Notice2023-17787
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Rock Springs RMP Revision, Wyoming
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 18, 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 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rock Springs Field Office and by this notice is providing information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS and on BLM's proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 159 (Friday, August 18, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 159 (Friday, August 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56654-56655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17787]
[[Page 56654]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_WY_FRN_MO4500170700]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement for the Rock Springs RMP Revision,
Wyoming
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 Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rock Springs Field Office and by this
notice is providing information announcing the opening of the comment
period on the Draft RMP/EIS and on 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/EIS beginning with the date following the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA's) publication of its Notice of Availability
(NOA) of the Draft RMP/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 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.
The BLM will be holding multiple public meetings during the public
comment period and the dates, times, and locations of these public
meetings will be announced through public notices, news releases,
social media, and mailings at least 15 days prior to the meetings. In
addition, this notice also announces the opening of a 60-day comment
period for proposed ACECs; the BLM must receive your comments by
October 17, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The Draft RMP/EIS is available for review on the BLM
ePlanning project website at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510</a>.
Written comments related to the Rock Springs RMP Revision may be
submitted by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510</a>
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9edcd2d3c1c9c7c1ccf1fdf5cdeeecf7f0f9edccd3cedefcf2f3b0f9f1e8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="98dad4d5c7cfc1c7caf7fbf3cbe8eaf1f6ffebcad5c8d8faf4f5b6fff7ee">[email protected]</span></a>
<bullet> Mail: RSFO RMP Draft EIS Comments, Attn: Carlos Coontz, 280
HWY 191 N, Rock Springs, WY 82901
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510</a> and at the
Rock Springs Field Office, address listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberlee Foster, Field Manager,
telephone 307-352-0201; address 280 HWY 191 N, Rock Springs, WY 82901;
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8eccc2c3d1d9d7d1dce1ede5ddfefce7e0e9fddcc3deceece2e3a0e9e1f8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dc9e9091838b85838eb3bfb78facaeb5b2bbaf8e918c9cbeb0b1f2bbb3aa">[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./Ms. POC's last name. 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
Wyoming State Director has prepared a Draft RMP/EIS, provides
information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft
RMP/EIS, and announces the comment period on BLM's proposed ACECs. The
planning area is located in portions of Lincoln, Sweetwater, Uinta,
Sublette, and Fremont counties in southwestern Wyoming, and encompasses
approximately 3.6 million acres of public land.
Resources on lands administered by the BLM within the planning area
are currently managed under the Green River RMP (1997) and Jack Morrow
Hills Coordinated Activity Plan (CAP) (2004), as amended. The Green
River RMP governs multiple ACECs, Special Management Areas, and
Wilderness Study Areas.
Purpose and Need for the Planning Effort
The purpose of the Rock Springs RMP is to provide an updated,
comprehensive, and environmentally adequate framework for managing and
allocating uses of public lands and resources administered by the BLM
Rock Springs Field Office. The Rock Springs RMP will address changing
needs of the planning area by updating information and revising
management goals, objectives, and decisions while ensuring that public
lands are managed according to the principles of multiple use
identified in FLPMA and while maintaining the valid existing rights and
other obligations already established.
The need for revising the Green River RMP (1997) is the result of
considerable changes within the planning area since 1997. Current
amendments and routine maintenance actions are no longer adequate to
address current conditions.
Alternatives Including the Preferred Alternative
The BLM has analyzed four alternatives in detail. Alternative A,
the No-Action Alternative, represents a continuation of the existing
management plans, which balances protection of resource values with the
use and development of resources.
Alternative B emphasizes conservation of resource values with
constraints on resource uses. Relative to all alternatives, Alternative
B conserves the most public lands for physical, biological, and
cultural resources.
Alternative C emphasizes resource uses (e.g., energy and mineral
development and other commodity uses). Relative to all alternatives,
Alternative C proposes the least restrictive management actions for
energy and commodity development and the least protective management
actions for physical, biological, and cultural resources while
maintaining protections required by laws and regulations.
Alternative D emphasizes less conservation than Alternative B and
less resource use than Alternative C. This approach allows for
opportunities to use and develop resources within the planning area
while promoting environmental conservation.
The BLM further considered three additional alternatives but
dismissed these alternatives from detailed analysis as explained in the
Draft RMP/EIS.
The State Director has identified Alternative B as the preferred
alternative. Alternative B was found to best meet the State Director's
planning guidance and, therefore, was selected as the preferred
alternative because it conserves the most land area for physical,
biological, and cultural resources.
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. The proposed ACECs included in the preferred
alternative are:
[[Page 56655]]
<bullet> Cedar Canyon ACEC: 2,540 acres with significant cultural,
scenic, and wildlife values.
<bullet> Greater Red Creek ACEC: 468,170 acres with significant
historic, cultural, paleontological, wildlife, and scenic values.
<bullet> Greater Sand Dunes ACEC: 39,290 acres with significant
historic, cultural, geological, and wildlife values.
<bullet> Natural Corrals ACEC: 1,110 acres with cultural,
historical, recreational, wildlife, scenic, and geological values.
<bullet> Oregon Buttes ACEC: 3,440 acres with significant historic,
cultural, wildlife, and scenic values.
<bullet> Pine Springs ACEC: 6,480 acers with historic, cultural,
and paleontological values.
<bullet> South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC: 171,300 acres with
significant cultural, scenic, and wildlife values.
<bullet> Special Status Plant Species ACEC: 3,610 acres with
significant Special Status Species value.
<bullet> Steamboat Mountain ACEC: 439,330 acres with significant
historic, cultural, wildlife, and scenic values.
<bullet> White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC: 20 acres with significant
Native American concerns and scenic values.
<bullet> South Wind River ACEC: 374,710 acres with high value air,
cultural, biodiversity, and visual resources.
<bullet> Red Lake East Sand Dunes ACEC: 22,340 acres with scenic
and wildlife values.
<bullet> Big Game Migration Corridor ACEC: 226,335 acres with
wildlife and biodiversity values for the protection of big game.
<bullet> Big Sandy Openings ACEC: 2,020 acres with scenic,
watershed, and geologic values.
<bullet> Pinnacles ACEC: 1,340 acres with scenic, paleontological,
and wildlife values.
<bullet> Monument Valley ACEC: 69,960 acres with wildlife,
geologic, cultural, and paleontological values.
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 EIS is
anticipated to be available for public protest in Spring 2024 with an
Approved RMP and Record of Decision in Summer 2024.
The BLM will be holding three public meetings in the following
locations: Rock Springs, Lyman, and Big Piney, Wyoming. The specific
date(s) and location(s) of these meetings will be announced at least 15
days in advance through local media, newspapers, and the ePlanning
project page (<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510</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. Consultation with
interested Indian Tribal Nations is ongoing.
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 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR
1610.7-2)
Andrew Archuleta,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-17787 Filed 8-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-26-P
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