80 FR 51303 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Grand Junction Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement, Colorado

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 163 (August 24, 2015)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) located in Mesa, Garfield, Montrose, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado. The Colorado State Director signed the ROD on August 24, 2015, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective immediately.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 163 (Monday, August 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51303-51304]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20706]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCON03000 L16100000.DR0000 15x]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Grand 
Junction Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan/Final 
Environmental Impact Statement, 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 Record of Decision (ROD) for the Approved Resource Management 
Plan (RMP) for the Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) located in Mesa, 
Garfield, Montrose, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado. The Colorado 
State Director signed the ROD on August 24, 2015, which constitutes the 
final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP effective 
immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD and Approved RMP are available upon 
request from the Field Manager, GJFO, BLM, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, 
CO 81506 or via the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo/rmp/rmp.html under the ``RMP Documents'' link. Copies of the ROD and 
Approved RMP are available for public inspection at the GJFO (see 
address above) and the Mesa County libraries in Grand Junction, 
Collbran, De Beque, Fruita and Gateway, Colorado.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Stark, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator; telephone 970-244-3027; GJFO (see address 
above); 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, seven 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 GJFO has worked cooperatively with the 
public, interest groups, stakeholders, cooperating agencies, Native 
American tribes, the Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council, the 
Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, and neighboring BLM offices for the past seven years 
developing the approved RMP. The result is an Approved RMP that seeks 
to provide a balance between the protection, restoration and 
enhancement of natural and cultural values, while allowing resource use 
and development in existing or reasonable locations. Goals and 
objectives focus on environmental, economic and social outcomes 
achieved by strategically addressing demands across the landscape. 
Management direction is broad to accommodate a variety of values and 
uses. Management decisions outlined in the Approved RMP apply only to 
BLM-managed surface lands (approximately 1,061,400 acres) and BLM-
managed Federal mineral estate (approximately 1,231,300 acres) that 
lies beneath BLM-managed surface lands, and lands managed by other 
Federal, State, and private owners, including National Forest System 
lands.
    The Approved RMP will replace the 1987 Grand Junction Resource Area 
RMP. The Approved RMP outlines goals, objectives, management actions 
and allowable uses for resources and land uses including, but not 
limited to: Air, soil, water, upland and riparian vegetation, fish and 
wildlife, cultural and paleontological resources, visual resources, 
recreation, livestock grazing, energy development, minerals, forestry 
and realty.
    The BLM initiated scoping for the RMP revision in 2008 and 
collected information and public input via public meetings in order to 
develop the Draft RMP/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which was 
published in December 2012. Based on public and agency comments, the 
BLM developed the Proposed RMP by combining various elements of all the 
alternatives considered in the Draft RMP/EIS.
    The BLM published the Proposed RMP/Final EIS on April 10, 2015, and 
made it available for a 30-day public protest period. During the 
protest period for the Proposed RMP/Final EIS, the BLM received 19 
protests on a variety of issues. Following the protest resolution, the 
BLM made minor editorial modifications to the Approved RMP to provide 
further clarification on some of the decisions being made. The BLM 
dismissed all protests.
    The BLM regulations also require a 60-day Governor's Consistency 
Review period for the Proposed RMP/Final EIS to ensure consistency with 
officially approved or adopted state or local government plans, 
policies or programs. The Governor did not identify any inconsistencies 
as part of this review.
    While the Approved RMP contains some conservation management 
measures for the Greater Sage-Grouse habitat, final decisions on how to 
manage Greater Sage-Grouse habitat within the GJFO administrative

[[Page 51304]]

boundaries will be made in the Record of Decision for the Northwest 
Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Amendment and EIS. The Northwest 
Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Amendment and EIS will fully analyze 
applicable Greater Sage-Grouse conservation measures, consistent with 
BLM Instruction Memorandum No. 2012-044. The BLM expects to make a 
comprehensive set of decisions for managing Greater Sage-Grouse on 
lands administered by the GJFO in the ROD for the Northwest Colorado 
Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Amendment. That decision will amend the 
Approved RMP. In the interim, leasing in Greater Sage-Grouse habitat 
will continue to be deferred until a final decision has been made on 
the Northwest Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Amendment.
    The Approved RMP includes some implementation decisions, which are 
displayed and numbered as implementation decisions in the Approved RMP. 
Implementation decisions are generally appealable to the Interior Board 
of Land Appeals under 43 CFR 4.410. For example, the decisions 
designating routes of travel are implementation decisions and are 
appealable under 43 CFR part 4. The route decisions are displayed as an 
attachment to Appendix M of the Approved RMP. Any party adversely 
affected by the route designations may appeal within 30 days of 
publication of this Notice of Availability pursuant to 43 CFR, part 4, 
subpart E. The appeal should state the specific route(s), as identified 
in Appendix M of the Approved RMP, on which the decision is being 
appealed. The appeal must be filed with the Grand Junction Field 
Manager at the address listed above. Please consult the appropriate 
regulations (43 CFR, part 4, subpart E) for further appeal 
requirements.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6.

Gregory P. Shoop,
BLM Colorado Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-20706 Filed 8-21-15; 8:45 am]
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