Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 30, 2000 / Notices 34495

administered by the BLM. The Draft EIS

was released for public review on May

6, 1999, and the Supplement to the Draft

EIS (SDEIS) was released November 17,

1999. The public comment period for

both of these documents closed January

10, 2000.

The Final EIS incorporates changes

based on public comments received on

the Draft EIS, SDEIS, and technical

appendices, including final conformity

determination for air quality. The Final

EIS also includes responses to written

comments received during the public

comment period for the DEIS and

SDEIS, responses to the BLM public

hearing held July 2, 1999, and responses

to comments on Los Angeles County’s

Draft EIR for the Project. The Final EIS

is comprised of the following volumes:

• Final EIS—Main Text Volume

(incorporates changes to DEIS and

SDEIS text)

• Final EIS—Technical Appendices

Volume (incorporates changes to DEIS

Appendices)

• Volume 1—Responses to Comments

(Responses to all written and oral

comments received on the DEIS, SDEIS,

and DEIR)

• Volume 2—DEIS and SDEIS Written

Comment Letters (includes federal,

state, and local agencies, community

groups, associations, consulting firms,

and individual letters)

• Volume 3—BLM Public Hearing

Transcript

• Volume 4—DEIR Written Comment

Letters from State and Local Agencies,

Community Groups, Associations, and

Consulting Firms

• Volume 5—DEIR Written Comment

Letters from Individuals/Petitions/Form

Letters

• Volume 6—County DEIR Public

Hearing Transcripts

Dated: May 23, 2000.

Danella George,

Acting Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–13440 Filed 5–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY–920–1310–01; WYW147467)

Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of

Terminated; Oil and Gas Lease

Pursuant to the provisions of 30

U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR

3108.2–3(a) and (b)(1), a petition for

reinstatement of oil and gas lease

WYW147467 for lands in Sweetwater

County, Wyoming, was timely filed and

was accompanied by all the required

rentals accruing from the date of

termination.

The lessee has agreed to the amended

lease terms for rentals and royalties at

rates of $10.00 per acre, or fraction

thereof, per year and 162⁄3 percent,

respectively.

The lessee has paid the required $500

administrative fee and $125 of

reimburse the Department for the cost of

this Federal Register notice. The lessee

has met all the requirements of

reinstatement of the lease as set out in

Section 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral

Lands Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C.

188), and the Bureau of Land

Management is proposing to reinstate

lease WYW147467 effective February 1,

2000, subject to the original terms and

conditions of the lease and the

increased rental and royalty rates cited

above.

Theresa M. Stevens,

Acting Chief, Leasable Minerals Section.

[FR Doc. 00–13393 Filed 5–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY–920–1310–01; WYW147466]

Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of

Terminated Oil and Gas Lease

Pursuant to the provisions of 30

U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR

3108.2–3(a) and (b)(1), a petition for

reinstatement of oil and gas lease

WYW147466 for lands in Sweetwater

County, Wyoming, was timely filed and

was accompanied by all the required

rentals accruing from the date of

termination. The lessee has agreed to

the amended lease terms for rentals and

royalties at rates of $10.00 per acre, or

fraction thereof, per year and 162⁄3

percent, respectively.

The lesee has paid the required $500

administrative fee and $125 to

reimburse the Department for the cost of

this Federal Register notice. The lessee

has met all the requirements for

reinstatement of the lease as set out in

Section 31 (d) and (e) of the Mineral

Lands Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C.

188), and the Bureau of Land

Management is proposing to reinstate

lease WYW147466 effective February 1,

2000, subject to the original terms and

conditions of the lease and the

increased rental and royalty rates cited

above.

Theresa M. Stevens,

Acting Chief, Leasable Minerals Section.

[FR Doc. 00–13397 Filed 5–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AA210–00–1610–01–2410]

Public Land and Resources; Planning,

Programming, and Budgeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notification of availability of

Draft Land Use Planning Manual and

Handbook.

SUMMARY: The Federal Land Policy and

Management Act (FLPMA) and the

regulations at 43 CFR part 1600 require

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

to prepare Resource Management Plans

(RMPs) to provide management

direction for the public lands. The

objective of land use planning is to

ensure that BLM lands are managed

under the principles of multiple use and

sustained yield (FLPMA, sec. 102 (a)

(7)); in a manner that will protect the

quality of scientific, scenic, historical,

ecological, environmental, air and

atmospheric, water resource, and

archaeological values; that, where

appropriate, will preserve and protect

certain public lands in their natural

condition; that will provide food and

habitat for fish and wildlife and

domestic animals; and that will provide

for outdoor recreation and human

occupancy and use (FLPMA, sec. 102 (a)

(8)); and in a manner that recognizes the

Nation’s need for domestic sources of

minerals, food, timber, and fiber from

the public lands (FLPMA, sec. 102 (a)

(12)).

The BLM’s current guidance for the

preparation of land use plans is a

manual that was prepared in the 1980s,

shortly after the BLM published its

planning regulations in 1983. The BLM

is developing new guidance and is

providing the public an opportunity to

review the proposed guidance and to

provide input. The Planning Manual

and Handbook, when finalized, will

provide direction in implementing the

requirements of FLPMA and the BLM

planning regulations.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

addition to serving as BLM’s primary

tool for determining resource protection

and allocations in the management of

the public lands, RMPs provide the

public a voice in BLM’s land and

resource management programs. They

establish goals and objectives for

resource management (i.e., desired

future outcomes, based on standards

and guidelines and, new regulatory

requirements), measures needed to

achieve them, and parameters for use.

They identify lands which are open or

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