34496 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 30, 2000 / Notices

available for certain uses, including any

applicable restrictions, and lands which

are closed. Land use plans provide

direction for the management of BLM

administered lands in accordance with

the legal mandates of FLPMA, BLM

regulations, and the mission and goals

of BLM’s Strategic Plan under the

principles of multiple use and sustained

yield, and in a manner that will protect

the quality of scientific, scenic,

historical, ecological, environmental, air

and atmospheric, water resource and

archaeological values.

There are more complex demands

being made of the public lands today

than when the BLM planning

regulations and original guidance were

issued in the 1980s. There are also new

circumstances, such as increasing

population growth near public lands in

the West, and new data, such as new

information on the condition and trend

of vegetation, soil, and water resources

that must be considered in BLM’s land

use plans.

The proposed planning guidance

differs from existing guidance in that it:

1. Encourages planning on a variety of

scales, including both traditional RMPs

at the local level and larger regionallevel plans, and combinations of these

across different land ownerships and

jurisdictions;

2. Encourages greater public

participation throughout the planning

process and facilitates multijurisdictional planning;

3. Clarifies the relationship between

land use plans and implementation

plans;

4. Provides the minimum procedural

requirements for completing land use

plans and implementation plans;

5. Clarifies the relationships between

land use plan and NEPA requirements;

6. Addresses new requirements and

approaches for managing public lands

or resources; and

7. Addresses the consideration of new

information and circumstances, such as

new listings of threatened and

endangered species, and new

requirements and standards for the

protection of air and water quality.

In recent years, the BLM has sought

to engage and also participate with other

landowners and jurisdictions in

developing land use plans which

address management of natural resource

values and uses on a watershed or

ecosystem basis, rather than on a strictly

jurisdictional basis. The new planning

guidance emphasizes the need to plan

in conjunction with local communities

and stakeholders, and in partnership

with other planning jurisdictions. As

the existing guidance did not address

the BLM’s role in these types of multijurisdictional plans, there is a need for

the policy guidance provided in the

planning manual and handbook.

The new guidance is also less process

oriented, meaning there is more

flexibility in the planning process.

Specifically, the new planning guidance

highlights the minimum requirements

for planning, rather than being

prescriptive. It builds on field

experience gained in implementing the

1983 planning regulations (43 CFR

1600) and subsequent manual guidance.

This is internal guidance and no

comment period is required. However,

in the interest of improving BLM’s

planning process, public comments will

be considered in development of the

final version of the planning guidance.

A public record and summary of how

comments were addressed will be

available at the BLM Washington Office

for review upon request. The final

planning manual will not be protestable

or appealable.

DATES: Comments on the draft land use

planning manual and handbook will be

accepted until July 10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft land use

planning manual and handbook may be

obtained from the Internet at

www.blm.gov; from the BLM

Washington Office at the following

address: BLM, Planning, Assessment

and Community Support Group (WO–

210), 1849 C Street, NW., (LS–1050),

Washington, D.C. 20240–0001; or from

any BLM State Office or field office.

Comments can be electronically sent

to www.wo210@blm.gov or mailed to

the Bureau of Land Management (WO–

210), Attention: Ted Milesnick, 1849 C

Street NW., (LS–1050), Washington, DC,

20240–0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted

Milesnick at (202) 452–7727, Ann

Aldrich at (202) 452–7722, or Paul

Politzer at (202) 452–0349.

Dated: May 23, 2000.

Michael Mottice,

Acting Assistant Director, Renewable

Resources and Planning.

[FR Doc. 00–13310 Filed 5–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–84–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Joshua Tree National Park Advisory

Commission, Notice of Meeting

Notice is hereby given in accordance

with the Federal Advisory Committee

Act that a meeting of the Joshua Tree

National Park Advisory Commission

(Commission) will be held from 10:00

am (PDT) until 2:00 pm on Saturday,

June 17, 1999, at the Helen Gray Center,

on Whitefeather Drive in the community

of Joshua Tree, California. The

Commission will hear reports on the

Climbing Committee, the Wilderness

Sustainability Study, Implementation of

the Trails Plan, Line Item Construction

for the West Entrance Visitor Center, the

Learning Center and the Desert Institute.

The Commission was established by

Public Law 103–433, section 107 to

advise the Secretary concerning the

development and implementation of a

new or revised comprehensive

management plan Joshua Tree National

Park.

Members of the Commission include:

Mr. Chuck Bell, Planner

Ms. Cyndie Bransford, Recreational

Climbing Interest

Ms. Marie Brashear, Mining Interest

Mr. Gary Daigneault, Property Owner/

Business Interest

Hon. Kathy Davis, County of San

Bernardino

Mr. John Freter, Property Owner Interest

Mr. Brian Huse, Conservation

Mr. Julian McIntyre, Conservation

Mr. Roger Melanson, Equestrian Interest

Mr. Ramon Mendoza, Native American

Interest

Ms. Leslie Mouriquand, Planner

Mr. Richard Russell, All Wheel Drive

Vehicle Interest

Ms. Lynne Shmakoff, Property Owner

Interest

Hon. Roy Wilson, County of Riverside

Mr. Gilbert Zimmerman, Tourism

Included on the agenda for this public

meeting will be:

Discussion of the Backcountry and

Wilderness Management Plan.

• Primitive Auto Camping (i.e. study,

Environmental Assessment, funding).

• Artificial Water Sources (i.e. study,

Environmental Assessment, funding).

The meeting is open to the public and

will be recorded for documentation and

transcribed for dissemination. Minutes

of the meeting will be available to the

public after approval of the full

Advisory Commission. For copies,

please contact Superintendent, Joshua

Tree National Park, 74485 National Park

Drive, Twentynine Palms, California

92277 at (760)367–5502.

Dated: May 11, 2000.

Ernest Quintana,

Superintendent.

[FR Doc. 00–13377 Filed 5–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P