[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 67 (Thursday, April 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17950-17951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7986]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLORV00000.16100000.DO0000.LXSS072H0000 HAG10-0083]
Notice of Intent To Prepare Amendments to the Southeastern Oregon
Resource Management Plan (RMP), Malheur County, OR, and the Lakeview
RMP, Lake County, OR, and Associated Environmental Impact Statements.
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) Vale
District (Jordan Resource Area and Malheur Resource Area) and Lakeview
District (Lakeview Resource Area) in southeastern Oregon intend to
prepare Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) to amend the
Southeastern Oregon RMP (September 2002), Vale, Oregon, and the
Lakeview RMP (January 2003), Lakeview, Oregon, and by this notice are
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the two RMP
amendments with associated EISs. Comments on issues may be submitted in
writing until July 7, 2010. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping
meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local
media, newspapers and the BLM Web sites at: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/plans/valermp.php and http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/lakeview/plans/lakeviewrmp.php. In order to be included in the Draft
EISs, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 90-day
scoping period or within 30 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later. We will provide additional opportunities for public
participation upon publication of both Draft EISs.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues related to the
Southeastern Oregon RMP Amendment/EIS by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/plans/valermp.php.
E-mail: [email protected].
Fax: 541-473-3144.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Vale District Office, 100
Oregon St., Vale, Oregon 97918.
You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria related to
the Lakeview RMP Amendment/EIS by any of the following methods:
E-mail: [email protected].
Fax: 541-947-6399.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Lakeview District Office,
1301 South G Street, Lakeview, Oregon 97630.
Documents pertinent to these proposals may be examined at the Vale
and Lakeview District Offices.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing lists, contact Jill Silvey, Southeastern
Oregon and Lakeview RMP Project Manager, telephone (541) 473-3144;
address 100 Oregon Street, Vale, Oregon 97918; e-mail [email protected],
or Paul Whitman, Lakeview District Planner, telephone (541) 947-6110;
address, 1301 South G Street, Lakeview, Oregon 97630; e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
Vale and Lakeview District Offices intend to prepare RMP Amendments
with associated EISs for the Southeastern Oregon and Lakeview planning
areas. The two planning areas are located in Malheur, Lake, Harney, and
Grant Counties in Oregon and encompass approximately 4.6 million acres
of public land in the Southeastern Oregon planning area and
approximately 3.2 million acres of public land in the Lakeview planning
area. After the BLM completed the Southeastern Oregon RMP and the
Lakeview RMP in 2002 and 2003, respectively, separate lawsuits were
filed challenging each RMP. On July 14, 2008, the Ninth Cicuit ruled on
the Southeastern Oregon RMP in Oregon Natural Desert Association v.
Bureau of Land Management, 531 F.3d 1114 (9th Cir. 2008). Soon
thereafter, the BLM filed a petition for panel rehearing of the Court's
remedy (vacatur of the Record of
[[Page 17951]]
Decision). The matter has been stayed during settlement negotiations.
The Ninth Circuit stayed litigation regarding similar challenges to the
Lakeview RMP in Oregon Natural Desert Association v. Gammon, No. 07-
35728 (9th Cir.), pending resolution of the Southeastern Oregon RMP
case, and to allow for settlement negotiations between the parties. The
BLM is preparing RMP Amendments/EISs consistent with the 2008 holding
of the Ninth Circuit.
The two RMP Amendments/EISs plan to address the following issues:
Consideration of information from updates of resource
information related to wilderness characteristics;
Development of a range of allocation alternatives with
respect to ORV use, travel, and transportation; and
Development of grazing management alternative(s).
The purpose of the public scoping processes is to determine other
relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental
analyses, including alternatives, and guide the planning processes.
The BLM has also identified some preliminary planning criteria to
guide development of the RMP Amendments, to avoid unnecessary data
collection and analysis, and to ensure the RMP Amendments are tailored
to the issues. These criteria may be modified and/or other criteria may
be identified during the public scoping process. Preliminary planning
criteria include compliance with all legal mandates of the FLPMA, the
NEPA, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Administrative Procedures
Act, the BLM planning regulations in 43 CFR part 1600, and other
relevant laws. The following planning criteria will also guide the
planning processes:
The principles of multiple-use and sustained yield will be
observed;
A systematic interdisciplinary approach to integrate,
physical, biological, economic, and other sciences will be used;
Priority will be given to the designation and protection
of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern;
The best available data regarding natural resources will
be used, to the extent possible;
Present and potential uses of public lands will be
considered;
The relative scarcity of values and availability of
alternative means and sites for recognizing those values will be
considered;
Long term benefits to the public against short term
benefits will be weighed;
Tribal, Federal, and state pollution laws, standards and
implementation plans will be complied with, to the extent possible; and
Consistency and coordination with other programs, plans
and policies will be sought.
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 either prior to the close
of the 90-day scoping period or within 30 days after the last public
meeting. 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. 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 RMP Amendments, 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 the plan amendments.
The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP Amendments/
EISs 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 RMP Amendments. 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 RMP
Amendments in order to consider the variety of resource issues and
concerns identified. At a minimum, specialists with expertise in the
following disciplines will be involved in the planning processes:
Rangeland management, wilderness, travel management, recreation, and
wildlife.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7; 43 CFR 1610.2.
Larry Frazier,
Acting Vale District Manager.
Carol Benkosky,
Lakeview District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-7986 Filed 4-7-10; 8:45 am]
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