82 FR 24387 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve Monument Management Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement, Idaho

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 101 (May 26, 2017)

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed Monument Management Plan Amendment (Plan Amendment) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve and by this notice is announcing its availability.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 101 (Friday, May 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24387-24389]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10779]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[17XL.LLIDT03100.L17110000.DQ0000.241A00; 4500104491]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Craters of the Moon 
National Monument and Preserve Monument Management Plan Amendment and 
Final Environmental Impact Statement, Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Proposed Monument Management Plan Amendment (Plan Amendment) 
and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Craters of the 
Moon National Monument and Preserve and by this notice is announcing 
its availability.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's 
Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS. A person who meets the conditions 
and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days after the date 
that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of 
availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS have been 
sent to affected Federal, State, and local government agencies and to 
other stakeholders, including the Shoshone-Bannock and Shoshone-Paiute 
Tribes. Copies of the Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS are available 
for public review at the Shoshone BLM Field Office, 400 West F St., 
Shoshone, Idaho, 83352. Interested persons may also review the Proposed 
Plan Amendment/Final EIS online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/idaho/craters-of-moon. All 
protests must be in

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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: Lisa Cresswell, Planning Team Lead, 
telephone (208)732-7200; address 400 West F St., Shoshone, Idaho 83352; 
email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 to contact Ms. Cresswell. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 
7 days a week, to leave a message or question with Ms. Cresswell. You 
will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM prepared the Craters of the Moon 
National Monument and Preserve (hereafter, Monument) Proposed Plan 
Amendment/Final EIS in consultation with cooperating agencies, and in 
accordance with NEPA, FLPMA, implementing regulations, the BLM's Land 
Use Planning Handbook (H-1601-1), the BLM National Environmental Policy 
Act Handbook (H-1790-1), and other applicable law and policy, including 
IM No. 2016-105 Land Use Planning and National Environmental Policy Act 
Compliance within Greater Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management 
Plans and Plan Amendments Decision Area.
    The planning area comprises approximately 753,200 acres of land, 
which includes 275,100 acres managed by the BLM's Shoshone, Burley, and 
Upper Snake Field Offices. Based on this analysis, the Monument 
Management Plan (Plan) will be amended to guide livestock grazing 
management on BLM-administered public lands within the Monument into 
the future. Created in 1924 by Presidential Proclamation 1694, and 
expanded in 2000 by Presidential Proclamation 7373, the Monument is 
part of the BLM's National Conservation Lands and is one of two BLM 
National Monuments that are jointly managed with the National Park 
Service.
    The BLM has completed the Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS to 
determine the appropriate management for livestock grazing on public 
lands within the Monument. The Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS 
analyzes grazing management options for the BLM-managed portions of the 
Monument, identifying lands available for livestock grazing and the 
number of authorized Animal Unit Months (AUMs).
    The Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS updates the 2007 Plan's 
grazing management direction to ensure consistency with current laws, 
regulations, and policies. More specifically, the Proposed Plan 
Amendment/Final EIS evaluates a range of livestock grazing management 
options while maintaining the Monument values listed in Proclamation 
7373. In addition, the Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS addresses a 
deficiency identified by the U.S. District Court for the District of 
Idaho. In 2011, the court found that the BLM erred when adopting the 
2007 Plan. First, the court found that the BLM failed to adequately 
address the most recent science and agency policies relevant to the 
conservation of Greater sage-grouse. The BLM remedied this defect by 
issuing the 2015 Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management Plan 
Amendment (2015 GRSG ARMPA), which amended the 2007 Plan. Second, the 
court found that the BLM failed to analyze a range of reasonable 
alternatives with respect to livestock grazing within the Monument. The 
BLM is addressing this second error by preparing the Proposed Plan 
Amendment and Final EIS.
    The Final EIS includes five alternatives that provide a range of 
livestock grazing availability and Greater sage-grouse protections. 
Alternative C is the BLM's Proposed Plan.
    Alternative A is the No Action Alternative, which would continue 
the management established in the 2007 Plan. Under this Alternative, 
273,900 acres with the capacity for 38,187 AUMs would be available for 
livestock grazing.
    Alternative B would reduce permitted AUMs by 75 percent and close 
five areas to grazing: Little Park kipuka (an island of older land 
surrounded by lava flows), the North Pasture of Laidlaw Park Allotment, 
Larkspur Park kipuka, the North Pasture of Bowl Crater Allotment, and 
Park Field kipuka. This alternative would adjust two allotment 
boundaries and make 21,000 acres unavailable for livestock grazing for 
the protection of Greater sage-grouse and other Monument values.
    Alternative C, the Proposed Plan, would make 273,600 acres 
available for livestock grazing and adjust two allotment boundaries, 
which would set the maximum number of permitted AUMs at 37,792. Where 
appropriate, livestock grazing would be used as a tool to improve and/
or conserve wildlife habitats. Guidelines for livestock grazing 
management would be set based on vegetation and wildlife habitat 
conditions and needs.
    Alternative D would eliminate livestock grazing from BLM-
administered lands within the Monument boundary and adjust two 
allotment boundaries. All livestock-related developments would be 
removed. Some fences may be required to exclude livestock from the 
Monument under this alternative.
    Alternative E would reduce permitted AUMs by approximately 50 
percent and close Larkspur Park kipuka to grazing. This alternative 
would adjust two allotment boundaries and make 272,800 acres available 
for grazing, which would set the maximum number of permitted AUMs at 
19,338. No net gain in livestock-related infrastructure would be 
allowed.
    The land use planning process was initiated on June 28, 2013, 
through a Notice of Intent published in the Federal Register, notifying 
the public of a formal scoping period and soliciting public 
participation. The BLM conducted four scoping meetings in July 2013 in 
the towns of Arco, Carey, Rupert, and American Falls, Idaho. During the 
scoping period, the public provided the BLM with input on relevant 
issues to consider in the planning process. Based on this public input 
and the agency's goals and objectives, the BLM was able to formulate 
the five alternatives for consideration and analysis in the Draft EIS. 
Because Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) nominations were 
previously analyzed in the 2007 EIS, no new ACEC nominations were 
solicited during scoping.
    Comments on the Draft Plan Amendment/Draft EIS received from the 
public and during internal BLM review were considered and incorporated 
as appropriate into the Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS. Public 
comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but did not 
significantly change proposed land use plan decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the BLM Director regarding 
the Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS may be found in the ``Dear 
Reader'' Letter of the Craters of the Moon National Monument and 
Preserve Proposed Plan Amendment/Final 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

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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 after the original letter is received. If you wish 
to provide the BLM with such advance notification, please direct emails 
to [email protected].
    Before including your phone number, email address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest 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, 43 CFR 
1610.5.

Timothy M. Murphy,
BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2017-10779 Filed 5-25-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P