83 FR 31565 - Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the Colorado River Valley Field Office, Colorado, and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 130 (July 6, 2018)

In compliance 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) Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO), Silt, Colorado, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) to develop the Sutey Ranch and Haines Management Plan and by this Notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 130 (Friday, July 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31565-31566]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14442]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCON04000 L71220000.DF0000 LVTFCX700190 17X]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the 
Colorado River Valley Field Office, Colorado, and Prepare an Associated 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance 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) 
Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO), Silt, Colorado, intends to 
prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated 
Environmental Assessment (EA) to develop the Sutey Ranch and Haines 
Management Plan and by this Notice is announcing the beginning of the 
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This Notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP 
Amendment with an associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until August 6, 2018. The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through 
local news media, newspapers and the BLM website at: https://go.usa.gov/xnvM5. In order to be included in the analysis, all comments 
must be received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will 
provide additional opportunities for public participation as 
appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to Sutey Ranch Management Plan by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://go.usa.gov/xnvM5.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (970) 876-9090.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Colorado River Valley 
Field Office, 2300 River Frontage Road, Silt, CO 81652.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Colorado River Valley Field Office at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Hopkins, Assistant Field 
Manager, telephone (970) 876-9003; address 2300 River Frontage, Silt, 
CO 81652; email [email protected]. Contact Brian Hopkins 
to have your name added to our mailing list. 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, 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: This document provides notice that the 
CRVFO, Silt, Colorado, intends to prepare an RMP Amendment with an 
associated EA for the future management of the recently acquired Sutey 
Ranch and Haines parcels. This Notice announces the beginning of the 
scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and planning 
criteria. The planning area encompasses approximately 669 acres of 
public land, including the 557-acre Sutey Ranch located in Garfield 
County, Colorado, and the 112-acre Haines parcel located along Prince 
Creek in Pitkin County, Colorado. The purpose of the public scoping 
process is to determine relevant issues that will influence the scope 
of the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and guide the 
planning process. The following preliminary

[[Page 31566]]

issues for the RMP amendment identified by BLM personnel, Federal, 
State and local agencies, and other stakeholders include: Recreational 
use, big game winter range, grazing, cultural resources and water 
rights. Preliminary planning criteria include: (1) The BLM will 
continue to manage the public lands within the CRVFO in accordance with 
FLPMA, and other applicable laws and regulations including all existing 
public land laws; (2) the BLM will complete the RMP Amendment using an 
interdisciplinary approach to identify alternatives and analyze 
resource impacts, including cumulative impacts to natural and cultural 
resources, and the social and economic environment; and (3) the RMP 
Amendment process will follow the FLPMA planning process and the BLM 
will develop an EA with appropriate environmental analysis of the 
alternatives, consistent with NEPA.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the 
BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. 
Comments must be submitted by the close of the 30-day scoping period or 
within 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
    The BLM will use the NEPA public participation requirements to 
assist the agency in satisfying the public involvement requirements 
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 
U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about 
historic and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by 
the proposed action will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating 
impacts to such resources in the context of both NEPA and Section 106 
of the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian Tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State and local agencies, along with Tribes and 
other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate 
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by 
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis 
as a cooperating agency. 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. The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be 
addressed in the plan, and will place them into one of three 
categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP Amendment/
Preliminary EA as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. 
The public is also encouraged to help identify any management questions 
and concerns that should be addressed in the plan. The BLM will work 
collaboratively with interested parties to identify the management 
decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs 
and concerns.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the following 
disciplines will be involved in the planning process: Rangeland 
management, minerals and geology, fuels, outdoor recreation, 
archaeology, paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, 
hydrology, soils, botany and ecology.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2

Andy Tenney,
Acting BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-14442 Filed 7-5-18; 8:45 am]
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