[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1393-1394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-482]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WY-010-1050-00]
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Environmental Assessment (EA)
Titled, ``Management for the Big Cedar Ridge Fossil Plant Area,'' for
Public Review and Comment
SUMMARY: The EA for the management of the Big Cedar Ridge Fossil Plant
Area documents the planning review and analysis of five alternatives
for managing the area, including the Bureau of Land Management's
preferred alternative. The planning review area is comprised of about
1,550 acres of BLM-administered public land in Washakie County,
Wyoming, and in the Bighorn Basin Resource Area of the BLM's Worland
District. Fossil concentration areas, including the discovery site, are
found on about 260 acres within the review area.
The planning review is being conducted to evaluate the management
needs and issues associated with the discovery of a complete and
preserved in-place Cretaceous fossil plant community. The area was
discovered in 1990 by Dr. Scott Wing of the Smithsonian Institution.
The objective of this planning review is to establish appropriate
management of the fossil resources including adequate protection and
opportunities for scientific research and public education. This
discovery created significant interest within the academic community.
Worldwide discoveries of such well preserved fossil plants of this age
are rare, and the fossils are considered to be of great scientific
importance.
The discovery was made approximately 3 years after the approval of
the Washakie Resource Management Plan (RMP). A review of the RMP is
needed to evaluate the adequacy of the existing decisions for the
protection of paleontological resources in the review area. Management
actions include continuing existing management that is generally
consistent with the Washakie RMP but with management emphasis on
enhancing opportunities for scientific research, public education,
recreation, hobby collection of fossils, and closing the 260-acres of
known fossil concentration areas to mineral location and pursuing a
mineral location withdrawal. Based on preliminary analysis, BLM has
established a temporary closure to the staking of mining claims in the
planning review area. As part of the planning review, BLM has collected
information and conducted analyses described in the environmental
assessment to determine whether a long-term closure is necessary for
protection of the paleontological resources. Based on the results, the
Washakie RMP will be amended, if necessary.
DATES: Comments on the adequacy of the EA and on the finding of no
significant impact (FONSI) must be received no later than February 20,
1996. Comments should be directed to Dave Baker, Outdoor Recreation
Planner, Bighorn Basin Resource Area, or Bob Ross, Worland District
Planner, at the address below.
During the same 30-day period, any protests on the proposed
decision (the preferred alternative) and proposed amendment of the
Washakie RMP may also be submitted (as provided in 43 Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1610.5-2). All parts of the proposed decision may be
protested. Protests should be sent to the Director, Bureau of Land
Management, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, MS-302 LS,
Washington, D.C. 20240. They should include:
--The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the
person filing the protest.
--A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
--A statement of the part or parts of the proposed decision being
protested.
--Copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that were
submitted during the planning review process by the protesting party,
or an indication of the date the issue or issues were discussed for the
record.
--A concise statement explaining why the proposed decision is believed
to be wrong.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Baker, Outdoor Recreation
Planner, Bighorn Basin Resource Area, or Bob Ross, Worland District
Planner at P. O. Box 119, Worland, Wyoming 82401-0119, phone 307-347-
9871.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following the discovery of the Big Cedar
Ridge Fossil Plant Area, the BLM completed a temporary management plan
for the lands in and around the fossil discovery area. Protective
measures have been initiated and have been in effect pending completion
of this planning review. This review includes opportunities for public
participation.
The steps followed for this planning review are:
1. An interdisciplinary planning team describes and analyzes the
existing management in the planning review area and describes the
affected environment.
2. A notice of intent to conduct the planning review is published
in the Federal Register informing the public of known and anticipated
issues and of opportunities for public participation and comment.
3. Public contacts and meetings are held for scoping and
development of the preliminary issues and alternatives.
4. With the help of the public, management alternatives for the
area are formulated and analyzed and the BLM's preferred alternative is
identified.
5. The alternatives, including the BLM's preferred alternative, and
their environmental consequences are described in the EA and the EA is
issued for public review and comment. We are now at this step of the
process. A 30-day period will be provided for reviewing and commenting
on the EA and the FONSI and for submitting protests on any proposed
decisions to be added to or changed in the Washakie RMP.
6. The EA will then be revised, if necessary, and a decision record
will be issued. If necessary, the decision record will identify and
include any needed amendment to the Washakie RMP.
Based on the public's input and analysis by the BLM
interdisciplinary team, the following issues were identified:
1. Whether or not there is a need to protect the important
paleontological resources in the review area from being damaged by
surface-disturbing activities, and whether withdrawing the area from
filing of mining claims and mining activity would be necessary.
2. Whether or not the area should be designated an area of critical
environmental concern (ACEC).
3. Whether or not the area should be managed primarily for
scientific research, public education, and recreation.
The five alternatives analyzed in the EA are:
1. No action (continuation of existing management).
2. Continue existing management and pursue a 260-acre mineral
location withdrawal on the known fossil concentration areas.
3. Designate a 1,550-acre ACEC.
4. Designate a 1,550-acre ACEC and pursue a 260-acre mineral
location withdrawal on the known fossil concentration areas.
5. Designate an ACEC, pursue a mineral location withdrawal on the
260-acre known fossil concentration areas, and dedicate the area to
research and public education.
[[Page 1394]]
The various impacts that would be expected from implementing each
of the alternatives are also presented in the EA. The BLM's preferred
alternative is alternative 2. Continuing existing management on the
planning review area and pursuing a mineral withdrawal under the 1872
Mining Law for the 260-acre known fossil concentration areas represents
what the BLM believes to be the best balance between the public land
and resource uses and environmental protection in the planning review
area. Based on the analysis of potential environmental impacts
contained in the EA, it has been determined that anticipated impacts of
the preferred alternative are not significant and an environmental
impact statement is not needed.
At the end of the comment/protest period, the decisions based on
the planning review will be issued in the Decision Record for the EA.
Any necessary amendment to the Washakie RMP will be included in the
Decision Record. The 30-day review/comment/protest period will begin
the day following the date of publication of the NOA of this EA in the
Federal Register. Comments on the alternatives, the adequacy of the
environmental analyses, the FONSI, and any protests on the proposed
decision will be fully considered and evaluated in development of the
decision record. Any protests submitted will also be resolved before
BLM issues the decision record for the EA, and the Washakie Resource
Management Plan will be amended, if necessary.
Dated: January 10, 1996.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 96-482 Filed 1-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P
