Proposed Amendment to the Northern Malheur Management Framework Plan

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[OR-030-04-4410-01: G4-107; 0-00151]

Proposed Amendment to the Northern Malheur Management Framework

Plan

AGENCY: Vale District, Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: A proposed land use plan amendment to the Northern Malheur

Management Framework Plan (MFP) has been completed. The proposed

amendment concerns issues within the Leslie Gulch Area of Critical

Environmental Concern (ACEC). The issues are related to inholding

acquisition, livestock grazing, road closure, plant and mineral

collection, wild and domestic horses, camping, and rock climbing as

they pertain to management of the relevant and important values of the

ACEC.

The 11,653 acre Leslie Gulch ACEC is located 50 miles south of

Ontario, Oregon and adjoins the east side of the Owyhee Reservoir

DATES: The proposed MFP amendment is available for a thirty (30) day

protest period. Protests must be submitted on or before May 16, 1994.

There is no provision for any extension of time. To be considered

``timely'', protests must be postmarked no later than the last day of

the protest period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ralph Heft, Malheur Resource Area Manager, Bureau of Land Management,

Vale District, 100 Oregon street, Vale, OR 97918, (Telephone 503 473-

3144).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 30, 1994, the Vale District

began a forty five (45) day public comment period on the Environmental

Assessment for the Leslie Gulch Area of Critical Environmental Concern

(ACEC) Draft Amendment of the Northern Malheur Management Framework

Plan and Draft ACEC Management Plan. The comment period was advertised

with publication of a Notice of Availability in both the Federal

Register and a local newspaper. In answer to a request from the public,

the comment period was extended fifteen (15) days. The public comment

period and the extension ended on March 3, 1994, with the receipt of

written comments from eighty six (86) individuals, fifteen (15)

organizations and five (5) government agencies.

Under the proposed decision, the BLM will: (1) Acquire the 40 acre

private parcel in the ACEC from a willing seller, (2) close most of the

ACEC to livestock grazing, (3) remove the ACEC from the Three Fingers

wild horse Herd Management Area, (4) close the ACEC to recreational

domestic livestock, (5) close 0.8 mile of the Dago Gulch road for

general vehicle traffic, (6) close the ACEC to vegetation and mineral

gathering, (7) close the ACEC to the installation of rock climbing

bolts, (8) restrict the ACEC to day use only, (9) correct the acreage

calculated for the ACEC.

In addition to publishing this Notice of Availability in the

Federal Register, the Vale District has: (1) Mailed copies of the

proposed decision to all parties on the MFP amendment mailing list, (2)

provided the Office of the Governor of the State of Oregon with a copy

of the environmental analysis and proposed decision, and (3) published

a similar notice of availability in a local newspaper.

Ralph Heft,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 94-9095 Filed 4-14-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-33-M