognizing that
increased future use will trigger the need for increased levels of
management. Monitoring for land health and visitors' beneficial
experience will determine when increased levels of management are
required. Objectives for this alternative include preserving the
character of the area; preserving and enhancing traditional recreation
activities--hiking, camping, mountain biking, OHV use, horseback
riding, hunting, and boating; and maintaining land health and improving
priority areas of concern. The document contains a summary of the
decisions and resulting impacts, an overview of the planning process
and planning issues, the Proposed Plan, comment letters and responses
received during public review of the Draft Plan, and responses to the
substantive issues raised during the review.
The resource management planning process includes an opportunity
for public, administrative review of proposed land use plan decisions
during a 30-day protest period of the PRMP/FEIS. Any person who
participated in the planning process for the PRMP/FEIS, and who has an
interest which is or may be adversely affected, may protest approval of
this PRMP/FEIS and the land use plan decisions contained within it (see
43 CFR 1610.5-2) during this 30-day period. Only those persons or
organizations who participated in the planning process leading to this
PRMP/FEIS may protest. A protest may raise only those issues submitted
for the record during the planning process leading up to the
publication of this PRMP/FEIS. These issues may have been raised by the
protesting party or others. New issues may not be brought into the
record at the protest stage. The 30-day period for filing a plan
protest begins when the Environmental Protection Agency publishes in
the Federal Register its Notice of Availability of the Final
environmental impact statement containing the PRMP/FEIS. There is no
provision for any extension of time. To be considered ``timely,'' your
protest, along with all attachments, must be postmarked no later than
the last day of the protest period. A letter of protest must be filed
in accordance with the planning regulations, 43 CFR 1610.5-2(a)(1).
Protests must be in writing. E-mail and faxed protests will not be
accepted as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides
the original letter by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by
the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, BLM will
consider the e-mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will
receive full consideration. If you wish to provide BLM with such
advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of
the BLM protest coordinator at 202-452-5112, and emails to
Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov. If sent by regular mail, send to: Director
(210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington DC 20035.
For overnight (i.e., Federal Express) mailing, send protests to:
Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, NW., Suite
1075, Washington, DC 20036. In order to be considered complete, your
protest must contain, at a minimum, the following information:
1. The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the
person filing the protest.
2. A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
3. A statement of the part or parts of the PRMP/FEIS being
protested. To the extent possible, this should be done by reference to
specific pages, paragraphs, sections, tables, maps, etc., included in
the document.
4. A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that you
submitted during the planning process or a reference to the date the
issue or issues were discussed by you for the record.
5. A concise statement explaining why the Colorado BLM State
Director's proposed decision is believed to be incorrect. This is a
critical part of your protest. Take care to document all relevant
facts.
As much as possible, reference or cite the planning documents,
environmental analysis documents, or available planning records (i.e.,
meeting minutes or summaries, correspondence, etc.). A protest that
merely expresses disagreement with the Colorado BLM State Director's
proposed decision, without any data, will not provide us with the
benefit of your information and insight. In this case, the Director's
review will be based on the existing analysis and supporting data. Upon
resolution of any protests, an Approved Plan and Record of Decision
will be issued. The approved Plan/Record of Decision will be mailed to
all individuals who participated in this planning process and all other
interested public upon their request.
Dated: April 6, 2004.
Raul Morales,
Manager, Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area.
[FR Doc. 04-17254 Filed 7-29-04; 8:45 am]