Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 41 / Friday, March 2, 2007 / Notices 9577 

the Federal Register. Public meetings 

and other public-involvement activities 

will be announced at least 15 days in 

advance through local media and via the 

Internet at http://www.blm.gov/az/ 

news.htm. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

mailed to Mark Lambert, Planning and 

Environmental Coordinator, Ironwood 

Forest National Monument, Tucson 

Field Office, 12661 East Broadway 

Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona 85748–

7208. You may also hand-deliver 

comments to the above listed address. 

Electronic comments will be accepted 

and should be sent to: 

AZ_IFNM_RMP@blm.gov. Oral 

comments will also be accepted and 

recorded at public meetings held during 

the 90-day public review and comment 

period. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Lambert, Planning and 

Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of 

Land Management, Tucson Field Office, 

12661 East Broadway Boulevard, 

Tucson, Arizona 85748–7208, 

Telephone 520–258–7200. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Ironwood Forest National Monument, 

established by Presidential 

Proclamation on June 9, 2000, 

encompasses approximately 128,686 

acres of Federal land administered by 

the BLM. The DRMP/DEIS affects only 

Federal lands and Federal interests 

located within the established boundary 

of the monument. The BLM’s Tucson 

Field Office has the responsibility of 

planning for and management of Federal 

lands within the monument. Issues 

identified as part of the planning 

process and addressed in the DRMP/ 

DEIS include air resources, biological 

resources, cultural resources, fire 

management, grazing management, 

hazardous materials, lands and realty, 

mineral and energy resources, Native 

American issues, recreation, social and 

economic conditions, soils, wilderness 

characteristics, transportation and 

access, visual resources, and water 

resources. The DRMP/DEIS includes 

strategies for protecting and preserving 

the biological, cultural, recreational, 

geological, educational, scientific, and 

scenic values for which the monument 

was established. Four alternatives have 

been developed in response to the 

issues. The ‘‘no action’’ alternative 

represents current management of the 

Ironwood Forest National Monument. 

Three additional ‘‘action’’ alternatives 

present reasonable, yet varying, 

management scenarios. The alternatives 

range from emphasizing maintenance of 

the naturalness of Ironwood Forest 

National Monument (by restricting some 

human uses) to emphasizing continued 

human uses, while still protecting the 

objects and resources for which the 

monument was established. The noaction alternative proposes the 

continued designation of the Waterman 

Mountains Area of Critical 

Environmental Concern (ACEC). This 

ACEC is approximately 3,342 acres and 

was designated to protect the 

endangered Nichol Turk’s head cactus, 

provide optimum habitat for naturally 

occurring populations of Nichol Turk’s 

head cactus, and assist in its recovery. 

The following resource-use limitation 

applies to this ACEC: Prohibit land use 

authorizations except along existing 

roads and trails. The action alternatives 

do not propose designation of this 

ACEC. For detailed information, refer to 

Chapter 2 of the DRMP/DEIS, Special 

Area Designations section. 

The range of alternatives in the 

DRMP/DEIS evaluates planning 

decisions brought forward from current 

BLM planning documents, including the 

Phoenix Resource Management Plan 

(1989), Arizona Standards for Rangeland 

Health and Guidelines for Grazing 

Administration (1987), and the Arizona 

Statewide Land Use Plan Amendment 

for Fire, Fuels, and Air Quality 

Management (2003). A Proposed 

Resource Management Plan and Final 

Environmental Impact Statement, as 

well as a Record of Decision will be 

prepared by the BLM for the Ironwood 

Forest National Monument Resource 

Management Plan in accordance with 

planning regulations at 43 CFR part 

1610 and NEPA at 40 CFR part 1502. 

Public comments, including names 

and street addresses of respondents, will 

be available for public review at: Bureau 

of Land Management, Tucson Field 

Office, 12661 East Broadway Boulevard 

Tucson, Arizona 85748–7208, 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 and/or street 

address from public review or from 

disclosure under the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA), you must state 

this prominently at the beginning of 

your written comment. Such requests 

will be honored to the extent allowed by 

law. 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. 

Copies of the Ironwood Forest 

National Monument DRMP/DEIS are 

available for review via the Internet at 

http://www.blm.gov/az/env_docs/ 

library/rmps/rmps.htm. Electronic (CD–

ROM) and paper copies are available for 

review at the BLM, Tucson Field Office. 

Electronic (on CD–ROM) and paper 

copies also may be obtained by 

contacting the BLM at the address and 

phone number provided above. 

Dated: October 25, 2006. 

Michael A. Taylor, 

Acting State Director. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received at the Office of the Federal Register 

on February 26, 2007. 

[FR Doc. E7–3626 Filed 3–1–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–32–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

Notice of Availability of Eastern San 

Diego County Draft Resource 

Management Plan and Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 and the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) has prepared 

a Draft Resource Management Plan/ 

Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/ 

EIS) for the El Centro Field Office. The 

Draft RMP/EIS addresses public lands 

managed by the El Centro Field Office 

in the eastern portion of San Diego 

County, California, and by this notice is 

announcing the opening of the comment 

period. 

DATES: To assure that they will be 

considered, BLM must receive written 

comments on the Draft RMP/EIS within 

90 days following the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes the Notice of Availability in 

the Federal Register. Future meetings or 

hearings and any other public 

involvement activities will be 

announced at least 15 days in advance 

through public notices, media news 

releases, and/or mailings. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

at the public meetings or by any of the 

following methods: 

• Web Site: http://www.ca.blm.gov/ 

elcentro. 

• Fax: (760) 337–4490. 

• Mail: 1661 So. 4th St., El Centro, 

California 92243. 

• E-mail: caesdrmp@.ca.blm.gov. 

CD and paper copies of the Eastern San 

Diego County Draft RMP/EIS are 

available at the El Centro Field Office at 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
9578 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 41 / Friday, March 2, 2007 / Notices 

the above address and at the California 

BLM State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, 

Sacramento, California 95825. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas Zale, (760) 337–4420. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Eastern San Diego County Planning Unit 

is comprised of 98,902 acres of public 

land, spanning a portion of the eastern 

escarpment of Southern California’s 

Peninsular Ranges. The Eastern San 

Diego County RMP, when completed, 

will provide management guidance for 

use and protection of the resources 

managed by the El Centro Field Office 

in this area. The Draft RMP/EIS has 

been developed through a collaborative 

planning process and considers five 

alternatives. The primary issues 

addressed include: Conflicts between 

motorized, mechanized, and nonmotorized/non-mechanized 

recreationists; protection of sensitive 

natural and cultural resources from 

impacts due to recreational use, 

livestock grazing, and other land uses; 

guidance for renewable energy 

development; and addressing other 

planning issues raised during the 

scoping process. 

The Draft RMP/EIS also includes 

consideration of the designation of 

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 

(ACECs). The preferred alternative 

includes the following ACECs: In-KoPah ACEC—23,020 acres (currently 

22,186 acres); Table Mountain ACEC—

4,684 acres (currently 4,293 acres). Use 

of public lands within these ACECs 

would vary, depending on the resources 

and/or values identified (see Chapter 2 

of the Draft RMP/EIS), but would likely 

include limitations on OHV use, 

livestock grazing, and development 

projects. 

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. All submissions from organizations 

and businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

available for public inspection in their 

entirety. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received at the Office of the Federal Register 

on February 26, 2007. 

Dated: September 6, 2006. 

Vicki L. Wood, 

El Centro Field Office Manager. 

[FR Doc. E7–3614 Filed 3–1–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[CA–169–07–1610–DO] 

Revised Notice of Intent To Prepare a 

Resource Management Plan and 

Associated Environmental Impact 

Statement for the Carrizo Plain 

National Monument, California 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent. 

SUMMARY: This notice is a revision of the 

April 24, 2002 Notice of Intent (Federal 

Register Volume 67, Number 79, pages 

20152–20153). In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy 

Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, and 

the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR 

1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2), notice is hereby 

given that the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) intends to initiate a 

new scoping process for a Resource 

Management Plan and Environmental 

Impact Statement (RMP/EIS). 

Previously, the BLM announced that an 

Environmental Assessment would be 

prepared in connection with the RMP 

for the Carrizo Plain National 

Monument. By this notice, the BLM is 

announcing public scoping meetings. 

DATES: Specific dates and locations of 

public meetings will be announced at 

least 15 days in advance through local 

news media and on BLM’s Web site, 

http://www.ca.blm.gov. We will provide 

additional formal opportunities for 

public participation upon publication of 

the Draft RMP/EIS, expected to be ready 

for public review and comment 

sometime in 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments 

should be sent to: Monument Manager, 

Carrizo Plain National Monument, 

Bakersfield Field Office, 3801 Pegasus 

Drive, Bakersfield, Calif. 93308. Scoping 

comments previously submitted 

following publication of the 2002 Notice 

of Intent are still valid and will be 

considered together with comments 

received pursuant to this revised notice. 

Commentors do not need to resubmit 

comments but may provide additional 

comments or clarifications of those 

previously made. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Monument Manager, Carrizo Plain 

National Monument, Bakersfield Field 

Office, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, 

Calif. 93308 or telephone (661) 391–

6000. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: With the 

recent appointment of the new Carrizo 

Plain National Monument Advisory 

Committee, the BLM is resuming work 

with the public on developing a draft 

RMP to guide future management of the 

Monument. 

BLM has decided to prepare an EIS to 

support the plan, based on public 

requests and BLM’s interest in 

expanding public involvement in the 

planning process. The BLM will use an 

interdisciplinary approach to develop 

the RMP in order to consider the variety 

of resource issues and concerns 

identified during scoping. 

In cooperation with the Monument 

Advisory Committee, the BLM and its 

Monument managing partners, The 

Nature Conservancy and the California 

Department of Fish and Game, will be 

conducting additional public scoping 

meetings to gather input on issues to be 

addressed in the draft RMP and EIS. To 

be most helpful, you should submit 

formal scoping comments within 30 

days after the last public meeting. The 

minutes and list of attendees for each 

scoping meeting will be available to the 

public and open for 30 days after the 

meeting to any participant who wishes 

to clarify the views he or she expressed. 

Individual respondents may request 

confidentiality. If you wish to withhold 

your name and/or address from public 

review or disclosure under the Freedom 

of Information Act, you must state this 

prominently at the beginning of your 

written comment. The BLM will honor 

such requests to the extent allowed by 

law. All submissions from organizations 

or businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, are 

available for public inspection in their 

entirety. 

The Carrizo Plain, the largest 

undeveloped remnant of the once vast 

San Joaquin Valley ecosystem, was 

designated a national monument in 

2001 in recognition of its special 

resource values, including threatened 

and endangered species such as the San 

Joaquin kit fox, giant kangaroo rat, and 

blunt-nosed leopard lizard. It also 

contains nationally significant 

geological features, such as one of the 

best exposed examples of the 10-million 

year old San Andreas Fault, as well as 

one of the most significant cultural sites 

in California, at Painted Rock. In the 

spring, the Plain exhibits a lavish 

wildflower display of goldfields, purple 


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