Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 50 / Thursday, March 15, 2007 / Notices 12187 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[NV–030–1232–PM–NV14; Closure Notice 

No. NV–030–07–001] 

Sand Mountain Recreation Area, NV, 

Motorized Travel Restrictions 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Emergency Restriction on 

Motorized Use on Federal Lands, 

Churchill County, NV. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

motorized travel is restricted on 3,985 

acres on certain public lands located in 

and adjacent to Sand Mountain 

Recreation Area, Churchill County, 

Nevada. These restrictions are necessary 

because motorized travel is adversely 

affecting wildlife and BLM finds that in 

order to prevent further adverse effects 

to the habitat of the Sand Mountain blue 

butterfly (Euphilotes pallescens 

arenamontana) restricting motorized 

travel is required. These restrictions will 

remain in effect until such time as the 

Resource Management Plan has been 

updated to address the long-term 

management of the wildlife, cultural, 

vegetation and recreation resources in 

the area or until the Field Office 

Manager determines it is no longer 

needed. Resource damage has already 

taken place and the potential for 

additional adverse effects occurring as a 

result of unrestricted off-highway 

vehicle (OHV) use within this area is 

substantial and significant. 

DATES: Effective Date: This restriction 

goes into effect immediately and will be 

verified upon publication in the Federal 

Register. It will remain in effect until 

the Manager, Carson City Field Office, 

determines it is no longer needed. 

Authority: The authority for these 

restrictions is 43 CFR 8341.2, 8364.1, and 

9268.3. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Donald T. Hicks, Field Office Manager, 

Carson City Field Office, 5665 Morgan 

Mill Road, Carson City, Nevada 89701. 

Telephone (775) 885–6000. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Sand 

Mountain blue butterfly is known to 

occupy habitat only at Sand Mountain, 

Churchill County, Nevada, where it is 

completely dependent on its host plant, 

Kearney buckwheat (Eriogonum 

nummulare). Approximately 1,000 ac 

(405 ha) of dune shrub habitat remained 

in 2003, an estimated reduction of about 

50 percent over the past 25 years. 

Moreover, much of this remaining 

habitat has been highly fragmented by 

over 200 miles (320 km) of OHV routes. 

The public lands affected by this order 

are located east of Fallon, Nevada and 

North of U.S. Highway 50, in Churchill 

County, Nevada and include certain 

public lands within: 

Mt. Diablo Meridian 

T. 17 N., R. 32 E. 

Sec. 13, SW1⁄4; 

Sec. 14, S1⁄2S1⁄2; 

Sec. 16, SE1⁄4SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 20, SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 21, All; 

Sec. 22, N1⁄2, SW1⁄4; 

Sec. 23, N1⁄2, SW1⁄4, W1⁄2SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 24, W1⁄2NW1⁄4; 

Sec. 29, All; 

And lands within Secs. 28, 32, and 33 of 

the Sand Mountain Recreation Area. 

These lands are depicted on maps 

located in the Carson City Field Office 

and at maps posted at the Sand 

Mountain Recreation Area fee station 

and entrance area. Copies of these maps 

may be obtained from the Carson City 

Field Office. This restriction order 

applies to all forms of motorized vehicle 

use excluding (1) any emergency, law 

enforcement or other BLM vehicle while 

being used for emergency or 

administrative purposes, and (2) any 

vehicle whose use is expressly 

authorized in writing by the Manager, 

Carson City Field Office. 

Penalty: Any person who fails to 

comply with the restriction order may 

be subject to imprisonment for not more 

than 12 months or a fine in accordance 

with the applicable provisions of 18 

U.S.C. 3571, or both. 

Dated: December 12, 2006. 

Donald T. Hicks, 

Manager, Carson City Field Office. 

[FR Doc. E7–4687 Filed 3–14–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[ID–310–1220–PA–241A] 

Notice of Order Closing Public Lands 

to Human Entry, Idaho 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: To protect fragile, wintering 

mule deer, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) is closing to human 

entry seasonally, during each of three 

consecutive years starting in 2007, 

certain public lands near the South Fork 

of the Snake River, east of Heise, Idaho. 

Also, BLM will be considering a 

permanent, seasonal closure to protect 

wintering mule deer herds. 

DATES: The closure for the winter of 

2007–2008 will take effect on December 

1, 2007. Closures in 2008 and 2009 will 

take effect on December 1 of each year, 

respectively. Closures will end on April 

30 of the following year, unless sooner 

terminated by the BLM authorized 

officer. 

ADDRESSES: The address of the BLM 

Authorized Officer is: Field Manager, 

Upper Snake Field Office (USFO), 1405 

Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 

83401. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Monica Zimmerman, BLM Outdoor 

Recreation Planner, (208) 524–7543; or 

Theresa Mathis, BLM Wildlife Biologist, 

(208) 524–7547. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: While 

monitoring the progress of wintering 

wildlife in February of 2006, field 

personnel of the Idaho Department of 

Fish and Game (IDFG), Region 6 office 

in Idaho Falls, became aware of an 

increase in mule deer fawn and adult 

mortality rates due to recent cold 

temperatures and increasing human 

disturbances. The IDFG, therefore, 

requested that BLM order the closure to 

human entry seasonally, during 2006–

2007, 2007–2008 and 2008–2009, of 

public lands in the Stinking Springs and 

Wolf Flat areas near the South Fork of 

the Snake River, east of Heise, Idaho. 

Closure dates are as stated above. The 

purpose of the closures is to prevent 

undue and unnecessary disturbance and 

harm to mule deer herds and other big 

game populations migrating to crucial 

winter range habitat. This initiative is 

being implemented in partnership with 

the IDFG Region 6 office. The pertinent 

BLM case file is available for public 

review in the USFO office at the address 

stated above. The authority for the 

requested closures is 43 CFR 8364.1(a), 

which states ‘‘to protect persons, 

property, and public lands and 

resources, the authorized officer may 

issue an order to close or restrict use of 

designated public lands.’’ This notice 

identifies by legal land description the 

precise areas that are closed to human 

entry. 

Subject to valid existing rights, it is 

hereby ordered as follows: 

Stinking Springs 

Effective immediately, BLMadministered public lands located in the 

Stinking Springs area north of the South 

Fork of the Snake River near Heise, 

Idaho, described below, are closed to 

human entry within the dates specified 

above in this notice. Excepted from this 

closure order are entries for 

administrative use by BLM and use by 

BLM permittees, IDFG Conservation 


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