Notice2024-24333
Availability of the Records of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plans for the Grand Junction Field Office and the Colorado River Valley Field Office, Colorado
Primary source
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Published
October 22, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Records of Decision (RODs) for the approved Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO) and the Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) located in western Colorado. The Colorado State Director signed the RODs on October 16, 2024, which constitutes the decision of the BLM and makes the approved RMPs effective immediately.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84385-84386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24333]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500181910]
Availability of the Records of Decision and Approved Resource
Management Plans for the Grand Junction Field Office and the Colorado
River Valley Field Office, Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Records of Decision (RODs) for the approved Resource Management
Plans (RMPs) for the Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO) and the
Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) located in western Colorado. The
Colorado State Director signed the RODs on October 16, 2024, which
constitutes the decision of the BLM and makes the approved RMPs
effective immediately.
DATES: The Colorado State Director signed the RODs on October 16, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The RODs/approved RMPs are available online at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016085/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016085/510</a>. Printed copies of
the RODs/approved RMPs are available for public inspection at the
Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction Field Offices or can be
provided upon request by contacting BLM Project Manager Heather Sauls
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#274f5446524b5467454b4a09404851"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="59312a382c352a193b3534773e362f">[email protected]</span></a> or 970-878-3855.
A copy of the Protest Resolution Report is available 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>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Sauls, Project Manager,
telephone 970-878-3855; address BLM Upper Colorado River District, 2518
H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bad2c9dbcfd6c9fad8d6d794ddd5cc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5a32293b2f36291a383637743d352c">[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. Sauls. 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 identical to the
combined planning areas for the 2015 CRVFO RMP and the 2015 GJFO RMP.
Within the CRVFO portion of the supplemental EIS planning area,
approximately 517,500 acres of BLM-administered surface lands and
approximately 711,300 acres of BLM-administered Federal fluid mineral
estate are in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Pitkin, and Routt Counties in
Colorado. Within the GJFO portion of the planning area, approximately
1,067,500 acres of BLM-administered surface lands and approximately
1,235,600 acres of BLM-administered Federal fluid mineral estate are in
Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, and Rio Blanco Counties in Colorado. The
decision area is BLM-administered surface lands (BLM-administered
lands) and the Federal fluid mineral estate below BLM-administered
lands, split-estate lands, and other Federal lands (but not National
Forest System lands).
The BLM prepared a supplemental environmental impact statement
(EIS) to the 2014 CRVFO RMP/final EIS and 2015 GJFO RMP/Final EIS. The
BLM issued RODs and approved the RMPs for the CRVFO and GJFO in 2015.
The supplemental EIS was written in response to a United States
District Court, District of Colorado, opinion and order (1:16-cv-01822-
LTB) regarding the CRVFO RMP ROD and a subsequent settlement agreement.
The court granted a partial remand without vacating the decisions
contained in the EIS and ROD so that the BLM could address two
deficiencies identified by the court. The supplemental EIS also
responds to a court-approved voluntary remand of the GJFO ROD (1-19-cv-
02869-REB) to allow the BLM to address the same deficiencies identified
in the CRVFO case.
Through this collaborative planning effort, the approved RMPs
describe the actions to guide future management and meet desired
resource conditions. The proposed RMP (Alternative G) in the final
supplemental EIS was carried forward as the approved RMP. As part of
this supplemental EIS planning effort, the BLM identified several units
within the planning area requiring an updated wilderness
characteristics inventory; the updated inventory increased the size of
the Flat Tops unit (from 3,500 acres to 6,900 acres) and the Pisgah
Mountain unit (from 14,500 acres to 16,300 acres).
The approved RMP retains the areas closed to fluid mineral leasing
in the 2015 CRVFO and GJFO RMPs and also
[[Page 84386]]
retains the fluid mineral stipulations. Within the CRVFO, areas closed
to oil and gas leasing in the 2015 RMP include: all Wilderness Study
Areas (WSAs); lands within municipal boundaries; the Upper Colorado
River Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA); Blue Hill, Bull Gulch,
Deep Creek, and Thompson Creek Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
(ACECs); Deep Creek, Flat Tops Addition, Pisgah Mountain, and Thompson
Creek lands with wilderness characteristics; Deep Creek and two
Colorado River segments found eligible for inclusion in the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System; and all State wildlife areas. Within the
GJFO, areas closed to oil and gas leasing in the 2015 RMP include: all
WSAs; Bangs, Dolores River, and Palisade Rim SRMAs; Gunnison River
Bluffs Extensive Recreation Management Area; Badger Wash, Dolores River
Riparian, Juanita Arch, Rough Canyon, Sinbad Valley, The Palisade, and
Unaweep Seep ACECs; Bangs, Maverick, and Unaweep lands with wilderness
characteristics; Gunnison sage-grouse critical habitat and greater
sage-grouse habitat within 1 mile of an active lek; Grand Junction and
Palisade municipal watersheds; and Bureau of Reclamation withdrawal
areas.
The approved RMPs close the no-known and low oil and gas
development potential areas to future fluid mineral leasing, except for
the helium potential area (GJFO), which remains open to leasing. Medium
oil and gas development potential areas are closed where they are
surrounded by low oil and gas development potential areas within the
CRVFO. Medium oil and gas development potential areas that are either
adjacent to (CRVFO) or surrounded by (GJFO) high oil and gas
development potential areas remain open for oil and gas leasing. The
high potential areas remain open for fluid mineral leasing. Within the
high potential and open medium potential areas, there are areas closed
to fluid mineral leasing due to specific resource concerns. Geothermal
resources remain open to leasing, except for those within areas closed
to oil and gas leasing due to specific resource concerns, and fluid
mineral stipulations in the approved RMPs apply.
The approved RMPs also close five existing designated ACECs to
fluid mineral leasing to protect their relevant and important values,
including the Glenwood Springs Debris Flow Hazard Zones and Grand
Hogback ACECs in CRVFO, and the Atwell Gulch, Indian Creek, and Pyramid
Rock ACECs in GJFO. The approved RMPs expand the existing Grand Hogback
ACEC (CRVFO) and Pyramid Rock ACEC (GJFO).
Within the CRVFO, the approved RMP designates the Castle Peak
Addition lands with wilderness characteristics unit as a WSA and closes
the Thompson Divide Withdrawal Area to oil and gas leasing. Within the
GJFO, the approved RMP manages Cone Mountain, Granite Creek, Kings
Canyon, Lumsden Canyon, and West Creek units for protection of their
wilderness characteristics.
Increased protections for the Roan and Carr Creeks ACEC and Jerry
Creek, Mesa/Powderhorn, and Collbran municipal water source areas
within the GJFO are provided through application of No-Surface-
Occupancy stipulations.
The BLM provided the proposed RMP/final supplemental EIS on June
21, 2024, for a 30-day protest period and received three protest
letters and one comment letter. The BLM Assistant Director resolved all
protests. Responses to protest issues have been compiled and documented
in a Protest Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES).
The BLM provided the proposed RMP/final supplemental EIS to the
Governor of Colorado for a 60-day Governor's consistency review. No
inconsistencies with State or local plans, policies, or programs were
identified during the Governor's consistency review of the proposed
RMP/final supplemental EIS. No changes to the proposed RMP/final
supplemental EIS were necessary as a result of the Governor's
consistency review.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.5-1)
Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-24333 Filed 10-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-16-P
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