[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 167 (Monday, August 31, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44872-44873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20987]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-010-L10600000 HI0000]


Notice of Temporary Closure on Public Lands in the Pryor Mountain 
Wild Horse Range (Including the Britton Springs Administrative Site) in 
the Southeastern Portion of Carbon County, MT, and the Northern Portion 
of Big Horn County, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Temporary Closure.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a temporary closure to public 
access, use, or occupancy is in effect on public lands administered by 
the Billings Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, in the Pryor 
Mountain Wild Horse Range in Carbon County, Montana, and Big Horn 
County, Wyoming.

DATES: This temporary closure will be in effect on the Pryor Mountain 
Wild Horse Range from 12:01 a.m. MDT on Monday, August 31, 2009 until 
September 10, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. MDT. The closure will remain in effect 
at the Britton Springs Administrative Site until 11:59 p.m. MDT on 
October 1, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The Billings Field Office address is 5001 Southgate Drive, 
Billings, Montana 59101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James M. Sparks, Field Manager, at the 
address above or by phone at 406-896-5013. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above 
individuals during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 
hours a day, seven days a week, to leave a message or question with the 
above individuals. You will receive a reply during normal hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This temporary closure to public access 
affects public lands at the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in Carbon 
County, Montana, and Bighorn County, Wyoming. The legal description of 
the affected public lands is:

Principal Meridian, Montana

T. 8 S., R. 28 E.,
    Sec. 5, S\1/2\ and S\1/2\N\1/2\;
    Sec. 6, E\1/2\E\1/2\;
    Sec. 8, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, and NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9;
    Secs. 16 and 17;
    Sec. 18, E\1/2\E\1/2\;
    Sec. 19, E\1/2\E\1/2\;
    Sec. 20;
    Sec. 21, W\1/2\ and W\1/2\E\1/2\;
    Sec. 28, W\1/2\;
    Sec. 29;
    Sec. 30, E\1/2\E\1/2\;
    Sec. 31, E\1/2\E\1/2\;
    Sec. 32;
    Sec. 33, W\1/2\ and W\1/2\SE\1/4\.

Principal Meridian, Montana

T. 9 S., R. 27 E.,
    Secs. 1, 2, 11 to 14, inclusive, 23, and 24;
    Sec. 25, E\1/2\ and E\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 36, N\1/2\NE\1/4\ and SE\1/4\NE\1/4\.

Principal Meridian, Montana

T. 9 S., R. 28 E.,
    Sec. 4, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\, and SE\1/4\;
    Secs. 5 to 9, inclusive;
    Sec. 10, W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 15, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\;
    Secs. 16 to 21, inclusive, and 28;
    Sec. 27, W\1/2\;
    Secs. 29 to 33, inclusive;
    Sec. 34, W\1/2\.

Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming

T. 58 N., R. 95 W.,
    Sec. 19, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 20, N\1/2\N\1/2\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Secs. 21 and 22;
    Sec. 23, NW\1/4\ and W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 27;
    Sec. 28, N\1/2\;
    Sec. 29, N\1/2\NE\1/4\ and SE\1/4\NE\1/4\.

    This temporary closure is necessary to prevent public access, use, 
or occupancy during wild horse capture operations to ensure the safety 
and welfare of the public, contractors, and government employees, the 
orderly execution of authorized actions, and to protect the wild horses 
as a natural resource on public lands. The gather operation includes 
the authorized use of low-flying aircraft to herd and capture wild 
horses from various portions of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range and 
adjacent lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service. Animals will be 
held at the Britton Springs Administrative Site until September 26, 
2009, for day-to-day care, veterinary treatment, and preparation for 
adoption. This will be

[[Page 44873]]

the fourth time that helicopters are used as the primary tool for 
herding horses into capture pens on the Prior Mountain National Wild 
Horse Range. In order to operate the aircraft in a safe and effective 
manner, and based on experience gained in the 1997, 2001, and 2003 
gathers, it is necessary to close the affected areas to all public use 
during actual capture operations. The wild horses primarily occupy 
three geographic areas of the range, including lands administered by 
the U.S. Forest Service, the area around Pen's Cabin, and the Dry Head/
Layout Creek portions of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. 
Gather operations will be conducted at various times and locations to 
be determined by the contracting officer's representative in 
consultation with the contractor.
    It is anticipated that the gather operation will take approximately 
seven days, but could last 10 days depending on weather, location of 
herds, success of capture operations, and other variable conditions. 
Areas subject to temporary closure include all lands within the Pryor 
Mountain Wild Horse Range administered by the Bureau of Land 
Management. Not all subject lands will be closed during the entire 
period; the public will be authorized to use those areas where capture 
operations are not in progress. Areas from which the public will be 
temporarily excluded will be dependent upon the actual area of 
operation which will be variable according to the needs of the 
contractor.
    Areas temporarily closed to public access will be so posted at main 
entry points with signs, barricades, and copies of this temporary 
closure notice. Maps of the affected area and other documents 
associated with this closure area are available at the Billings Field 
Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, Montana 59101.
    This temporary closure may be rescinded prior to September 10, 
2009, if gather operations are successfully completed before that date. 
The Britton Springs area will remain temporarily closed until October 
1, 2009, after horses are adopted or sold. Once gathering operations 
have been completed, the public will be allowed to view the horses held 
at Britton Springs prior to release or adoption at times to be 
arranged.
    Further information may be obtained from the Pryor Mountain Wild 
Horse Range 2009 Gather and Population Management Plan and 
Environmental Assessment, <greek-i>DOI--BLM--MT--C010-2009-35-EA. This 
document is available upon request from the Field Manager, Billings 
Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 5001 Southgate Drive, 
Billings, Montana 59101.
    Under the authority of section 303(a) of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1733(a)), 43 CFR 8360.0-7, and 43 
CFR 8364.1, the Bureau of Land Management will enforce the following 
rule(s) within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range:
    Temporary Closure to public access, use or occupancy on public 
lands in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in the southeastern 
portion of Carbon County, Montana, and the northern portion of Big Horn 
County, Wyoming.
    The following persons are exempt from this temporary closure: 
Federal, state, and local officers and employees in the performance of 
their official duties; members of organized rescue or fire-fighting 
forces in the performance of their official duties; and persons with 
written authorization from the Bureau of Land Management.
    Any person who violates the above rule may be tried before a United 
States Magistrate and fined no more than $1,000, imprisoned for no more 
than 12 months, or both. Such violations may also be subject to the 
enhanced fines provided for by 18 U.S.C. 3571.

Howard A. Lemm,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. E9-20987 Filed 8-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P