[Federal Register: August 2, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 149)]
[Notices]
[Page 50457]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02au02-85]
[[Page 50457]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA-610-01-1610-DQ]
Notice of Availability of the Northern and Eastern Colorado
Desert Proposed Plan, an Amendment to the California Desert
Conservation Area Plan, and the Final Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, California
Desert District.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Northern and Eastern Colorado
Desert Proposed Plan (NECO), an amendment to the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan, and
associated Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
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SUMMARY: NECO amends the CDCA Plan for a 5.5 million acre area in the
southeastern part of the CDCA and provides for conservation of desert
ecosystems for federal lands in the planning area on a landscape
basis--for BLM lands, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Chocolate
Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range, managed by the U.S. Marine Corps Yuma
Air Station. NECO includes goals, objectives, management prescriptions,
and monitoring in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976 for comprehensive management of desert
ecosystems, including the recovery of two species listed under the
federal Endangered Species Act: the desert tortoise and Coachella
Valley milkvetch. The FEIS evaluates the Proposed Plan Amendments and
three alternatives. The FEIS also includes public comments on the DEIS
and BLM's responses to those comments.
DATES: Written protests on the FEIS will be accepted if received by
September 3, 2002, by the Environmental Protection Agency. Instructions
for filing protests are contained in the NECO document Cover Sheet just
inside the front cover, and are included below under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the document are being mailed to those who
received the DEIS or provided comments on the DEIS. The document is
available for review on line at http://www.ca.blm.gov/cdd/land
useplanning.html and is also available in hard copy or CDrom at the
following addresses and telephone numbers:
BLM, 6221 Box Springs Blvd, Riverside, CA 92507; (909) 697-5200
BLM, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; (760) 252-6000
BLM, 300 So. Richmond Rd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555; (760) 384-5400
BLM, 690 W. Garnet, North Palm Springs, CA 92258; (760) 251-4800
BLM, 1661 So. 4th St., El Centro, CA 92243; (760) 337-4400
BLM, 101 W. Spikes Rd, Needles, CA 92363; (760) 326-7000
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard E. Crowe, BLM, 6221 Box
Springs Blvd, Riverside, CA 92507; (909) 697-5216.
Background Information: The Environmental Protection Agency
published the Notice of Availability of the NECO DEIS in the Federal
Register on February 23, 2001. The public review period on the DEIS
began February 26, 2001 and ended November 1, 2001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following are the instructions from the 43
Code of Federal Regulations 1610.5-2 for filing protests:
(a) Any person who participates in the planning process and has
an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the approval or
amendment of a resource management plan may protest such approval or
amendment. A protest may raise only those issues which were
submitted for the record during the planning process.
(1) The protest shall be in writing and shall be filed with the
Director. The protest shall be filed within 30 days of the date the
Environmental Protection Agency published the notice of receipt of
the final environmental impact statement containing the plan or
amendment in the Federal Register. For an amendment not requiring
the preparation of an environmental impact statement, the protest
shall be filed within 30 days of the publication of the notice of
its effective date.
(2) The protest shall contain:
(i) The name, mailing address, telephone number and interest of
the person filing the protest;
(ii) A statement of the issue or issues being protested;
(iii) A statement of the part or parts of the plan or amendment
being protested;
(iv) A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues that
were submitted during the planning process by the protesting party
or an indication of the date the issue or issues were discussed for
the record; and
(v) A concise statement explaining why the State Director's
decision is believe to be wrong.
(3) The Director shall promptly render a decision on the
protest. The decision shall be in writing and shall set forth the
reasons for the decision. The decision shall be sent to the
protesting party by certified mail, return receipt requested.
(b) The decision of the Director shall be the final decision for
the Department of the Interior.
Mailing address for filing a protest:
Regular mail--U.S. Department of the Interior, Director, Bureau of Land
Management (210), Attn: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC
20240.
Overnight mail--U.S. Department of the Interior, Director, Bureau of
Land Management (210), Attn: Brenda Williams, Telephone (202) 452-5045,
1620 ``L'' Street, NW., Rm 1075, Washington, DC 20036.
Alan Stein,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 02-19303 Filed 8-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P
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