[Federal Register: February 4, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 23)]
[Notices]
[Page 6034-6035]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04fe05-112]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[MT-020-05-1610-DO-036E]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Revision
and Environmental Impact Statement for Eastern Montana
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior, Montana, Miles City Field
Office.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Resource Management Plan Revision
and Environmental Impact Statement for Eastern Montana, initiate public
scoping and request comments on Planning Criteria.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701), as amended; the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321), as amended; and the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will revise two Resource Management
Plans (RMPs) by combining the Powder River and Big Dry RMPs (to be
called the ``Miles City Field Office RMP'') and preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the effects of land
and mineral management options. The RMP and EIS are scheduled for
completion by December 2007.
DATES: Written and electronic comments on the scope of the RMP,
preliminary issues, and planning criteria may be submitted for 30 days
from the date of this notice. Public scoping meetings will be held in
Ashland, Baker, Broadus, Glendive, Jordan, Miles City, Terry, Billings
and Sidney, Montana. Meeting locations and dates for each town will be
announced through local news media, newsletters and the BLM public
outreach Web site http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.mt.blm.gov/mcfo/.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://milescityrmp.com.
Mail: ``Miles City RMP Comments'', P.O. Box 219, Miles City, MT
59301-0219.
Fax: (918) 382-7582.
[[Page 6035]]
Hand-Deliver: Miles City Field Office, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles
City, Montana.
Comments on issues and planning criteria may also be submitted to
the BLM at any public scoping meeting. Documents pertinent to the Miles
City Field Office RMP may be examined at the Miles City Field Office,
111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, MT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Bloom, Project Manager, Bureau of
Land Management, Miles City Field Office, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles
City, MT, telephone (406) 233-2852. Web site questions may be directed
to WebSiteAdmin@milescityrmp.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The approved RMP will replace the existing
Big Dry and Powder River RMPs as the document guiding land and resource
management decisions on BLM-administered lands and minerals in the
planning area. The purpose of the public scoping process is to
determine relevant issues that will influence the scope of the
environmental analysis and alternatives. These issues also guide the
planning process. The BLM will work collaboratively with interested
parties to identify the management options that are best suited to
local, regional, and national needs and concerns. Public land
management within the planning area is currently guided by the Big Dry
RMP and the Powder River RMP, completed in 1996 and 1985, respectively.
The intent of the planning process is to analyze and update land
and resource management objectives within the planning area. The
planning area includes all of the BLM-administered surface (2,785,000
acres) and mineral (11,725,000 acres) estate managed by the Miles City
Field Office in Carter, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield,
McCone, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan,
Treasure, Wibaux and portions of Big Horn and Valley counties.
The public will assist the BLM in identifying the issues.
Preliminary issues and management concerns have been identified by BLM
personnel and other agencies, and in meetings with individuals and user
groups. The RMP will consider resource options that are scientifically
sound, legally defensible and sustainable. Examples of preliminary
issues include the need to provide access to significant energy sources
and communication sites, the continuation of grazing activities,
maximizing use of public lands in species recovery and habitat
conservation, and the need to provide adequate facilities for safe
recreation and visitation on the public lands. Topics to be addressed
in the RMP will include vegetation; forestry and timber; special status
species; water quality and quantity; travel management; all special
management area designations; livestock grazing; fluid mineral leasing,
including for coal bed natural gas; solid minerals; recreational uses;
right-of-way corridor planning and land authorizations; land tenure
adjustment information and access needs; and Native American concerns.
Management concerns include air quality, cultural resources,
paleontological resources, social and economic concerns, environmental
justice, and wildfire management. BLM will also consider compatibility
with management plans for adjacent lands.
BLM is also extending a call for coal resource information and any
information regarding resources which may affect the leasing of Federal
coal or be affected by the leasing of Federal coal. Resource
information pertinent to any other BLM resource management activities
is also requested.
The RMP and EIS will be prepared by an interdisciplinary team with
specialists for recreation, fisheries, biology, archeology, air
quality, wildlife, realty, geology and mining, and range management.
Please note that comments and information submitted regarding this
RMP, including names, e-mail addresses, and street addresses of
respondents, will be available for public review and disclosure at the
above address. BLM will not accept anonymous comments. 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 comments. 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.
Dated: January 5, 2005.
David McIlnay,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 05-2111 Filed 2-3-05; 8:45 am]