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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-99-940-1610-00]

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Statewide Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) and Multiple Plan Amendments To Consider Establishment

of New Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) on Selected Public Lands in Utah,

and Call for Information

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces a plan amendment

process for up to 136 wilderness inventory areas on approximately 2.6

million acres of Federal land throughout Utah. The planning process may

designate new WSAs under the authority of Section 202 of the Federal

Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). The 2.6 million acres have been

inventoried by BLM and have been found to have wilderness

characteristics. Establishment of WSAs would be an administrative

action resulting in the application of interim management policy (IMP)

for a temporary period until they are released from further

consideration or Congress acts to designate them as part of the

National Wilderness Preservation System.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas F. Slater, Resource Manager

(Phone: 801-539-4063 or E-mail: [email protected]) or Holly Roberts,

Planning Coordinator (Phone 801-539-4272 or E-mail

[email protected]), BLM Utah State Office (Attention: Wilderness

Project), P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City, Utah 84145.

DATES: The BLM is requesting public input and involvement in two

venues: (1) Submission of written information by regular mail in

response to scoping materials soon to be distributed, and (2)

submission of written scoping comments by electronic mail via Internet

access at: HTTP://WWW.UT.BLM.GOV/WILDERNESS. All scoping comments

regarding this FLPMA Section 202 WSA activity must be received in

writing by the BLM Utah State Office no later than May 19, 1999.

In order to facilitate the identification of issues and the

submission of pertinent comments, BLM has scheduled eleven open house

meetings at various locations in Utah. At these sessions, BLM personnel

will be available to explain the inventory procedures and findings,

make file material pertinent to each location available for inspection,

and respond to questions regarding the EIS/plan amendment process. This

will provide an opportunity for commentors to become fully informed

prior to their submission of written comments. The location, date, and

time for each open house are as follows:

Kanab, Utah, Holiday Inn Express, April 21--5:00PM-8:00PM

St. George, Utah, Abbey Inn, 1129 South Bluff Street, April 22--3:00PM-

8:00PM

Escalante, Utah, Escalante High School, 800 East Highway 12, April 23--

5:00PM-8:00PM

Castle Dale, Utah, Museum of the San Rafael, 96 North 100 East, May 3--

3:00PM-8:00PM,

Salt Lake City, Utah, Department of Natural Resources, 1594 West North

Temple, Suite 1060--May 7-3:00PM-8:00PM

Tooele, Utah, Tooele City Recreation Complex, 350 West 400 North, May

4--3:00PM-8:00PM

Vernal, Utah, Western Park, 302 East 200 South, May 4--3:00PM-8:00PM

Richfield, Utah, Weston Inn, 647 South Main, Basement, May 5--3:00PM-

8:00 PM

Moab, Utah, Senior Citizen Center, 450 East 100 North, May 5--3:00PM-

8:00PM

Monticello, Utah, Monticello High School Gymnasium, 190 South 200 West,

May 6--4:00PM-8:00PM

Fillmore BLM Office, 35 East 500 North, May 6--3:00PM-8:00PM

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM recently completed an inventory of

wilderness characteristics on Federal lands in many locations in the

State of Utah. This evaluation identified approximately 2.6 million

acres in 136 areas with wilderness characteristics. These wilderness

characteristics are size, roadlessness, naturalness, outstanding

opportunities for solitude, or primitive and unconfined recreation.

Some areas also have supplemental values.

In accordance with the Section 202 of FLPMA, and 43 Code of Federal

Regulations, Sec. 1610. 5-5 (Amendment), land use plans may be changed

through amendments based on the need to consider new data or changing

circumstances. Based on the inventory findings, the current situation

warrants individual plan review with the possibility of amending

numerous affected planning documents. The following land use plans are

to be reviewed and potentially amended:

St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan

Vermillion Management Framework Plan

Zion Management Framework Plan

Paria Management Framework Plan

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Plan

San Juan Resource Management Plan

Grand Resource Management Plan

Henry Mountain Management Framework Plan

Pinyon Management Framework Plan

Warm Springs Resource Management Plan

House Range Resource Management Plan

Pony Express Resource Management Plan

Box Elder Resource Management Plan

Book Cliffs Resource Management Plan

Diamond Mountain Resource Management Plan

San Rafael Resource Management Plan

Price River Management Framework Plan

Cedar Beaver Garfield Antimony Resource Management Plan

Issue identification is considered integral to the Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) and planning processes. Issues are used to

identify the scope of information and analysis in the EIS and to focus

the process on relevant environmental concerns. Generally, an issue is

a matter of controversy or dispute over resource management activities

or land uses that is well defined or topically discrete and entails

alternatives among which to choose or decide.

Planning issues may have two or more of the following

characteristics; (1) concern expressed by the public, State,

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Tribe or local government, (2) existing or potential serious

deterioration of public land, (3) possible significant impacts, and (4)

proposed uses which may or may not be in the best public interest and

which may be in substantial conflict with other uses.

The basic issue to be addressed in the statewide wilderness plan

amendment process is whether or not selected inventory areas should be

designated as WSAs. All other facets, as noted below, contribute to

resolving this basic issue. The three items listed here as the scoping

topics are the essential factors which will be applied by BLM in making

decisions relative to this issue.

Scoping comments must specifically address areas in the inventory

that the BLM determined have wilderness characteristics, including:

(a) Any, additional information concerning wilderness

characteristics in the wilderness inventory units,

(b) Information regarding the manageability of potential WSAs. Such

information may address things such as valid existing rights which

could be exercised (developed) within the next ten to fifteen years and

thereby preclude effective management under the IMP,

(c) Specific information on other resource uses within each

wildness inventory unit which should be considered. Such uses could

involve grazing practices, rights of way, corridor development of use,

recreation development or mechanical uses, off highway vehicle use,

development for mineral extraction, or oil and gas exploration and

production.

The preliminary alternatives are identified: (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--all

acreage in the inventory areas with wilderness characteristics would be

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

Selected WSAs--Under one or more of the alternatives, some of the

acreage or portions of acreage in the inventory areas with wilderness

characteristics would be designated as WSAs and IMP would be applied,

while other areas would not be designated as WSAs. In presenting these

alternatives, the EIS would provide information and analysis to

identify impacts associated with each alternative.

Planning criteria are the standards, rules, and other factors

identified by interdisciplinary teams and managers for use in

formulating judgements about data collection, analysis, and decision

making. These criteria assist in focusing the subject matter,

clarifying, and simplifying subsequent prescribed resource management

planning actions by setting forth basic standards for deciding and

judging certain components of the planning actions.

The 43 CFR part 1600 regulations require the consideration of

planning criteria and mandate early public involvement in their

development. The preliminary planning criteria to be used in the

statewide plan amendment process are as follows:

1. BLM will amend the RMPs or MFPs based on the information

contained in the Utah Wilderness Inventory of 1999 as considered in

this planning/NEPA process.

2. All Federal laws (such as the Clean Water Act, Archeological

Resource Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, etc) will be

recognized and followed as they apply to this planning/NEPA process.

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 IMP. The current plan amendment process will not revisit

previous suitability recommendations for the existing WSAs. IMP will

not be applied to any inventory unit that has not been designated as a

WSA.

6. Planning decisions eventually made through this BLM process will

apply only to (Federal) public lands.

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

8. When WSAs are designated, the following recommended standards

will be used to locate boundaries:

-300 feet from high standard paved roads,

-100 feet from high standard graveled roads,

-30 feet from low standard dirt roads.

Exceptions may be granted to the above setbacks if resource

conditions warrant.

9. The plan amendment process will address OHV designations in the

inventory areas, consistent with the provisions of the IMP as necessary

to protect wilderness characteristics.

Throughout the preparation of the Statewide EIS and Multiple Plan

Amendments, the public will have several opportunites to provide input,

and review information, and will be asked to comment on the draft EIS.

This will be done via Internet and regular mail. All who desire to be

on the mailing list should contact the BLM at the address given above.

Dated: March 12, 1999.

Linda Colville,

Utah Associate State Director.

[FR Doc. 99-6573 Filed 3-17-99; 8:45 am]

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