[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 175 (Friday, September 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55344-55345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22607]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLUTC01000--16100000--LXSS005J0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the
Cedar City Field Office, Utah, and Associated Environmental Impact
Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cedar City Field
Office, Cedar City, Utah, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan
(RMP) with an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
Cedar City Field Office. This notice announces the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. The RMP
will replace the existing Cedar-Beaver-Garfield-Antimony RMP (1986) and
Pinyon Management Framework Plan (1983).
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP
with associated EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing
until December 9, 2010. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping
meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local
media outlets and through the Cedar City BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/cedar_city.html. In order to be included in
the Draft RMP/EIS, all comments must be received prior to the close of
the scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever
is later. We will provide additional opportunities for public
participation upon publication of the Draft RMP/EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the Cedar City RMP/EIS by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/cedar_city.html.
E-mail: [email protected].
Fax: 435-865-3058.
Mail: 176 East DL Sargent Drive, Cedar City, Utah 84721.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Cedar
City Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Keith Rigtrup, Project
Manager, telephone: 435-586-2401; address: 176 East DL Sargent Drive,
Cedar City, Utah 84721; e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
Field Office, Cedar City, Utah, intends to prepare an RMP with an
associated EIS for the Cedar City Field Office; announces the beginning
of the scoping process; and seeks public input on issues and planning
criteria. The planning area is located in Beaver, Iron, and Washington
Counties, Utah, and encompasses approximately 2.1 million acres of
public land. The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine
relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental
analysis, including alternatives, and to guide the planning process.
Preliminary issues for the planning area have been identified by BLM
personnel; Federal, state, and local agencies; and other stakeholders.
The issues include: Renewable energy development for geothermal, wind,
and solar power; management of [site type] rights-of-way for renewable
energy and other uses; visual resource management; evaluation of
potential new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC); Wild and
Scenic River recommendations; Off-Highway Vehicle Area Designations;
Special Recreation Management Areas; Wild Horse and Burro management;
consideration of non-Wilderness Study Area lands with wilderness
characteristics; and fluid and solid minerals management, including
stipulations to protect sensitive
[[Page 55345]]
resources. Preliminary planning criteria include:
1. Lands addressed in the RMP will be public lands (including split
estate lands) managed by the BLM. There will be no decisions in the RMP
for lands not managed by the BLM.
2. The BLM will use a collaborative and multi-jurisdictional
approach, where possible, to determine the desired future condition of
public lands.
3. The BLM will ensure compliance with all applicable local, state,
tribal, and Federal air quality laws, statutes, regulations, standards,
and implementation plans and include an analysis of climate change.
4. Areas potentially suitable for ACECs and other special
management designations will be identified and brought forward for
analysis in the RMP. Public nominations will be requested.
5. All river segments will be considered, and determinations of
eligibility, suitability, tentative classification, and protective
management will be made in accordance with Section 5(d) of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act and BLM Manual Section 8351. Public nominations will
be requested.
6. Herd Areas will be identified and boundaries for Wild Horse Herd
Management Areas will be addressed in the plan.
7. Decisions of the RMP will be consistent with the goals and
objectives of the legislation designating the Old Spanish National
Historic Trail.
Parties interested in leasing and development of Federal coal in
the planning area should provide coal resource data for their area(s)
of interest. Specifically, information is requested on the location,
quality, and quantity of Federal coal with development potential, and
on surface resource values related to the 20 coal unsuitability
criteria described in 43 CFR part 3461. This information will be used
for any necessary updating of coal screening determinations (43 CFR
3420.1-4) in the Decision Area and in the environmental analysis. You
may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing to the
BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the BLM
using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To be
most helpful, you should submit comments before the close of the
comment period or within 15 days after the last public meeting. Before
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware 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 your personal identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. The minutes
and list of attendees for each scoping meeting will be available to the
public and open for 30 days after the meeting to any participant who
wishes to clarify the views he or she expressed. The BLM will evaluate
identified issues to be addressed in the plan, and will place them into
one of three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the plan;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan.
The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP/EIS as to why
an issue was placed in category two or three. The public is also
encouraged to help identify any management questions and concerns that
should be addressed in the plan. The BLM will work collaboratively with
interested parties to identify the management decisions that are best
suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns. The BLM
will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan in order to
consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified.
Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines will be
involved in the planning process: rangeland management, air quality,
minerals and geology, forestry, outdoor recreation, archaeology,
paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, hydrology,
soils, sociology and economics, wildland fire, and public affairs.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2. Approved:
Jeff Rawson,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-22607 Filed 9-9-10; 8:45 am]
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