[Federal Register: November 12, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 219)]
[Notices]
[Page 66918-66919]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12no08-108]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA-670-08-1610-DR]
Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Eastern San
Diego County Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The BLM announces the availability of the Record of Decision
(ROD)/Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Eastern San Diego
County. The California State Director signed the ROD on October 10,
2008, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the
Approved RMP effective immediately.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP are available upon request
from the Field Manager, El Centro Field Office, Bureau of Land
Management, 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243 or via the Internet
at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro. Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP can
also be obtained from the BLM California State Office at 2800 Cottage
Way, Suite W 1834, Sacramento, CA 95825.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Dreyfuss, Eastern San Diego
County RMP Team Leader, at (760) 337-4400, Bureau of Land Management,
1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243; caesdrmp@ca.blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The planning area for the Eastern San Diego
County RMP is the El Centro Field Office's area of management
responsibility. Approximately 103,000 acres of public lands are
administered by the BLM in the planning area. The decisions laid out in
the ROD will apply only to BLM-administered lands and mineral estate in
the planning area.
Planning for the RMP officially began with a Federal Register
Notice on July 14, 2004 initiating the scoping process. The BLM sought
participation from the public, tribes, and local, state, and federal
agencies.
The RMP describes how the BLM intends to manage the planning area
to meet desired resource conditions for vegetative communities,
wildlife habitats, and cultural and visual resources. It also outlines
management direction for recreation, protection of sensitive natural
and cultural resources, energy and mineral development, land tenure
adjustments and other planning issues raised during the planning
process.
The BLM's Draft RMP/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
the Eastern San Diego County Planning Area (February 2, 2007) presented
alternatives to help the BLM and interested parties understand the
various ways of addressing issues in the region. Upon evaluation of the
alternatives and associated impacts described in the Draft RMP/EIS, and
based on public and agency comments on that document, the BLM prepared
the Proposed RMP and Final EIS (PRMP/FEIS) for Eastern San Diego
County, which was released on December 7, 2007.
Nine protest letters on the PRMP/FEIS were received by the BLM. In
response to these protests and based on additional policy discussions,
the BLM decided to clarify and make changes to the Proposed Plan as set
forth in the PRMP/FEIS, including: (1) Modifying renewable energy
(wind) related proposals and (2) clarifying and modifying Visual
Resource Management (VRM) proposals and classifications. On July 28,
2008, the BLM published a notice in the Federal Register to Provide
Opportunity to Comment on Changes to the Eastern San Diego County
Proposed Resource Management Plan for 30 calendar days.
After considering all of the protests on the PRMP/FEIS and the
comments received on the proposed changes to the PRMP/FEIS, the BLM
determined that the Preferred Alternative (Alternative E), as modified,
best meets the purpose and need for the proposal.
The decisions designating routes of travel for motorized vehicles
are implementation-level decisions and are
[[Page 66919]]
appealable under 43 CFR Part 4. These decisions are contained in Tables
2-19 and 2-20, and Map 2-20 of the Approved RMP. Any party adversely
affected by the proposed route designations may appeal within 30 days
of publication of this Notice of Availability. The appeal should state
the specific route(s), as identified in the ROD/Approved RMP, on which
the decision is being appealed. The appeal must be filed with the El
Centro Field Manager at the above listed address.
Vicki L. Wood,
El Centro Field Manager.
[FR Doc. E8-26835 Filed 11-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P