[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67651-67652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33719]
[[Page 67651]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[MT-020-1610-00]
Notice of Availability
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Montana/Dakotas, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976, an environmental assessment has been prepared
for proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) on BLM-
administered surface estate in the South Dakota Resource Area, Dakotas
District, North Dakota; and the Billings and Powder River Resource
Areas, Miles City District, Montana. The document will amend three
Resource Management Plans: Billings (1983), Powder River (1984) and
South Dakota (1985). The Environmental Assessment and Draft Resource
Management Plan Amendment evaluates the relevance and importance of
areas nominated for ACEC designation in portions of the following
counties: Carbon, Carter, Custer, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Powder
River, Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone (Montana); Big Horn (Wyoming);
and Fall River (South Dakota). The amendment is a comprehensive plan
for managing the areas BLM proposes for ACEC designation.
DATES: Comments on BLM's management prescriptions for areas proposed
for ACEC designation should be submitted to BLM on or before March 9,
1998.
ADDRESS: All comments should be sent to the following address: BLM, Tim
Murphy, District Manager, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, Montana
59301.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Bloom, Team Leader, at (406) 233-
2826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to plan was filed in the
Federal Register on April 6, 1995. The public was asked to submit
nominations, issues and alternatives. All comments received were
considered in the preparation of the plan.
The environmental assessment and draft resource management plan
amendment analyzes three alternatives to resolve the issues. Each
alternative represents a complete management plan. The alternatives are
summarized as (1) No Action, where no areas of critical environmental
concern would be designated, (2) Protection For Relevant and Important
Values and (3) the Preferred Alternative, which may be a previous
alternative, a combination of, or a new alternative.
One area nominated, Pompeys Pillar, has already been planned for
and designated in BLM's 1996 ``Pompeys Pillar Resource Management Plan
Amendment and Environmental Assessment Record of Decision''. That
document approved the designation and management for Pompeys Pillar
Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
The Area of Critical Environmental Concern Environmental Assessment
and Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment evaluates 21 areas of
critical environmental concern nominations. BLM proposes designation
and special management for 12 areas. Six areas did not meet the
relevance and/or importance criteria. Three areas were considered but
not analyzed in detail. The 12 areas proposed for designation are:
1. The Bridger Fossil area (575 public surface acres) in Carbon
County would be designated an area of critical environmental concern.
This significant fossil area would be retained in public ownership and
managed to enhance and protect the paleontological resources.
Management actions affecting this area are: rights-of-way, and mineral
material sales and permits would be allowed with stipulations; oil and
gas leasing would be allowed with a Controlled Surface Use stipulation;
underground explosives for geophysical exploration for oil and gas
would not be allowed, other geophysical exploration methods for oil and
gas would be allowed if the method would not damage the paleontology
resource; livestock grazing would be allowed; and off-road vehicle use
would be limited to designated roads and trails.
2. Castle Butte (185 public surface acres) in Yellowstone County
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area
would be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and
protect significant cultural resources. Management actions affecting
this area are: fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression;
wood product sales and geophysical exploration for oil and gas would be
allowed; rights-of-way would be allowed when they avoid the significant
cultural resource sites; livestock grazing and range improvements would
be allowed; and off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated
roads and trails.
3. The East Pryor Mountains (29,500 public surface acres) in Carbon
County, Montana and Big Horn County, Wyoming would be designated an
area of critical environmental concern. The area would be retained in
public ownership and managed for its wild horse and wildlife values,
and long-term conservation and recreational use for the public.
Management actions affecting this area are: fire would be managed with
conditional fire suppression; wood product sales, rights-of-way,
livestock grazing, mineral material sales and permits, geophysical
exploration for oil and gas, and oil and gas leasing would not be
allowed; locatable minerals would be withdrawn from entry; and off-road
vehicle use would be limited to the designated trails.
4. Meeteetse Spires (960 public surface acres) in Carbon County
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area
would be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and
protect the rare plants and scenery in the area, and to help protect
the public from dangerous cliffs. Management actions affecting this
area are: an easement across state land (T. 8 S., R. 20 E., Section 36)
would be obtained; fire would be managed with conditional fire
suppression; selected timber harvests may be periodically necessary to
protect the area's overall resource value; wood product sales would not
be allowed; livestock grazing, except for sheep, would be allowed;
rights-of-way, oil and gas leasing, and mineral material sales and
permits would not be allowed; locatable minerals would be withdrawn
from entry; in the sensitive plant area, geophysical exploration for
oil and gas would not be allowed by any method; on the remaining area,
geophysical exploration would be accessed by air only; exploration
would be shot holes and above-ground shots, vibroseis would not be
allowed; and off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads
and trails.
5. Petroglyph Canyon (240 public surface acres) in Carbon County
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This
significant site would be retained in public ownership and managed to
protect and enhance the cultural resources. Management actions
affecting this area are: wood product sales, rights-of-way, oil and gas
leasing and geophysical exploration would not be allowed; livestock
grazing and range improvements would be allowed; and locatable minerals
would be withdrawn from entry. The area would be closed to off-road
vehicle use.
6. Stark Site (800 public surface acres) in Musselshell County
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area
would
[[Page 67652]]
be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and protect
significant cultural resources. Management actions affecting this area
are: fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression; wood
product sales, livestock grazing and range improvements would be
allowed; rights-of-way, and mineral material sales and permits would
not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a No Surface
Occupancy stipulation; the area would be closed to geophysical
exploration for oil and gas on the cultural resource sites and allowed
(surface methods and vibroseis) in the remainder of the area; and off-
road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.
7. Weatherman Draw (4,268 public surface acres) in Carbon County
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This
significant cultural site would be retained in public ownership and
managed to enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management
actions affecting this area are: fire would be managed with conditional
fire suppression; wood product sales would not be allowed; rights-of-
way associated with valid existing oil or gas lease rights would be
allowed with restrictions, other rights-of-way would not be allowed;
livestock grazing would be allowed; range improvements would be allowed
when they do not conflict with the area of critical environmental
concern values; locatable minerals would be withdrawn from entry;
mineral material sales and permits would not be allowed; oil and gas
leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy stipulation with
no waiver, exception or modification provisions; geophysical
exploration for oil and gas would be closed; and off-road vehicle use
would be limited to authorized use.
8. Battle Butte (120 public surface acres) in Rosebud County would
be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This historic
battlefield would be retained in public ownership and managed to
enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management actions
affecting the area are: fire would be managed with conditional fire
suppression; livestock grazing and range improvements would be allowed;
rights-of-way, coal leasing, and mineral material sales and permits
would not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a No
Surface Occupancy stipulation; geophysical exploration for oil and gas
would be allowed on designated roads and trails with restrictions; and
off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.
9. Finger Buttes (6,206 public surface acres) in Carter County
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area
would be retained in public ownership and managed for its scenic
values. Management actions affecting this area are: fire would be
managed with conditional fire suppression; wood product sales would be
allowed with restrictions; rights-of-way would avoid the area;
livestock grazing and range improvements would be allowed; mineral
material sales and permits and nonenergy leasable mineral leasing would
not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a Controlled
Surface Use stipulation; geophysical exploration for oil and gas would
be allowed on designated roads and trails with restrictions; and off-
road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.
10. Howrey Island (321 public surface acres) in Treasure County
would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area
would be retained in public ownership and managed for its special
wildlife habitat. Management actions affecting this area are: fire
would be managed with conditional fire suppression; wood product sales
would be allowed with restrictions; rights-of-way would not be allowed;
livestock grazing would be allowed; range improvements would be allowed
when they do not degrade the area's values; and off-road vehicles would
be limited to the BLM road except from February 15th to June 1st.
During that time, no vehicles would be allowed, including on the BLM
road.
11. Reynolds Battlefield (336 public surface acres) in Powder River
County would be designated an area of critical environmental concern.
This historic battlefield would be retained in public ownership and
managed to enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management
actions affecting the area are: fire would be managed with conditional
fire suppression; timber sales and wood product sales would be allowed
with restrictions; rights-of-way would avoid the area; livestock
grazing and range improvements would be allowed; coal leasing and
mineral material sales and permits would not be allowed; oil and gas
leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy stipulation;
geophysical exploration for oil and gas would be allowed on designated
roads and trails with restrictions; and off-road vehicle use would be
limited to designated roads and trails.
12. The Fossil Cycad area (320 public surface acres) in Fall River
County, South Dakota, would be designated an area of critical
environmental concern. The surface and minerals would be retained in
public ownership and managed to protect and enhance significant
paleontological resources. Management actions affecting this area are:
fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression; timber sales,
wood product sales, and geophysical exploration for oil and gas would
not be allowed; rights-of-way would be allowed with stipulations; oil
and gas leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy
stipulation; livestock grazing would be allowed; locatable minerals
would be withdrawn from entry; and off-road vehicle use would be
limited to designated roads and trails.
This notice meets the requirements of 43 CFR 1610.7-2 for
designation of areas of critical environmental concern.
Dated: December 16, 1997.
Timothy M. Murphy,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-33719 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P
