[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8457-8458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4526]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[UT-942-1430-00]
Notice of Intent to Amend Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and
Management Framework Plans (MFPS).
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare plan amendments for the following
plans located in said Field Office; Richfield District; Henry Mountain
MFP and Parker Mountain MFP, Fillmore District; House Range RMP and
Warm Springs RMP, Cedar City District; Pinyon MFP, Vermillion MFP, Zion
MFP and portions of the Paria MFP and Cedar Beaver Garfield Antiomony
RMP.
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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that the Bureau of Land
Management is preparing an Environmental Assessment to consider
proposed amendments to the above stated land use plans that guide
management of the public lands within the Fillmore District and
portions of Richfield and Cedar City Districts located within the State
of Utah. The proposed amendments would consider additional disposal
criteria providing opportunities for land tenure adjustments (excluding
sales pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Managment Act, Section
203).
DATES: The comment period for the preliminary issues and planning
criteria identified for the proposed plan amendments will commence with
publication of this notice. Comments must be submitted on or before
March 27, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the Cedar City District, Beaver
River Resource Area, contact Craig Zufelt or Ervin Larson at 176 East
D.L. Sargent Dr., Cedar City, Utah 84720 @ 801-586-2401. For the Cedar
City District, Kanab Resource Area contact Mike Noel at 318 North First
East, Kanab, Utah 84741 @ 801-644-2672. For the Richfield District,
Henry Mountain Resource Area contact Rod Lee at 150 East 900 North,
Richfield, Utah 84701 @ 801-896-1524. For the Fillmore District, House
Range and Warm Springs Resource Areas contact Nancy DeMille at 35 East
500 North, Richfield, Utah 84631 @ 801-896-6811. Existing planning
documents describing current management of the above-stated areas are
available at the above addresses. Comments on the proposed plan
amendments should be sent to the respective addresses listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Richfield District; Henry Mountain
Resource Area, Fillmore District; House Range and Warm Springs Resource
Areas, and Cedar City District, Beaver River and Kanab Resource Area,
BLM, are proposing to amend the above mentioned planning documents, to
allow opportunities for land tenure adjustments not previously
identified in the current planning documents by adding five new land
tenure adjustment criteria.
Preliminary planning issues have been identified and consist of
possible adverse impacts to public lands that could be removed from
public ownership, socio-economic impacts, and impacts on known
sensitive natural resources.
The following preliminary disposal criteria have been identified
and would set the parameters under which land tenure adjustments
(including acquisitions) may take place:
Public lands, in order to be considered for disposal or exchange
within the above-mentioned plans, must meet one or more of the
following criteria. The land tenure adjustment;
(1) Is in the public interest and accommodates the needs of State,
local or private entities, including needs for the economy, community
growth and expansion and are in accordance with other land use goals
and objectives and RMP/MFP planning decisions;
(2) Results in a net gain of important and manageable resource
values on public lands such as crucial wildlife habitat, significant
cultural sites, high quality riparian areas, live water, recreation,
threatened & endangered species habitat, or areas key to the
maintenance of productive ecosystems;
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(3) Ensures the accessibility of public lands in areas where access
is needed and cannot otherwise reasonably be obtained;
(4) Is essential to allow effective management of public lands in
areas where consolidation of ownership is necessary to meet resource
management objectives;
(5) Results in the acquisition of lands which serve a national
priority as identified in national policy that cannot otherwise be
obtained.
All subsequent land tenure adjustments processed in accordance with
the above criteria would require additonal site specific analysis as
required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Further, land tenure
adjustments would be subject to valid existing rights and must be in
conformance with other objectives stated in the current planning
documents, some of which may preclude disposal.
The following disciplines will be utilized for interdisciplinary
input throughout the NEPA process: Archeologist, Lands and Realty
Specialist, Wildlife Biologist, Range Conservationist, Botanist,
Mineral Specialist and Geologist, Planning Specialist, Soils Scientist,
Recreation Specialist and Hydrologist.
Dated: February 18, 1997.
G. William Lamb,
State Director, Utah.
[FR Doc. 97-4526 Filed 2-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P
