Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 9, 2004 / Notices 64965

Sault Ste. Marie POE, The International 

Bridge, Highway 75 and International 

Border, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 

Bridge of the Americas POE, El Paso, TX 

Paso del Norte Bridge POE, El Paso, TX 

Ysleta POE, Ysleta-Zaragoza Bridge, El 

Paso, TX 

Derby Line POE, Highway 91 and 

International Border, Derby Line, VT 

Calais—Ferry Point POE, Main Street 

and International Border, Calais, ME 

International Falls POE, Rte 53 and 

International Border, International 

Falls, MN

Estimated start date of December 27, 

2004 (12):

Gateway International Bridge POE, 

Brownsville, TX 

Brownsville/Matamoros Bridge POE, 

Brownsville, TX 

Hidalgo POE, McAllen-Hidalgo-Reynosa 

International Bridge, McAllen, TX 

Los Indios POE, Free Trade Bridge at 

Los Indios, Los Indios, TX 

Los Tomates/Veterans International 

Bridge POE, Brownsville, TX 

Pharr POE, Pharr-Reynosa International 

Bridge, Pharr, TX 

Progreso POE, Progreso/Nuevo Progreso 

International Bridge, Progreso, TX 

Rio Grande City POE, Starr-Camargo 

Bridge, Rio Grande City, TX 

Roma POE, Roma-Ciudad Miguel 

Alema ́n Bridge, Highway 83 and 

International Border, Roma, TX 

Del Rio POE, Del Rio/Cuidad Acuna 

International Bridge, Garfield Avenue 

and International Border, Del Rio, TX 

Eagle Pass Bridge I POE, Eagle Pass/

Piedras Negras Bridge, Highway 57 

and International Border, Eagle Pass, 

TX 

Eagle Pass Bridge II POE, Camino Real 

International Bridge, Highway 57 and 

International Border, Eagle Pass, TX 

DHS has included these dates as 

estimates only. Should changes occur 

following the publication of this notice, 

revised estimated dates can be found on 

the US–VISIT Web site at http://

www.dhs.gov/us-visit. All of these listed 

ports of entry, however, will begin US–

VISIT implementation by December 31, 

2004.

Dated: October 11, 2004. 

Tom Ridge, 

Secretary of Homeland Security.

[FR Doc. 04–24966 Filed 11–8–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4410–10–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Army Corps of Engineers 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report for the 

South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration 

Project and the South San Francisco 

Bay Shoreline Study

AGENCIES: U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Interior; U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Defense.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (NEPA), the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) intend 

to prepare a joint programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) 

to address the potential impacts of the 

South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration 

Project and the South San Francisco Bay 

Shoreline Study, San Francisco Bay, 

California. The two projects are closely 

interrelated and proposed planning and 

actions would be done in coordination 

with each other. The California 

Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) 

will be the lead agency under the 

California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA). 

Federal Lead Agencies Proposed and 

Connected Actions 

The Federal Joint Lead Agencies are 

proposing to undertake two closely 

related actions that would help prevent 

flooding and provide for the restoration 

of the South Bay Salt Ponds. USFWS 

proposes to prepare a long-term 

restoration plan for the South Bay Salt 

Ponds, which includes managed pond 

and tidal marsh habitat, as well as flood 

management and recreation 

components. The proposed action 

would provide for implementation of 

the first phase (Phase 1) of the South 

Bay Salt Ponds restoration plan. The 

area of the FWS proposed project falls 

within the larger scope of the actions 

the Corps is proposing along South San 

Francisco Bay shoreline. The Corps is 

proposing to implement a series of 

activities for tidal and fluvial flood 

damage reduction, environmental 

restoration, and related purposes along 

the South San Francisco Bay shoreline. 

The Corps’ feasibility study may include 

most of the components of the South 

Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. Thus 

these interconnected actions are 

deserving of one cohesive EIS/EIR 

analysis. 

Two public scoping meetings will be 

held to solicit comments on the 

environmental effects of the range of 

potential projects and the appropriate 

scope of the EIS/EIR. The public is 

invited to comment on environmental 

issues to be addressed in the EIS/EIR 

during these meetings.

DATES: Written comments from all 

interested parties are encouraged and 

must be received on or before December 

9, 2004. The first of two public scoping 

meetings will be held on Tuesday, 

November 16, 2004, from 7 p.m. to 9 

p.m. at the NASA Research Center, 

Building 943, Moffett Field, California. 

A second scoping meeting will be held 

on Wednesday, November 17, 2004, 

from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Centennial Hall, 

22292 Foothill Boulevard, Room 4, in 

Hayward, California. Persons needing 

reasonable accommodations in order to 

attend and participate in the public 

scoping meetings should contact Tim 

Corrigan at (510) 286–0325 sufficiently 

in advance of the meeting to allow time 

to process the request.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

requests for information should be sent 

to Margaret Kolar, Refuge Manager, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, San 

Francisco Bay NWR Complex. PO Box 

524, Newark, California 94560, or 

Yvonne LeTellier, Project Manager, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, 333 Market 

Street 8th Floor, San Francisco, 

California 94105–2197. Written 

comments may also be sent by facsimile 

to (510) 792–5828, or via e-mail through 

the public comments link on the South 

Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project Web 

site, at www.southbayrestoration.org/

QuestionlComment.html. All 

comments received, including names 

and addresses, will become part of the 

administrative record and available to 

the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Margaret Kolar, Refuge Manager, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, San 

Francisco Bay NWR Complex, (510) 

792–0222, or Yvonne LeTellier, Project 

Manager, U.S. Army corps of Engineers, 

(415) 977–8466. For questions 

concerning the CEQA process, contact 

Carl Wilcox, Habitat Conservation 

Manager, California Department of fish 

and Game, Region 3 Headquarters, PO 

Box 47, Yountville, California, 94559, 

telephone: (707) 944–5525.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The joint 

programmatic EIS/EIR will address both 

the proposed South Bay Salt Ponds 

Restoration Project and the South San 

Francisco Bay Shoreline Study. USFWS 

and the Corps propose to integrate the 

64966 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 9, 2004 / Notices 

planning for these two projects, which 

have similar geographic scope and 

include restoration and flood 

management components. 

Background 

South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration 

Project 

The South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration 

Project area comprises 15,100 acres of 

salt ponds and adjacent habitats in 

South San Francisco Bay which USFWS 

and CDFG acquired from the Cargill Salt 

Company in 2003. USFWS owns and 

manages the 8,000-acre Alviso pond 

complex and the 1,600-acre 

Ravenswood pond complex. CDFG 

owns and manages the 5,500-acre Eden 

Landing pond complex. 

The Alviso pond complex consists of 

25 ponds on the shores of the South Bay 

in Fremont, San Jose, Sunnyvale and 

Mountain View, in Santa Clara and 

Alameda Counties. The pond complex 

is bordered by the Palo Alto Baylands 

Nature Preserve and Charleston Slough 

on the west, on the south by Moffett 

Naval Air Station and Sunnyvale 

Baylands Park, and to the east by Coyote 

Creek and Cushing Parkway in Fremont. 

The Ravenswood pond complex 

consists of seven ponds on the bay side 

of the Peninsula, along both sides of 

Highway 84 west of the Dumbarton 

Bridge, and on the bayside of the 

developed areas of the City of Menlo 

Park in San Mateo County. Bayfront 

Park is directly west of the pond 

complex, and the Dumbarton Bridge 

approach and the Union Pacific 

Railroad are along its southern border. 

The Eden Landing pond complex 

consists of 23 ponds on the shores of the 

East Bay, west of Hayward and Union 

City in Alameda County. The approach 

to the San Mateo Bridge and the CDFG 

Eden Landing Ecological Reserve form 

the northern boundary of the acquisition 

area. Alameda Creek Flood Control 

Channel and the Coyote Hills form the 

southern boundary. 

South San Francisco Bay Shoreline 

Study 

The South San Francisco Bay 

Shoreline Study area extends along 

South San Francisco Bay and includes 

the three pond complexes within the 

South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration 

Project area, which are described above, 

as well as shoreline and floodplain areas 

in the counties of Alameda, San Mateo, 

and Santa Clara.

The South San Francisco Bay 

Shoreline Study area includes the 

Alameda Creek Flood Control Channel 

in Alameda County, areas in San Mateo 

and Santa Clara Counties between the 

Ravenswood and Alviso pond 

complexes, including the City of Palo 

Alto, and several creeks within the 

Alviso pond complex in Santa Clara 

County. Three other parcels—Moffett 

Field (owned by NASA–Ames), Pond 

A4 (Alviso pond complex; owned by the 

Santa Clara Valley Water District), and 

Pond A18 (Alviso pond complex; 

owned by the City of San Jose)—are 

adjacent to the study area. 

Project Description 

South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration 

Project 

The overarching goal of the South Bay 

Salt Ponds Restoration Project is to 

restore and enhance wetlands in the 

South San Francisco Bay while 

providing for flood management and 

wildlife-oriented public access and 

recreation. 

The following project objectives were 

adopted by the South Bay Salt Ponds 

Restoration Project’s Stakeholder Forum 

which includes representatives of local 

governments, environmental 

organizations, neighboring landowners, 

businesses, and community 

organizations: 

1. Create restore, or enhance habitats 

of sufficient size, function, and 

appropriate structure to: 

a. Promote restoration of native 

special-status plants and animals that 

depend on South San Francisco Bay 

habitat for all part of their life cycles. 

b. Maintain current migratory bird 

species that utilize existing salt ponds 

and associated structures such as levees. 

c. Support increased abundance and 

diversity of native species in various 

South San Francisco Bay aquatic and 

terrestrial ecosystem components, 

including plants, invertebrates, fish, 

mammals, birds, reptiles and 

amphibians. 

2. Maintain or improve existing levels 

of flood protection in the South Bay 

area. 

3. Provide public access and 

recreational opportunities compatible 

with wildlife and habitat goals. 

4. Protect or improve existing levels of 

water and sediment quality in the South 

Bay, and take into account ecological 

risks caused by restoration. 

5. Implement design and management 

measures to maintain or improve 

current levels of vector management, 

control predation on special-status 

species, and manage the spread of nonnative species. 

6. Protect the services provided by 

existing infrastructure (e.g., power lines, 

railroads). 

USFWS and CDFG reviewed the 

proposed project objectives to ensure 

compliance with legal mandates, such 

as compatibility of wildlife with public 

access. Two additional evaluation 

factors were identified in the 

Alternatives Development Framework 

for comparative analysis: 

7. Cost Effectiveness: Consider costs 

of implementation, management, and 

monitoring so that planned activities 

can be effectively executed with 

available funding.

8. Environmental Impact: Promote 

environmental benefit and reduce 

impacts to the human environment. 

The South Bay salt ponds are now 

being managed by the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service and the California 

Department of Fish and Game under an 

Initial Stewardship Plan which was 

evaluated in a March 2004 Final 

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report. The longterm restoration plan being evaluated in 

the present NEPA/CEQA process may 

include general plans for the entire 

project area as well as detailed design 

plans for a specific Phase I project. 

South San Francisco Bay Shoreline 

Study 

The Corps plans to prepare a 

Feasibility Report for the South San 

Francisco Bay Shoreline Study, 

pursuant to the following resolution by 

the U.S. House of Representatives 

Transportation and Infrastructure 

Committee, adopted July 24, 2002: 

‘‘Resolved by the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure of the 

United States House of Representatives, 

that the Secretary of the Army is 

requested to review the Final Letter 

Report for the San Francisco Bay 

Shoreline Study, California, dated July 

1992, and all related interims and other 

pertinent reports to determine whether 

modifications to the recommendations 

contained therein are advisable at the 

present time in the interest of tidal and 

fluvial flood damage reduction, 

environmental restoration and 

protection and related purposes along 

the South San Francisco Bay shoreline 

for the counties of San Mateo, Santa 

Clara and Alameda, California.’’

The Corps proposes to conduct the 

South San Francisco Bay Shoreline 

Study in coordination with the South 

Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project and 

in partnership with USFWS and CDFG. 

It is possible that the Corps’ Feasibility 

Report may be released after the 

completion of the joint programmatic 

EIS/EIR, and supplemental NEPA 

documentation may be required to 

address the potential impacts of the 

South San Francisco Bay Shoreline 

Study and future phases of the longterm South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 9, 2004 / Notices 64967

Project. If a supplemental NEPA 

document is required, the agencies 

propose to tier off the joint 

programmatic EIS/EIR. 

Alternatives 

The joint programmatic EIS/EIR will 

consider a range of alternatives and 

their impacts, including the No Action 

Alternative. Scoping will be an early 

and open process designed to determine 

the issues and alternatives to be 

addressed in the EIS/EIR. For example, 

the range of alternatives may include 

varying mixes of managed ponds and 

tidal marsh habitat as well as varying 

levels and means of flood management 

and recreation and public access 

components which respond to the 

project objectives. 

Content of the EIS/EIR 

The EIS/EIR will identify the 

anticipated effects of the project 

alternatives (negative and beneficial) 

and describe and analyze direct, 

indirect, and cumulative potential 

environmental impacts of the project 

alternatives, including the No Action 

Alternative, in accordance with NEPA 

(40 CFR parts 1500–1508) and CEQA. 

For each issue listed below, the EIS/EIR 

will include a discussion of the 

parameters used in evaluating the 

impacts as well as recommended 

mitigation, indicating the effectiveness 

of mitigation measures proposed to be 

implemented and what, if any, 

additional measures would be required 

to reduce the impacts to a less-thansignificant level. The EIS/EIR will 

include a proposed programmatic 

analysis of the long-term restoration 

project and flood management and 

recreation and public access 

components as well as a project-level 

analysis of the proposed Phase 1 project. 

The list of issues presented below is 

preliminary both in scope and number. 

These issues are presented to facilitate 

public comment on the scope of the EIS/

EIR, and are not intended to be allinclusive or to be a predetermination of 

impact topics to be considered. 

Biological Resources 

The EIS/EIR will address the 

following issues and potential 

detrimental and beneficial impacts 

related to biological resources: 

• Effects on population size for 

endangered species and other species of 

concern, including California clapper 

rail, snowy plover, California least tern, 

salt marsh harvest mouse, Chinook 

salmon and steelhead trout, and 

opportunities for movement and 

breeding between populations. 

• Shifts in populations of migratory 

waterfowl and shorebirds. 

• Increased habitat connectivity for 

all organisms that use multiple marsh 

and/or aquatic habitats, including birds, 

mammals, and fish. 

• Potential for improved habitat 

connectivity with adjacent upland 

habitats.

• Potential loss of hypersaline 

wetlands and their unique communities. 

• Reduction in predation for species 

of concern with larger habitat blocks. 

• Increased nursery habitat in 

wetlands for fish. 

• Potential for salmonid entrainment 

into managed ponds. 

• Effects of Spartina alterniflora and 

the hybrid of this species. 

Hydrology and Flood Management 

The EIS/EIR will address the 

following issues and potential 

detrimental and beneficial impacts 

related to hydrology and flood 

management: 

• Effects on the tidal regime and 

mixing, and related effects on salinity of 

Bay waters. 

• Effects on high-tide water levels. 

• Changes in tidal hydrodynamics, 

including tidal prism and tidal range in 

tidal sloughs, and resulting changes in 

channel geometry. 

• Effects on flood flow conveyance as 

a result of converting salt ponds to tidal 

marsh. 

• Potential decrease in wave energy 

associated with tidal marsh restoration 

and reduced erosion of flood protection 

levees. 

Water and Sediment Quality 

The EIS/EIR will address the 

following issues and potential 

detrimental and beneficial impacts 

related to water and sediment quality: 

• Effects of salt pond levee breaches, 

including changes in salinity, turbidy, 

dissolved oxygen, BOD, and metals, 

PCBs and other pollutants of concern. 

• Changes in residence time of water 

in the South Bay and related effects on 

water quality. 

• Changes in mercury and/or methyl 

mercury concentrations, and other 

pollutants of concern, in Bay waters and 

sloughs. 

• Potential to mobilize existing 

sediment contaminants, including 

mercury, PCBs, and other pollutants of 

concern. 

• Potential contamination from 

outside sources, including urban runoff, 

wastewater discharges, imported 

sediment and atmospheric deposition. 

Recreation and Public Access 

The EIS/EIR will address the project’s 

effects on existing recreation facilities 

and their use as well as the potential for 

expansion or creation of new facilities. 

The benefits and impacts of increased 

public access on biological resources 

and achieving the other project 

objectives will also be addressed. 

Economics 

The EIS/EIR will evaluate the 

economic effects of the alternatives, 

including effects on commercial fishing 

of Bay shrimp. 

Cumulative Impacts

The EIS/EIR will examine the 

cumulative impacts of past, ongoing, 

and probable future projects affecting 

tidal marsh and estuarine habitats in the 

South Bay. 

Environmental Analysis Process 

The EIS/EIR will be prepared in 

compliance with NEPA and Council on 

Environmental Quality Regulations, 

contained in 40 CFR parts 1500–1508; 

and with CEQA, Public Resources Code 

Sec 21000 et seq., and the CEQA 

Guidelines as amended. Because 

requirements for NEPA and CEQA are 

somewhat different, the document must 

be prepared to comply with whichever 

requirements are more stringent. 

USFWS and the Corps will be Joint Lead 

Agencies for the NEPA process and 

CDFG will be the Lead Agency for the 

CEQA process. In accordance with both 

CEQA and NEPA, these Lead Agencies 

are responsible for the scope, content, 

and legal adequacy of the document. 

Therefore, all aspects of the EIS/EIR 

scope and process will be fully 

coordinated between these three 

agencies. 

The scoping process will include the 

opportunity for public input during two 

public meetings and by written 

comments submitted during the 30 day 

scoping period. 

The draft EIS/EIR will incorporate 

public concerns associated with the 

project alternatives identified in the 

scoping process and will be distributed 

for at least a 45-day public review and 

comment period. During this time, both 

written and verbal comments will be 

solicited on the adequacy of the 

document. The final EIS/EIR will 

address the comments received on the 

draft during public review and will be 

made available to all commenters on the 

draft EIS/EIR. 

The final step in the Federal EIS 

process is the preparation of a Record of 

Decision, a concise summary of the 

decisions made by USFWS and the 

Corps. The Record, or Records, of 

Decision may be published no earlier 

than thirty days after publication of the 

Notice of Availability of the final EIS. 

64968 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 9, 2004 / Notices 

The final step in the State EIR process 

is certification of the EIR, which 

includes preparation of a Mitigation 

Monitoring and Reporting Plan and 

adoption of its findings, should the 

project be approved. 

This notice is provided pursuant to 

regulations for implementing the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (40 CFR 1501.7 and 1506.6).

Dated: November 1, 2004. 

Russell Joe Bellmer, 

Manager, California/Nevada Operations 

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Dated: November 1, 2004. 

Philip T. Feir, 

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Commanding.

[FR Doc. 04–24885 Filed 11–8–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[CO–134–1610–DQ–CCCA] 

Notice of Availability of Record of 

Decision for the Colorado Canyons 

National Conservation Area Resource 

Management Plan/Environmental 

Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act (FLPMA), and the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

management policies, the Colorado 

Canyons National Conservation Area 

and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness 

Act of 2000, the BLM announces the 

availability of the Resource Management 

Plan (RMP)/Record of Decision (ROD) 

for the Colorado Canyons National 

Conservation Area (NCA). The NCA is 

located in Mesa County, CO and Grand 

County, UT. The Colorado State Director 

will sign the RMP/ROD, which becomes 

effective immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the NCA RMP/

ROD are available upon request from the 

Colorado Canyons National 

Conservation Area Manager, Grand 

Junction Field Office, Bureau of Land 

Management, 2815 H Road, Grand 

Junction, CO 81506; or via the Internet 

at http://www.co.blm.gov/cocanplan/. 

Copies may be obtained by contacting 

Jane Ross, Grand Junction Field Office 

at (970) 244–3027. Copies are also 

available at the following Mesa County 

Public Library District locations during 

regular business hours: Central Library, 

530 Grand Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 

81501; Fruita Branch, 325 East Aspen 

Avenue, Fruita, CO 81521; Palisade 

Branch, 711 Iowa Street, Palisade, CO 

81526; Clifton Branch, Peachtree 

Shopping Center, 3225 I–70 Business 

Loop A–1, Clifton, CO 81520; Orchard 

Mesa Branch, 2736 Unaweep Avenue, 

Grand Junction, CO 81503. 

The planning documents are available 

for inspection at the BLM Grand 

Junction Field Office during normal 

working hours, 7:30 a.m. through 4:30 

p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information or to have your 

name added to our mailing list, contact 

Jane Ross (970) 244–3027, Planning and 

Environmental Coordinator 

(jane_ross@co.blm.gov), or Raul Morales 

at (970) 244–3066 

(raul_morales@co.blm.gov), acting 

Colorado Canyons NCA Manager, 

Bureau of Land Management, Grand 

Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, 

Grand Junction, CO 81506.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Colorado Canyons NCA RMP/ROD was 

developed with broad public 

participation through a two-year 

collaborative planning process. The 

CCNCA, located west of Grand Junction, 

includes 122,300 rugged acres of 

sandstone canyons, natural arches, 

spires, and alcoves carved into the 

Colorado Plateau along a 24-mile stretch 

of the Colorado River. Included in the 

CCNCA are 75,550 acres of wilderness 

designated as the Black Ridge Canyons 

Wilderness. At the western boundary of 

the CCNCA, 5,200 acres stretch into 

eastern Utah. 

The approved Colorado Canyons NCA 

RMP is essentially the same as the 

Proposed Colorado Canyons NCA RMP/

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

(PRMP/FEIS), published on August 6, 

2004. No inconsistencies with State or 

local plans, policies, or programs were 

identified during the Governor’s 

consistency review of the PRMP/FEIS. 

There were no protests. As a result, only 

minor editorial modifications were 

made in preparing the RMP/ROD. 

• An errata sheet is included with the 

RMP/ROD that identifies the location of 

the corrections in the PRMP/FEIS.

Raul Morales, 

Manager, Colorado Canyons National 

Conservation Area.

[FR Doc. 04–24421 Filed 11–8–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[MT–070–05–1020–PH] 

Notice of Public Meeting, Western 

Montana Resource Advisory Council 

Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM), the Western 

Montana Resource Advisory Council 

will meet as indicated below.

DATES: The next regular meeting of the 

Western Montana RAC will be held 

January 20, 2005, at the Butte Field 

Office, 106 N. Parkmont, Butte, Montana 

beginning at 9 a.m. The public comment 

period will begin at 11:30 a.m. and the 

meeting is expected to adjourn at 

approximately 4 p.m. 

Another meeting is planned for May 

4, 2005 at the Missoula Field Office, 

3255 Fort Missoula Road in Missoula, 

Montana beginning at 10 a.m. on May 4. 

The public comment period will begin 

at 11:30 a.m. and the meeting is 

expected to adjourn at approximately 4 

p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

the Western Montana RAC, contact 

Marilyn Krause, Resource Advisory 

Council Coordinator, at the Butte Field 

Office, 106 North Parkmont, Butte, 

Montana 59701, telephone (406) 533–

7617.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 15-

member Council advises the Secretary 

of the Interior, through the Bureau of 

Land Management, on a variety of 

planning and management issues 

associated with public land 

management in western Montana. At the 

January 20 meeting, topics we plan to 

discuss include: big horn sheep habitat, 

the Butte Resource Management Plan 

travel management and proposed 

planning scenario, and the Whitetail 

Basin research project. 

Topics for the May 4 meeting will be 

determined at the January meeting. 

All meetings are open to the public. 

The public may present written 

comments to the Council. Each formal 

Council meeting will also have time 

allocated for hearing public comments. 

Depending on the number of persons 

wishing to comment and time available, 

the time for individual oral comments 

may be limited. Individuals who plan to