[Federal Register: October 30, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 209)]
[Notices]
[Page 63347-63348]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30oc06-120]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the California Desert
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the BLM intends to amend
the motorized vehicle route network designations in the CDCA Plan area.
The affected area is located in Mono County, California. This
designation encompasses approximately 3.7 miles of the existing Furnace
Creek Canyon Road, leading up to the Inyo National Forest boundary. The
proposed land use plan amendment and associated Environmental
Assessment (EA) will consider whether or not to designate this 3.7 mile
section of road as an approved route of travel for vehicular access for
casual public use. The Land Use Plan amendment and EA will fulfill the
requirements set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), BLM planning
regulations, and other BLM management policies.
DATES: This notice initiates the public comment period on this plan
amendment and associated EA. Comments on issues related to the proposed
Furnace Creek Canyon Road designation can be submitted in writing to
the address listed below and will be accepted for 30 days from the date
of publication of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments by sending them in writing to the address
below or electronically at the Web address below. Individual
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your
name and/or address from public review or disclosure under the Freedom
of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of
your written comment. The BLM will honor such requests 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, are
[[Page 63348]]
available for public inspection in their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hector Villabos, Field Office Manager,
Bureau of Land Management, Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 South Richmond
Road, Ridgecrest CA 93555, (760) 384-5400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The land use plan amendment is needed to
complete the motorized vehicle access and travel management planning
initiated under the CDCA Plan and subsequent amendments for the
Northern and Eastern Mojave Desert (NEMO) area. In its May 2004 NEMO
Route Designation Amendment, the BLM committed to addressing the
Furnace Creek Canyon Road in a ``separate planning process.''
In June 2004, Ridgecrest BLM and the Inyo National Forest entered
into a Memorandum of Understanding to develop an EA to analyze
potential impacts of opening the Furnace Creek Canyon Road to vehicular
traffic. As part of the public involvement process, the agencies
conducted two meetings (November 6, 2003, in Bishop, California and
December 10, 2003, in Dyer, Nevada) and a field trip (October 23, 2003)
to solicit comment on the proposed action. Two additional meetings
(June 24, 2004, in Bishop, California and June 26, 2004, in Fish Lake
Valley, Nevada) and a field trip (June 26, 2004) were held to gather
additional scoping comments.
Initial scoping for the EA generated nearly 500 comments.
Attendance at the June public meetings was relatively high--over 115
people attended the June 24 meeting in Bishop, while nearly 50 people
attended the June 26 meeting in Fish Lake Valley.
The Furnace Creek Road EA, EA-650-2005-121, was released for a 30-
day public comment period on January 15, 2005.
Two additional public meetings were held (February 2, 2005, in
Bishop, CA and February 3, 2005, in Fish Lake Valley, NV).
Approximately 4,500 public comments were received on the EA.
The EA was updated to reflect the public comment received on the
project. This Notice of Intent serves as notification to the public
that the EA is still available for review and comment at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.ca.blm.gov/ridgecrest/
.
BLM will incorporate the results of the previous public meetings
and public participation in the joint BLM/Forest Service Environmental
Assessment published April 24, 2006, in this amendment. The public may
submit additional comments at this time or change comments already
submitted.
Hector A. Villalobos,
Ridgecrest Field Manager.
[FR Doc. E6-18156 Filed 10-27-06; 8:45 am]
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