[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 15299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7159]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[CO-050-1610-00]
Availability Notice; Royal Gorge Resource Area Proposed Resource
Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement; Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Royal Gorge Proposed Resource
Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement. This document
is now available to the public for a 30 day protest period.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management, Canon City District, Royal
Gorge Resource Area office has prepared a proposed resource management
plan (PRMP) and final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the
Royal Gorge Resource Area (RGRA) in accordance with the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and 43 CFR part 1600. A draft
resource management plan (DRMP) and environmental impact statement
(DEIS) for the RGRA was made available to the public in September of
1993 for a 90 day review and comment period Substantial public comment
was received through three public hearings and 180+ written letters.
More than nine hundred specific comments were received with the largest
concern related to and disagreeing with the recommendation not to
designate the 126 miles of the Upper Arkansas River and the 20 miles of
Beaver Creek as Wild & Scenic River. These comments have been responded
to within the PRMP/FEIS. This final plan replaces and supersedes all
existing land use plans and other related environmental documents. This
final plan establishes ten ecological subregions upon which all the
decisions within the plan are focused. This final plan establishes
resource conditions for, provides for managing and allocating of BLM
administered land and mineral resources in the RGRA for the next 15 to
20 years. Located in eastern Colorado, the RGRA encompasses 653,000
acres of Federal surface estate and 2,566,000 acres of Federal
subsurface mineral estate within Baca, Brent, Chaffee, Crowley, Custer,
El Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Lake, Las Animas, Otero, Park,
Prowers, Pueblo, and Teller counties.
Only those parties who made substantial comments to BLM on the
RGRA/DEIS during the 90 day review and comment period would be
considered to have standing for protest of the decisions within this
plan.
DATES: The PRMP/FEIS protest period will begin on March 27, 1995, and
will run through close of business on April 26, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may obtain a copy of the PRMP/FEIS from
the Bureau of Land Management, Royal Gorge Resource Area, 3170 East
Main Street, Canon City, CO 81212.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dave Taliaferro, RMP Project Manager, at (719) 539-7560 or Paul
Trentzsch, Royal Gorge Area Manager, at (719) 275-0631.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Some of the highlights of the PRMP/FEIS are:
1. The plan focuses on the principles of multiple use and sustained
yield as mandated by section 202 of FLPMA. The plan directs future
resource condition objectives, land use allocations, and management
actions.
2. The plan designates nine areas of critical environmental concern
(ACEC's) these being a. Mosquito Pass (4,036 acres), b. Browns Canyon
(11,697 acres), c. Droney Gulch (705 acres), d. Arkansas Canyonlands
(23,921 acres), e. Grape Creek (15,978 acres), f. Garden Park (2,728
acres), g. Phantom Canyon (6,096 acres), h. Beaver Creek (12,081
acres), and i. Cucharas Canyon (1,314 acres).
3. The plan serves as the final environmental impact statement
required for the Wild and Scenic River Act. Twenty miles of Beaver
Creek and 126 miles of the Arkansas River were analyzed and found to be
eligible and suitable for potential designation under the Wild and
Scenic River Act. BLM management directs within the final plan and all
146 stream miles not be recommended to Congress as a potential addition
to the National Wild and Scenic River System. These streams would be
managed under a protective interim management prescription for a period
of three years after the Approved Resource Management Plan (ARMP)/
Record of Decision (ROD) is signed.
4. The plan did carry out an analysis and does recommend that
197,000 acres in the Arkansas River Corridor be recommended to Congress
to be designated as a National Recreation Area. This would include the
segments of the Arkansas River that were determined to be eligible and
suitable for Wild and Scenic River designation.
Upon the closing of the protest period the ARMP/ROD will be
prepared and would be tentatively scheduled to be completed by
September of 1995.
Stuart L. Freer,
Associate District Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-7159 Filed 3-22-95; 8:45 am]
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