[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34442-34443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16799]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CO-017-1610-00]
Availability of White River Resource Area's Proposed Management
Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (40 CFR 1505.2), the Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has prepared a Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement
(PRMP/FEIS) for the White River Resource Area. The PRMP/FEIS describes
and analyzes the proposed management for 1,455,900 acres of public land
and 365,000 acres of federal mineral estate in portions of Rio Blanco,
Moffat and Garfield Counties in western Colorado.
Decisions generated as a result of this planning process will
supersede and/or incorporate decisions of earlier land use plans,
including the 1975 White River Management Framework Plan, the 1981
White River Resource Area Coal Amendment to the White River Management
Framework Plan, the 1981 White River Resource Area Grazing Management
Environmental Impact Statement, and the 1987 White River Resource Area
Piceance Basin Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact
Statement.
DATES: Protests of the proposed plan must be received by August 5,
1996.
ADDRESSES: Written protests on the PRMP/FEIS should be addressed to:
Director (480), Bureau of Land Management, Resource Planning Team, 1849
``C'' Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240.
Copies of the PRMP/FEIS will be available for review at the
following locations: (1) Bureau of Land Management, White River
Resource Area Office, 73544 Highway 64, Meeker, Colorado 81641; (2)
Bureau of Land Management, Craig District Office, 455 Emerson Street,
Craig, Colorado 81625; and (3) Bureau of Land Management, Colorado
State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Denver, Colorado 80215.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bill Hill, RMP Team Leader, White River Resource Area Office, Meeker,
Colorado 81641, (970) 878-4160.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRMP/FEIS addresses issues identified
through public scoping and internal Bureau of Land Management review,
including: (1) Salinity in the Colorado River; (2) mineral development
throughout the resource area; (3) the spread of noxious and problem
weeds; (4) reintroduction of the black-footed ferret; (5) unrestricted
motorized travel throughout the resource area; and (6) habitat
competition among wild horses, livestock and big game. Four
alternatives were analyzed in the Draft RMP/EIS that was published in
October 1994. The Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement combines ecosystem concepts, public
comments, and components from the four alternatives described in the
Draft.
Some of the major decisions developed in the proposed management
plan deal with: (1) Making mineral resources available for exploration,
leasing and development, in compliance with environmental laws,
regulations and policies; (2) protecting sensitive resources by
designating certain areas as closed or limited to off highway vehicle
use until a subsequent travel management plan can be developed; (3)
releasing the river and stream segments inventoried for Wild and Scenic
River (WSR) Management from further WSR consideration; (4) managing
wild horse
[[Page 34443]]
herds in the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area to maintain 95
to 140 head of horses; and (5) designating eleven additional areas as
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).
Public participation has occurred throughout the RMP/EIS process
starting with a Federal Register Notice of Intent to prepare a RMP in
October 1990. Since that time, several open houses, public meetings,
and public hearings were held to solicit comments and ideas. Public
comments provided throughout the process were considered in the
development of the document.
Robert Schneider,
Acting District Manager, Craig, CO.
[FR Doc. 96-16799 Filed 7-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-BY-M
