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Notice of Availability
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: January 22, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 14)]
[Notices]
[Page 6661-6662]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ja01-167]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[MT-092-1610-00]
Notice of Availability
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Glasgow Field Station,
announces the availability of a proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP)
Amendment and Environmental Assessment (EA). The proposed plan
amendment/EA addresses two potential ACECs in the Glasgow Field
Station,
[[Page 6662]]
Valley County, Montana. The proposed plan is to designate a Bitter
Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and a Mountain
Plover ACEC.
DATES: The proposed plan amendment may be protested. The 30-day protest
period will commence with the date of publication of this notice.
Protests must be submitted on or before February 21, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Written protests must be sent to: Director, Bureau of Land
Management, Attention: Ms Brenda Williams, Protests Coordinator, WO-
210/LS-1075, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. The
overnight mail address is: Director, Bureau of Land Management,
Attention: Ms Brenda Williams, Protests Coordinator (WO-210), 1620 L
Street, NW., Rm. 1075, Washington, DC 20036 [Phone: 202/452-5510].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Fahlgren, Assistant Field
Manager, BLM, Glasgow Field Station, RR1-4775, Glasgow, MT 59230. 406-
228-3750.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed plan amendment/EA addresses
special management for two ACECs; Bitter Creek and Mountain Plover. The
public land being considered is located in Valley County, Montana. This
plan would amend the Judith-Valley-Phillips RMP. The Bitter Creek
Wilderness Study Area (WSA) (59,660 acres) was found to meet the
criteria as a potential ACEC due to the scenic diversity and variety of
vegetation types and wildlife habitat. The proposed plan is to
designate a Bitter Creek ACEC. If Congress released Bitter Creek from
WSA status, a plan for management of the ACEC would be initiated within
two years. Until an ACEC management plan is completed for Bitter Creek,
management would be the same as the revised edition of the Interim
Management Policy for Lands Under Wilderness Review (1998). The
Mountain Plover area (24,730 acres) provides natural habitat for the
mountain plover, a prairie bird. It is an area of native plover habitat
which is not associated with black-tailed prairie dogs. The proposed
plan is to designate a Mountain Plover ACEC. Management prescriptions
limiting surface disturbing activities would apply within the ACEC to
protect the mountain plover during the nesting period from April 1 to
July 31. These management prescriptions include a seasonal restriction
on oil and gas activities, mitigating measures considered in Plan of
Operations, seasonal stipulation on right-of-way grants, and off-
highway vehicle travel seasonally limited to designated roads and
trails.
The BLM's resource management planning process includes an
opportunity for administrative review via a plan protest to the BLM's
Director. Any person who participated in the planning process and has
an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the approval of an
amendment to an RMP may protest such approval. Careful adherence to the
following guidelines will assist in preparing a protest that will
assure the greatest consideration to your point of view. Only those
persons or organizations who participated in the planning process may
protest. A protesting party may raise only those issues which were
commented on during the planning process. New issues may be raised at
any time but should be directed to the appropriate BLM field office for
consideration in plan implementation, as potential plan amendments, or
as otherwise appropriate. The protest period extends for 30 days. There
is no provision for any extension of time. To be considered ``timely,''
your protest must be postmarked no later than the last day of the
protest period. Also, although not a requirement, we suggest that you
send your protest by certified mail, return receipt requested. In order
to be considered complete, your protest must contain, at a minimum, the
following information:
(1) The name, mailing address, telephone number and interest of the
person filing the protest.
(2) A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
(3) A statement of the part or parts of the amendment being
protested. To the extent possible, this should be done by reference to
specific pages, paragraphs, sections, tables, maps, etc. included in
the proposed amendment.
(4) A copy of all documents addressing the issue or issues
submitted during the planning process by the protesting party or an
indication of the discussion date of the issue(s) for the record.
(5) A concise statement explaining why the proposed decision is
believed to be incorrect. This is a critical part of your protest. Take
care to document all relevant facts. As much as possible, reference or
cite the planning documents, environmental analysis documents,
available planning records (i.e., meeting minutes or summaries,
correspondence, etc.). A protest which merely expresses disagreement
with the proposed decision, without any data will not provide us with
the benefit of your information and insight. In this case, the
Director's review will be based on the existing analysis and supporting
data.
At the end of the 30-day protest period, the BLM may issue a
Decision Record, approving implementation of any portions of the
proposed plan amendment not under protest. Approval will be withheld on
any portion of the plan under protest until the protest has been
resolved.
(Authority: Sec. 202, Pub. L. 94-579, 90 Stat. 2747 (43 U.S.C.
1712))
Dated: January 8, 2001.
John Fahlgren,
Assistant Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 01-1624 Filed 1-19-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P