[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 102 (Friday, May 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26203-26204]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13094]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[NM-030-06-1610-00]
Otero County Areas of Environmental Concern (ACECs) for the
Caballo Resource Area, New Mexico
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability and 60-day comment period.
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SUMMARY: The BLM, Las Cruces District, Caballo Resource Area announces
the availability of a draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment/
preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact and supporting
Environmental Assessment (EA). The document discusses the designation
of five new ACECs and revision of one existing ACEC in Otero County,
south-central New Mexico. Approximately 19,520 acres are identified for
designation. In addition to designation, the plan amendment, when
approved, will guide BLM programs and management practices within the
ACECs.
DATES: Written comments relating to the designation of ACECs,
management activities within the ACECs, and the EA will be taken for
the next 60 days. Comments must be postmarked on or before July 23,
1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Area Manager, BLM Caballo
Resource Area, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy M. Murphy, Area Manager, BLM,
Caballo Resource Area at (505) 525-4372, or Mike Howard, Team Leader,
Caballo Resource Area at (505) 525-4348, email mhoward
@nm0151wp.nmso.nm.blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ACECs are land designations unique to the
BLM. The purpose of ACECs is to recognize, protect, and manage unique
or sensitive resources or potential hazards to the public. Each area
receives management or protection based on its unique needs, in
consultation and coordination with the public. The Caballo Resource
Area has completed an inventory of areas containing unique or sensitive
biological resources suitable for designation as ACECs. In addition,
the Resource Area has received nominations both internally and from the
public to consider several areas as ACECs based on visual, cultural,
and biological values.
The draft document discusses three alternatives. Alternative A is
the No Action Alternative. Alternative B is BLM's proposal to designate
and manage the five proposed ACECs, and redesignate one existing ACEC.
These management proposals represent the highest levels of resource
protection and continued public use. Alternative B is BLM's preferred
alternative. Alternative C contains a lower level of protection
designed to address less restrictive management measures for protection
of the resources of concern in each proposed ACEC. Some specific
proposals in Alternative C may be more restrictive. The following is a
summary of the management actions in Alternative B, the BLM preferred
alternative, for each proposed ACEC.
The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site ACEC is located 30 miles north of
Alamogordo, New Mexico. The area was nominated to protect and manage
cultural resources. The total area to be considered is approximately
1,036 acres. Management actions proposed in the Preferred Alternative
include: acquisition of State trust land through a cooperative land
exchange, acquisition of private subsurface mineral estate from a
willing seller, issuance of realty actions subject to protective
stipulations, closure to mineral entry, improvement and protection of
riparian areas, improvement of recreation facilities, limiting offroad
vehicle use to existing roads and trails, closing of county road B031,
except for
[[Page 26204]]
administrative and ranch access following relinquishment by Otero
County, management of fire for maximum fire suppression and use of
prescribed fire, and fencing of the ACEC boundary.
The Sacramento Escarpment ACEC is located 2 miles south of
Alamogordo, New Mexico along the west face of the Sacramento Mountains.
This area is currently a designated ACEC for the management of visual
resources. This RMP Amendment proposes to expand the area to provide
for increased protection and management of visual resources and an
endangered and sensitive plant community. The existing ACEC would be
expanded to encompass 5,245 acres. Management actions proposed in the
Preferred Alternative include: limitations or exclusion of new realty
actions (2920 permits), exclusion of rights-of-way, acquisition of
access easements and private land inholdings within the ACEC from a
willing seller, closure to all forms of mineral development,
improvement and protection of riparian areas, permitting of existing
spring developments, management under Visual Resource Management
Classes I and II, limitation of off-road vehicle use to designated
roads and trails, closure of approximately 5 miles of redundant roads
and trails (including closure of approximately \1/4\ mile of road in
San Andres Canyon, except for administrative and ranch pipeline
maintenance access), management of fire for conditional least-cost
suppression with no surface disturbance in Visual Class I or arroyo
areas. Prescribed fire could be used for vegetation management, if
needed.
Cornudas Mountain is located 60 miles southeast of Alamogordo, New
Mexico and near the Texas border. The area was nominated to protect and
manage visual resources, cultural resources, and sensitive plants. The
total area to be considered is approximately 850 acres. Management
activities proposed in the Preferred Alternative include: exclusion of
the area from authorization of rights-of-way, permitting of other
realty actions subject to protective stipulations, closure to all forms
of mineral development, closure to vegetation sales, management of
barbary sheep, designation of a BLM sensitive species, management as
Visual Resource Management Class I, limitation of off-road vehicle use
to designated roads and trails, allowing public access to portions of
the ACEC by permit, closure to camping, closure to the establishment of
new roads and trails, fire management for conditional least-cost
suppression with no surface disturbance and no use of slurry or blading
in certain areas.
Alamo Mountain is located 61 miles southeast of Alamogordo, New
Mexico and near the Texas border. The area was nominated to protect and
manage visual and cultural resources. The total area to be considered
is approximately 2,210 acres. Management actions proposed in the
Preferred Alternative include: exclusion of the area from authorization
of rights-of-way, permitting of other realty actions subject to
protective stipulations, closure to all forms of mineral development,
closure to vegetation sales, management of barbary sheep, designation
of a BLM sensitive species, management as Visual Resource Management
Class I, closure of the area to off-road vehicle use, establishment of
a vehicle parking area, closure to camping in portions of the ACEC,
fire management for conditional least-cost suppression with no surface
disturbance and no use of slurry or blading in certain areas.
Wind Mountain is located 64 miles southeast of Alamogordo, New
Mexico and near the Texas border. The area was nominated to protect and
manage visual resources, cultural resources, and unique and sensitive
plants and animals. Total area to be considered is approximately 2,706
acres. Management actions proposed in the Preferred Alternative
include: exclusion of the area from authorization of rights-of-way,
permitting of other realty actions subject to protective stipulations,
closure to all forms of mineral development (subject to valid existing
rights), closure to vegetation sales, management of barbary sheep,
designation of a BLM sensitive species, management as Visual Resource
Management Class I, limitation of off-road vehicle use to existing
roads and trails, fire management for conditional least-cost
suppression with no surface disturbance and no use of slurry or blading
in certain areas.
The Alkali Lakes area is located 80 miles southeast of Alamogordo,
New Mexico and near the Texas border. This area was nominated to
protect and manage endangered and sensitive plants and the plant
community in which they occur. The total area considered is
approximately 6,359 acres. Management actions proposed in the Preferred
Alternative include: exclusion of the area from authorization of
rights-of-way, permitting of other realty actions subject to protective
stipulations, acquisition of State trust land through a cooperative
land exchange, closure to all forms of mineral development, closure to
vegetation sales, continued management as Visual Resource Management
Class IV, limitation of off-road vehicle use to within 30 feet of the
center line of designated roads and trails, closure to camping and the
use of campfires, fire management for conditional least-cost
suppression with no surface disturbance and no use of vehicular
equipment off of established roads and trails.
Public participation has occurred throughout the RMP Amendment
process. A Notice of Intent was filed in the Federal Register (Vol. 59,
No. 73, Page 18151-18152) on April 15, 1994. Since that time, several
public meetings, mail-outs, and group briefings were conducted to
solicit comments and ideas, or familiarize various groups with the
proposal and the BLM planning process. Comments presented throughout
the process have been considered in the analysis. Comments received
during this 60-day comment period will be considered in preparation of
the Proposed White Sands RMP Amendment and supporting EA. Single copies
of the draft White Sands RMP Amendment/preliminary FONSI and supporting
EA for the Otero County ACECs may be obtained from the BLM Las Cruces
District Office, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005. Public
reading copies are available for review at the BLM State Office, 1474
Rodeo Rd., Santa Fe, New Mexico, and public and university libraries in
Las Cruces, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas.
Dated: May 20, 1996.
Josie Banegas,
Acting District Manager, Las Cruces.
[FR Doc. 96-13094 Filed 5-23-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P