80 FR 42527 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plans for the Beaver Dam Wash and Red Cliffs National Conservation Areas; a Draft Amendment to the St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan; and Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Utah

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 137 (July 17, 2015)

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, and the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared Draft Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area and the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and a Draft Amendment to the St. George Field Office RMP. The three planning efforts were initiated concurrently and are supported by a single Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). By this notice; the BLM announces the opening of the public comment period.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 137 (Friday, July 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42527-42529]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17466]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[15X L1109AF LLUTC03000.161000000.DP0000.LXSS004J0000 24-1A]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plans for 
the Beaver Dam Wash and Red Cliffs National Conservation Areas; a Draft 
Amendment to the St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan; and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Utah

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, and the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 
2009, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared Draft Resource 
Management Plans (RMPs) for the Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation 
Area and the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and a Draft 
Amendment to the St. George Field Office RMP. The three planning 
efforts were initiated concurrently and are supported by a single 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). By this notice; the BLM announces 
the opening of the public comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft RMPs/Draft RMP Amendment and Draft EIS 
within 90 days following the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability of the Draft RMPs/Draft RMP 
Amendment and Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce 
future meetings or hearings and any other public participation 
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media 
releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Draft RMPs/Draft RMP 
Amendment and Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 435-688-3252.
     Mail: St. George Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 
345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah 84790.
    Copies of the Draft RMPs/Draft RMP Amendment and Draft EIS are 
available in the BLM St. George Field Office, at the above address and 
the BLM Utah State Office Public Room, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, 
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. The Draft RMPs/Draft RMP 
Amendment and Draft EIS is also available on the following Web site: 
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st_george.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Keith Rigtrup, RMP Planner, telephone 
435-865-3000; address: 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah 
84790; email: [email protected].
    Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to 
contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question 
with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this planning process is to 
satisfy specific mandates from the Omnibus Public Land Management Act 
of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11, at Title 1, Subtitle O, hereinafter OPLMA) 
that directed the Secretary of the Interior, through the BLM, to 
develop comprehensive management plans for the Beaver Dam Wash National 
Conservation Area (63,480 acres of public land) and the Red Cliffs 
National Conservation Area (44,859 acres of public land), located in 
Washington County, Utah. Both National Conservation Areas (NCAs) were 
established on March 30, 2009, when President Barack Obama signed OPLMA 
into law. The decisions contained within the Draft RMPs/Draft EIS do 
not pertain to private and State lands within the boundaries of the 
NCAs.
    The need to amend the St. George Field Office RMP (approved in 
1999) is also derived from OPLMA. Section 1979 (a)(1) and (2) directed 
the Secretary, through the BLM, to identify areas located in the County 
where biological conservation is a priority; and undertake activities 
to conserve and restore plant and animal species and natural 
communities within such areas. The administrative designation of new 
areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs) to provide special 
management attention to biological resources, as well as the 
identification of priority biological conservation areas, will satisfy 
this legislative mandate, and will be accomplished through an amendment 
to the St. George Field Office RMP.
    Section 1977 (b)(1) of OPLMA, directed the BLM to develop a 
comprehensive travel management plan for public lands in Washington 
County. The St. George Field Office RMP must be amended to modify 
certain existing off-highway vehicle (OHV) area designations (open, 
limited or closed), to be in compliance with the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) at 43 CFR 8340.0-5, (f), (g), and (h) respectively 
and 43 CFR 8342.1 (a-d) and related agency policies, before this 
comprehensive travel management plan can be developed.

Draft RMPs for the Beaver Dam Wash and Red Cliffs NCAs

    The Draft RMPs/Draft EIS include goals, objectives, and management 
actions for conserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural and 
cultural resource values of the Beaver Dam Wash

[[Page 42528]]

and Red Cliffs NCAs. Multiple resource uses are also addressed, 
including lands available for livestock grazing; recreation and visitor 
services; and management of lands and realty actions, including 
delineation of rights-of-way avoidance and exclusion areas. This 
planning effort considers the establishment of a trail management 
corridor for the congressionally-designated Old Spanish Trail National 
Historic Trail through the Beaver Dam Wash NCA.
    The Draft RMPs/DEIS analyzes four alternatives for the long term 
management of resource values and land uses in the two NCAs. 
Alternative A is the No Action alternative and would continue 
management of the public lands under current goals, objectives, and 
management decisions from the 1999 St. George Field Office RMP, as 
modified by congressional designations pursuant to OPLMA.
    Alternative B emphasizes resource protection while allowing land 
uses and developments that are consistent with the NCA purposes, 
current laws, regulations, and policies.
    Management actions would strive to protect ecologically important 
areas, native vegetation communities, habitats for wildlife, including 
special status species, cultural resources, and the scenic qualities of 
each NCA from natural and human-caused impacts. Intensive management of 
land uses and authorizations would avoid or lessen resource impacts.
    Alternative C emphasizes the conservation and protection of 
resource values and the restoration of damaged lands, through the use 
of native species. This alternative would also implement higher levels 
of restrictions on land uses and developments to achieve conservation 
objectives.
    Alternative D emphasizes a broader array and higher level of public 
use and access, while still meeting the congressionally-defined purpose 
of conservation and protection of resource values and scenic qualities 
in the two NCAs. This alternative would provide the greatest management 
flexibility relating to land uses and authorizations.
    Alternative B has been identified as the BLM's preferred 
alternative in the Draft RMPs/Draft EIS but does not represent the 
final agency direction for the two NCAs. The Proposed RMPs, developed 
as a result of public comment on the Draft RMPs, may include objectives 
and actions analyzed in the other alternatives and reflect changes or 
adjustments based on new information or changes in BLM policies or 
priorities.

Draft RMP Amendment

    The Draft EIS also analyzes four alternatives to amend the St. 
George Field Office RMP to address biological conservation and travel 
management issues on public lands outside of the two NCAs.
    Alternative A (No Action) would continue to manage public lands 
under the goals, objectives, and decisions of the St. George Field 
Office RMP. Eight existing ACECs would continue to be managed, under 
current management prescriptions from that RMP. Area designations for 
motorized vehicle travel would continue to manage a majority of the 
public lands as limited to existing roads and trails.
    Alternative B (the BLM's preferred alternative) addresses 
biological conservation through the proposed designation of three new 
ACECs (South Hills (1,950 acres), State Line (1,410 acres), and Webb 
Hill (520 acres)) to provide special management for native plant and 
animal species and natural systems; 8 existing ACECs would be retained, 
with no changes to the current management prescriptions. A Bull Valley 
Multi-Species Management Area (87,031 acres) is identified as a 
priority biological conservation area and management decisions are 
proposed to protect wildlife habitats and migration corridors. This 
alternative includes a proposal to identify specific routes for 
motorized vehicle travel in the St. George Field Office planning area. 
Route designations and use-limitations will be further developed in a 
comprehensive travel management plan to be created after the record of 
decision for these RMPs has been signed.
    Alternative C would emphasize the use of special designations to 
achieve the biological conservation objectives mandated by OPLMA. Under 
this alternative, 14 new ACECs are proposed for administrative 
designation: (Dalton Wash (14 acres), Grafton (47 acres), Harrisburg 
Bench (111 acres), Moody Wash (24 acres), Mosquito Cove (88 acres), 
North Creek (54 acres), Santa Clara River Baker (32 acres), Santa Clara 
River Veyo (16 acres), Scarecrow Peak (9,655 acres), Shinob Kibe (70 
acres), South Hills (1,950 acres), State Line (1,410 acres), Virgin 
River (245 acres), and Webb Hill (520 acres)). Eight existing ACECs 
would be retained. A Bull Valley Multi-Species Management Area (87,031 
acres) is identified as a priority biological conservation area and 
management decisions are proposed to protect wildlife habitats and 
migration corridors through exclusion of new rights-of-way and closure 
to fluid leasable and saleable minerals developments. This alternative 
includes a proposal to identify specific routes for motorized vehicle 
travel in the St. George Field Office planning area. Route designations 
and use-limitations will be further developed in a comprehensive travel 
management plan to be created after the record of decision for these 
RMPs has been signed.
    Alternative D relies primarily on management decisions from the St. 
George RMP, current laws, regulations, and policies to satisfy OPLMA's 
legislative direction relating to biological conservation. No new ACECs 
would be designated and eight currently designated ACECs would be 
retained. A Bull Valley Multi-Species Management Area (87,031 acres) is 
identified for management as a priority biological conservation area 
and management decisions are proposed to protect wildlife habitats 
through management of 955 acres as a rights-of-way avoidance area. This 
alternative includes a proposal to identify specific routes for 
motorized vehicle travel in the St. George Field Office planning area. 
Route designations and use-limitations will be further developed in a 
comprehensive travel management plan to be created after the record of 
decision for these RMPs has been signed.
    Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b), this notice announces a concurrent 
public comment period on proposed ACECs to protect plant and animal 
species and natural processes. The following management prescriptions 
may apply to the individual areas under consideration, if 
administratively designated as ACECs through the RMP amendment process: 
Retain public lands in federal ownership; avoid or exclude new rights-
of-way; close to the harvesting of native seeds, plants, and plant 
materials for commercial purposes and personal use; close or place use 
constraints on fluid leasable and saleable mineral developments; close 
to dispersed camping and recreational target shooting; exclude 
competitive, commercial, and organized group events; protections via 
visual resource management class designation; and close or limit 
motorized travel to designated roads and trails.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who 
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at 
the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), 
Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your

[[Page 42529]]

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.

Jenna Whitlock,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-17466 Filed 7-16-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P