[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2412-2413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-556]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCONO3000.L1610000.DSO000]
Notice of Intent To Amend the Grand Junction Resource Management
Plan, Prepare an Environmental Assessment, and Notice of Realty Action,
Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent and Notice of Realty Action.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Grand Junction, Colorado, Regional Airport Authority has
requested the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grand Junction Field
Office (GJFO) to consider the transfer of title to approximately 720
acres of public land for airport improvements, including relocation and
construction of the main runway for the Grand Junction Regional
Airport. Public Land Order No. 7027 (59 FR 3000 January 20, 1994)
withdrew these lands from mining claim location in anticipation of a
need for future airport expansion. The BLM's consideration of the Grand
Junction Regional Airport Authority's (Airport Authority) request
initiates a BLM Notice of Intent to initiate a public scoping process
to amend the BLM GJFO 1987 Resource Management Plan (RMP) and prepare
an Environmental Analysis (EA). The request also initiates a Notice of
Realty Action (NORA) to assist the BLM in determining whether granting
the requested title conveyance is consistent with the needs of the
Department of the Interior. This notice initiates the public scoping
process and concurrent opportunity for submission of public comments
for the EA, RMP Amendment, and NORA.
DATES: Comments on this project, the NORA, or the proposed transfer of
title to the Airport Authority may be submitted in writing until
February 28, 2011. The date(s) and location(s) of scoping meetings will
be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media,
newspapers and the BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.html. In order to be included in the EA, all comments must be
received prior to the close of the scoping period or 45 days after the
last public meeting, whichever is later.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Grand Junction Field
Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2815 H. Road, Grand Junction,
Colorado 81506, or via fax at (970) 244-3083. E-mail comments may be
sent to [email protected]. Comments, including names and addresses of
respondents, will be available for public review at the BLM GJFO,
during regular business hours 7:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., Monday-
Friday, except holidays.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list contact Robin Lacy, Project
Manager, telephone (970) 244-3028. Project documents may be reviewed on
the BLM GJFO Web site at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the public scoping process is
to identify those issues that should be considered in the EA and to
initiate public participation in the planning process. BLM and Airport
Authority personnel will be present at scoping meetings to explain the
proposed action and other requirements for preparing the EA. Interested
parties can request notification of any encumbrances or other claims
relating to the land. Customary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
conditions, in draft, that are proposed to be included in a land patent
from the United States to the Airport Authority will also be available
for review. The public lands requested for title transfer are within
the jurisdiction of the BLM GJFO adjacent to the Grand Junction
Regional Airport in the North Desert and are described as follows:
Ute Principal Meridian
T. 1 N., R. 1 W.,
Sec. 23, S\1/2\NE\1/4\;
Sec. 24, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
T. 1 N., R. 1 E.,
Sec. 19, lots 3 and 4, and E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
Sec. 29, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
Sec. 30, lot 1, NE\1/4\, and NE\1/4\NW\1/4\.
The areas described contain approximately 720 acres in Mesa County.
These are public lands administered by the BLM GJFO and do not
include any private, State, tribal trust or Federal lands not
administered by the BLM, the lands proposed for the title transfer to
the Airport Authority are currently withdrawn from the United States
mining laws by Public Land Order No.
[[Page 2413]]
7027 (59 FR 3000 (1994)), and are not intended for further segregation.
The EA will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth by the
National Environmental Policy Act and associated Council of
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 1500). The EA will also
fulfill requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (FLPMA), 43 U.S.C. 1701, Section 516 of the Airport and Airway
Improvement Act of 1982 (49 U.S.C. 2215), Airport Grant regulations at
43 CFR 2640, applicable planning regulations at 43 CFR 1600, and BLM
management policies.
The purpose of the proposed land title transfer from the United
States to the Airport Authority is to fulfill the BLM's intent to make
such lands available to the Airport Authority for a beneficial public
use as described in the 1991 Memorandum of Understanding between the
BLM and the Airport Authority. As authorized through the FLPMA, these
lands will also be considered for title transfer to the Airport
Authority in an amendment to the Grand Junction RMP. The BLM will
determine whether or not to transfer title to the lands based on the
EA, and the assessed environmental impacts of transferring title to the
lands.
The purpose of the runway relocation is to comply with the FAA
design standards by correcting deficiencies related to runway and
taxiway gradients and to eliminate intersecting runways at the airport.
The need for the proposed runway relocation is to increase safety at
the Grand Junction Regional Airport, which is one of the few commercial
service airports in the State of Colorado that still has a geometric
runway layout consisting of an intersecting crosswind runway. The
runway intersection increases the potential for runway incursions,
which are defined by the FAA as ``any occurrence at an aerodrome
involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on
the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and takeoff
of aircraft.'' Increasing runway safety has been made a high priority
in recent years and the FAA has published guidance on improving runway
safety through airfield configuration. Also, several design components
of the runway at Grand Junction Regional Airport do not meet the FAA
design standards, including the following:
Runway 11/29 Transverse Gradient. Portions of the runway exceed
the maximum recommended design standard of 1.5 percent;
Runway 11/29 Longitudinal Gradient. A portion of the runway near
the approach end of Runway 29 exceeds the maximum recommended design
standard of 0.8 percent;
Runway 11/29 Connecting Taxiway Gradient. A number of the
connecting taxiways between Runway 11/29 and parallel Taxiway ``A''
exceed the maximum recommended design standard of 1.5 percent; and
Runway 11/29 and Runway 4/22 Runway Visibility Zone (RVZ).
Numerous structures obstruct line of sight between runway mid-
points.
The BLM seeks resource information and data for other public land
values [i.e., air quality, cultural and historic resources, fire and
fuels, fisheries, forestry, lands and realty, non-energy minerals and
geology, oil and gas (including coalbed methane), paleontology,
rangeland management, recreation, soil, water, and wildlife] in the BLM
GJFO planning area. The purpose of this request is to assure that the
planning effort has sufficient information to consider a reasonable
range of resource uses, management options, and alternatives for the
public lands involved.
Proprietary data marked as confidential may be submitted in
response to this call for coal, oil and gas, and other resource
information. Please submit all proprietary information submissions to
the address listed above. The BLM will treat submissions marked as
``Confidential'' in accordance with the laws and regulations governing
the confidentiality of such information.
The BLM GJFO will work collaboratively with interested parties to
identify the management actions and decisions that are best suited to
local, regional, and national needs. Potential issues that have been
identified to date include, but are not limited to the following
general categories: Wildlife (including birds); vegetation (including
weeds and invasive plant species); threatened, endangered, and
sensitive species; public access; visual concerns; cultural resources;
tribal concerns; rangeland resources; geology and soils; hydrology;
recreation resources; hazardous materials; air quality; noise; and
socio-economics. The BLM has established a 45-day scoping period during
which affected tribes, landowners, concerned citizens, special interest
groups, local governments, and any other interested parties are invited
to comment on the scope of the EA. Scoping will help the BLM identify
the full range of issues that should be addressed in the EA.
Authority: Airport and Airway Improvement Act of September 3,
1982 (49 U.S.C. 4761, 49 U.S.C. 47101 et seq., 3 CFR 2640 et seq.).
Helen M. Hankins,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-556 Filed 1-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P