[Federal Register: December 7, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 234)]
[Notices]
[Page 72847-72848]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07de05-101]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA-330-04-1610-DN]
Notice of Intent To Prepare Arcata Resource Management Plan
Amendment for Recently Acquired Humboldt County Coastal Lands
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) Arcata Field Office intends to prepare a Resource
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated Environmental
Assessment (EA) for recently acquired BLM coastal lands in Humboldt
County in Northwest California. The lands addressed by this amendment
have been acquired through a combination of fee title and conservation
easements, using private donations and state and Federal funds.
Approximately 1100 acres have been acquired by the BLM along the
Humboldt County coast since completion of the Arcata RMP in 1992. These
lands are located in T.6N., R.1W., Secs. 26, 27, 34 and 35; T.4N.,
R.2W., Secs. 13, 14, 23, 24, 26 and 27; and T.2N., R.3W., Secs. 12, 13,
23, 24, 25, 26, Humboldt Meridian. The plan amendment will fulfill the
obligations set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and BLM management
policies. The plan amendment will serve to update the Arcata RMP and
associated amendments for the affected lands. 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 public scoping process will identify planning issues,
develop planning criteria, and outline a vision for area management
that reflects the needs and interests of the public and protection of
the areas' resource values.
DATES: The publication of this notice initiates the public scoping
process. Public comments concerning the scope of the draft RMP
amendment should be submitted within 30 days of the date of publication
of this notice in the Federal Register. Comments are requested on
potential issues, alternatives, as well as any suggested planning
criteria that BLM should use to guide the plan amendment process.
Public Participation: Public input will be accepted throughout the
preparation period. Public open houses will be held in the Eureka, CA
area during the scoping period and again with the release of the draft
RMP amendment. Information concerning the planning process, including
open houses and other public participation opportunities, will be
announced by BLM through news releases, direct mailings or other
applicable means of public notification. Current information about the
planning process is also maintained at the Arcata Field Office, 1695
Heindon Rd., Arcata, CA 95521, telephone (707) 825-2300.
ADDRESSES: Scoping comments should be sent to Arcata RMP Amendment,
Bureau of Land Management, Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road,
Arcata, California 95521; Fax (707) 825-2301, or e-mail at
caweb330@ca.blm.gov. The BLM will maintain a record of public documents
related to the development of the RMP amendment at the Arcata Field
Office at the address listed above. Comments, including names and
street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at
the Arcata Field Office during regular business hours, 7:45 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays, and may
be published as part of the environmental assessment. Individual
respondents may request confidentiality. Individuals who wish to
withhold their name or street address from public review or from
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act must state this
prominently at the beginning of their written comment. Such requests
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from
organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For further information or to have your name
added to the mailing list, contact Bob Wick, telephone (707) 825-2321
or e-mail to rwick@ca.blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A plan amendment is needed because the
existing 1992 Arcata RMP does not provide specific management direction
for the coastal properties identified in this notice (since they were
not managed by the BLM at the time of the RMP approval). The lands
contain a number of resource issues/opportunities that call for a plan
amendment to facilitate management. Portions of the acquired lands
contain populations of Federally listed threatened and endangered
species including two plants; beach layia (Layia carnosa) and Humboldt
Bay wallflower (Erysimum menziesii ssp. eurekense); one endangered
bird, the California brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis
californicus); and one threatened bird, the western snowy plover
(Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus). The plan amendment will include
measures to protect habitat for these species.
The South Spit makes up the majority of the acquired lands and is
the primary reason behind the timeframe for the RMP amendment. Through
a Deed of Conservation Easement, the State of California conveyed to
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) management authority over the South
Spit in all aspects of its use in perpetuity. The deed conveying an
easement to the BLM from the State of California stated that the area
will be administered consistent with management planning. This long-
term management plan will involve a community-based partnership
approach with all interested parties and the general public. This
includes the Table Bluff Reservation--Wiyot Tribe, government agencies,
environmental and conservation organizations, and recreation groups.
The BLM completed an interim plan/biological assessment in 2003 with an
understanding that a long-term plan would be completed within three
years (2006). The current process will serve to develop this long-term
plan and will include both RMP and implementation level decisions.
The South Spit is a unique and significant area to the region. Due
to the area's natural diversity, cultural resource values, and
populations of sensitive species, protection of these resources is
necessary and will require active management. The South Spit has
historically provided a variety of recreation activities and other
public uses. The BLM will work collaboratively with other agencies,
tribes and interested parties to identify the management decisions that
are best suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns.
Preliminary issues and management concerns have been identified by BLM
personnel, other
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agencies, and in meetings with individuals and user groups, including:
Protection and enhancement of threatened and endangered plant and
animal species and their habitats; Control of invasive non-native
vegetation, including European beachgrass, iceplant, yellow bush
lupine, and others; Importance of the area to the cultural heritage of
the Wiyot people and sensitivity of Tribal areas; Traditional use for
recreation opportunities such as waterfowl hunting, wildlife/wildlands
observation, photography, fishing, surfing, environmental education,
horse use and vehicle access to the waveslope.
Disciplines involved in the planning process will include
specialists with expertise in wildlife management, geology,
archaeology, lands and realty, recreation, botany, and information
technology. Several alternatives will be evaluated as part of the
Environmental Assessment process. These will include: A ``No Action''
Alternative-continuation of present management; and one or several
other alternatives to best address the issues identified during the
scoping process.
Dated: October 11, 2005.
Lynda Roush,
Field Manager, Arcata Field Office.
[FR Doc. E5-6976 Filed 12-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P