Notice2025-00863
Records of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan for Bears Ears National Monument and Approval of the Amendment to the Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan in Utah
Primary source
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Published
January 16, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management BureauAgriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USDA Forest Service) (jointly "the Agencies") announce the availability of the Records of Decision (ROD) for the Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for BLM-administered portions of the Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) and a ROD for the Approval of the Amendment to the 1986 Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) that adopts the Approved RMP for USDA Forest Service-administered portions of BENM located in southeastern Utah. The Department of the Interior Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management signed the BLM ROD, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective immediately on BLM-administered lands. The Manti-La Sal National Forest Supervisor signed the USDA Forest Service ROD approving an amendment to the LRMP to adopt the Approved RMP. The amendment to the LRMP will become effective 30 days after the publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4778-4779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00863]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
[PO4820000251]
Records of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan for
Bears Ears National Monument and Approval of the Amendment to the
Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan in Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Forest Service,
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service (USDA Forest Service) (jointly ``the
Agencies'') announce the availability of the Records of Decision (ROD)
for the Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for BLM-administered
portions of the Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) and a ROD for the
Approval of the Amendment to the 1986 Manti-La Sal National Forest Land
and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) that adopts the Approved RMP for
USDA Forest Service-administered portions of BENM located in
southeastern Utah. The Department of the Interior Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management signed the BLM
ROD, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the
Approved RMP effective immediately on BLM-administered lands. The
Manti-La Sal National Forest Supervisor signed the USDA Forest Service
ROD approving an amendment to the LRMP to adopt the Approved RMP. The
amendment to the LRMP will become effective 30 days after the
publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: The RODs and Approved RMP are available online at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020347/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020347/510</a>. Printed copies of
the BLM ROD/Approved RMP are available for public inspection at the BLM
Monticello Field Office, 365 North Main, Monticello, Utah 84535, and
BLM Utah Public Room, 440 West 200 South, Ste. 500, Salt Lake City, UT
84101 or can be provided upon request by contacting BLM Project Manager
Jill Stephenson at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5b31282f3e2b333e352834351b393736753c342d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87edf4f3e2f7efe2e9f4e8e9c7e5ebeaa9e0e8f1">[email protected]</span></a> or 435-259-2141. The USDA Forest
Service ROD/Approved RMP are available for public inspection at the
Manti-La Sal National Forest Monticello Ranger District, 397 North Main
Street, Monticello, Utah 84535 or can be provided upon request by
contacting Michael Engelhart at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9cf1f5fff4fdf9f0b2f9f2fbf9f0f4fdeee8dce9eff8fdb2fbf3ea"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93fefaf0fbf2f6ffbdf6fdf4f6fffbf2e1e7d3e6e0f7f2bdf4fce5">[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: 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#6f051c1b0a1f070a011c00012f0d030241080019"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b3d9c0c7d6c3dbd6ddc0dcddf3d1dfde9dd4dcc5">[email protected]</span></a> regarding the BLM ROD. Michael Engelhart, District
Ranger, telephone 435-636-3341; address Manti-La Sal National Forest
Monticello District PO Box 820, Monticello, UT 84535; email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7d10141e151c18115318131a1811151c0f093d080e191c531a120b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e18c88828980848dcf848f86848d89809395a194928580cf868e97">[email protected]</span></a>, regarding the USDA Forest Service ROD.
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 encompasses approximately
1.36 million acres of Federal land administered by the BLM and USDA
Forest Service in San Juan County, Utah. 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 purpose 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 USDA Forest Service amendment's purpose is to incorporate
the approved BENM RMP and update land management allocations of the
BENM boundary area into the Manti-La Sal LRMP.
The Approved RMP is based on the Proposed RMP from the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), with minor changes to management
actions, goals, and best practices. All changes are described in each
Agency's ROD (section 1.2 in the BLM ROD and section 3 and 6 in the
USDA Forest Service ROD). The Agencies were informed in the development
of the Approved RMP by input from the public, including from the
scoping and public comment periods on the EIS and from the protest
period, cooperating agencies, State and local governments, including
the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, government-to-government
consultation with Tribal Nations, the Monument Advisory Committee, the
National Historic Preservation Act consultation, the Endangered Species
Act consultation, and the Governor's consistency review. The Approved
RMP includes designation of the Aquifer Protection Area of Critical
Environmental Concern, retains other existing Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern, and closes portions of BENM to recreational
shooting, among other management direction.
The BLM and USDA Forest Service provided the Proposed RMP/Final EIS
to the public on October 4, 2024, for a 30-day protest period and
received 40 protest letters. The USDA Forest Service adopted the BLM's
administrative review protest procedures, as provided by 36 CFR
219.59(a). The BLM and USDA Forest Service jointly signed a memorandum
documenting the resolutions of all protests for both Agencies. The BLM
Assistant Director for Resources and Planning resolved all protests.
Responses to protest issues were compiled and documented in a Protest
Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES). While no protests were granted, the
Agencies made several edits to the Approved RMP text to improve clarity
based on input received during the protest period.
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP/Final EIS to the Governor of Utah
for a 60-day Governor's consistency review on October 4, 2024. The
Governor's Office identified concerns and inconsistencies between the
Proposed RMP/FEIS and the State and local plans, policies, and programs
in a
[[Page 4779]]
letter received December 3, 2024. The BLM considered the concerns, and
where not in conflict with the purposes, policies and programs of
Federal laws and regulations applicable to public lands, accepted
recommendations, which are described in sections 1.2 of the BLM ROD. As
the changes were within the range of alternatives considered in the
RMP/EIS, the BLM did not seek public comments on the recommendations
that were accepted.
On January 8, 2025, the Governor appealed to the BLM Director the
Acting State Director's decision not to accept or address all the
State's recommendations, consistent with 43 CFR 1610.3-2. After careful
review and consideration of the Governor's points, the Department of
the Interior determined that the planning effort properly considered
all applicable State and local plans, policies, and programs, and that
no further changes are necessary to provide for a reasonable balance
between the national interest and the State's interest. The BLM has
published the reasons for the Department of the Interior's
determination to reject the Governor's appeal and recommendations on
its website (see ADDRESSES).
The Department of the Interior Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Land and Minerals Management signed the BLM ROD. The Manti-La Sal
National Forest Supervisor signed the USDA Forest Service ROD.
(Authority: 36 CFR 219.13, 36 CFR 219.16, 36 CFR 219.17, 40 CFR
1501.9, 43 CFR 1610.2, and 43 CFR 1610.5-1)
Matthew A. Preston,
BLM Utah State Director, Acting.
Barbara Van Alstine,
Manti-La Sal National Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2025-00863 Filed 1-15-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-25-P
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