Notice of Availability of the Challis Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[ID-040-4610-00]

Notice of Availability of the Challis Draft Resource Management

Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of proposed ACEC designations.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976, section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969, and BLM Planning Regulations (43 CFR part 1600),

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Upper Columbia--Salmon Clearwater

Districts has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental

Impact Statement (Draft RMP/EIS) for the Challis Resource Area. The

Challis Draft RMP/EIS has been published and is available for review

and comment by requesting a copy from the address indicated in the

``Addresses'' section below. In compliance with 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b),

this notice of availability of the Challis Draft RMP/EIS also

constitutes notice of ACEC designations proposed in the Challis Draft

RMP/EIS. More detailed information about the existing and proposed

ACECs described in the Challis Draft RMP/EIS is provided in the

``Supplementary Information'' section of this notice.

The Challis Draft RMP/EIS describes and analyzes five alternative

ways of managing approximately 792,657 acres of BLM public lands in the

Challis Resource Area, located in Custer and Lemhi counties of east-

central Idaho. When implemented, the Challis RMP would replace the

three Management Framework Plans currently used by the Challis Resource

Area. The Challis RMP may also amend the Little Lost-Birch Creek

Management Framework Plan (BLM 1981), if Alternatives 2, 4, or 5 are

selected and the Donkey Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern

(ACEC) is designated to include 4,714 acres within the Big Butte

Resource Area, managed by the Idaho Falls District--BLM in Butte

County, Idaho.

DATES: Written comments on the Challis Draft RMP/EIS must be submitted

or postmarked no later than November 21, 1996. Meetings will be held to

receive public comments on the Challis Draft RMP/EIS. The dates and

locations of public meetings will be announced through the local media

and a mailing list, as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Challis Draft RMP/EIS may be obtained upon

request by contacting the Bureau of Land Management, Salmon Field

Office, Route 2, Box 610, Salmon, Idaho 83467; phone (208) 756-5400.

Written comments on the Challis Draft RMP/EIS should be sent to Kathe

Rhodes, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of Land

Management, Salmon Field Office, Route 2, Box 610, Salmon, Idaho 83467.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathe Rhodes, Planning and

Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Salmon Field

Office, Route 2, Box 610, Salmon, Idaho 83467; phone (208) 756-5440.

Documents relevant to the Challis Draft RMP/EIS planning process are

available at the above address for public viewing during normal office

hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Challis Draft RMP/EIS describes and

analyzes five alternative land use plans to address the planning issues

identified through public involvement and BLM input. Each alternative

proposes resource condition objectives, land use allocations, and

management actions and direction to guide resource management of the

Challis Resource Area on a long term, sustainable basis during the next

15 to 20 years. Alternative 1, the ``no action'' alternative, describes

resource management of the Challis Resource Area as of approximately

1991, when the planning process was initiated. The four ``action''

alternatives (Alternatives 2, 3, 4, and 5) differ in how much they

emphasize three aspects of resource management: (a) the protection,

restoration, and enhancement of natural values (e.g., visual quality),

(b) traditional commodity production (e.g., timber harvest, livestock

grazing, mineral production), and (c) non-commodity resource uses

(e.g., recreation).

Four issues and related management concerns were identified during

the scoping process for the Challis Draft RMP:

[[Page 40432]]

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Related management

Issue concern(s)

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Range Management.......................... Livestock Grazing, Wild

Horse and Burro Management,

Wildlife Habitat

Management, Noxious Weed

Infestation, Vegetation

Treatment Projects, Upland

Watershed, Fire Management.

Water Related Resource Management......... Riparian Areas, Floodplain/

Wetland Areas, Water

Quality, Minimum

Streamflow, Fisheries.

Land Tenure and Access.................... Land Tenure.

Special Management Areas.................. Wild and Scenic Rivers,

Areas of Critical

Environmental Concern,

Management of Wilderness

Study Areas if Released

from Wilderness Review.

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In order to provide complete disclosure and analysis of resource

uses in the Challis Resource Area, the Challis Draft RMP/EIS also

discusses the following management concerns identified during the

scoping process: Forested Areas; Special Status Species Management;

Managing for Biological Diversity; Oil, Gas, Geothermal, Locatable, and

Saleable Minerals; Visual Quality Management; Recreation Opportunities

and Visitor Use; Off-highway Vehicle Use; Cultural Resource Management;

Paleontological Resource Management; Tribal Treaty Rights;

Transportation; Hazardous Materials Management; Air Quality.

The four ``action'' alternatives for the Challis RMP propose and

analyze the designation of additional Areas of Critical Environmental

Concern (ACECs). Under existing management, eight ACECs totaling 14,069

acres are designated in the Challis Resource Area to highlight various

values and resources for management and protection, including unique

plant communities, petrified trees, fragile soils, and a bighorn sheep

population. These existing ACECs include 5,997 acres of Research

Natural Areas designated for study of natural, pristine, or unique

characteristics. Depending on the alternative, future proposed ACEC

designations would include the following: (a) expansion of one existing

ACEC by approximately 269 acres; and (b) designation of six to eight

additional ACECs totaling from 48,889 acres up to 129,354 acres. The

proposed ACECs would highlight values and resources including unique

plant communities, an additional bighorn sheep population, elk winter

range and calving habitat, cultural resources, anadromous fish habitat,

fragile soils, and geological, special status fish, and roadless-

primitive resources. The chart below lists the expanded and proposed

ACECs by alternative, including any resource use limitations which

would occur if the ACECs were formally designated (per 43 CFR 1610.7-

2(b)).

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Acres proposed for designation; potential resource use limitations if designated

ACEC/RNA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Alternative 4 Alternative 5

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Thousand Springs ACEC/RNA.......... 824 acres ACEC 252 1,093 acres ACEC 252 Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2.

acres RNA; fencing to acres RNA; fencing to

control livestock use control livestock use

in the RNA. on all areas of the

ACEC.

Dry Gulch ACEC/RNA................. 0 acres............... 400 acres ACEC/RNA, as Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2, except

an extension of the close the ACEC to

existing Cronk's motorized vehicle

Canyon ACEC; fence an use.

undeveloped natural

spring; limit

motorized vehicle use

to the existing road.

Pennal Gulch ACEC.................. 0 acres............... 4,975 acres ACEC; Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2, except

limit motorized close the ACEC to

vehicle use to the motorized vehicle

existing road. use.

Herd Creek Watershed ACEC.......... 0 acres............... 18,155 acre ACEC, Same as Alt 2, except Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2.

which includes 2,064 maintain the

acres of the existing existing trail above

Lake Creek ACEC/RNA Herd Lake for

(i.e., new motorized vehicle

designation of 16,091 use if suitable

acres); limit portions of the

motorized vehicle use Jerry Peak WSA are

to existing roads and released from

vehicle ways, except wilderness review.

close the existing

trail above Herd Lake.

Sand Hollow ACEC/RNA............... 0 acres............... 3,905 acres ACEC/RNA; Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2, Same as Alt 4.

continue to close the except, in addition,

Sand Hollow watershed incorporate the Sand

to livestock and wild Hollow ACEC/RNA into

horse grazing and the Road Creek

motorized vehicle Watershed ACEC.

use; remove wild

horses from the area

as necessary.

[[Page 40433]]

Donkey Hills ACEC.................. 0 acres............... 28,826 acres ACEC, 13,500 acres ACEC; 33,026 acres ACEC, Same as Alt 4, except

including 4,714 acres resource use including 4,714 the ACEC would be

in the Big Butte limitations the same acres in the Big closed to motorized

Resource Area; as Alt 2. Butte RA; resource vehicle use.

seasonal OHV closure; use limitations the

OHV use limited the same as Alt 2,

remainder of the year except, in addition,

to existing roads and 5,069 acres would be

vehicle ways; timber removed from the

harvest stipulations. commercial timber

base.

Birch Creek ACEC................... 0 acres............... 9,687 acres ACEC; 0 acres.............. 9,687 acres ACEC; Same as Alt 4.

seasonal OHV closure; closed yearlong to

OHV use limited the motorized vehicle

remainder of the year use; closed to

to existing roads and livestock grazing.

vehicle ways;

maintain current

livestock water

development

restrictions.

Lone Bird ACEC..................... 0 acres............... 10,018 acres ACEC; Same as Alt 2, except Same as Alt 2........ Same as Alt 2

physically close limit motorized

portions of the vehicle use to

existing road; close existing roads and

the ACEC to motorized vehicle ways.

vehicle use,

rockhounding,

collection of mineral

materials, and

mineral material

sales.

Road Creek Watershed ACEC.......... 0 acres............... 0 acres............... 0 acres.............. 55,157 acres ACEC, Same as Alt 4.

including

incorporation of the

3,905-acre proposed

Sand Hollow ACEC;

restrict motorized

vehicle use to four

existing roads/ways.

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The Challis Draft RMP/EIS also presents suitability findings for

most of the 57 river segments found eligible for further Wild and

Scenic Rivers study during the Challis Resource Area's Wild and Scenic

Rivers eligibility evaluation conducted in 1992 and 1993. Depending on

the alternative, three to nine eligible river segments would have a

suitability finding deferred until a coordinated river suitability

study with the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Idaho can be

completed. In addition, under all five alternatives, one river segment

would have an eligibility determination deferred pending further

coordinated study. In order to provide a range of alternatives, most

eligible river segments were found suitable under at least one

alternative and unsuitable under at least one alternative. Suitability

findings described in the Challis Draft RMP are as follows: 0 river

segments found suitable under Alternative 1; 5 river segments found

suitable under Alternative 2; 0 river segments found suitable under

Alternative 3; 19 river segments found suitable under Alternative 4;

and 54 river segments found suitable under Alternative 5.

Public participation will continue throughout the remainder of the

Challis RMP planning process. Following the 90-day public review and

comment period for the Challis Draft RMP/EIS which ends November 21,

1996, the BLM will prepare a Proposed RMP/Final EIS. The public will

then be invited to review the Proposed RMP/Final EIS.

Dated: July 29, 1996.

Fritz U. Rennebaum,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 96-19647 Filed 8-1-96; 8:45 am]

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