[Federal Register: January 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 4)]
[Notices]
[Page 953-954]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ja06-67]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AZ 210-05-1610-DP-081A-241E]
Notice of Availability of Agua Fria National Monument and
Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of Agua Fria National Monument and
Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
planning regulations, Title 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
1610.2(f)(3) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Regulations, Title 40 CFR 1502.9(a), the BLM hereby gives notice that
the Agua Fria National Monument and Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource
Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS) is
available for public review and comment. The National Monument
encompasses 71,000 acres, and the Bradshaw-Harquahala planning area
includes another 895,900 acres of the BLM-administered lands.
DATES: Written comments on the DRMP/DEIS will be accepted for 90 days
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. Future meetings or
hearings and any other public involvement activities will be announced
at least 15 days in advance through local media.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be mailed to Teri Raml, Phoenix Field
Manager, Agua Fria National Monument and Bradshaw-Harquahala Resource
Management Plan, Phoenix Field Office, 21605 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix,
Arizona 85027. You may also comment via the Internet using the comment
tool of the interactive document, which can be accessed from a link on
the Arizona Bureau of Land Management web page at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.az.blm.gov.
Please submit Internet comments using this comment
tool. The comment tool requires entering your name and address for
comment submission. If you do not receive a confirmation from the
system that we have received your Internet message, contact Chris
Horyza at (623) 580-5500. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the
address listed above. Oral comments will be accepted and recorded at
any of seven public meetings to be held within 90 days of publication
of this Notice. Exact dates, places, and times of public meetings will
be posted on the Arizona BLM web page, or you may contact Chris Horyza
at (623) 580-5500 for further information.
Public comments, including names and street addresses of
respondents, will be available for public review at, Bureau of Land
Management, 21605 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027 during
regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:25 p.m.), Monday through Friday,
except holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. 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 comments. Such requests will
be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their
entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Horyza, Bureau of Land
Management, 21605 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027; telephone
(6223) 580-5500.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A copy of the Agua Fria National Monument
and Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement is available for review via the internet
from a link at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.az.blm.gov (subject to change); electronic
(on CD-ROM) and paper may be obtained from the Bureau of Land
Management, Phoenix Field Office. Electronic (on CD-ROM) and paper
copies may also be obtained by contacting Chris Horyza at the
aforementioned address and telephone number. The Agua Fria National
Monument and Bradshaw-Harquahala Draft Resource Management Plan and
Draft Environmental Impact Statement is being developed by BLM. The
DRMP/DEIS includes strategies for protecting and preserving the
biological, cultural, recreational, geological, educational,
scientific, and scenic values that the Monument was established to
protect, and strategies
[[Page 954]]
that balance multiple uses of the BLM-administered lands in the
Bradshaw-Harquahala planning area. The preferred alternative attempts
to accomplish the above while achieving consistency between Forest
Service, Arizona State Land Department, Arizona Game and Fish
Department, the BLM, and other land managing agencies within the
boundaries of both planning areas. The range of alternatives in this
draft evaluates planning decisions brought forward from the current BLM
planning documents, including the Lower Gila North Management Framework
Plan and the Phoenix Resource Management Plan.
The preferred alternative identifies four potential Areas of
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC): Tule Creek ACEC, 640 acres to
protect wildlife, riparian, and cultural resources; Vulture Mountain
ACEC, 6,120 acres to protect high value raptor nesting habitat; Black
Butte Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) ACEC, 8,260 acres to protect high
value raptor nesting sites, rare cultural resources, and scenic values;
and Harquahala Mountains ONA ACEC, 74,950 acres to protect unique
biological assemblages, high value cultural resources, and outstanding
scenic and primitive landscapes. The following types of use limitations
would generally apply: (1) Except for Tule Creek, areas would be closed
to mineral material disposal but open to other types of mineral
development. Tule Creek would be withdrawn from all mineral
development; (2) recreation uses would generally be dispersed and
undeveloped and may be limited by season or location if ACEC values are
threatened; (3) motorized and mechanized travel would be limited to
designated routes; (4) vehicle routes that threaten ACEC values would
be mitigated or closed; (5) visual resources would be allocated to VRM
Class II. For detailed information, see the Special Area Designations
sections of Chapter 2.
Records of Decision will be prepared by the BLM for the Agua Fria
National Monument Resource Management Plan and the Bradshaw-Harquahala
Resource Management Plan in accordance with planning regulations 43 CFR
part 1610 and NEPA at 40 CFR part 1502. The Agua Fria National Monument
was established by Presidential Proclamation 7263 in January 2000. The
Agua Fria National Monument Proclamation of 2000 affects only Federal
lands and Federal interests located within the established boundaries.
Dated: September 9, 2005.
Elaine Y. Zielinski,
Arizona State Director.
[FR Doc. 06-115 Filed 1-5-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-M