83 FR 63529 - Notice of Availability of the Idaho Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 236 (December 10, 2018)

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Idaho Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation for the Idaho Greater Sage-Grouse Sub-Region. By this notice, the BLM is announcing its availability and the opening of a protest period concerning the Proposed RMP Amendment.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 236 (Monday, December 10, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63529-63531]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26702]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWO200000.18X L11100000.PH0000.LXSCPL000000]


Notice of Availability of the Idaho Proposed Resource Management 
Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement

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 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared the Idaho Proposed Resource

[[Page 63530]]

Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation for the Idaho 
Greater Sage-Grouse Sub-Region. By this notice, the BLM is announcing 
its availability and the opening of a protest period concerning the 
Proposed RMP Amendment.

DATES: The BLM's planning regulations state that any person who meets 
the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's 
Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS. A person who meets the conditions 
outlined in 43 CFR 1610.5-2 and wishes to file a protest must do so 
within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. A protest 
regarding the Proposed RMP Amendment announced with this notice must be 
filed by January 9, 2019.

ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS is available on the 
BLM ePlanning project website at https://go.usa.gov/xPc3a. Click the 
Documents and Report link on the left side of the screen to find the 
electronic version of these materials. Hard copies of the Proposed RMP 
Amendment and Final EIS are available for public inspection at the 
Boise, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls District Offices.
    All protests must be in writing (43 CFR 1610.5-2(a)(1)) and filed 
with the BLM Director, either as a hard copy or electronically via the 
BLM's ePlanning project website listed previously. To submit a protest 
electronically, go to the ePlanning project website and follow the 
protest instructions highlighted at the top of the home page.
    If submitting a protest in hard copy, it must be mailed to one of 
the following addresses:
    U.S. Postal Service Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest 
Coordinator, WO-210, P.O Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383
    Overnight Delivery: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest 
Coordinator, WO-210, 20 M Street SE, Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Beck, Greater Sage-Grouse 
Implementation Coordinator, telephone, (208) 373-3841; address, 1387 
South Vinnell Way, Boise Idaho 83709; email, [email protected]. Persons 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at (800) 877-8339 to contact Mr. Beck. The 
FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or 
question with Mr. Beck. You will receive a reply during normal business 
hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM prepared the Idaho Greater 
SageGrouse Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS to enhance cooperation 
with the States by improving alignment with state management plans and 
strategies for Greater Sage-Grouse, while continuing to conserve, 
enhance, and restore Greater Sage-Grouse and its habitat. The Proposed 
RMP Amendment and Final EIS also addresses the issues remanded to the 
agency by a March 31, 2017 Order by the United States District Court 
for the District of Nevada, which determined that the BLM had violated 
the NEPA when it finalized the 2015 Nevada plan.
    The BLM developed the proposed land use plan amendment in 
collaboration with Idaho Governor Butch Otter, state wildlife managers, 
and other concerned organizations and individuals, largely through the 
Western Governors Association's Sage-Grouse Task Force. Using its 
discretion and authority under the FLPMA, the BLM proposes amending 
land use plans that address Greater Sage-Grouse management to improve 
alignment with State of Idaho plans and management strategies, in 
accordance with the BLM's multiple use and sustained yield mission.
    This Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS is one of six separate 
planning efforts that are being undertaken in response to the 
Secretary's Order (SO) 3353 (Greater Sage-grouse Conservation and 
Cooperation with Western States) and in accordance with SO 3349 
(American Energy Independence). The proposed plans refine the previous 
management plan adopted in 2015 and aims to strike a regulatory balance 
and build greater trust among neighboring interests in Western 
communities. The Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS proposes to amend 
the resource management plans for field offices on BLM-administered 
lands within Idaho. The current management decisions for resources are 
described in the following RMPs:
     Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills Management Framework Plan 
(MFP) (BLM 1980)
     Big Desert MFP (BLM 1981)
     Big Lost MFP (BLM 1983)
     Bruneau MFP (BLM 1983)
     Cascade RMP (BLM 1988)
     Cassia RMP (BLM 1985)
     Challis RMP (BLM 1999)
     Craters of the Moon National Monument RMP (BLM 2006)
     Jarbidge RMP (BLM 1988)
     Jarbidge RMP (Revised) (BLM 2015)
     Kuna MFP (BLM 1983)
     Lemhi RMP (BLM 1987)
     Little Lost-Birch Creek MFP (BLM 1981)
     Magic MFP (BLM 1975)
     Medicine Lodge MFP (BLM 1981)
     Monument RMP (BLM 1985)
     Owyhee RMP (BLM 1999)
     Pocatello RMP (BLM 2012)
     Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area RMP 
(BLM 2008)
     Sun Valley MFP (BLM 1981)
     Twin Falls MFP (BLM 1982)
    The Idaho planning area includes approximately 39.5 million acres 
of BLM, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of 
Reclamation, State, local, and private lands in 28 counties: Ada, 
Adams, Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Butte, Camas, Caribou, 
Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Jefferson, 
Jerome, Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, 
Power, Twin Falls, and Washington. Within the planning area, the BLM 
administers 11,470,301 acres of public land, providing 8,809,326 acres 
of Greater Sage-Grouse habitat. Surface management decisions resulting 
from this Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS will apply only to BLM-
administered lands in the planning area.
    The formal public scoping process for the RMP Amendment/EIS began 
on October 11, 2017, with publication of a Notice of Intent in the 
Federal Register (82 FR 47248). The scoping period ended on December 1, 
2017. The BLM in Idaho held three public scoping meetings:
--Twin Falls, Idaho; November 2, 2017
--Idaho Falls, Idaho; November 6, 2017
--Marsing, Idaho; November 7, 2017
    The Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS published in the 
Federal Register (83 FR 19801) on May 4, 2018, and the BLM accepted 
public comments on the range of alternatives, effects analysis and 
draft RMP amendments for 90 days, ending on August 2, 2018. During the 
public comment period, the BLM held three additional public meetings:
--Marsing, Idaho; June 21, 2018
--Twin Falls, Idaho; June 26, 2018
--Idaho Falls, Idaho; June 28, 2018
    The Idaho Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS focused on the issues of 
the designation of sagebrush focal areas, mitigation standards, lek 
buffers, disturbance and density caps, and adjustments to habitat 
boundaries to reflect new information. The Draft RMP Amendment/Draft 
EIS evaluated two alternatives in detail: The No Action Alternative 
(Alternative A) and an action alternative (Management Alignment 
Alternative). Comments on the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS received 
from the public and internal

[[Page 63531]]

BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the 
proposed plan amendment. Alternative A would retain the current 
management goals, objectives, and direction specified in the current 
RMPs, as amended, for each field office. The BLM identified the 
Management Alignment Alternative as the Preferred Alternative. 
Identification of this alternative, however, does not represent final 
agency direction. Instructions for filing a protest with the Director 
of the BLM regarding the Proposed RMP Amendment and Final EIS may be 
found online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest 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 or submitted electronically 
through the BLM ePlanning project website as described above. Protests 
submitted electronically by any means other than the ePlanning project 
website protest section will be invalid unless a protest is also 
submitted in hard copy. Protests submitted by fax will also be invalid 
unless also submitted either through ePlanning project website protest 
section or in hard copy.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your protest, please 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 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, 43 CFR 
1610.5

Peter J. Ditton,
Acting BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-26702 Filed 12-7-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P