[Federal Register: March 26, 2010 (Volume 75, Number =
58)]
[Notices] =20
[Page 14623-14624]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26mr10-76] =20
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD070000 L16100000 DP0000]
=20
Notice of Availability of the Draft Imperial Sand Dunes=20
Recreation Area Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact=20
Statement and Associated Amendment to the California Desert=20
Conservation Area Plan, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of=20
1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau=20
of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Recreation Area=20
Management Plan (RAMP)/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for=20
the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) and associated plan=20
amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan in=20
Imperial County, California and by this notice is announcing the=20
opening of the comment period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive=20
written comments on the Draft RAMP/EIS within 90 days following the=20
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice in the=20
Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and=20
any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance=20
through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments at the public meetings or by any of=20
the following methods:
E-mail: caisdrmp@ca.blm.gov.
Fax: (760) 337-4490.
Mail: 1661 So. 4th St., El Centro, California 92243.
Copies of the Draft Imperial Sand Dunes RAMP/EIS are available in=20
the El
[[Page 14624]]
Centro Field Office at the above address and at the BLM California=20
State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825.=20
Interested persons may also review the Draft Resource Management Plan=20
(RMP)/EIS at the following Web site: ht=
tp://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&a=
mp;log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/en/fo/elcentro.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Erin=20
Dreyfuss, Environmental Protection Specialist, telephone (916) 978-
4642; BLM California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento,=20
California 95825.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As a result of a court order (U.S. District=20
Court, Northern District of California), dated September 26, 2006, Case=20
No. C-03-2509 SI, the BLM has prepared the Draft RAMP/EIS for the ISDRA=20
and associated plan amendment to the CDCA.
The ISDRA project area encompasses approximately 200,000 acres of=20
lands, approximately 150,000 acres of which are public lands bounded to=20
the west by the Old Coachella Canal, to the east by the Union Pacific=20
Railroad, to the north by Mammoth Wash, and to the south by Interstate=20
8 and the California/Mexico border. The primary activities in the ISDRA=20
include off-highway vehicle use and camping. The Draft RAMP/EIS has=20
been developed through a collaborative planning process and considers=20
eight alternatives. Issues addressed in the Draft RAMP/EIS include:=20
Recreation; transportation and public access; wildlife and botany;=20
cultural resources and paleontology; renewable energy; water resources;=20
geology and soils; mineral resources; socioeconomics; public health and=20
safety; and visual resources.
The Draft RMP/EIS also considers the designation of two Areas of=20
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), Plank Road and East Mesa. The=20
preferred alternative would continue the 298-acre Plank Road ACEC to=20
protect cultural resources and other resources values identified in the=20
Draft RAMP/EIS. The preferred alternative would reduce the East Mesa=20
ACEC from 6,454 acres to 5,799 acres, which overlaps the Planning Area.=20
The East Mesa ACEC would continue to protect biological resources and=20
other resource values identified in the Draft RAMP/EIS. The acreage of=20
this ACEC varies by alternative. The preferred alternative would also=20
remove the North Algodones Dunes ACEC, which encompasses 25,756 acres,=20
in order to remove conflicting management prescriptions between this=20
ACEC and the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area. Limitations on use=20
of public lands within the Plank Road ACEC include restrictions on wind=20
and solar energy development, as well as geothermal leasing.=20
Limitations on use of public lands within the East Mesa ACEC include=20
restrictions on wind and solar energy development, as well as=20
geothermal leasing that includes surface occupancy.
Please note that public comments and information submitted=20
including names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of respondents=20
will be available for public review and disclosure at the above address=20
during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through=20
Friday, except holidays. Before including your address, phone number,=20
e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your=20
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your=20
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any=20
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal=20
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we=20
will be able to do so.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 1506.10, and 43 CFR 1610.2
Vicki L. Wood,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-6670 Filed 3-25-10; 8:45 am]
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