Notice2024-24335
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus), Colorado and Utah
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 Record of Decision (ROD) for the Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus) located in Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah. The Colorado and Utah State Directors signed the ROD on October 17, 2024, which constitutes the decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP Amendment 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 84383-84384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24335]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500182301]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved
Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse
(Centrocercus minimus), Colorado and Utah
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 Record of Decision (ROD) for the Approved Resource Management
Plan (RMP) Amendment for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus
minimus) located in Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah. The Colorado
and Utah State Directors signed the ROD on October 17, 2024, which
constitutes the decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP
Amendment effective immediately.
DATES: The Colorado and Utah State Directors signed the ROD/Approved
RMP Amendment on October 17, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The ROD/Approved RMP Amendment is available online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019031/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2019031/510</a>. Printed
copies of the ROD/Approved RMP Amendment are available for public
inspection at the Grand Junction, Uncompahgre, Tres Rios, Gunnison, San
Luis Valley, Moab, and Monticello Field Offices or can be provided upon
request by contacting Gina Phillips, Project Manager, BLM Colorado,
telephone 970-589-9852, BLM Southwest District Office, 2465 S Townsend
Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cb898786948884948c9e988c9499869b8a8ba9a7a6e5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bffdf3f2e0fcf0e0f8eaecf8e0edf2effeffddd3d291d8d0c9">[email protected]</span></a>.
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: Gina Phillips, Project Manager,
telephone 970-589-9852, BLM Colorado, BLM Southwest District Office,
2465 S Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f9bbb5b4a6bab6a6beacaabea6abb4a9b8b99b9594d79e968f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bdfff1f0e2fef2e2fae8eefae2eff0edfcfddfd1d093dad2cb">[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. Phillips. 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 Approved RMP Amendment for the Gunnison
Sage-Grouse changes the following existing plans:
Colorado:
<bullet> Canyons of the Ancients National Monument RMP (2010)
<bullet> Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area RMP (2017)
<bullet> Grand Junction Field Office RMP (2015)
<bullet> Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area RMP (2004)
<bullet> Gunnison Resource Area RMP (1993)
<bullet> McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area RMP (2004)
<bullet> San Luis Resource Area RMP (1991)
<bullet> Tres Rios Field Office RMP (2015)
<bullet> Uncompahgre Field Office RMP (2020)
Utah:
<bullet> Moab Field Office RMP (2008)
<bullet> Monticello Field Office RMP (2008)
The Gunnison Sage-Grouse Approved RMP Amendment modifies management
decisions and actions to promote Gunnison sage-grouse recovery and
maintain and enhance habitat, as identified in the 2020 U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) Recovery Plan, across the eight currently
recognized populations in southwest Colorado and southeast Utah.
Gunnison sage-grouse is federally listed as a threatened species under
the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544). The planning area
spans portions of 19 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 two Utah Counties: Grand and San Juan, and
encompasses approximately 25 million acres of public land. The Approved
RMP Amendment makes decisions for approximately 2,182,660 acres of BLM-
managed surface lands (1,951,440 acres in Colorado and 231,220 acres in
Utah) and 2,852,390 acres of Federal subsurface mineral estate
(2,563,220 acres in Colorado and 289,170 acres in Utah). The
alternative selected as the Approved RMP Amendment is a clarified
version of Alternative F, as described in the Proposed RMP Amendment.
The Approved RMP Amendment focuses conservation measures on occupied
and unoccupied habitat. For all populations, the Approved RMP Amendment
would apply buffers to protect all lek statuses (active, inactive,
historic, unknown, occupied, and unoccupied). The Approved RMP
Amendment includes a 1-mile adjacent non-habitat buffer around occupied
and unoccupied habitat areas, where minimization measures could apply.
For Recreation and Lands and Realty program areas, the Approved RMP
Amendment applies management designed for the Gunnison Basin population
and different management designed for the seven satellite populations
(those outside of the Gunnison Basin). For all populations, the
Approved RMP Amendment manages resource uses with an objective for no
increase in net surface disturbance in habitat. Also, the Approved RMP
Amendment closes all areas with no and low potential for fluid mineral
leasing in both occupied and unoccupied habitat management areas.
The Approved RMP Amendment designates three new Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern: Dry Creek Basin (San Miguel population; 10,920
acres), Sapinero Mesa (Gunnison Basin population; 17,240 acres), and
Chance Gulch (Gunnison Basin population; 13,150 acres), specifically
for the protection and enhancement of Gunnison sage-grouse habitat. One
new Backcountry Conservation Area (referred to as Sugar Creek
Backcountry Conservation Area in the Gunnison Basin population; 17,210
acres) is designated to preserve intact, public lands and priority
habitat for wildlife, while offering primitive recreation
opportunities.
These landscape level management decisions provide habitat
conservation and reduction of threats to Gunnison sage-grouse
populations. They reflect a long-term commitment by the BLM and
cooperating agencies for conservation of the species by continuing
protection, restoration, and enhancement of Gunnison sage-grouse
habitat.
The BLM published a notice of intent in the Federal Register to
initiate the public scoping period for this planning effort on July 6,
2022 (87 FR 40262).
[[Page 84384]]
After preparing the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS in coordination with 30
cooperating agencies and working with Tribes, the BLM announced the 90-
day comment period through publication of its Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register on November 9, 2023 (88 FR 77353). Based on public
comments received on the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS, the BLM updated
the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS (Alternative F) by incorporating
management actions and allowable uses from Alternatives A, B, C, D and
E, including corrections and rewording for clarification of purpose and
intent.
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP Amendment on July 5, 2024, for a
30-day protest period. The BLM received five unique protest letter
submissions. Three letters contained valid protest issues. After
careful review of the responses to the valid protest issues in the
protest resolution report, the BLM Director concluded that the BLM
Colorado and Utah State Directors followed the applicable laws,
regulations, and policies, and considered all relevant resource
information and public input. The BLM Director dismissed the protests,
and that decision is the final decision of the U.S. Department of the
Interior. Responses to protest issues are compiled and documented in a
Protest Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES).
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP Amendment to the Governors of
Colorado and Utah for a 60-day Governor's consistency review. The State
of Utah identified potential inconsistencies with State policy and the
State Resource Management Plan. In response, the BLM modified a travel
management action and followed up with a response letter to address
additional topics of concern. The State of Colorado did not identify
any inconsistencies with State or local plans, policies or programs
identified during the Governor's consistency review of the Proposed RMP
Amendment.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.5-1)
Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-24335 Filed 10-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-16-P
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