[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 185 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59155-59156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24493]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD06000, L16100000.DP0000]
Notice of Availability of South Coast Draft Resource Management
Plan Revision and Draft Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a
Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the South Coast Planning Area (California), and by
this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.
DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft RMP/EIS within 90 days following the date
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of
Availability of the Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal Register. The BLM will
announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media
news releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments related to the South Coast
Draft RMP/EIS by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/palmsprings.
E-mail: [email protected].
Fax: (760) 833-7199.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs-South Coast
Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262.
Copies of the South Coast Draft RMP/EIS are available for review at
the Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office and via the Internet at:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/palmsprings. Electronic (on CD-ROM) or paper
copies may also be obtained by contacting Greg Hill at the address and
phone number below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Hill; Bureau of Land Management,
Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm
Springs, California 92262; (760) 833-7140; [email protected]. Persons
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact
the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question
with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Coast Draft RMP provides guidance
for the management of approximately 300,000 acres of BLM-administered
public lands in portions of five highly urbanized southern California
counties: San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and Los
Angeles. These public lands include over 130,000 acres of BLM-
administered surface lands and 167,000 acres of Federal mineral
ownership where the surface is privately owned. The Draft RMP/EIS is a
revision to the existing South Coast RMP (1994). Since 1994, there have
been significant changes in the patterns of urban growth; increased
demands on the resources of the public lands; changing policies and
emphasis on the management of public lands and local land use planning;
and new data that have led to the listing of additional threatened or
endangered species. The Notice of Intent to prepare a land use plan
revision and associated EIS was published in the Federal Register on
August 7, 2007 (72 FR 44173). The BLM held public workshops and scoping
meetings in Campo, San Diego, Temecula, and Santa Clarita in December
2007, and invited agencies to participate as cooperating agencies in
the planning effort. The Draft RMP/EIS analyzes four alternatives,
including a No Action alternative, Alternative A, and an agency
Preferred Alternative, Alternative D, designed to address management
challenges and issues raised during scoping, including, but not limited
to Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), sensitive species
and other wildlife habitat, lands with wilderness characteristics,
livestock grazing, recreation, off highway vehicle use, minerals
management, and land use authorizations.
Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b), this notice announces a concurrent
public comment period on proposed ACECs. The Draft RMP/Draft EIS
proposes changes to ACEC designations and elimination of ACECs within
wilderness. The Preferred Alternative, Alternative D, includes 9 ACECs
comprising of a total of 26,627 acres, or 20 percent of the planning
area's surface acres. This is in contrast with Alternative A, the No
Action Alternative of 7 ACECs with 14,539 acres, or 11 percent of
surface acres. The proposed ACECs and resource use limitations
[[Page 59156]]
which would occur if formally designated are listed below:
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Alternatives and Acres
Proposed ACEC -------------------------------------------- Limitations
A B C D
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Cedar Canyon.................... 708 0 708 0 ACECs are:
Johnson Canyon.................. 1,800 0 1,800 1,800 Closed to OHV use or limited to
designated roads and trails under
all alternatives.
Kuchamaa........................ 803 0 803 0
Million Dollar Spring........... 6,265 0 6,265 0
Potrero......................... 2,966 0 0 0 Avoidance areas for land use
authorizations under Alternatives
A, C, and D. ACECs are exclusion
areas under Alternative B.
Santa Ana River Wash............ 750 750 750 750
Santa Margarita River........... 1,247 4,474 1,247 4,474
Upper Santa Clara River......... 0 1,620 0 1,620 Closed to fluid mineral and
geothermal leasing and sale of
mineral materials under
Alternatives A, C, and D. The
Western Riverside County ACEC
would be considered for sale of
mineral materials on a case-by-
case basis with site specific
analysis required to protect ACEC
values of relevance and
importance.
Western Riverside County........ 0 24,995 0 0
Oak Mountain.................... 0 0 0 894
Gavilan......................... 0 0 0 3,822
Badlands........................ 0 0 0 1,051
Beauty Mountain................. 0 27,376 0 3,925
Otay/Kuchamaa................... 0 8,291 0 8,291
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Total acres..................... 14,539 67,506 11,573 26,627
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A Record of Decision for the proposed RMP will be prepared
following publication of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS in accordance with
the planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.5-1 and the NEPA, 40 CFR
1505.2.
Please note that public comments and information submitted
including names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of respondents
will be available for public review and disclosure at the above address
during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through
Friday, except holidays.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
John R. Kalish,
Manager, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10; 43 CFR 1610.2.
[FR Doc. 2011-24493 Filed 9-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P