[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59787-59789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28698]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UT-00-934-1610-00]
Notice of Intent To Modify Scope of Statewide Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) and Multiple Plan Amendments Considering
Establishment of New Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) on Selected Public
Lands in Utah, and Call for Additional Information
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
SUMMARY: The BLM has modified the scope of its planning effort
considering establishment of new WSAs on public lands in Utah. Instead
of preparing a single EIS/Plan Amendment for all inventory areas under
study throughout the state, the BLM will now use a staged approach that
will break the plan amendment process into four components. Selected
inventory areas will be grouped in four regional studies to address
whether or not new WSAs should be established. The first such regional
grouping will include 35 inventory areas within the southeast region,
encompassing approximately 815,000 acres of BLM lands administered by
the Moab and Monticello Field Offices. This change is due, in part, to
the large number of scoping comments that provided detailed information
on specific areas and regions. Focusing planning on a regional basis
will allow for a more thorough consideration of public input that has
already been received, and is anticipated, as the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process proceeds. Some adjustment is
also necessary because new legislation prohibits the BLM from
proceeding with WSA planning in certain areas in the West Desert region
of the state until the Department of Defense completes a study to
evaluate the impact upon military training, testing, and operational
readiness of any proposed changes in land designations or management of
the ``Utah national defense lands.''
The scope of this first planning effort has also been modified to
include all of the BLM lands that were inventoried and shown in the
1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report within the areas under study.
This includes approximately 162,000 acres of public land currently
under study that were initially found lacking wilderness
characteristics by the BLM. These include the Arch and Mule Canyon
inventory area and portions of 30 other inventory areas within the
southeast region. This modification is in response to extensive scoping
comments on these areas, and to provide the public additional
opportunities to comment on all public lands that were reviewed during
the BLM's field inventory.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Banks, Project Manager (Phone:
801-539-4063 or E-mail: dbanks@ut.blm.gov), or by mail to: Utah State
Office, Attention: Wilderness Project, P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City,
Utah 84145.
Copies of the 1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report are available
for public review at all BLM field offices within Utah and at
depository libraries throughout the state. This report is also
available on the BLM's Internet web page (http://www.ut.blm.gov/
wilderness) established for the WSA planning project. This 300-page
document provides maps, narratives, and summary reports of the
inventory areas. The 35 areas included in the first grouping are
contained in this report. In addition, inventory unit permanent
documentation files containing aerial photographs, topographic maps,
slides, voluminous field log notes and other useful information are
available for public review. A complete set of all files can be found
at the Utah State Office in Salt Lake City. The documentation files for
the relevant inventory areas in the southeast region are also located
in BLM's Moab and Monticello Field Offices, respectively.
DATES: All scoping comments regarding this planning effort conducted
under the
[[Page 59788]]
authority of Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy Management Act
(FLMPA), must be received in writing by the BLM Utah State Office no
later than December 31, 1999. It is not anticipated that any new
scoping meetings would be required for this modified action. All
information gathered to date through the scoping process will continue
to be considered for this effort.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 18, 1999, BLM published in the
Federal Register a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Statewide EIS and
multiple plan amendments for consideration of new WSAs on public land
identified as having wilderness characteristics in the 1999 Utah
Wilderness Inventory. Since that time, BLM has engaged in an extensive
public involvement process to gather scoping information. To date, BLM
has received nearly 13,000 comment letters, many of which contain very
specific and detailed comments and new information.
On October 5, 1999 the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2000 was signed into law. Section 2815 of this legislation
precludes the BLM from completing any land use plan amendment or
statewide amendment package for the ``Utah national defense lands''
until the Secretary of Defense submits to Congress a report evaluating
the impact upon military training, testing, and operational readiness
of any proposed changes in land designations or management of the
``Utah national defense lands''. ``Utah national defense lands'' are
defined in Section 2815 as ``public lands under the jurisdiction of the
Bureau of Land Management in the state of Utah that are adjacent to or
near the Utah Test and Training Range and Dugway Proving Ground or
beneath the Military Operating Areas, Restricted Areas, and airspace
that make up the Utah Test and Training Range.'' This provision affects
approximately 13 inventory areas encompassing approximately 186,000
acres of BLM lands under consideration for possible establishment as
WSAs.
The BLM will now proceed through a series of four regional studies
to address the question as to whether or not new WSAs will be
established. The first area for which an EIS and plan amendments will
be completed, and for which public comments are currently being
solicited, is in the southeast region. This region includes inventoried
public lands within 35 areas, encompassing approximately 815,000 acres.
Establishment of new WSAs would amend the Grand and San Juan Resource
Management Plans (RMPs). These land use plans are administered by the
Moab and Monticello Field Offices, respectively. The following land use
plans and associated wilderness inventory areas depict the areas
currently under study: Grand RMP: Beaver Creek, Behind the Rocks,
Fisher Towers, Goldbar, Granite Creek, Hatch Wash, Hunter Canyon, east
portion of Labyrinth Canyon, Lost Spring Canyon, Mary Jane Canyon, Mill
Creek Canyon, Negro Bill Canyon, Shafer Canyon, and Westwater Canyon
Inventory Areas. San Juan RMP: Arch and Mule Canyons, Bridger Jack
Mesa, Butler Wash, Cheesebox Canyon, Comb Ridge, Cross Canyon, Dark
Canyon, Fish and Owl Creeks, Fort Knocker Canyon, Gooseneck, Grand
Gulch, Gravel and Long Canyons, Harmony Flat, Harts Point, Indian
Creek, Mancos Mesa, Nokai Dome, Road Canyon, San Juan River, Sheep
Canyon, Squaw and Papoose Canyon. The Gooseneck and Harts Point
inventory areas involve both of the RMPs.
Three additional regional groupings of areas will be subject to WSA
planning and studies in the future: Uintah and Book Cliffs/San Rafael
Swell/Henry Mountains (eastern areas); the Grand Staircase Escalante
National Monument/Kane County/Washington Counties (south-central/
southwest areas); and inventory areas found in the West Desert of Utah.
All WSA planning is expected to be completed statewide by 2004.
Scoping comments should focus on all lands within the southeastern
Utah region that encompass the 35 areas previously identified in the
1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report. Comments would be particularly
helpful if they address one or more of the following elements:
(a) Any additional information concerning wilderness
characteristics within the 35 inventoried areas of the southeastern
region, including those lands found by the BLM in the 1999 Utah
Wilderness Inventory to be lacking wilderness characteristics.
(b) Information regarding manageability opportunities or conflicts
including information on valid existing rights which could be exercised
(developed) during the next ten to fifteen years and thereby preclude
effective management under the IMP.
(c) Specific information on other resource uses within the
inventoried areas, including such uses as grazing practices, rights of
way, corridor development, recreation development or mechanical uses,
off highway vehicle use, development for mineral extraction, or oil and
gas exploration and production.
(d) The proposed planning criteria described further below.
Those members of the public who have previously submitted comments
regarding all or portions of the inventoried areas in the southeast
region do not need to resubmit scoping comments on these areas, as BLM
will take all of the existing comments into consideration. Additional
comments focused on the lands initially found by BLM not to have
wilderness characteristics are appropriate at this time and would be
helpful in identifying and addressing specific issues in these areas.
Proposed planning criteria were originally made available in the
Federal Register Notice of March 18, 1999.
1. BLM will amend the RMPs based on the information contained in
the Utah Wilderness Inventory of 1999, as supplemented by information
gathered and analyses contributed in this planning/NEPA process.
2. This planning/NEPA process will conform to all applicable laws,
such as the Clean Water Act, Archeological Resource Protection Act, and
the Endangered Species Act.
3. To the extent possible under Federal law, and within the
framework of proper long-term management of the public lands, BLM will
strive to ensure that its management prescriptions and planning actions
take into consideration related programs, plans, or policies of other
resource agencies. This will include the formal consistency review by
the State of Utah Governor's office. BLM will work closely with the
Governor's Office to help facilitate the consistency review process.
4. BLM will provide local, state and Federal agencies a copy of the
Draft EIS with a written request to comment. Agencies may identify in
writing any inconsistencies with formally approved land use plans or
their related jurisdictions.
5. Existing WSAs will continue to be managed under the provisions
of the Interim Management Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review
(IMP). The current plan amendment process will not address suitability
recommendations for existing WSAs.
6. Planning decisions made through this BLM process will apply only
to Federal public lands.
7. All valid existing rights will continue to be recognized.
8. Any WSAs designated pursuant to this process will contain the
following recommended setbacks:
-300 feet from the centerline of high standard paved roads,
-100 feet from the centerline of high
[[Page 59789]]
standard graveled roads,
-30 feet from the centerline of low standard dirt roads, Unless
resource conditions warrant granting exceptions.
9. The plan amendment process will address off highway vehicle
designations in the inventory areas, consistent with the provisions of
the IMP as necessary to protect wilderness characteristics.
Alternatives that are currently proposed for consideration include:
(1) No Action--Under this alternative, none of the inventory areas
would be designated as WSAs and the lands would continue to be managed
according to the existing land use plans; (2) All areas would be
designated as WSAs, and IMP would be applied to all lands; (3) Selected
WSAs--Some of the 35 inventoried areas, or portions thereof, would be
designated as WSAs and IMP would be applied, while other inventoried
areas, or portions thereof, would not be designated as WSAs. The EIS
would provide information and analysis to identify impacts associated
with each alternative.
Planning for the southeastern region is expected to be completed in
the Fall of 2000. A draft EIS is expected to be published by Spring of
2000.
The public will have opportunities to provide further input, review
information, and to comment on the draft EIS. Anyone wanting to be
added to the mail list for this planning project should contact the BLM
at the address given above. Comments received, including names and
addresses of respondents will be available for public review at the
Utah State Office and will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom
of Information Act. Individual respondents may request confidentiality.
If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review
and disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state
this prominently at the beginning of your written scoping letter. Such
requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions
from organizations or businesses, will be made available for public
inspection in their entirety.
Dated: October 28, 1999.
Linda S. Coleville,
Acting Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. 99-28698 Filed 11-2-99; 8:45 am]
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