From: Subject: FR Doc E7-15365 Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:55:37 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-15365.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 FR Doc E7-15365 
[Federal Register: August 7, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 151)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 44173-44174]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07au07-81]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-660-07-1610-DO-097B]

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Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Revision=20
and Associated Environmental Impact Statement for the South Coast=20
Planning Area, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Palm Springs-South Coast=20
Field Office, California, intends to revise its 1994 South Coast=20
Resource Management Plan (RMP) and prepare an associated Environmental=20
Impact Statement (EIS). The revised RMP will replace the current RMP.=20
This notice initiates the scoping process, invites public=20
participation, and announces public scoping meetings.

DATES: Written comments and resource information should be submitted=20
within 30 calendar days of the last scheduled public scoping meeting.=20
Public scoping meetings will be held in San Diego County, Riverside=20
County, and Los Angeles County in order to ensure local community=20
participation and input. All public meetings will be announced through=20
the local news media, newsletters, and the BLM Web site (http://frwebga=
te.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&log=3Dlin=
klog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/ca
) at least 15 days prior to the event.


ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by any of the following=20
methods:
     Mail: Field Manager, South Coast Resource Management Plan=20
and EIS, Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs-South Coast Field=20
Office, P.O. Box 581260, North Palm Springs, CA 92258.
     Fax: (760) 251-4899.
     E-mail: gchill@ca.blm.gov.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or=20
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be=20
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying=20
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can=20
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying=20
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be=20
able to do so. Documents pertinent to this proposal, including comments=20
with the names and addresses of respondents, will be available for=20
public review at the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office located=20
at 690 W. Garnet Avenue, North Palm Springs, California, or the San=20
Diego Project Office located at 10845 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 200,=20
San Diego, California, during regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30=20
p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, and may be published as=20
part of the EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have=20
your name added to our mailing list contact Greg Hill at (760) 251-
4840, or by e-mail to gchill@ca.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Coast Resource Management Plan=20
(RMP) provides guidance for the management of approximately 300,000=20
acres of BLM administered public lands in portions of five highly=20
urbanized Southern California counties: San Diego, Riverside, San=20
Bernardino, Orange, and Los Angeles. These public lands include over=20
130,000 acres of BLM administered surface lands and 167,000 acres of=20
Federal mineral ownership where the surface is privately owned.

[[Page 44174]]

    The existing South Coast RMP was completed and signed in 1994.=20
Since that time there have been significant changes in the patterns of=20
urban growth, increased demands on the resources of the public lands,=20
changing policies and emphasis on the management of public lands and=20
local land use planning, and new data that has led to the listing of=20
additional threatened or endangered species. Under BLM planning=20
regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-6) RMP revisions are necessary if monitoring=20
and evaluation findings, new data, new or revised policy, or changes in=20
circumstances indicate that decisions for an entire plan or a major=20
portion of the plan no longer serve as a useful guide for resource=20
management. Plan revisions are prepared using the same procedures and=20
documentation as for new plans.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant=20
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis and=20
EIS alternatives. These issues will also guide the planning process.=20
You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing to=20
the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the=20
BLM using one of the methods listed under ADDRESSES above. Preliminary=20
issues identified for consideration in the RMP include: Impacts posed=20
by rapid population and urban growth; the need to make resource=20
decisions that are scientifically sound, in accordance with authorities=20
applicable to management by BLM of the public lands, and sustainable;=20
the need to maximize the use of public lands in species recovery and to=20
support collaborative efforts with local governments in land use=20
planning for habitat conservation; the need to provide access to=20
significant energy and mineral resources, communication sites, and=20
utility corridors; impacts and benefits from the continuation of=20
grazing; Native American concerns and traditional uses; cultural=20
resources; suitability for wild and scenic rivers; wilderness=20
characteristics of acquired lands; visual resources; wildland fire and=20
fuels management; and the need to provide adequate access, open space,=20
and facilities for safe recreation and visitation on public lands.=20
Existing Areas of Critical Environmental Concern will be evaluated for=20
continued relevance and importance, and new ACEC designations will be=20
considered.
    In addition to these major issues, a number of management questions=20
and concerns will be addressed in the plan. The public is encouraged to=20
help identify these questions and concerns during the scoping phase. An=20
interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the plan in order to=20
consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified.=20
Disciplines involved in the planning process will include specialists=20
with expertise in rangeland management, minerals and geology, wildland=20
fire and fuels management, outdoor recreation, archaeology,=20
paleontology, wildlife, fisheries, lands and realty, soils, water and=20
air, wild horses, environmental justice, and sociology and economics.
    The following planning criteria have been proposed to guide=20
development of the plan, avoid unnecessary data collection and=20
analyses, and to ensure the plan is tailored to the issues. Other=20
criteria may be identified during the public scoping process. After=20
gathering comments on planning criteria, the BLM will finalize the=20
criteria and provide feedback to the public on the criteria to be used=20
throughout the planning process. Some of the planning criteria that are=20
under consideration include:
     The plan will be completed in compliance with the Federal=20
Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and the=20
National Environmental Policy Act;
     The plan will recognize valid existing rights;
     Public participation will be encouraged throughout the=20
process by collaborating and building relationships with tribes, state=20
and local governments, Federal agencies, local stakeholders, and others=20
with interest in the plan. Collaborators are regularly informed and=20
offered timely and meaningful opportunities to participate in the=20
planning process.

    Authority: 43 CFR 1610.2(c).

John Kalish,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. E7-15365 Filed 8-6-07; 8:45 am]

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