Notice of Intent To Modify Scope of Statewide Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Multiple Plan Amendments Considering Establishment of New Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) on Selected Public Lands in Utah, and Call for Additional Information

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-00-934-1610-00]

Notice of Intent To Modify Scope of Statewide Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) and Multiple Plan Amendments Considering

Establishment of New Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) on Selected Public

Lands in Utah, and Call for Additional Information

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

SUMMARY: The BLM has modified the scope of its planning effort

considering establishment of new WSAs on public lands in Utah. Instead

of preparing a single EIS/Plan Amendment for all inventory areas under

study throughout the state, the BLM will now use a staged approach that

will break the plan amendment process into four components. Selected

inventory areas will be grouped in four regional studies to address

whether or not new WSAs should be established. The first such regional

grouping will include 35 inventory areas within the southeast region,

encompassing approximately 815,000 acres of BLM lands administered by

the Moab and Monticello Field Offices. This change is due, in part, to

the large number of scoping comments that provided detailed information

on specific areas and regions. Focusing planning on a regional basis

will allow for a more thorough consideration of public input that has

already been received, and is anticipated, as the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process proceeds. Some adjustment is

also necessary because new legislation prohibits the BLM from

proceeding with WSA planning in certain areas in the West Desert region

of the state until the Department of Defense completes a study to

evaluate the impact upon military training, testing, and operational

readiness of any proposed changes in land designations or management of

the ``Utah national defense lands.''

The scope of this first planning effort has also been modified to

include all of the BLM lands that were inventoried and shown in the

1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report within the areas under study.

This includes approximately 162,000 acres of public land currently

under study that were initially found lacking wilderness

characteristics by the BLM. These include the Arch and Mule Canyon

inventory area and portions of 30 other inventory areas within the

southeast region. This modification is in response to extensive scoping

comments on these areas, and to provide the public additional

opportunities to comment on all public lands that were reviewed during

the BLM's field inventory.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Banks, Project Manager (Phone:

801-539-4063 or E-mail: [email protected]), or by mail to: Utah State

Office, Attention: Wilderness Project, P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City,

Utah 84145.

Copies of the 1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report are available

for public review at all BLM field offices within Utah and at

depository libraries throughout the state. This report is also

available on the BLM's Internet web page (http://www.ut.blm.gov/

wilderness) established for the WSA planning project. This 300-page

document provides maps, narratives, and summary reports of the

inventory areas. The 35 areas included in the first grouping are

contained in this report. In addition, inventory unit permanent

documentation files containing aerial photographs, topographic maps,

slides, voluminous field log notes and other useful information are

available for public review. A complete set of all files can be found

at the Utah State Office in Salt Lake City. The documentation files for

the relevant inventory areas in the southeast region are also located

in BLM's Moab and Monticello Field Offices, respectively.

DATES: All scoping comments regarding this planning effort conducted

under the

[[Page 59788]]

authority of Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy Management Act

(FLMPA), must be received in writing by the BLM Utah State Office no

later than December 31, 1999. It is not anticipated that any new

scoping meetings would be required for this modified action. All

information gathered to date through the scoping process will continue

to be considered for this effort.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 18, 1999, BLM published in the

Federal Register a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Statewide EIS and

multiple plan amendments for consideration of new WSAs on public land

identified as having wilderness characteristics in the 1999 Utah

Wilderness Inventory. Since that time, BLM has engaged in an extensive

public involvement process to gather scoping information. To date, BLM

has received nearly 13,000 comment letters, many of which contain very

specific and detailed comments and new information.

On October 5, 1999 the National Defense Authorization Act for

Fiscal Year 2000 was signed into law. Section 2815 of this legislation

precludes the BLM from completing any land use plan amendment or

statewide amendment package for the ``Utah national defense lands''

until the Secretary of Defense submits to Congress a report evaluating

the impact upon military training, testing, and operational readiness

of any proposed changes in land designations or management of the

``Utah national defense lands''. ``Utah national defense lands'' are

defined in Section 2815 as ``public lands under the jurisdiction of the

Bureau of Land Management in the state of Utah that are adjacent to or

near the Utah Test and Training Range and Dugway Proving Ground or

beneath the Military Operating Areas, Restricted Areas, and airspace

that make up the Utah Test and Training Range.'' This provision affects

approximately 13 inventory areas encompassing approximately 186,000

acres of BLM lands under consideration for possible establishment as

WSAs.

The BLM will now proceed through a series of four regional studies

to address the question as to whether or not new WSAs will be

established. The first area for which an EIS and plan amendments will

be completed, and for which public comments are currently being

solicited, is in the southeast region. This region includes inventoried

public lands within 35 areas, encompassing approximately 815,000 acres.

Establishment of new WSAs would amend the Grand and San Juan Resource

Management Plans (RMPs). These land use plans are administered by the

Moab and Monticello Field Offices, respectively. The following land use

plans and associated wilderness inventory areas depict the areas

currently under study: Grand RMP: Beaver Creek, Behind the Rocks,

Fisher Towers, Goldbar, Granite Creek, Hatch Wash, Hunter Canyon, east

portion of Labyrinth Canyon, Lost Spring Canyon, Mary Jane Canyon, Mill

Creek Canyon, Negro Bill Canyon, Shafer Canyon, and Westwater Canyon

Inventory Areas. San Juan RMP: Arch and Mule Canyons, Bridger Jack

Mesa, Butler Wash, Cheesebox Canyon, Comb Ridge, Cross Canyon, Dark

Canyon, Fish and Owl Creeks, Fort Knocker Canyon, Gooseneck, Grand

Gulch, Gravel and Long Canyons, Harmony Flat, Harts Point, Indian

Creek, Mancos Mesa, Nokai Dome, Road Canyon, San Juan River, Sheep

Canyon, Squaw and Papoose Canyon. The Gooseneck and Harts Point

inventory areas involve both of the RMPs.

Three additional regional groupings of areas will be subject to WSA

planning and studies in the future: Uintah and Book Cliffs/San Rafael

Swell/Henry Mountains (eastern areas); the Grand Staircase Escalante

National Monument/Kane County/Washington Counties (south-central/

southwest areas); and inventory areas found in the West Desert of Utah.

All WSA planning is expected to be completed statewide by 2004.

Scoping comments should focus on all lands within the southeastern

Utah region that encompass the 35 areas previously identified in the

1999 Utah Wilderness Inventory Report. Comments would be particularly

helpful if they address one or more of the following elements:

(a) Any additional information concerning wilderness

characteristics within the 35 inventoried areas of the southeastern

region, including those lands found by the BLM in the 1999 Utah

Wilderness Inventory to be lacking wilderness characteristics.

(b) Information regarding manageability opportunities or conflicts

including information on valid existing rights which could be exercised

(developed) during the next ten to fifteen years and thereby preclude

effective management under the IMP.

(c) Specific information on other resource uses within the

inventoried areas, including such uses as grazing practices, rights of

way, corridor development, recreation development or mechanical uses,

off highway vehicle use, development for mineral extraction, or oil and

gas exploration and production.

(d) The proposed planning criteria described further below.

Those members of the public who have previously submitted comments

regarding all or portions of the inventoried areas in the southeast

region do not need to resubmit scoping comments on these areas, as BLM

will take all of the existing comments into consideration. Additional

comments focused on the lands initially found by BLM not to have

wilderness characteristics are appropriate at this time and would be

helpful in identifying and addressing specific issues in these areas.

Proposed planning criteria were originally made available in the

Federal Register Notice of March 18, 1999.

1. BLM will amend the RMPs based on the information contained in

the Utah Wilderness Inventory of 1999, as supplemented by information

gathered and analyses contributed in this planning/NEPA process.

2. This planning/NEPA process will conform to all applicable laws,

such as the Clean Water Act, Archeological Resource Protection Act, and

the Endangered Species Act.

3. To the extent possible under Federal law, and within the

framework of proper long-term management of the public lands, BLM will

strive to ensure that its management prescriptions and planning actions

take into consideration related programs, plans, or policies of other

resource agencies. This will include the formal consistency review by

the State of Utah Governor's office. BLM will work closely with the

Governor's Office to help facilitate the consistency review process.

4. BLM will provide local, state and Federal agencies a copy of the

Draft EIS with a written request to comment. Agencies may identify in

writing any inconsistencies with formally approved land use plans or

their related jurisdictions.

5. Existing WSAs will continue to be managed under the provisions

of the Interim Management Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review

(IMP). The current plan amendment process will not address suitability

recommendations for existing WSAs.

6. Planning decisions made through this BLM process will apply only

to Federal public lands.

7. All valid existing rights will continue to be recognized.

8. Any WSAs designated pursuant to this process will contain the

following recommended setbacks:

-300 feet from the centerline of high standard paved roads,

-100 feet from the centerline of high

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standard graveled roads,

-30 feet from the centerline of low standard dirt roads, Unless

resource conditions warrant granting exceptions.

9. The plan amendment process will address off highway vehicle

designations in the inventory areas, consistent with the provisions of

the IMP as necessary to protect wilderness characteristics.

Alternatives that are currently proposed for consideration include:

(1) No Action--Under this alternative, none of the inventory areas

would be designated as WSAs and the lands would continue to be managed

according to the existing land use plans; (2) All areas would be

designated as WSAs, and IMP would be applied to all lands; (3) Selected

WSAs--Some of the 35 inventoried areas, or portions thereof, would be

designated as WSAs and IMP would be applied, while other inventoried

areas, or portions thereof, would not be designated as WSAs. The EIS

would provide information and analysis to identify impacts associated

with each alternative.

Planning for the southeastern region is expected to be completed in

the Fall of 2000. A draft EIS is expected to be published by Spring of

2000.

The public will have opportunities to provide further input, review

information, and to comment on the draft EIS. Anyone wanting to be

added to the mail list for this planning project should contact the BLM

at the address given above. Comments received, including names and

addresses of respondents will be available for public review at the

Utah State Office and will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom

of Information Act. Individual respondents may request confidentiality.

If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review

and disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state

this prominently at the beginning of your written scoping letter. Such

requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions

from organizations or businesses, will be made available for public

inspection in their entirety.

Dated: October 28, 1999.

Linda S. Coleville,

Acting Utah State Director.

[FR Doc. 99-28698 Filed 11-2-99; 8:45 am]

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