Draft Amendment and Environmental Assessment to Lower Gila North and Lower Gila South Planning Documents, Phoenix District, Arizona

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[AZ-026-5-1610-00]

Draft Amendment and Environmental Assessment to Lower Gila North

and Lower Gila South Planning Documents, Phoenix District, Arizona

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Lower Gila Resource Area, Phoenix District, has prepared a

draft amendment and environmental assessment to its Lower Gila North

Management Framework Plan and Lower Gila South Resource Management Plan

for public review and comment. This is in compliance with sections 202

and 210 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 CFR 1600) and

the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 1500).

The amendment/environmental assessment proposes to resolve issues

concerning land tenure adjustment, desert tortoise habitat management,

desert bighorn sheep augmentation and reestablishment, wild horse and

burro management, recreation management, and oil and gas development.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed actions include:

Land Tenure Adjustment

Identifying approximately 45,260 acres of public land for

disposal.

Identifying five management areas in which private lands

with public and resource values may be acquired on a willing seller-

willing buyer basis.

Desert Tortoise Habitat Management

Managing habitat to assure that populations of the desert

tortoise do not become threatened or endangered through Bureau of Land

Management actions.

Addressing at the activity planning level specific and

quantifiable objectives for categorized habitat.

Addressing in environmental decision documents mitigation

measures to offset loss of category I and II tortoise habitats.

Granting new land use authorizations in category I and II

habitats only if no reasonable alternative exists, and evaluating

mitigation, including compensation, to meet the no net loss goal.

Prohibiting new off-highway vehicle competitive courses in

category I and II habitats, and evaluating proposals for new off-

highway vehicle competitive courses in category III habitat and

mitigating the impacts.

Considering the forage needs of desert tortoise in

relation to livestock use and determining and prioritizing efforts to

resolve conflicts.

Allowing only those range improvements for livestock that

will not conflict with category I and II habitats or populations.

Allowing only those desert bighorn sheep augmentations and

reestablishments that do not create conflicts with desert tortoise

habitat or populations.

Restricting sales of ornamental boulders to areas that

will result in no net loss of habitat.

Desert Bighorn Sheep Augmentation and Reestablishment

Considering augmentations and reestablishments of desert

bighorn sheep on a case-by-case basis with the appropriate National

Environmental Policy Act consideration of conflicts and requirement for

public participation.

Wild Horse and Burro Management

Managing the Alamo Herd Management Area, Harquahala and

Painted Rock herd areas, and the Little Harquahala herd area in the

Yuma Resource Area, as self-sustaining populations which contain the

optimum number of wild burros in a thriving natural ecological balance

with other ecosystem components.

Recreation Management

Designating all public lands described in the Lower Gila

North and South planning documents as ``limited'', which will limit

off-highway vehicle use to existing and/or designated roads, trails,

and traditional or historically used vehicle routes (wildernesses will

remain closed); this includes those lands transferred to the Phoenix,

Havasu, and Yuma Resource Areas.

Changing the off-highway vehicle designation in the Vekol

Valley Grassland Area of Critical Environmental Concern and the

Coffeepot Botanical Area of Critical Environmental Concern from

``closed'' to ``limited to designated routes only''.

Planning and developing off-highway vehicle management

plans.

Permitting ultralight and hang glider launches and

landings in designated areas.

Establishing long-term, extended, and short-term camping

areas, and maintaining the existing 14-day camping stay limit for lands

outside of established camping areas and wildernesses.

Planning and developing special use areas (rockhounding,

climbing, shooting, etc.) through interdisciplinary planning.

Establishing and planning the Vulture Mountains, Gila

Trail, Saddle Mountain, and Ajo Special Recreation Management Areas,

and revising plans for two special recreation management areas on the

Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range; and developing in these areas and

the remaining extensive management area, where appropriate, the

activities mentioned above plus activities such as hiking, horseback

riding, mountain biking, and scenic, cultural, and wildlife viewing.

Oil and Gas Development

Permitting an estimated twenty oil and gas leases and the

drilling of up to ten wells subject to the standard lease and special

stipulations to mitigate resource impacts.

DATES: The sixty day comment period ends January 23, 1995. Comments

received after this date may be considered but will not be included in

the comments reproduced in the final document.

During this comment period in December and January, open houses

will be held in Wickenburg, Phoenix, Buckeye, Gila Bend, Ajo, and

Tucson. Dates and locations will be announced through the media and in

direct mailing to our mailing list. Open houses or meetings in other

places will be held as requested.

ADDRESSES: A limited number of draft amendments are available from the

Lower Gila Resource Area, 2015 West Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, Arizona,

85027.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Laver, Team Leader, at (602)

780-8090.

Dated: November 4, 1994.

David J. Miller,

Associate District Manager.

[FR Doc. 94-27949 Filed 11-10-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-32-P