Notice2023-16598
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Colorado River Valley Field Office and Grand Junction Field Office Resource Management Plans, Colorado
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Published
August 4, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLMPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO) and Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO), and by this notice is providing information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP/Supplemental EIS and is announcing the comment period on the BLM's proposed areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 149 (Friday, August 4, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 149 (Friday, August 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51855-51857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16598]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500171447]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Colorado River
Valley Field Office and Grand Junction Field Office Resource Management
Plans, Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLMPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Colorado River Valley
Field Office (CRVFO) and Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO), and by
this notice is providing information announcing the opening of the
comment period on the Draft RMP/Supplemental EIS and is announcing the
comment period on the BLM's proposed areas of critical environmental
concern (ACECs).
DATES: This notice announces the opening of a 90-day comment period for
the Draft RMP/Supplemental EIS beginning on the date following the
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) publication of its Notice of
Availability (NOA) of the Draft RMP/Supplemental EIS in the Federal
Register. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the
Proposed RMP/Final Supplemental EIS, please ensure that the BLM
receives your comments prior to the close of the 90-day public comment
period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
In addition, this notice also announces the opening of a 60-day
comment period for ACECs. The BLM must receive your ACEC-related
comments by October 3, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The Draft RMP/Supplemental EIS is available for review on
the BLM ePlanning project Website at: <a href="https://go.usa.gov/xtrgf">https://go.usa.gov/xtrgf</a>.
Written comments related to the supplemental EIS for the CRVFO and
GJFO RMPs/EISs may be submitted by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://go.usa.gov/xtrgf">https://go.usa.gov/xtrgf</a>
<bullet> Mail: BLM Upper Colorado River District, Attn: Supplemental
EIS, 2518 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
<a href="https://go.usa.gov/xtrgf">https://go.usa.gov/xtrgf</a> and at the Grand Junction and Colorado River
Valley Field Offices.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Krickbaum, Project Manager,
telephone 970-240-5399; address BLM Upper Colorado River District, 2518
H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#65100617014816000c16250709084b020a13"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="42372130266f31272b3102202e2f6c252d34">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals
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 for contacting Mr. Krickbaum.
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 State Director has prepared a Draft RMP/Supplemental EIS for
the two RMPs/EISs, provides information announcing the opening of the
comment period on the Draft RMP/Supplemental EIS, and announces the
comment period on the BLM's proposed ACECs. The planning area is
located in Garfield, Mesa, Eagle, Pitkin, Routt, Rio Blanco, and
Montrose counties, Colorado, and encompasses approximately 1.56 million
acres of public land and 1.92 million acres of Federal mineral estate.
CRVFO and GJFO management is identified in their respective 2015
RMPs. Apart from fluid mineral leasing decisions, all existing
management as described in the CRVFO and GJFO approved RMPs remains in
effect.
Purpose and Need for the Planning Effort
The purpose of the supplemental EIS is to supplement the EISs
completed in 2014 for the CRVFO RMP and 2015 for the GJFO RMP by
considering one or more additional alternatives with respect to the
lands that are allocated as open or closed to oil and gas leasing in
the planning decision areas, and to provide additional analysis of
greenhouse gas emissions associated
[[Page 51856]]
with the fluid mineral management alternatives considered in the final
EISs and the supplemental EIS.
The need for this supplemental EIS is to address the issues
identified by the court in litigation involving the Colorado River
Valley RMP (Wilderness Workshop v. BLM, 16-cv-01822), as described in
settlement agreements in that case and a related case (Wilderness
Workshop v. BLM, 18-cv-00987), and to revisit the Grand Junction RMP,
as described in the BLM's motion for voluntary remand in litigation
involving that RMP (Center for Biological Diversity v. BLM, 19-cv-
02869). The need is also to consider new information, including
relevant information provided through tribal consultation.
Alternatives Including the Preferred Alternative
The BLM has analyzed two additional alternatives in detail. The
three action alternatives (B through D) and the no action alternative
(A) from the 2014 CRVFO and the 2015 GJFO Final EISs remain within the
range of alternatives considered. Alternative E would close the areas
with no-known, low, and medium potential for fluid mineral leasing to
future fluid mineral leasing. Alternative E would also close areas that
would be allocated as closed to fluid mineral leasing in alternative C
of the 2014 CRVFO and 2015 GJFO Final EISs. Alternative E would
designate the potential ACECs that were analyzed as closed to leasing
in alternative C of the 2014 CRVFO and 2015 GJFO Final EISs.
Alternative F would close the same areas as alternative E to future
fluid mineral leasing, as well as additional areas identified by the
public during scoping. Alternative F would designate all potential
ACECs analyzed in alternative C of the 2014 CRVFO and 2015 GJFO Final
EISs and would expand one existing ACEC. Alternative F would designate
one FLPMA Section 202 Wilderness Study Area. The BLM did not identify
any additional alternatives for detailed analysis.
The State Director has identified alternative E as the preferred
alternative. Alternative E was found to best meet the State Director's
planning guidance and, therefore, selected as the preferred alternative
because it best meets the purpose and need.
ACECs
Consistent with land use planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.7-
2(b), the BLM is announcing the opening of a 60-day comment period on
the ACECs proposed for designation in the preferred alternative.
Comments may be submitted using any of the methods listed in the
ADDRESSES section earlier.
The proposed ACEC included in the preferred alternative for CRVFO
is:
<bullet> Greater Sage-grouse Habitat, 24,600 acres, to protect
priority habitat for the greater sage-grouse. Close to fluid mineral
leasing, right-of-way avoidance, visual resource management (VRM) Class
II, prohibit net increase in motorized/mechanized routes.
The proposed ACECs included in the preferred alternative for GFJO
are:
<bullet> Atwell Gulch, 6,100 acres (an additional 3,200 acres above
current designation), to protect rare plants, cultural resources,
scenic values, and wildlife habitat. Close to fluid mineral leasing,
close to mineral material disposal and non-energy solid leasable
mineral exploration and development, right-of-way exclusion, travel
closed to motorized and mechanized travel (except for Sunnyside Rd),
VRM Class II.
<bullet> Badger Wash, 2,200 acres, to protect rare plants and use
as a hydrologic study area. Close to fluid mineral leasing, close to
mineral material disposal and non-energy solid leasable mineral
exploration and development, 1,800 acres right-of-way exclusion, 400
acres right-of-way avoidance, VRM Class II.
<bullet> Glade Park-Pinyon Mesa, 27,200 acres, to protect occupied
Gunnison Sage-grouse habitat. Close to fluid mineral leasing, close to
mineral material disposal and non-energy solid leasable mineral
exploration and development, right-of-way avoidance, travel limited to
designated routes, VRM Class II.
<bullet> John Brown Canyon, 1,400 acres, to preserve old growth
pinyon-juniper woodlands. Close to fluid mineral leasing, close to
mineral material disposal and non-energy solid leasable mineral
exploration and development, travel limited to designated routes, VRM
Class II.
<bullet> Mt. Garfield, 5,700 acres (an additional 3,300 acres above
current designation), to protect its scenic values. Close to fluid
mineral leasing, close to mineral material disposal and non-energy
solid leasable mineral exploration and development, travel limited to
designated routes, right-of-way exclusion, VRM Class I.
<bullet> Plateau Creek, 200 acres, to protect special status fish
species. Close to fluid mineral leasing, close to mineral material
disposal and non-energy solid leasable mineral exploration and
development, right-of-way avoidance, travel limited to designated
routes, VRM Class II.
<bullet> Prairie Canyon, 6,900 acres, to protect rare plants and
wildlife habitat. Close to fluid mineral leasing, close to mineral
material disposal and non-energy solid leasable mineral exploration and
development, 2,800 acres right-of-way exclusion, 2,600 acres right-of-
way avoidance, travel limited to designated routes, VRM Class II.
<bullet> South Shale Ridge, 28,200 (an additional 400 acres above
current designation), to protect rare plants, wildlife habitat, and
scenic values. Close to fluid mineral leasing, close to mineral
material disposal and non-energy solid leasable mineral exploration and
development, right-of-way exclusion, travel limited to designated
routes, VRM Class II.
The preferred alternative would not propose the following potential
ACECs in CRVFO for designation: Abrams Creek, Dotsero Crater, Glenwood
Springs Debris Flow Hazard Zones, Grand Hogback, Hardscrabble-East
Eagle, Lyons Gulch, McCoy Fan Delta, Mount Logan Foothills, Sheep Creek
Uplands, and The Crown Ridge.
The preferred alternative would not propose the following potential
ACECs in GJFO for designation: Colorado River Riparian, Coon Creek,
Gunnison River Riparian, Hawxhurst Creek, Indian Creek, Nine-mile Hill
Boulders, Pyramid Rock Expansion, and Reeder Mesa.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public
participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes,
including a 30-day public protest period and a 60-day Governor's
consistency review on the Proposed RMP. The Proposed RMP/Final
Supplemental EIS is anticipated to be available for public protest in
the spring of 2024 with a supplemental approved RMP and Record of
Decision in the summer of 2024.
The BLM will hold two public meetings. The specific dates and
locations of these meetings will be announced least 15 days in advance
through local media, newspapers, and the BLM website at <a href="https://go.usa.gov/xtrgf">https://go.usa.gov/xtrgf</a>.
The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order
13175, BLM MS 1780, and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns,
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due consideration.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your
[[Page 51857]]
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 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR
1610.7-2)
Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-16598 Filed 8-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-16-P
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