83 FR 22099 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Blue Valley Land Exchange, Grand and Summit Counties, Colorado

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 92 (May 11, 2018)

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Blue Valley Land Exchange and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 92 (Friday, May 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22099-22100]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10061]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCON02000.L51010000.PN0000.LVRWC16C8700.16X]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Blue Valley Land Exchange, Grand and Summit 
Counties, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Blue Valley Land 
Exchange and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment 
period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Blue Valley Land Exchange Draft EIS within 45 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM is hosting 
two public open house meetings to provide information, answer 
questions, and accept written comments about this proposal in 
Silverthorne June 4, 4-7 p.m., at the Summit County Library, 651 Center 
Circle, and June 6, 4-7 p.m., in Kremmling, at the Grand County 
Fairgrounds Extension Office, 210 11th St.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Blue Valley Land 
Exchange by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://go.usa.gov/xnBJ5.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 970-724-3066.
     Mail: Kremmling Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 
P.O. Box 68, Kremmling, CO 80549.
    Copies of the Blue Valley Land Exchange Draft EIS are available in 
the Kremmling Field Office at 2103 Park Avenue, Kremmling, CO 80459, 
and online at https://go.usa.gov/xnBJ5.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Annie Sperandio, Blue Valley Land 
Exchange Project Manager; telephone 970-724-3000; address Kremmling 
Field Office (see above); 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 the above individual during 
normal business hours. The FRS 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 BLM proposes to exchange certain Federal 
lands for properties owned by Galloway, Inc., the owners of the Blue 
Valley Ranch. The land exchange proposal would convey approximately 
1,489 acres of Federal lands managed by the BLM in Grand County, 
Colorado, to Blue Valley Ranch in exchange for approximately 1,830 
acres of non-Federal lands in Summit and Grand Counties, Colorado. 
Pursuant to Section 206 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the proposed land exchange must be determined to 
be in the public's interest, and appraisals of the Federal and non-
Federal parcels must show that the exchange parcels are equal in value. 
The Federal and non-Federal lands are located within the BLM's 
Kremmling Field Office and the White River National Forest.
    The Draft EIS describes and analyzes the Proposed Action (BLM's 
preferred alternative), as well as the No Action alternative. The BLM's 
preferred alternative would convey approximately 1,489 acres of Federal 
lands managed by the BLM in Grand County, Colorado, to Blue Valley 
Ranch in exchange for approximately 1,830 acres of non-Federal lands in 
Summit and Grand Counties, Colorado. If the BLM moves forward with the 
exchange, this project would support the goals of Secretarial Orders 
3347, 3356 and 3362 by increasing access for recreation and hunting, 
and increasing big game winter range on public lands.
    Issues identified by the public during scoping included changes to 
public fishing access, perceived changes to float boating on the Blue 
River, concerns about changes to public access for hunting, changes to 
wildlife management and habitat, changes to the availability of Federal 
minerals for development, transfer of historic water rights and issues 
common for all proposed land exchanges such as concerns about large 
landowners realizing a benefit from the exchange. These issues are 
addressed in the analysis of the Draft EIS. The BLM would manage lands 
acquired through the land exchange in accordance with applicable laws 
and regulations, as well as the Kremmling Field Office Resource 
Management Plan, as amended. The White River National Forest would 
manage approximately 300 acres of lands acquired under the White River 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The Blue Valley 
Ranch would manage lands acquired in accordance with applicable State, 
county, and local laws and ordinances.
    The BLM sought public participation through a scoping period that 
occurred before the preparation of the Draft EIS, which assisted the 
BLM in identifying issues to be addressed in the Draft EIS for the 
proposed land exchange.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted during 
the Draft EIS comment period, 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 on 
holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other

[[Page 22100]]

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.

Gregory P. Shoop,
Acting BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-10061 Filed 5-10-18; 8:45 am]
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