68972 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 227 / Friday, November 26, 2004 / Notices 

Three areas (totaling 21,382 acres) 

found to contain wilderness character 

by BLM, are being considered for 

management to maintain their 

wilderness characteristics within the 

range of alternatives. The Draft RMP/

Draft EIS will include an analysis of 

alternative management prescriptions 

for these three areas. On April 11, 2003, 

a settlement agreement was reached 

between the Department of the Interior 

and the State of Utah, Utah School and 

Institutional Trust Lands 

Administration, and Utah Association of 

Counties. Consistent with that 

settlement and subsequent policies 

issued by BLM, the Draft RMP 

Amendment/Draft EIS will not consider 

the designation of new Wilderness 

Study Areas (WSAs), or the 

classification or management of BLM 

lands as if they are or may become 

WSAs. However, alternatives for the 

protection and management of 

wilderness characteristics will be 

considered. 

The BLM is considering three types of 

administrative designations for federal 

lands in the planning area: 

• One Special Recreation 

Management Area (SRMA). 

• Various configurations of four areas 

as Areas of Critical Environmental 

Concern (ACECs) to protect important 

ecological or other values. 

• Two configurations of a watershed 

management area. 

Several stream segments have been 

found to be eligible for further study to 

determine their suitability for 

designation as Wild and Scenic Rivers. 

Under all alternatives these stream 

segments would be managed to protect 

pertinent values until such time as a 

suitability study and further planning is 

completed. 

Oil and gas leasing is being 

considered throughout the 

approximately 73,600 acres of public 

lands within the planning area, along 

with potential lease terms and 

conditions.

Jamie E. Connell, 

Manager, Glenwood Springs Field Office.

[FR Doc. 04–26316 Filed 11–24–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[UT 020–1430–ES] 

Notice of Intent To Amend the 

Randolph Management Framework 

Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the 

public that the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) is proposing to 

amend the Randolph Management 

Framework Plan (MFP) affecting public 

lands located in the Rich County, Utah. 

This proposed amendment is being 

conducted in conjunction with a 

Coordinated Resource Management Plan 

effort with the county and will address 

a variety of issues related to rangeland 

health, wildlife, and livestock 

management. The amendment will also 

evaluate the potential for wind energy 

development in the county. Several 

preliminary issues have been identified 

including, but not limited to, rangeland 

health and riparian management, 

wildlife habitat for sagebrush obligate 

species and fisheries, and visual 

resource management.

DATES: The comment period for the 

proposed plan amendment will 

commence with publication of this 

notice. Comments must be submitted on 

or before January 25, 2005. Notice of 

Public Meetings will be published in 

local newspapers.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to participate in 

this planning effort, identify issues of 

concern, or provide ideas that could 

assist the BLM and its partners with 

alternative management strategies for 

analysis purposes, or request additional 

information, you may do so by any of 

several methods. You may mail, hand 

deliver, or fax your written comments 

to: Curtis Warrick, Bureau of Land 

Management, Renewable Resources 

Advisor, Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 

South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 

84119, Fax: 801–977–4397. Upon 

request, comments, including names 

and street addresses of respondents, will 

be available for public review at the Salt 

Lake Field Office during regular 

business hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except holidays. 

Individual respondents may request 

confidentiality. If you wish to withhold 

your name or street address from public 

review or from disclosure under the 

Freedom of Information Act, you must 

state this prominently at the beginning 

of your written comment. Such requests 

will be honored to the extent allowed by 

law. We will not, however, consider 

anonymous comments. All submissions 

from organizations or businesses, and 

from individuals identifying themselves 

as representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

made available for public inspection in 

their entirety. The current MFP as well 

as all other documents relevant to this 

planning process are available for public 

review at the Salt Lake Field Office, 

2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, 

UT 84119 Monday through Friday 

(excluding legal holidays), from 8 a.m. 

to 4 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Curtis Warrick, Salt Lake Field Office, 

2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, 

UT 84119. Existing planning documents 

and information are available at the 

above address or telephone (801) 977–

4332.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

proposed amendment to the MFP and 

associated environmental assessment 

(EA) would update the Randolph MFP 

which was completed in 1980. It is 

anticipated that this process will 

include both resource management 

planning and implementation level 

decisions. This MFP amendment would 

address the following planning level 

decisions: Identification of goals, 

objectives, and or desired future 

conditions for sagebrush steppe 

ecosystems and riparian resources, 

potential vegetation enhancement 

strategies, and address the potential/

criteria for potential wind energy 

development in Rich County. The EA 

would also address the following 

implementation level decisions: 

Development of pro-active grazing 

strategies to fulfill permitting 

requirements on 18 grazing allotments 

and a wildlife/livestock cooperative 

management area in order to enhance 

riparian and sagebrush steppe 

ecosystems. This MFP amendment is 

being conducted concurrently with the 

Rich County Coordinated Resource 

Management Plan (CRMP); an 

addendum to the Rich County 

Comprehensive Plan. Throughout this 

process, BLM will work collaboratively 

with Rich County and a broad base of 

CRMP partners including but not 

limited to: the Wasatch-Cache National 

Forest, Utah Wild Project, Audubon 

Society, Utah State University, 

Cooperative Extension Service, Trout 

Unlimited, ranching community 

members, and Utah State Department of 

Wildlife Resources.

Dated: October 27, 2004. 

Sally Wisely, 

State Director.

[FR Doc. 04–26152 Filed 11–24–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P