[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25758-25760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10374]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD00000.L16100000.DS0000.LXSSB0010000]
Amended Notice of Intent To Clarify the Scope of Analysis of the
Environmental Document and Proposed Plan Amendment in the West Mojave
Planning Area, to the Motorized Vehicle Access Element of the
California Desert Conservation Area Plan, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles and
San Bernardino Counties, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
announces its intent to clarify the scope of the Notice of Intent to
Prepare an
[[Page 25759]]
Environmental Document and Proposed Plan Amendment for the West Mojave
(WEMO) Plan, Motorized Vehicle Access Element, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles
and San Bernardino Counties, CA, which was published in the Federal
Register on September 13, 2011 (76 FR 56466). By this notice, the BLM
is announcing the beginning of a further, more focused scoping process
to solicit public comments and identify issues related to the clarified
scope of the West Mojave (WEMO) Route Network Project Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS)/Plan Amendment as described under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION below.
DATES: This notice initiates public scoping on the clarified scope of
the WEMO Route Network Project EIS/plan amendment and concurrent travel
management designation planning. Comments must be submitted in writing
within 30 days from the publication date of this notice in the Federal
Register. The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public
participation as appropriate.
ADDRESSES: The public may submit comments on the modified scope of the
analysis and related issues, by any of the following methods:
Email: [email protected].
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/west_mojave_wemo.
Fax: 951-697-5299.
Mail: BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle
San Juan de Los Lagos, ATTN: West Mojave Route Network Project, Moreno
Valley, CA 92553-9046
Documents relevant to this proposal may be examined at the
California Desert District Office or Web site (address above), or the
BLM's California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edythe Seehafer, telephone 760-252-
6021; address Bureau of Land Management, Barstow Field Office, 2601
Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; 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: In January 2011, the U.S. District Court for
the Northern District of California partially remanded the 2006 WEMO
Plan Amendment Record of Decision (ROD) to the BLM and directed the BLM
to amend the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and
reconsider route designation throughout the WEMO area, as well as other
specified issues in the WEMO Plan (Center for Biological Diversity v.
US Bureau of Land Management Order Re: Remedy (N.D. Cal. Jan 28,
2011)). By court order, the BLM must issue a revised decision by March
31, 2014. The September 13, 2011 Notice of Intent (NOI) invited
comments on the proposed scope and content of the environmental
document to address the court's issues related to the 2006 WEMO ROD.
The public scoping process for this action has been utilized to
determine relevant issues, impacts, and possible alternatives that
could influence the scope of the environmental analysis, and guide the
entire process from plan decision-making to route designation review in
order to comply with the court order. The BLM conducted two scoping
meetings in Ridgecrest and Barstow, on September 27 and 29, 2011
respectively. The BLM asked for comments on the issues to be addressed,
motor vehicle access amendment alternatives to be considered, decision
criteria for route designation, the best approach to integrate recent
BLM transportation management guidance into the document, and how to
address both plan-level and implementation-level decisions. As a result
of initial scoping, the BLM subsequently held eight working group
meetings in February and March of 2012 to collect additional travel
management input on issues related to planning and implementation for
route designation in specific geographic subregions within the WEMO
area.
The original NOI stated that the plan amendment would:
1. Update and amend the Motorized Vehicle Access Element of the
CDCA Plan. The NOI requested input on those portions of the Element to
be amended, including to reflect current management policy regarding
access management. The plan amendment proposes to eliminate the
``existing routes'' language in the CDCA Plan. This language currently
constrains the development of a travel network in the WEMO area.
2. Identify and analyze alternatives for amending the Motorized
Vehicle Access Element of the CDCA Plan. The NOI indicated that
subsequently, concurrently, or in a combination of both, additional
environmental analysis would address current route designation within
the WEMO sub-regional areas. This analysis would result in new
decisions for each sub-regional area within the WEMO plan area that
would either retain or modify, in whole or in part, current route
designations.
3. Identify processes, decision criteria, and related issues for
designating travel routes within sub-regional areas of the WEMO plan
area. The NOI identified preliminary decision criteria and requested
input on issues and concerns, and best science and technology to
establish viable networks within each subarea.
Clarifications to the original NOI as a result of scoping include
the following:
1. The appropriate analytical document for the plan amendment has
been determined to be an EIS.
2. This plan amendment also proposes to modify Stopping/Parking/
Camping guidelines and other potential area-wide impact minimization
strategies in addition to ``existing routes'' language.
3. The BLM has determined that it would be in the best interest of
public land management to evaluate concurrently the plan amendments and
the activity planning that would adopt route designations and
implementation strategies.
4. In response to the court order BLM will establish a consistent
baseline for route designation.
5. Consistent with current guidance, the plan amendment proposes to
adopt Travel Management Areas and broad goals for these areas to
provide the basis for concurrent travel management activity plans.
6. The activity plans will designate specific travel routes and
trails within the travel management areas as part of the site-specific
implementation planning, and will include consideration of both public
(casual use) and other access needs and opportunities on public lands.
7. This document will amend the CDCA Plan Motor Vehicle Access
Element as it pertains to the West Mojave Planning area. Amendment and
activity plan changes will update and augment the 2006 West Mojave
Plan, through the replacement of Section 2.2.6, updates of Planning and
Regulatory Framework Section 3.1, Affected Environment Sections 3.5,
affected impact analyses, strategies provided in the activity plans,
and elsewhere as appropriate.
8. The BLM generally identified issues of concern in the original
Notice. The following post-2006 ROD issues also will be considered: New
critical habitat, designation of the Old Spanish National Historic
Trail, new wilderness areas, consideration of lands with wilderness
characteristics, changes to access from major rights-of-way and other
large plan amendment proposals
[[Page 25760]]
and decisions, and the proposed transfer of management to the military
of the Johnson Valley OHV Open Area. Several issues were specifically
identified by the court which will be addressed in the document,
including soils, unusual plant assemblages, riparian and water
resources, cultural resources, grazing, air quality in open areas,
cumulative effects, and mitigation. The BLM will evaluate identified
issues to be addressed in the plan amendment, and will place them into
one of three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment and associated
activity plans;
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 Scoping Report or the
draft EIS as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. An
updated inventory of lands with wilderness characteristics for public
lands in the plan area will be completed for analysis in the EIS. The
public is also encouraged to help identify any management questions and
concerns that should be addressed in the clarified scope of 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.
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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7, 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR
1610.2.
Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-10374 Filed 5-1-13; 8:45 am]
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