From: Subject: FR Doc E7-13702 Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:42:33 -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/E7-13702.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 FR Doc E7-13702 
[Federal Register: July 13, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 134)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 38615-38617]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13jy07-99]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-090-07-1610-DP]

=20
Notice of Availability of the Kemmerer Draft Resource Management=20
Plan Revision and Draft Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of=20
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Federal Land Policy and=20
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of=20
Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Kemmerer Draft=20
Resource Management Plan Revision and Draft Environmental Impact=20
Statement (DRMP/DEIS).

DATES: The Kemmerer DRMP/DEIS will be available for public review for=20
90 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)=20
publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The=20
BLM can best use comments and resource information submitted within=20
this review period. To ensure that the public has an opportunity to=20
comment on the DRMP/DEIS, public involvement activities will be=20
scheduled in Cokeville, Lyman, Kemmerer, Evanston, and Rock Springs,=20
Wyoming. All meetings, hearings or other public involvement activities=20
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through public notices,=20
media news releases, Web site announcements, or mailings.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DRMP/DEIS have been sent to affected Federal,=20
State and local governments and to interested parties. The document=20
will be available electronically on the following Web site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.h=
tml&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/rmp/kemmerer.Copies=

 of the document will be available for=20

public inspection during normal business hours at the following=20
locations:
     Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353=20
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009.
     Bureau of Land Management, Kemmerer Field Office, 312 HWY=20
189 N, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101.
    Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http=
://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&=
;log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/rmp/kemmerer.

     Facsimile: (307) 828-4539.
     Mail: Send to the contact listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Easley, Team Leader, BLM=20
Kemmerer Field Office, 312 HWY 189 N, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101. Ms.=20
Easley may also be contacted by telephone: (307) 828-4524. Requests for=20
information may be sent electronically to: kemmerer_wymail@blm.gov=20
with ``Attention: Kemmerer RMP Info Request'' in the subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Kemmerer Field Office planning area is=20
located in Lincoln, Uinta, and Sweetwater counties, Wyoming. It=20
includes approximately 1.4 million acres of public land surface and 1.6=20
million acres of Federal mineral estate administered by the BLM.
    The existing Kemmerer RMP was completed and its Record of Decision=20
(ROD) signed on April 29, 1986. New information and changed conditions=20
within the planning area have resulted in a need for the BLM to update=20
the existing RMP. These changes include but are not limited to:=20
increasing interest in development of domestic energy sources,=20
including wind power; increased off-highway-vehicle use and demand for=20
outdoor recreation opportunities; heightened public awareness of and=20
interest in BLM management actions and permitted uses; and concerns=20
over wildlife habitat, including sensitive species habitat and=20
populations.
    The BLM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register=20
on June 16, 2003 to prepare an RMP/EIS and initiate its revision of the=20
Kemmerer RMP. The DRMP/DEIS describes

[[Page 38616]]

existing conditions of the physical, biological, cultural, historic,=20
and socioeconomic resources in and around the planning area. Based on=20
the analyses of alternative management strategies, public input, and=20
interdisciplinary team and cooperating agency discussions, a preferred=20
alternative was developed to address resources such as air and water=20
quality, crucial big game range and other wildlife habitats, scenic=20
views, healthy vegetative cover, and soil stability, while providing=20
for resource uses such as mineral exploration and development, wind=20
energy development, livestock grazing, timber extraction, and motorized=20
and non-motorized recreation. The BLM analyzed four alternatives in the=20
DRMP/DEIS:
     Alternative A: Continuation of Existing Management (No=20
Action): Continuation of the current management goals, objectives, and=20
direction specified in the Kemmerer RMP and ROD (1986).
     Alternative B: Provide a high level of environmental=20
protection for wildlife habitat and other resource values, while=20
allowing the production of resource commodities.
     Alternative C: Maximize the production of resource=20
commodities while providing an adequate level of environmental=20
protection for other resources.
     Alternative D (BLM's Preferred Alternative): Optimize the=20
mix of resource outputs, including production of resource commodities=20
and wildlife habitat while providing enhancement of environmental=20
protection for all resources.
    Ten areas were proposed for consideration as Areas of Critical=20
Environmental Concern (ACEC): The Transcontinental Railroad; Raymond=20
Mountain Expansion Area--existing and expansion; the Dry Fork, Upper=20
Tributary, and Lower Tributary watersheds; Bridger Butte; White-tailed=20
Prairie Dog colonies; the Fossil Basin; Special status plant species=20
habitats; and Cushion plant communities. The BLM found that nine of=20
these areas meet relevance and importance criteria, and effects of=20
including these proposals were analyzed. One (Transcontinental=20
Railroad) did not meet the relevance criteria for ACEC consideration.=20
Currently one ACEC, Raymond Mountain, exists within the planning area.=20
This area was included for consideration of retention. In summary, the=20
areas meeting relevance and importance criteria are as follows:
     Raymond Mountain Expansion (33,928 potential acres):=20
Values of critical concern are wildlife and fisheries habitat.=20
Management limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian resources=20
and wildlife habitat in the area.
     Dry Fork Watershed (4,690 potential acres): Values of=20
critical concern are wildlife and fisheries habitat. Management=20
limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian resources and wildlife=20
habitat in the area.
     Upper Tributary Watershed (5,595 potential acres): Values=20
of critical concern are wildlife and fisheries habitat. Management=20
limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian resources and wildlife=20
habitat in the area.
     Lower Tributary Watersheds (1,371 potential acres): Values=20
of critical concern are wildlife and fisheries habitat. Management=20
limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian resources and wildlife=20
habitat in the area.
     Bridger Butte (1,127 potential acres): Values of critical=20
concern are Native American concerns, cultural and historic properties,=20
and special status plant communities. Management limitations--limit=20
surface uses to preserve surface and visual values.
     White-tailed Prairie Dog colonies (30,913 potential=20
acres): Values of critical concern are white-tailed prairie dog=20
habitats. Management limitations--limit surface disturbance to preserve=20
prairie dog colonies, individuals, and their habitat.
     Fossil Basin (451,452 potential acres): Values of critical=20
concern are the preservation and scientific research of the=20
paleontological resource. Management limitations--preserve the fossil=20
resources for scientific study and prevent destruction of the=20
paleontological resource.
     Special status plant species habitats (907 acres currently=20
identified): Values of critical concern are special status plant=20
species including Trelease's Milkvetch (Astragalus racemosus var.=20
treleasei), Entire-Leaved Peppergrass (Lepidium integrifolium var.=20
integrifolium), Large-fruited Bladderpod (Lesquerella macrocarpa),=20
Western Bladderpod (Lesquerella multiceps), Prostrate Bladderpod=20
(Lesquerella prostrata), Beaver Rim Phlox (Phlox pungens), Tufted=20
Twinpod (Physaria condensata), and Dorn's Twinpod (Physaria dornii).=20
Use restrictions would be designed to protect the identified plant=20
habitat and would include closure to surface activities that would=20
remove the plant communities from the soil or alter soil chemistry.=20
These areas are proposed for withdrawal from locatable mineral entry.=20
Identified habitat areas will be assessed during the life of the plan=20
for addition to the ACEC.
     Cushion Plant Communities (61 acres currently identified):=20
Values of critical concern are uncommon and regional endemic plant=20
species communities. Typical plant associations found in these areas=20
include different species of phlox, twin pods, bladderpods, and many=20
legume species. Use restrictions in the ACEC would include closure to=20
surface activities that would remove the plant communities from the=20
soil or alter soil chemistry. The ACEC is proposed for withdrawal from=20
locatable mineral entry. Areas of known cushion plant communities would=20
be assessed during the life of the plan for addition to the ACEC. The=20
current known endemic cushion plant community that exists northeast of=20
Kemmerer would be included in the ACEC.
     Raymond Mountain (13,926 acres): Values of critical=20
concern are Bonneville cutthroat trout habitat and associated riparian=20
resources. Management limitations--maintaining and enhancing riparian=20
resources in the area.
    With Alternative D (BLM Preferred Alternative), the BLM proposes to=20
establish the Bridger Butte (727 acres); Special status plant species=20
(907 acres); and Cushion plant community (61 acres) ACECs; and retain=20
the Raymond Mountain ACEC (13,926 acres). More detailed management=20
prescriptions for these areas are provided in Table 2-3 of the DRMP/
DEIS.
    Alternative D establishes four Special Recreation Management Areas=20
(SMRAs): Pine Creek Canyon, Raymond Mountain, Dempsey Ridge and Oregon-
California National Historic Trails. Alternative D also describes=20
special management objectives and prescriptions for Rock Creek/Tunp and=20
the Bear River Divide.
    Under Alternative D, two rivers are determined to meet suitability=20
factors for further consideration for inclusion in the National Wild=20
and Scenic Rivers System. These are Huff Creek (7.31 miles) and Raymond=20
Creek (4.10 miles). Both waterways are located within the Raymond=20
Mountain WSA.
    Alternative D opens 3,963 acres for consideration of future coal=20
leasing. The proposed coal lease area is situated in T. 17 N., R. 117=20
W., Section 18, 20, 30, and 32; T. 16 N., R. 118 W., Section 2; 17 N.,=20
R. 118 W., Section 24.
    The DRMP/DEIS considered oil and gas, coal, and wind energy=20
development in support of the National Energy Policy and the Energy=20
Policy Act of 2005 in areas with high potential for energy=20
development.The DRMP/DEIS considers and is in conformance with the=20
BLM's

[[Page 38617]]

National Fire Plan and Healthy Forest Initiative. Since the publication=20
of the NOI in the Federal Register, the BLM solicited public comments=20
and input through open houses, newsletters, a public Web site and=20
mailings. Meetings were held to provide the public with an opportunity=20
to gain information about the RMP revision process and to submit=20
comments. Public meetings were held in the following Wyoming=20
communities: Kemmerer, November 17, 2003; Evanston, November 18, 2003;=20
and Rock Springs, November 19, 2003. During the scoping period, the BLM=20
received over 1,000 public comments. Cooperating agencies assisting BLM=20
in the development and preparation of the DRMP/DEIS include county=20
governments, conservation districts, other Federal agencies and the=20
State of Wyoming. The BLM contacted tribal governments with possible=20
interests and offered opportunities for participation in the plan=20
revision process. In preparation of the DRMP/DEIS, the BLM considered=20
all comments presented throughout the process. Background information=20
and maps used in developing the DRMP/DEIS are available for public=20
review at the Kemmerer Field Office. The BLM welcomes your comments. To=20
facilitate analysis of comments and information the public is=20
encouraged to submit comments in an electronic format through either=20
the Web site identified in this notice or through electronic mail. All=20
comment submittals must include the commenter's name and street=20
address. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. Before=20
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal=20
identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire=20
comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made=20
publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to=20
withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we=20
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from=20
organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying=20
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or=20
businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-13702 Filed 7-12-07; 8:45 am]

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