Notice2022-14361
Notice of Intent to Amend Multiple Resource Management Plans Regarding Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus) Conservation and Prepare an Associated Environmental Impact Statement, Colorado and Utah
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Published
July 6, 2022
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado and Utah State Directors intend to prepare a Gunnison Sage- Grouse Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated environmental impact statement (EIS), and by this notice are announcing the beginning of the public scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues, providing the planning criteria for public review, and issuing a call for nominations for areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs). This notice terminates the previous Gunnison Sage- Grouse Rangewide Draft RMP Amendment and Draft EIS (DOI-BLM-CO-0000- 2014-0001-RMP-EIS) initiative that began in July 2014.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 128 (Wednesday, July 6, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40262-40266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14361]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCOSO00000.L11700000.DF0000.LXSGCO000000.223]
Notice of Intent to Amend Multiple Resource Management Plans
Regarding Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus) Conservation and
Prepare an Associated Environmental Impact Statement, Colorado and Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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[[Page 40263]]
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Colorado and Utah State Directors intend to prepare a Gunnison Sage-
Grouse Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated
environmental impact statement (EIS), and by this notice are announcing
the beginning of the public scoping period to solicit public comments
and identify issues, providing the planning criteria for public review,
and issuing a call for nominations for areas of critical environmental
concern (ACECs). This notice terminates the previous Gunnison Sage-
Grouse Rangewide Draft RMP Amendment and Draft EIS (DOI-BLM-CO-0000-
2014-0001-RMP-EIS) initiative that began in July 2014.
DATES: The BLM requests the public submit comments concerning the scope
of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant
information, studies, and ACEC nominations by August 22, 2022. To
afford the BLM the opportunity to consider issues and ACEC nominations
raised by commenters in preparing the draft RMP amendment/EIS, please
ensure your comments are received prior to the close of the 45-day
scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is
later. The date(s) and location(s) of any public meetings associated
with this land use planning initiative will be announced at least 15
days in advance through local news media, newspapers, and the BLM
website at the web address located in ADDRESSES below.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments issues and planning criteria related
to these Gunnison sage-grouse RMP amendments and nominations of new
ACECs by the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019031/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019031/510</a>.
<bullet> Mail: Gunnison Sage-Grouse RMP Amendment/EIS, BLM Grand
Junction Field Office, 2815 H Rd., Grand Junction, CO 81506.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019031/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019031/510</a> and at the
following Field Office and District Office locations:
<bullet> Rocky Mountain District Office; 3028 E Main St.; Canon City,
CO 81212
[cir] San Luis Valley Field Office, 1313 E Highway 160; Monte
Vista, CO 81144
<bullet> Southwest District Office; 2465 S Townsend Ave.; Montrose, CO
81401
[cir] Gunnison Field Office; 210 W Spencer Ave.; Gunnison, CO 81230
[cir] Tres Rios Field Office; 29211 Highway 184; Dolores, CO 81323
[cir] Uncompahgre Field Office; 2465 S Townsend Ave.; Montrose, CO
81401
<bullet> Upper Colorado River District Office; 2815 H Road, Grand
Junction, CO 81506
[cir] Grand Junction Field Office; 2815 H Road; Grand Junction, CO
81506
<bullet> Canyon Country District Office; 82 East Dogwood; Moab, UT
84532
[cir] Moab Field Office; 82 East Dogwood; Moab, UT 84532
[cir] Monticello Field Office; 365 North Main, Monticello, UT 84535
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leah Waldner, Sage-Grouse Coordinator,
BLM Colorado; telephone: 970-244-3045; or email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#20626c6d7f636f7f677573677f726d706160424c4d0e474f56"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1d5f5150425e52425a484e5a424f504d5c5d7f7170337a726b">[email protected]</span></a>; address: BLM Grand Junction Field Office,
2815 H Rd, Grand Junction, CO 81506. Contact Ms. Waldner via email to
have your name added to our mailing list. Persons in the United States
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability
may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications
relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the
relay services offered within their country to make international calls
to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
Colorado and Utah State Directors intend to prepare an RMP amendment
with an associated EIS for the management of Gunnison sage-grouse and
its habitat, announce the beginning of the scoping process, seek public
input on issues and planning criteria, and invite the public to
nominate ACECs. The BLM is considering amending the following RMPs to
incorporate management actions with the potential to affect Gunnison
sage-grouse populations or occupied and unoccupied habitat: Canyons of
the Ancients National Monument RMP (2010), Dominguez-Escalante National
Conservation Area RMP (2017), Grand Junction Field Office RMP (2015),
Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area RMP (2004), Gunnison Resource
Area RMP (1993), McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area RMP (2004),
San Luis Resource Area RMP (1991), Tres Rios Field Office RMP (2015),
Uncompahgre Field Office RMP (2020), Moab Field Office RMP (2008), and
Monticello Field Office RMP (2008).
The planning area is located in the following nineteen Colorado
counties: Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, Delta, Dolores,
Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma,
Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, and San Miguel, and in
the following two Utah counties: Grand and San Juan. The planning area
encompasses approximately 7.6 million acres of BLM-managed surface land
and approximately 17.1 million acres of Federal mineral estate. This
acreage includes Federal minerals on Federal lands and ``split-estate''
Federal minerals located under surface lands with non-Federal
ownership. The decision area includes approximately 1.5 million acres
of split-estate Federal minerals (e.g., privately owned surface and
State lands). It does not include National Forest System land and other
Federal land where the BLM does not make planning decisions. The BLM
typically adopts the leasing requirements determined by other Federal
surface-managing agencies when leasing the mineral estate (while within
the planning area, those lands are outside the decision area).
In addition, this notice terminates the previous Gunnison Sage-
Grouse Rangewide Draft RMP Amendment and Draft EIS (DOI-BLM-CO-0000-
2014-0001-RMP-EIS) initiative that began in July 2014 and resulted in
the release of a draft RMP amendment/draft EIS in August 2016. That
planning effort was paused following notification in April 2018 that
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) intended to formulate a
recovery plan for the species. No final EIS or Record of Decision will
be issued for BLM-CO-0000-2014-0001-RMP-EIS. The USFWS released the
Final Recovery Plan for Gunnison Sage-Grouse in October 2020.
Purpose and Need
The preliminary purpose for the BLM action is to promote the
recovery of the threatened Gunnison sage-grouse and maintain and
enhance the occupied and unoccupied habitat upon which the species
depends; ensure that management actions on BLM lands and sub-surface
mineral estate support conservation goals for Gunnison sage-grouse and
do not result in the adverse modification of occupied or unoccupied
habitat for the species; and develop BLM management practices
considering current science and data, relevant Federal, State, and
local decisions supporting recovery, the Department of the Interior
Climate Action Plan (2021), the USFWS Final Recovery Plan for Gunnison
Sage-Grouse (2020), and the USFWS Recovery Implementation
[[Page 40264]]
Strategy for Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) (2020).
The BLM's primary need is to address the rangewide downward
population trend of the Gunnison sage-grouse and issues related to land
management that may affect habitat; fulfill the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) Section 7(a)(1) requirement that the BLM use its authority to
further the purposes of the ESA by implementing management actions that
conserve federally listed species and the ecosystems upon which they
depend; and respond to changed ecological and climate conditions
affecting BLM-managed lands (including drought, invasive plants,
habitat loss and fragmentation, impaired riparian areas, and more
frequent wildland fires).
Preliminary Alternatives
The BLM manages approximately 42 percent of the Gunnison sage-
grouse occupied habitat across the entire range. The BLM manages
approximately 50 percent of the occupied habitat within Gunnison Basin,
Colorado, which is the largest population of Gunnison sage-grouse,
containing approximately 85 percent of the species' adult individuals
(November 21, 2014; 79 FR 69191). The USFWS identified threats to
Gunnison sage-grouse in the Final Recovery Plan for Gunnison Sage-
Grouse (2020), the Recovery Implementation Strategy for Gunnison Sage-
Grouse (2020), and the Species Status Assessment Report for the
Gunnison Sage-Grouse (2019). Some of the threats affecting the survival
of Gunnison sage-grouse include habitat fragmentation and development,
severe drought and climate change, invasive plants, juniper
encroachment, improper grazing practices, predation, and recreation.
The BLM will propose and analyze, with the best available scientific
methods and information, alternatives for the recovery of Gunnison
sage-grouse populations and conservation of sagebrush habitat. The BLM
has found that existing BLM land use plans in Colorado and Utah may not
fully take into account new data and science related to the management
of Gunnison sage-grouse and sagebrush habitat.
The BLM will consider continuation of current management (No Action
Alternative) under the existing BLM RMPs, as amended. To address the
threat of fragmentation and development to Gunnison sage-grouse
habitat, the BLM will consider limits on density and disturbance from
development, including facility and route density limitations. The BLM
will additionally consider whether to incorporate new or changed oil
and gas leasing and management decisions that would incorporate
conservation measures for important sagebrush habitat areas for
Gunnison sage-grouse. The BLM may consider closure of areas to future
oil and gas leasing in addition to stipulations such as timing
limitations, controlled surface use restrictions, and no surface
occupancy restrictions. The BLM will also consider changes that
minimize or compensate for impacts from resource uses, such as
recreation and grazing, and address habitat resiliency during periods
of drought. The BLM will also consider designation of ACECs. The BLM
welcomes comments on the preliminary alternatives as well as
suggestions for additional alternatives.
Planning Criteria
The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the
groundwork for the effects analysis by identifying the preliminary
issues and their analytical frameworks. The BLM has identified the
following preliminary planning criteria to guide development of the RMP
amendment and is accepting public input during the scoping period
consistent with 43 CFR 1610.4-2(c):
<bullet> The planning effort will be limited to land use planning
decisions specific to conservation of the Gunnison sage-grouse and its
habitat; existing land use plan decisions not affected by the
amendments will remain in effect;
<bullet> The RMP amendment and associated EIS process will comply
with FLPMA, NEPA, and other Federal statutes, regulations, executive
orders, and management policies;
<bullet> The BLM will recognize valid existing rights;
<bullet> The BLM will adhere to adaptive management principles;
<bullet> The BLM will give priority to designating and protecting
ACECs;
<bullet> The BLM will consider land use allocations and/or
prescriptive standards to conserve Gunnison sage-grouse habitat, as
well as objectives and management actions to restore, enhance, and
improve Gunnison sage-grouse habitat;
<bullet> The BLM will consider a range of reasonable alternatives,
including appropriate management prescriptions that focus on the
relative values of resources while contributing to the conservation of
the Gunnison sage-grouse and its habitat;
<bullet> The BLM will consider the socioeconomic impacts of
alternatives; socioeconomic analyses will use an accepted input/output
quantitative model such as the Impact Analysis for Planning or the
Regional Input-Output Modeling System;
<bullet> The BLM will use current scientific information, research,
technologies, inventory, monitoring, and coordination results, and
approved BLM spatial data supported by current metadata to ascertain
the extent and quality of Gunnison sage-grouse habitat and determine
appropriate management strategies to enhance or restore habitat; data
will be consistent with principles of the Information Quality Act of
2000;
<bullet> The BLM will ensure that activities on BLM-administered
lands within Gunnison sage-grouse habitat do not negatively impact land
health standards; standards and guidelines for livestock grazing and
other applicable programs affecting BLM lands will be included in all
alternatives;
<bullet> The BLM will coordinate and communicate with State, local,
and Tribal governments to ensure that management direction and
decisions are consistent with applicable State, local, and Tribal plans
and policies to the extent consistent with the laws and policies
governing the public lands; seek to resolve inconsistencies among
plans; and provide ample opportunities for State, local, and Tribal
governments to comment on the development of alternatives and the draft
RMP amendment;
<bullet> The BLM will confer with the USFWS as the primary
management agency for ESA-listed species and will consider conservation
measures outlined in the Final Recovery Plan for Gunnison sage-grouse
(2020) and the Recovery Implementation Strategy for Gunnison sage-
grouse (Centrocercus minimus) (2020);
<bullet> The BLM recognizes the important role of State wildlife
agencies and will confer and coordinate with these agencies as
appropriate;
<bullet> The BLM will consider habitat requirements and best
management practices outlined by the interagency Rangewide Steering
Committee in the Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan
(2005) and other applicable resources;
<bullet> The BLM will evaluate any special management attention
needed for the recognized relevant and important values of those areas
nominated for ACEC designation and any new nominations, in accordance
with BLM Manual 1613; and
<bullet> The BLM will consider the draft analysis and direction in
the BLM Gunnison Sage-Grouse Rangewide Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS
(2016).
Summary of Expected Impacts
The RMP amendment and draft EIS will evaluate existing RMPs within
the planning area and address management
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actions including, but not limited to, mineral leasing and development,
recreation, livestock grazing management, realty actions, fire
management, vegetation and habitat objectives, and restoration actions.
The BLM will then consider, with the best available science, reasonable
alternative approaches to its management strategies. Expected changes
to RMP management decisions could include seasonal timing limitations,
avoidance and mitigation measures, development restrictions within
habitat areas, design features, controlled use or surface disturbance
restrictions, seasonal closures of high-use areas, and grazing
management guidelines.
The public is invited to comment on data relevant to the proposed
action and relationship between land use management and Gunnison sage-
grouse conservation, and the effects of the management actions under
consideration on other public land resources and uses. This information
will inform the scope of the impact analysis in the draft EIS. The BLM
seeks information related to activities and public land uses that may
cause disturbance to important Gunnison sage-grouse habitat and will
consider that information as appropriate in describing the existing
environment and reasonably foreseeable trends, or in the effects
analysis.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
This amendment process is expected to be completed within 2 years.
The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public participation
consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes, including a
90-day comment period on the Gunnison Sage-Grouse Draft RMP Amendment/
EIS and a concurrent 30-day public protest period and a 60-day
Governor's consistency review on the proposed RMP amendment. The draft
RMP amendment/EIS is anticipated to be available for public review in
the summer of 2023 and the proposed RMP amendment/final EIS is
anticipated to be available for public protest in early 2024 with a
Gunnison Sage-Grouse Approved RMP Amendment and Record of Decision in
May 2024.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development of the
draft RMP amendment/EIS and its analysis.
The BLM anticipates holding a minimum of two and up to four public
scoping meetings, which may be conducted through online platforms, to
explain project details and obtain feedback. BLM representatives will
be available to answer questions. The specific date(s) of these scoping
meetings, along with information about how to participate, will be
announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers,
and the BLM's project website (see ADDRESSES). All comments must be
received by the date shown in the DATES section. It is important that
reviewers provide timely comments in a manner that makes them useful to
the agency's preparation of the draft RMP amendment/EIS. Therefore,
comments should be provided prior to the close of the scoping period
and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record for
this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted
and considered.
ACECs
The following ACEC is currently designated in the planning area and
within the scope of the draft RMP amendment/EIS: Gunnison Sage-Grouse
ACEC/Important Bird Area (IBA) covering 22,200 acres of public surface.
Gunnison sage-grouse and its habitat is emphasized for protection as an
important and relevant value in the designated ACEC within the Gunnison
Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA). The BLM will re-evaluate this
designated ACEC/IBA for consideration in the draft RMP amendment/EIS.
The BLM will also evaluate these previously nominated ACECs for
consideration in the draft RMP amendment/EIS:
<bullet> Dry Creek Basin (approximately 34,785 acres) and
Northdale/Northdale Expansion (5,239 acres originally nominated; 6,936
additional acres nominated) areas deferred in the Tres Rios Field
Office ACEC RMP Amendment (2020) pending issuance of the Gunnison Sage-
Grouse RMP Amendment;
<bullet> All Gunnison Sage-Grouse Occupied and Unoccupied Habitat
(approximately 623,000 acres) previously described as Alternative B in
the Gunnison Sage-Grouse Rangewide Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS (2016)
(DOI-BLM-CO-0000-2014-0001-RMP-EIS).
This notice invites the public to nominate additional areas for
ACEC consideration. To assist the BLM in evaluating nominations for
consideration in the draft RMP amendment/EIS, please provide supporting
descriptive materials, maps, and evidence of the relevance and
importance of resources or hazards by the close of the public comment
period in order to facilitate timely evaluation. The BLM has identified
the anticipated issues related to the consideration of ACECs in the
planning criteria.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The BLM is the lead agency for the NEPA analysis associated with
this planning effort. The BLM has invited other Federal agencies, State
and local government agencies, and Tribes to be cooperating agencies.
Other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the
proposed action are invited to participate in the scoping process and,
if eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to participate in
the development of the EIS as a cooperating agency.
Responsible Official
The BLM Colorado State Director is the deciding official for the
potential RMP amendments in the planning area in Colorado. The Utah
State Director is the deciding official for the potential RMP
amendments in the planning area in Utah.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The nature of the decision to be made will be the State Directors'
selection of land use planning decisions for managing BLM-administered
lands under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield in a
manner that best addresses the purpose and need.
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines
will be involved in this planning effort to consider the resource
issues and concerns identified during development of the RMP amendment/
EIS: wildlife biology, fluid minerals, geographic information systems,
and land use planning.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan
amendment and all reasonable alternatives and, in accordance with 40
CFR 1502.14(f), include appropriate mitigation measures not already
included in the proposed plan amendment or alternatives. Mitigation may
include avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction or
elimination
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over time, and compensation, and may be considered at multiple scales,
including the landscape scale.
The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning
processes for this effort to help support compliance with applicable
procedural requirements of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as
implemented in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including the public involvement
requirements of Section 106. The information about historic and
cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the
area potentially affected by the proposed plan amendment will assist
the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual
Section 1780, and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns,
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Federal, State,
and local agencies, along with Indian Tribal Nations and other
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed plan
amendment that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the
scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the
BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis as
a cooperating agency.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9 and 43 CFR 1610.2)
Stephanie Connolly,
BLM Colorado Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-14361 Filed 7-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P
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