81 FR 43225 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Roan Plateau Planning Area, Colorado

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 127 (July 1, 2016)

Page Range		43225-43226
FR Document		2016-15527

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Roan Plateau planning area and by this notice announces its availability.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 127 (Friday, July 1, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 127 (Friday, July 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43225-43226]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15527]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCON04000 L16100000.DT0000-16X]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan 
Amendment and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Roan Plateau Planning Area, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Final 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Roan Plateau 
planning area and by this notice announces its availability.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions identified in the regulations may protest the BLM's Proposed 
RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS. A person who meets the conditions 
and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date 
that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Roan Plateau Proposed RMP Amendment/Final 
Supplemental EIS have been sent to affected Federal, State and local 
government agencies and to other stakeholders. Copies of the Proposed 
RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS are also available for public 
inspection at the Colorado River Valley Field Office, 2300 River 
Frontage Road, Silt, CO 81652. Interested persons may also review the 
Proposed RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS on the Internet at 
www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/land_use_planning/rmp/roan_plateau.html.
    All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following 
addresses:
    Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, 
P.O. Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383.
    Overnight Delivery: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest 
Coordinator, 20 M Street SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Larson, Project Manager; 
telephone (970) 876-9048; see Colorado River Valley Field Office 
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 BLM prepared the Roan Plateau Proposed 
RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS to evaluate a range of management 
decisions for resources, resource uses, and special designations in the 
planning area. The Proposed RMP/Final Supplemental EIS also responds to 
a June 22, 2012, ruling by the United States District Court for the 
District of Colorado remanding the 2007 Roan Plateau Record of 
Decision. The Court set aside the 2007 Roan Plateau RMP Amendment and 
remanded the matter to the BLM for further action in accordance with 
the Court's decision. In particular, the Court found that the Final EIS 
was deficient insofar as it failed to adequately address the: (i) 
``Community Alternative'' that various local governments, environmental 
organizations and individual members of the public recommended during 
the planning process leading up to the 2007 plan amendment; (ii) 
Cumulative air-quality impacts of the RMP Amendment decision in 
conjunction with anticipated oil and gas development on private lands 
outside the Roan Plateau planning area; and (iii) Issue of potential 
ozone impacts from proposed oil and gas development. Based on the 
Court's ruling and new information available since the BLM developed 
the Final EIS,

[[Page 43226]]

the BLM determined that a new RMP Amendment and supplemental analysis 
under NEPA were warranted. The parties involved in the litigation 
regarding the 2007 plan amendment reached a settlement in November 
2014. Based on that agreement, the Roan Plateau Proposed RMP Amendment/
Final Supplemental EIS includes an alternative that was identified in 
the November 2014 settlement. That ``Settlement Alternative'' was 
identified as the Proposed Alternative in the Draft Supplemental EIS.
    The planning area, which is in west-central Colorado, includes 
approximately 73,602 acres of BLM-managed land (Federal surface, 
Federal mineral estate, or both). It is located primarily in Garfield 
County with a small portion in southern Rio Blanco County. The Roan 
Plateau RMP Amendment proposes to amend the management decisions in the 
Glenwood Springs and White River RMPs as they relate to the planning 
area.
    The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment process began originally with 
scoping in 2000. The BLM published the Draft EIS in November 2004 and 
the Final EIS in August 2006. The BLM then issued two Records of 
Decision, one in June 2007 and a second, pertaining to Areas of 
Critical Environmental Concern, in March 2008. Following the District 
Court ruling in 2012, the BLM published a Notice of Intent to develop 
the Draft RMP Amendment/Supplemental EIS on January 28, 2013 (78 FR 
5834), which initiated a second scoping period. The Draft RMP 
Amendment/Supplemental EIS was published on November 20, 2015 (80 FR 
72732), and made available for public comment. The BLM held three 
public meetings to discuss the Draft RMP Amendment/Supplemental EIS and 
received approximately 50,000 comment submissions during the comment 
period. The BLM carefully considered those comments. The BLM made 
changes to the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS in 
response to comments received from the public and cooperating agencies, 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service consultation, and extensive 
internal BLM reviews. These changes included the addition of clarifying 
text and updated information, however, none of the changes constituted 
a substantial change in the proposed land use plan decisions or the 
analysis in the Draft Supplemental EIS that would require additional 
supplementation.
    Major issues considered in the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final 
Supplemental EIS include fluid minerals management; social and economic 
impacts; riparian habitat management; recreation; and air, water, and 
ecological resources. The RMP also addresses decisions regarding Wild 
and Scenic Rivers, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, and lands 
with wilderness characteristics. Decisions related to Greater Sage-
Grouse management in the proposed Amendment are consistent with last 
year's Northwestern Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Resource Management 
Plan Amendment Record of Decision.
    The Proposed RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS focuses on 
evaluating new information and new issues raised since the BLM 
developed the 2006 Roan Plateau Final EIS. This includes an evaluation 
of four alternatives including the No Action Alternative (Alternative 
I). Alternative II is based on the Proposed Plan from the 2006 Roan RMP 
Amendment/Final EIS and includes updated decisions and analysis based 
on new information and issues raised during the scoping period for the 
Supplemental EIS. Alternative III is based on the ``Community 
Alternative'' raised during the original EIS process by Rock the Earth. 
Alternative III was augmented with input from other Supplemental EIS 
scoping comments. This alternative allows oil and gas leasing 
throughout the planning area, but limits surface disturbance on BLM 
lands above the rim. Wilderness characteristics would be managed for 
protection in this alternative, and all eligible river segments in the 
planning area would be determined to be suitable for designation as 
Wild and Scenic Rivers. Alternative III also analyzes two proposed sub-
alternatives for target shooting restrictions in an open Off-Highway 
Vehicle area. Alternative IV is the BLM's Proposed Alternative and is 
based on the terms of the 2014 Settlement Agreement. This alternative 
would allow for leasing at the base of the plateau (11,170 acres) and 
within several retained lease areas on the top of the plateau (1,830 
acres). Other resource management decisions in this alternative would 
be similar to Alternative II.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS may be 
found in the ``Dear Reader'' Letter of the Roan Plateau Proposed RMP 
Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. All protests 
must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth 
in the ADDRESSES section above. Emailed protests will not be accepted 
as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides the 
original letter by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the 
close of the protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM will 
consider the emailed protest as an advance copy, and it will receive 
full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct emails to [email protected].
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your 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.

Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-15527 Filed 6-30-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 127 / Friday, July 1, 2016 / Notices 43225

II. Data Please note that the comments EIS are also available for public
OMB Control Number: 1028–0107. submitted in response to this notice are inspection at the Colorado River Valley
Form Number: NA. a matter of public record. Before Field Office, 2300 River Frontage Road,
Title: Economic Contribution of including your personal mailing Silt, CO 81652. Interested persons may
Federal Investments in Restoration of address, phone number, email address, also review the Proposed RMP
Degraded, Damaged, or Destroyed or other personally identifiable Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS on
Ecosystems. information in your comment, you the Internet at www.blm.gov/co/st/en/
Type of Request: Renewal of existing should be aware that your entire BLM_Programs/land_use_planning/
information collection. comment, including your personally rmp/roan_plateau.html.
Affected Public: DOI restoration identifiable information, may be made All protests must be in writing and
project managers and contractors publicly available at any time. While mailed to one of the following
working on selected case study you can ask us in your comment to addresses:
restoration projects. withhold your personally identifiable Regular Mail: BLM Director (210),
Respondent’s Obligation: None. information from public view, we Attention: Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box
Participation is voluntary. cannot guarantee that we will be able to 71383, Washington, DC 20024–1383.
Frequency of Collection: One time do so. Overnight Delivery: BLM Director
only. (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, 20
Estimated Total Number of Annual William Lellis, M Street SE., Room 2134LM,
Responses: We expect to do up to 10 Acting Associate Director, Ecosystems. Washington, DC 20003.
case studies per year. This will result in [FR Doc. 2016–15657 Filed 6–30–16; 8:45 am] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg
approximately 10 responses by project BILLING CODE 4338–11–P Larson, Project Manager; telephone
managers and approximately 30 (970) 876–9048; see Colorado River
responses by contractors, for a total of Valley Field Office address above; email
40 responses per year. Most of the DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR glarson@blm.gov. Persons who use a
project managers are expected to be telecommunications device for the deaf
Federal employees. Bureau of Land Management
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Estimated Time per Response: [LLCON04000 L16100000.DT0000–16X] Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
Restoration project managers will to contact the above individual during
complete a project summary survey and Notice of Availability of the Proposed normal business hours. The FIRS is
an expenditure survey, and will work Resource Management Plan available 24 hours a day, seven days a
with the USGS to coordinate contact Amendment and Final Supplemental week, to leave a message or question
with project contractors. It is expected Environmental Impact Statement for with the above individual. You will
that it will take project managers up to the Roan Plateau Planning Area, receive a reply during normal business
4 hours to complete this activity. Project Colorado hours.
contractors will complete an
expenditure survey. It is expected that AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM
it will take contractors no more than 1 Interior. prepared the Roan Plateau Proposed
hour to complete this activity. ACTION: Notice of availability. RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental
Estimated Annual Burden Hours: EIS to evaluate a range of management
SUMMARY: In accordance with the decisions for resources, resource uses,
Total estimated annual burden for this National Environmental Policy Act
collection is no more than 70 hours per and special designations in the planning
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the area. The Proposed RMP/Final
year. Federal Land Policy and Management
Estimated Reporting and Supplemental EIS also responds to a
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of June 22, 2012, ruling by the United
Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’
Land Management (BLM) has prepared States District Court for the District of
Burden: There are no ‘‘non-hour cost’’
a Proposed Resource Management Plan Colorado remanding the 2007 Roan
burdens associated with this IC.
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (RMP) Amendment and Final Plateau Record of Decision. The Court
(44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an Supplemental Environmental Impact set aside the 2007 Roan Plateau RMP
agency may not conduct or sponsor and Statement (EIS) for the Roan Plateau Amendment and remanded the matter
you are not required to respond to a planning area and by this notice to the BLM for further action in
collection of information unless it announces its availability. accordance with the Court’s decision. In
displays a currently valid OMB control DATES: BLM planning regulations state particular, the Court found that the
number and current expiration date. that any person who meets the Final EIS was deficient insofar as it
conditions identified in the regulations failed to adequately address the: (i)
III. Request for Comments may protest the BLM’s Proposed RMP ‘‘Community Alternative’’ that various
We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS. A local governments, environmental
Whether the proposed collection of person who meets the conditions and organizations and individual members
information is necessary for the agency files a protest must file the protest of the public recommended during the
to perform its duties, including whether within 30 days of the date that the planning process leading up to the 2007
the information is useful; (b) the Environmental Protection Agency plan amendment; (ii) Cumulative air-
accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the publishes its Notice of Availability in quality impacts of the RMP Amendment
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

burden of the proposed collection of the Federal Register. decision in conjunction with
information; (c) ways to enhance the ADDRESSES: Copies of the Roan Plateau anticipated oil and gas development on
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final private lands outside the Roan Plateau
information to be collected; and (d) how Supplemental EIS have been sent to planning area; and (iii) Issue of potential
to minimize the burden on the affected Federal, State and local ozone impacts from proposed oil and
respondents, including the use of government agencies and to other gas development. Based on the Court’s
automated collection techniques or stakeholders. Copies of the Proposed ruling and new information available
other forms of information technology. RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental since the BLM developed the Final EIS,

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Document Created: 2016-07-14 11:37:16
Document Modified: 2016-07-14 11:37:16

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of availability.
Dates		BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the conditions identified in the regulations may protest the BLM's Proposed RMP Amendment/Final Supplemental EIS. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
Contact		Greg Larson, Project Manager; telephone (970) 876-9048; see Colorado River Valley Field Office
FR Citation		81 FR 43225

81 FR 43225 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Roan Plateau Planning Area, Colorado

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 127 (July 1, 2016)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management