Notice2024-22760
Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah
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
October 4, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management BureauAgriculture DepartmentForest Service
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) and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USDA Forest Service), collectively "the Agencies," have prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Bears Ears National Monument (BENM or monument) and by this notice are announcing the start of a 30-day protest period of the Proposed RMP.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80916-80917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22760]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
[BLM_UT_FRN_MO 4500181748]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan
and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Bears Ears National
Monument in Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Forest Service,
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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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) and
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USDA Forest Service),
collectively ``the Agencies,'' have prepared a Proposed Resource
Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the Bears Ears National Monument (BENM or monument) and by this
notice are announcing the start of a 30-day protest period of the
Proposed RMP.
DATES: This notice announces a 30-day protest period to the BLM on the
Proposed RMP beginning on the date of the Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) publication of its Notice of Availability (NOA) of the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS in the Federal Register. The EPA usually
publishes its NOAs on Fridays. Protests must be postmarked or
electronically submitted on the BLM's ePlanning site during the 30-day
protest period.
ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP, Final EIS and associated documents are
available on the BLM ePlanning project website at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020347/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020347/510</a>. Pertinent documents
may also be examined at the BLM Monticello Field Office, 365 North
Main, Monticello, Utah 84535.
Instructions for filing a protest with the BLM for the BENM
Proposed RMP/Final EIS can be found at: <a href="https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest">https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest</a> and at 43
CFR 1610.5-2.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Stephenson, Project Manager,
telephone: 435-259-2100; address: Bureau of Land Management Canyon
Country District, 82 E Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cba1b8bfaebba3aea5b8a4a58ba9a7a6e5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="345e474051445c515a475b5a745658591a535b42">[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 Ms. Stephenson. 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: The planning area is located in San Juan
County, Utah, and encompasses approximately 1.36 million acres of
federal land administered by the BLM and USDA Forest Service.
The USDA Forest Service will adopt the BLM's administrative review
protest procedures, as provided by the Forest Service Planning Rule at
36 CFR 219.59(a).
Purpose and Need for the Planning Effort
Presidential Proclamation 10285 directs the Agencies to ``prepare
and maintain a new management plan for the entire monument'' for the
specific purposes of ``protecting and restoring the objects identified
[in Proclamation 10285] and in Proclamation 9558.''
The RMP's underlying purpose (40 CFR 1502.13) is to provide a
management framework, including goals, objectives, and management
direction, to guide BENM management consistent with the protection of
BENM objects and the management direction provided in Proclamation
10285.
The purpose and need for the BENM RMP is aligned with the purpose
and need to amend the plan direction and management allocation for BENM
in the Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan
(LRMP). The proposed programmatic amendment incorporates the proposed
BENM RMP and updated land management allocation of the BENM boundary
area into the Manti-La Sal LRMP. The scope of the USDA Forest Service
amendment is based on the objects identified in Proclamation 10285, and
the scale applies to National Forest System (NFS) lands within the BENM
boundary area.
Alternatives Considered
The Final EIS evaluates six alternatives in detail, including the
no action alternative. Alternative A (the no action alternative)
represents current management from the 2020 BENM Approved Monument
Management Plans, which apply to lands that remained in BENM under
Proclamation 9681, and the 2008 Monticello Approved RMP, 2008 Moab
Approved
[[Page 80917]]
RMP, and 1986 Manti-La Sal National Forest LRMP, as amended, which
apply to the lands that were excluded from BENM under Proclamation
9681, to the extent that those management actions are consistent with
Proclamation 10285. In some cases, decisions in the 2008 Monticello
Approved RMP, 2008 Moab Approved RMP, and 1986 Manti-La Sal National
Forest LRMP are inconsistent with Proclamation 10285; in those
instances, Alternative A has been modified to be consistent with
Proclamation 10285. Alternative B would provide the most permissive
management for discretionary actions that are compatible with the
protection of BENM objects. This alternative would focus on on-site
education and interpretation and allow for the development of
facilities to protect BENM objects. Alternative C would allow
discretionary actions if they are necessary to protect BENM objects.
This alternative would focus on off-site education and interpretation
and allow for limited development of facilities to protect BENM
objects. Alternative D would allow for the continuation of natural
processes by limiting or discontinuing discretionary uses. This
alternative would minimize human-created facilities and management and
would emphasize natural conditions. Alternative E would emphasize
resource protection and maximize the consideration and use of Tribal
perspectives on managing the BENM landscape. This alternative includes
consideration of natural processes and seasonal cycles in the
management of BENM, and extensive collaboration with Tribal Nations to
incorporate those considerations into the day-to-day management of the
monument. The BLM and USDA Forest Service have also developed the
Proposed RMP as presented in the Final EIS. The Proposed RMP is based
on Alternative E, with a combination of components from the various
action alternatives. Like Alternative E, the Proposed RMP emphasizes
resource protection and maximizing the consideration and use of Tribal
perspectives.
Public Comment Period and Development of the Proposed RMP and Final EIS
The BLM received a total of 18,975 letter submissions during the
public comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS, including 15,624 letters
that contained non-unique, preformulated language that appeared
elsewhere in letter submissions. There were 3,351 unique submissions,
from which the agencies identified substantive comments. Most
submissions were focused on suggestions for specific alternatives or
alternative elements; statements of support for or lack thereof for an
alternative; and detailed input pertaining to various resource topics
analyzed in the draft EIS, such as travel and transportation, livestock
grazing, and recreation and visitor services.
The agencies were informed in the development of the Proposed RMP
by public comments; input from the Bears Ears Commission, cooperating
agencies, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; government-to-
government consultation with Tribal Nations; consultation under section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; and updates to the best
available science.
The primary changes from the Draft RMP/EIS to the Proposed RMP/
Final EIS include: the analysis of the Proposed RMP; the use of updated
assessment, inventory, and monitoring data; modifications to management
actions concerning recreation, travel and transportation, livestock
grazing, visual resources, lands and realty, and lands with wilderness
characteristics; the designation of Areas of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACECs); the inclusion of the public comment process summary
and responses; the development of a monitoring plan; the addition of an
appendix to address scenery management on the NFS lands; and the review
of applicable State and local land use plans for plan consistency. The
agencies also made revisions in the Final EIS for consistency, clarity,
and accuracy. In Appendix U of the Final EIS, the agencies provide
responses to substantive comments on the Draft RMP/EIS, including
proposed target shooting closures and ACECs.
Protest of the Proposed RMP
The BLM planning regulations state that any person who participated
in the preparation of the RMP and has an interest that will or might be
adversely affected by approval of the Proposed RMP may protest its
approval to the BLM Director. Protest on the Proposed RMP constitutes
the final opportunity for administrative review of the proposed land
use planning decisions prior to the BLM adopting an approved RMP and
the USDA Forest Service approving amendment of the 1986 Manti-La Sal
National Forest LRMP. Instructions for filing a protest regarding the
Proposed RMP with the BLM Director may be found online at <a href="https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest">https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest</a> and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. All protests must be in writing
and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES
section earlier or submitted electronically through the BLM ePlanning
project website as described previously. Protests submitted
electronically by any means other than the ePlanning project website
will be invalid unless a protest is also submitted as a hard copy. The
BLM Director will render a written decision on each protest. The BLM
Reviewing Official is the BLM Assistant Director for Resources and
Planning, and the USDA Forest Service Reviewing Official is the
Regional Forester. The BLM and USDA Forest Service will jointly sign a
memorandum documenting the decisions on the resolutions of all protests
for both agencies. This shall be the final decision of the Department
of the Interior and Department of Agriculture. Responses to valid
protest issues will be compiled and documented in a Protest Resolution
Report made available following the protest resolution online at:
<a href="https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports">https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports</a>. Upon resolution of protests, the BLM will
issue a Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved RMP, and the USDA Forest
Service will issue a ROD amending the 1986 Manti-La Sal National Forest
LRMP to incorporate the Approved RMP for BENM. The responsible official
for the BLM is the Utah State Director; the responsible official for
the USDA Forest Service is the Manti-La Sal Forest Supervisor.
Before including your phone number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your protest 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 (2023), 43 CFR 1610.2, 43
CFR 1610.5, 36 CFR 219.16, 36 CFR 219.59)
Gregory Sheehan,
BLM Utah State Director.
Barbara Van Alstine,
Manti-La Sal Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2024-22760 Filed 10-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-25-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 4, 2024.
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