[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60718-60719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24522]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD08000; L51010000; EU0000; LVRWB11B4700; CACA-53705]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the California Desert
Conservation Area Plan and Associated Environmental Assessment, San
Bernardino County, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
Barstow Field Office, Barstow, California, intends to prepare an
amendment to the 1980 California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan
with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) to identify an 80-acre
parcel of public land for possible direct sale. With this notice, the
BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit
public comments and identify issues.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the plan
amendment with an associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in
writing until November 5, 2012. The date(s) and location(s) of any
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through
the local news media. In order to be included in the EA, all comments
must be received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will
provide additional opportunities for public participation upon
publication of the EA as appropriate.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the plan amendment EA by any of the following methods:
Email: [email protected].
Fax: 760-252-6099.
Mail: Birgit Hoover, Realty Specialist, BLM Barstow Field
Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311.
Documents pertinent to this notice will be available for public
review at the Barstow Field Office: 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow,
California 92311.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Birgit Hoover, Realty
Specialist, BLM Barstow Field Office, telephone 760-252-6035; address
2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311. 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 for the above
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
Barstow Field Office, Barstow, California, intends to prepare a plan
amendment with an associated EA for the 1980 CDCA Plan, announces the
beginning of the scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and
planning criteria. The planning area is located in San Bernardino
County, California, and encompasses approximately 80 acres of public
land that has been identified for possible direct sale. The BLM
received a request from OMYA, Inc., to purchase the planning area, by
direct sale, under the authority of Section 203 of FLPMA (43 U.S.C.
1713). However, the public land described above is currently not
available for sale under the 1980 CDCA Plan as amended, and a plan
amendment is required to process a direct sale. This plan amendment
will be limited to an analysis of whether the public land described
above meets Section 203 sales criteria of FLPMA. The purpose of the
public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will
influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including
alternatives, and guide the planning process. Preliminary issues for
the plan amendment area have been identified by BLM personnel. The
issues include: Mineral resources, special status species, and cultural
resources. Preliminary planning criteria include:
1. Compliance with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other applicable laws;
2. Coordination with local and county governments; and
3. Government-to-government consultation with federally recognized
tribes.
You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the
BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To
be most helpful, you should submit comments by the close of the 30-day
scoping period or within 15 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later.
The BLM will use the NEPA public participation requirements to
assist the agency in satisfying the public
[[Page 60719]]
involvement requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and cultural resources
within the area potentially affected by the proposed action will assist
the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources in the
context of both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA.
The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis
as a cooperating agency. Before including your address, phone number,
email 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. The minutes and list of attendees for each
scoping meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days
after the meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he
or she expressed. The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be
addressed in the plan, and will place them into one of three
categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
The BLM will provide an explanation in the EA as to why an issue was
placed in category two or three. The public is also encouraged to help
identify any management questions and concerns that should be addressed
in the plan. The BLM will work collaboratively with interested parties
to identify the management decisions that are best suited to local,
regional, and national needs and concerns.
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan
amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and
concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the following
disciplines will be involved in the planning process: Minerals and
geology, wildlife and fisheries, archaeologists, hydrology, soils, and
lands and realty.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2
Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2012-24522 Filed 10-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P