[Federal Register: August 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 164)]
[Notices]
[Page 48664-48666]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24au07-91]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UT-060-1610-016J]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Moab Field Office in Grand
and San Juan Counties, UT
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) hereby gives notice that the Moab Draft Resource
Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS) is
available for a 90-day public review and comment period. This notice
also meets requirements in 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b) concerning potential
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).
DATES: To ensure that your written comments on the DRMP/DEIS will be
considered, you should send them to the BLM within 90 days following
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of
availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce public
meetings and other public-involvement activities at least 15 days in
advance through public notices, news releases, direct mailings, and
posting on the project Web site at http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html.
Public meetings will be held in Moab, Monticello, and
Salt Lake City, Utah, and in other locations, if warranted.
ADDRESSES: Address written comments to: RMP Comments, Moab Field
Office, Bureau of Land Management, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532.
Comments may also be submitted electronically by e-mail to:
UT_Moab_Comments@blm.gov. Comments, including names and addresses of
respondents, will be available for public review at the Moab Field
Office, and will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). Before including your address, phone number, e-
mail address, or other personal identifying information in your
comment, be advised that your entire comment--including your personal
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review
your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will
be able to do so. All submissions from organizations and businesses,
and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or
officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public
inspection in their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, or to have
your name added to the Moab RMP mailing list, visit the RMP Web site:
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html. Or, you may contact
Brent Northrup, RMP Project Manager, Moab BLM Field Office, 82 East
Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532, phone (435) 259-2100. To have your name added
to the Moab RMP mailing list, or to view and download the DRMP/DEIS in
portable document format (PDF) go to the project Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html.
Copies of the DRMP/DEIS are
also available at the BLM Moab Field Office.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DRMP/DEIS addresses public lands and
resources managed by the Moab Field Office in Grand and San Juan
Counties, Utah. These lands and resources are currently managed under
the Grand Resource Area RMP (1985). The planning area includes
approximately 1.8 million acres of BLM-administered public lands as
well as Federally-owned minerals.
The BLM analyzes four proposed alternatives in the DRMP/DEIS:
Alternative A (No Action): represents continuation of
existing management under the current management goals, objectives, and
direction specified in the Grand Resource Area RMP.
Alternative B: Emphasizes protection of natural resource
values and landscapes.
Alternative C (BLM Preferred Alternative): emphasizes a
balance of resource protection with commodity production.
Alternative D: emphasizes commodity production.
Major issues that were identified during public scoping and
considered in the DRMP/DEIS include: oil and gas development;
recreation and off-highway vehicle management; special designations
(ACECs and suitability of rivers for Congressional designation into the
national Wild and Scenic Rivers System); land areas with wilderness
characteristics; and transportation and access. The DRMP/DEIS considers
the designation and protection of ACECs.
[[Page 48665]]
ACEC values and resource use limitations vary by ACEC and the number of
proposed ACECs and acres vary by alternative (refer to the table
below). More detailed management prescriptions in these areas are
provided in the DRMPR/DEIS.
Acres of BLM-Managed Surface Estate Proposed To Be Managed as ACECS Under the Alternatives in the DRMP/DEIS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alternative C
ACEC values and use limitations Alternative A Alternative B (preferred) Alternative D
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Behind the Rocks 0 \*\17,836 \*\5,201 0
Values: Scenery, cultural, and natural
systems (including threatened, sensitive
and endangered plants).....................
Limitations: Manage as Visual Resource
Management (VRM) Class I in Alternative B,
and VRM Class II in Alternative C. Apply No
Surface Occupancy (NSO) stipulations for
oil and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities [closed in the
Wilderness Study Area (WSA)]. Limit Off
Highway Vehicle (OHV) use to designated
routes.
Bookcliffs Wildlife 0 \*\304,252 0 0
Values: Wildlife and cultural...............
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities (closed in WSAs).
Limit OHV use to designated routes, and
allow no new routes.
Canyon Rims 0 \*\23,400 0 0
Value: Scenery..............................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class II. Apply
NSO stipulations for oil and gas leasing
and other surface disturbing activities.
Limit OHV use to designated routes.
Cisco White-Tailed Prairie Dog Complex 0 \*\117,481 0 0
Value: Wildlife habitat.....................
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
designated routes, and use grazing systems
to protect prairie dog habitat.
Colorado River Corridor 0 \*\50,483 0 0
Values: Scenery, natural systems (including
threatened, sensitive and endangered
plants), fish and wildlife.................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I. Apply
NSO stipulations for oil and gas leasing
and other surface disturbing activities.
Limit OHV use to designated routes, and
impose restrictions on recreation use.
Cottonwood/Diamond Watershed 0 \*\35,830 35,830 0
Values: Natural hazards and natural systems.
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities (closed in WSA).
Limit OHV use to designated routes, and
allow no new routes.
Highway 279 Corridor/Shafer Basin/Long 0 \*\13,500 \*\13,500 0
Canyon
Values: Scenery, wildlife, natural systems
(threatened, sensitive and endangered
plants) and cultural.......................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I
(Alternative B), and as VRM Class II
(Alternative C). Apply NSO stipulations for
oil and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
designated routes.
Labyrinth Canyon 0 \*\8,528 0 0
Values: Scenery and fish....................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I. Apply
NSO stipulation for oil and gas leasing and
other surface disturbing activities. Limit
OHV use to designated routes, allow no new
routes.
Mill Creek Canyon 0 \*\13,501 \*\3,721 0
Values: Scenery, cultural, and natural
systems (riparian/watershed/cold water
fishery/wildlife)..........................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I
(Alternative B), and VRM Class II
(Alternative C). Apply NSO stipulations for
oil and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities (closed in the WSA).
Limit OHV use to designated routes, impose
restrictions on recreation use.
Ten Mile Wash 0 \*\4,980 \*\4,980 0
Values: Natural systems (riparian/wetlands),
wildlife, cultural and natural hazards.....
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
designated routes, and impose restrictions
on recreation use.
Upper Courthouse 0 \*\11,529 0 0ROW>
Values: Historic, cultural, paleontological,
and natural systems (including threatened,
endangered and relict plants)..............
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
designated routes, and impose recreation
restrictions.
[[Page 48666]]
Westwater Canyon 0 \*\5,069 0 0
Values: Scenery, fish.......................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I. Close to
oil and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities. Close to motorized
travel, allow no new routes.
White Wash 0 \*\2,988 0 0
Values: Natural systems (riparian dune
systems)...................................
Limitations: Apply NSO stipulations for oil
and gas leasing and other surface
disturbing activities. Limit OHV use to
designated routes, impose restrictions on
recreation.
Wilson Arch 0 \*\3,700 0 0
Values: Scenery.............................
Limitations: Manage as VRM Class I. Apply
NSO stipulations for oil and gas leasing
and other surface disturbing activities.
Limit OHV use to designated routes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Acres............................. 0 \*\613,077 \*\63,232 0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Acres.
Jeff Rawson,
Utah Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. E7-16700 Filed 8-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DK-P