[Federal Register: July 29, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 145)]
[Notices]
[Page 43902-43903]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29jy05-137]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement for the Ely Field Office, Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA) and under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), a Draft Resource Management Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/EIS) has been prepared for public
lands and resources administered by the Bureau of Land Management's Ely
Field Office.
DATES: The comment period will end 120 days after the Environmental
Protection Agency's Notice of Availability is published in the Federal
Register announcing the availability of this DRMP/EIS. Comments on the
DRMP/EIS must be received on or before the end of the comment period at
the address listed below. Public meetings will be held during the
comment period. Public meetings will be held in Nevada in the cities of
Ely, Caliente, Mesquite, Las Vegas, Reno, and Tonopah. Any other public
involvement activities will be announced at least 15 days in advance
through public notices, media news releases, newsletter mailings, and
on the Ely RMP Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://elyrmp.ensr.com.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Ely RMP Team, BLM Ely
Field Office, HC 33, Box 33500, Ely, Nevada 89301. Comments may also be
sent by e-mail to elyrmp@blm.gov. Documents pertinent to the DRMP/EIS
and written comments, including names and street addresses of
respondents, will be available for public review at the Ely Field
Office at the address above during regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Responses to the
comments will be published as part of the Proposed Resource Management
Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to the mailing list contact Gene Drais, RMP Project
Manager, at (775) 289-1880 or correspond by e-mail to elyrmp@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Ely RMP planning area is located in
eastern Nevada in Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine Counties. The planning
area addressed in the RMP contains 11,400,000 acres of public lands
administered by the BLM Ely Field Office and the Caliente Field
Station. The DRMP/EIS focuses on the principles of multiple use and
sustained yield as prescribed by Section 202 of the FLPMA. The
following participated in development of the RMP as cooperating
agencies with special expertise: Duckwater Shoshone Tribe; Ely Shoshone
Tribe; Great Basin National Park; Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest;
Lincoln County; Moapa Band of Paiutes; Nellis Air Force Base; Nevada
Division of Minerals; Nevada Department of Transportation; Nevada
Department of Wildlife; Nye County; Nevada State Historic Preservation
Office; White Pine County; and Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
The public is invited to review and comment on the range and
adequacy of the draft alternatives and associated environmental
effects. For comments to be most helpful, they should relate to
specific concerns or conflicts that are within the legal
responsibilities of the BLM and can be resolved in this planning
process. The DRMP/EIS provides direction and guidance for the
management of approximately 11,400,000 acres of public land located in
Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine Counties in eastern Nevada. The DRMP/EIS
will replace the Schell and Caliente Management Framework Plans
approved in 1983 and 1981, respectively, and the Egan Resource
Management Plan approved in 1987.
The public involvement and collaboration process implemented for
this effort included six open houses during scoping; presentations to
interested organizations upon their invitation; presentations to and
suggestions from the Mojave Southern Great Basin and the Northeastern
Great Basin Resource Advisory Councils (RACs); and distribution of
information via the Ely RMP website and periodic newsletters. A copy of
the DRMP/EIS has been sent to individuals, agencies, and groups who
requested a copy, or as required by regulation or policy.
The DRMP/EIS considers and analyzes five (5) alternatives,
including the No Action Alternative (Continuation of Existing
Management), alternatives that emphasize restoration of ecological
systems, commodity production, and exclusion of permitted discretionary
uses, and the BLM's Preferred Alternative. These alternatives were
developed based on public input including scoping (February through
July 2003), numerous meetings with local, State, tribal, and Federal
agencies (Cooperating Agencies), and informal meetings with interested
organizations upon their request. The alternatives provide for an array
of alternative land use allocations and variable levels of commodity
production and resource protection and restoration. After comments are
reviewed and any pertinent adjustments are made, a Proposed RMP and
Final Environmental Impact Statement are expected to be available in
the summer of 2006.
The issues addressed in the formulation of alternatives include
maintenance and restoration of resiliency to disturbed vegetation
within the Great Basin, protection and management of habitats for
special status species, upland and riparian habitat management, noxious
and invasive plants, commercial uses (including livestock grazing,
special recreation permits, mineral development, oil and gas leasing,
rights-of-way and communication use areas), Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACECs), travel management, land disposal, and
wild horses.
The preferred alternative considers 3 existing ACECs totaling
212,500 acres and 18 proposed new ACECs totaling 135,400 acres and
ranging in size from 40 acres to 26,200 acres. The following types of
resource use limitations would apply to restrictions on locations of
rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, mineral exploration or
development, disposal of lands and livestock use. For detailed
information, see Chapter 2.5.22 of the Draft RMP/EIS.
If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public
review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you
must state this prominently at the beginning of your 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.
Review copies of the DRMP/EIS are available at the following
locations in and near the planning area:
BLM Caliente Field Station
BLM Elko Field Office
[[Page 43903]]
BLM Ely Field Office
BLM Las Vegas Field Office
Ely Ranger District, Ely, Nevada
Great Basin National Park
Lincoln County Courthouse
Lincoln County Public Library
Nye County Courthouse
Nye County Public Library
White Pine County Courthouse
White Pine County Public Library
The DRMP/EIS and other associated documents may also be viewed and
downloaded in PDF format at the Ely RMP Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://elyrmp.ensr.com
.
Gene A. Kolkman,
Ely Field Office Manager, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 05-14939 Filed 7-28-05; 8:45 am]
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