[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 101 (Thursday, May 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31036-31037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12680]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNMF02000 L16100000.DT0000 LXSS026G0000]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Taos
Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP)
for the Taos Field Office located in northern New Mexico. The New
Mexico State Director signed the ROD on May 24, 2012, which constitutes
the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective
immediately.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP are available upon request
from the Field Manager, Taos Field Office, Bureau of Land Management,
226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, New Mexico, or via the Internet at:
www.blm.gov/nm/taos. Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP are available for
public inspection at the BLM New Mexico State Office at 301 Dinosaur
Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad Higdon, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, Taos Field Office, telephone 575-751-4725;
address 226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, New Mexico 87571; email
[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 Approved RMP provides broad-scale
direction for the management of about 595,100 acres of BLM surface
estate and 1.5 million acres of mineral estate administered by the BLM
Taos Field Office within Colfax, Harding, Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba,
San Miguel, Santa Fe, Taos, and Union counties and is prepared in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA), and the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended. The Approved RMP, which replaces a land use plan
completed in 1988, provides updated management decisions regarding land
tenure adjustments, land use authorizations, mineral resources,
recreation, renewable energy, special designations, transportation and
access, wilderness characteristics, visual resources, and other
resources and uses.
The Approved RMP was prepared in partnership with cooperating
agencies, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish,
and Santa Fe County, as well as in collaboration with multiple tribes,
agencies, organizations, and other members of the public, largely
through the public participation provided under NEPA. The Draft RMP/
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released for a 90-day public
review and comment period on June 10, 2010, and identified Alternative
A as the BLM's preferred alternative. Based on input received from
cooperating agencies and the public, the preferred alternative was
modified where appropriate and then
[[Page 31037]]
presented as the Proposed RMP in the Final EIS, released December 2,
2011, for a public protest period and a Governor's consistency review
period.
The BLM received 27 letters protesting decisions contained in the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS, including decisions regarding mining
opportunities in the San Pedro Mountains and Ojo Caliente Area of
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), management of the La Cienega
ACEC, land tenure adjustment opportunities in El Palacio, travel
management, and protective management of the Old Spanish National
Historic Trail. While the Governor's consistency review provided input
from the Governor that the BLM considered in its decision making, the
review did not identify any specific inconsistency with State plans,
policies, or programs. As a result of protests receive during the
protest period, the BLM made one change to the Approved RMP by removing
language which unnecessarily limited the designation of off-highway
vehicle routes within the Santa Fe ACEC, described in detail in the
ROD/Approved RMP. Editorial and formatting modifications were also made
to the Approved RMP.
The ROD/Approved RMP does not contain implementation-level
decisions that may be appealed under the provisions of 43 CFR part 4,
subpart E. Rather, all decisions are considered planning-level
decisions and were subject to protest under 43 CFR 1610.5-2 at the time
the Proposed RMP/Final EIS was made available to the public.
Jesse J. Juen,
State Director.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.2(g), 1610.5-1(b).
[FR Doc. 2012-12680 Filed 5-23-12; 8:45 am]
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