Notice of Availability

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-020-1610-00]

Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Montana/Dakotas, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976, an environmental assessment has been prepared

for proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) on BLM-

administered surface estate in the South Dakota Resource Area, Dakotas

District, North Dakota; and the Billings and Powder River Resource

Areas, Miles City District, Montana. The document will amend three

Resource Management Plans: Billings (1983), Powder River (1984) and

South Dakota (1985). The Environmental Assessment and Draft Resource

Management Plan Amendment evaluates the relevance and importance of

areas nominated for ACEC designation in portions of the following

counties: Carbon, Carter, Custer, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Powder

River, Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone (Montana); Big Horn (Wyoming);

and Fall River (South Dakota). The amendment is a comprehensive plan

for managing the areas BLM proposes for ACEC designation.

DATES: Comments on BLM's management prescriptions for areas proposed

for ACEC designation should be submitted to BLM on or before March 9,

1998.

ADDRESS: All comments should be sent to the following address: BLM, Tim

Murphy, District Manager, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, Montana

59301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Bloom, Team Leader, at (406) 233-

2826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to plan was filed in the

Federal Register on April 6, 1995. The public was asked to submit

nominations, issues and alternatives. All comments received were

considered in the preparation of the plan.

The environmental assessment and draft resource management plan

amendment analyzes three alternatives to resolve the issues. Each

alternative represents a complete management plan. The alternatives are

summarized as (1) No Action, where no areas of critical environmental

concern would be designated, (2) Protection For Relevant and Important

Values and (3) the Preferred Alternative, which may be a previous

alternative, a combination of, or a new alternative.

One area nominated, Pompeys Pillar, has already been planned for

and designated in BLM's 1996 ``Pompeys Pillar Resource Management Plan

Amendment and Environmental Assessment Record of Decision''. That

document approved the designation and management for Pompeys Pillar

Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

The Area of Critical Environmental Concern Environmental Assessment

and Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment evaluates 21 areas of

critical environmental concern nominations. BLM proposes designation

and special management for 12 areas. Six areas did not meet the

relevance and/or importance criteria. Three areas were considered but

not analyzed in detail. The 12 areas proposed for designation are:

1. The Bridger Fossil area (575 public surface acres) in Carbon

County would be designated an area of critical environmental concern.

This significant fossil area would be retained in public ownership and

managed to enhance and protect the paleontological resources.

Management actions affecting this area are: rights-of-way, and mineral

material sales and permits would be allowed with stipulations; oil and

gas leasing would be allowed with a Controlled Surface Use stipulation;

underground explosives for geophysical exploration for oil and gas

would not be allowed, other geophysical exploration methods for oil and

gas would be allowed if the method would not damage the paleontology

resource; livestock grazing would be allowed; and off-road vehicle use

would be limited to designated roads and trails.

2. Castle Butte (185 public surface acres) in Yellowstone County

would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area

would be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and

protect significant cultural resources. Management actions affecting

this area are: fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression;

wood product sales and geophysical exploration for oil and gas would be

allowed; rights-of-way would be allowed when they avoid the significant

cultural resource sites; livestock grazing and range improvements would

be allowed; and off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated

roads and trails.

3. The East Pryor Mountains (29,500 public surface acres) in Carbon

County, Montana and Big Horn County, Wyoming would be designated an

area of critical environmental concern. The area would be retained in

public ownership and managed for its wild horse and wildlife values,

and long-term conservation and recreational use for the public.

Management actions affecting this area are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; wood product sales, rights-of-way,

livestock grazing, mineral material sales and permits, geophysical

exploration for oil and gas, and oil and gas leasing would not be

allowed; locatable minerals would be withdrawn from entry; and off-road

vehicle use would be limited to the designated trails.

4. Meeteetse Spires (960 public surface acres) in Carbon County

would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area

would be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and

protect the rare plants and scenery in the area, and to help protect

the public from dangerous cliffs. Management actions affecting this

area are: an easement across state land (T. 8 S., R. 20 E., Section 36)

would be obtained; fire would be managed with conditional fire

suppression; selected timber harvests may be periodically necessary to

protect the area's overall resource value; wood product sales would not

be allowed; livestock grazing, except for sheep, would be allowed;

rights-of-way, oil and gas leasing, and mineral material sales and

permits would not be allowed; locatable minerals would be withdrawn

from entry; in the sensitive plant area, geophysical exploration for

oil and gas would not be allowed by any method; on the remaining area,

geophysical exploration would be accessed by air only; exploration

would be shot holes and above-ground shots, vibroseis would not be

allowed; and off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads

and trails.

5. Petroglyph Canyon (240 public surface acres) in Carbon County

would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This

significant site would be retained in public ownership and managed to

protect and enhance the cultural resources. Management actions

affecting this area are: wood product sales, rights-of-way, oil and gas

leasing and geophysical exploration would not be allowed; livestock

grazing and range improvements would be allowed; and locatable minerals

would be withdrawn from entry. The area would be closed to off-road

vehicle use.

6. Stark Site (800 public surface acres) in Musselshell County

would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area

would

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be retained in public ownership and managed to enhance and protect

significant cultural resources. Management actions affecting this area

are: fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression; wood

product sales, livestock grazing and range improvements would be

allowed; rights-of-way, and mineral material sales and permits would

not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a No Surface

Occupancy stipulation; the area would be closed to geophysical

exploration for oil and gas on the cultural resource sites and allowed

(surface methods and vibroseis) in the remainder of the area; and off-

road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.

7. Weatherman Draw (4,268 public surface acres) in Carbon County

would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This

significant cultural site would be retained in public ownership and

managed to enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management

actions affecting this area are: fire would be managed with conditional

fire suppression; wood product sales would not be allowed; rights-of-

way associated with valid existing oil or gas lease rights would be

allowed with restrictions, other rights-of-way would not be allowed;

livestock grazing would be allowed; range improvements would be allowed

when they do not conflict with the area of critical environmental

concern values; locatable minerals would be withdrawn from entry;

mineral material sales and permits would not be allowed; oil and gas

leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy stipulation with

no waiver, exception or modification provisions; geophysical

exploration for oil and gas would be closed; and off-road vehicle use

would be limited to authorized use.

8. Battle Butte (120 public surface acres) in Rosebud County would

be designated an area of critical environmental concern. This historic

battlefield would be retained in public ownership and managed to

enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management actions

affecting the area are: fire would be managed with conditional fire

suppression; livestock grazing and range improvements would be allowed;

rights-of-way, coal leasing, and mineral material sales and permits

would not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a No

Surface Occupancy stipulation; geophysical exploration for oil and gas

would be allowed on designated roads and trails with restrictions; and

off-road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.

9. Finger Buttes (6,206 public surface acres) in Carter County

would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area

would be retained in public ownership and managed for its scenic

values. Management actions affecting this area are: fire would be

managed with conditional fire suppression; wood product sales would be

allowed with restrictions; rights-of-way would avoid the area;

livestock grazing and range improvements would be allowed; mineral

material sales and permits and nonenergy leasable mineral leasing would

not be allowed; oil and gas leasing would be allowed with a Controlled

Surface Use stipulation; geophysical exploration for oil and gas would

be allowed on designated roads and trails with restrictions; and off-

road vehicle use would be limited to designated roads and trails.

10. Howrey Island (321 public surface acres) in Treasure County

would be designated an area of critical environmental concern. The area

would be retained in public ownership and managed for its special

wildlife habitat. Management actions affecting this area are: fire

would be managed with conditional fire suppression; wood product sales

would be allowed with restrictions; rights-of-way would not be allowed;

livestock grazing would be allowed; range improvements would be allowed

when they do not degrade the area's values; and off-road vehicles would

be limited to the BLM road except from February 15th to June 1st.

During that time, no vehicles would be allowed, including on the BLM

road.

11. Reynolds Battlefield (336 public surface acres) in Powder River

County would be designated an area of critical environmental concern.

This historic battlefield would be retained in public ownership and

managed to enhance and protect the cultural resources. Management

actions affecting the area are: fire would be managed with conditional

fire suppression; timber sales and wood product sales would be allowed

with restrictions; rights-of-way would avoid the area; livestock

grazing and range improvements would be allowed; coal leasing and

mineral material sales and permits would not be allowed; oil and gas

leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy stipulation;

geophysical exploration for oil and gas would be allowed on designated

roads and trails with restrictions; and off-road vehicle use would be

limited to designated roads and trails.

12. The Fossil Cycad area (320 public surface acres) in Fall River

County, South Dakota, would be designated an area of critical

environmental concern. The surface and minerals would be retained in

public ownership and managed to protect and enhance significant

paleontological resources. Management actions affecting this area are:

fire would be managed with conditional fire suppression; timber sales,

wood product sales, and geophysical exploration for oil and gas would

not be allowed; rights-of-way would be allowed with stipulations; oil

and gas leasing would be allowed with a No Surface Occupancy

stipulation; livestock grazing would be allowed; locatable minerals

would be withdrawn from entry; and off-road vehicle use would be

limited to designated roads and trails.

This notice meets the requirements of 43 CFR 1610.7-2 for

designation of areas of critical environmental concern.

Dated: December 16, 1997.

Timothy M. Murphy,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 97-33719 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P