[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 149 (Monday, August 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41970-41972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20446]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
Fish and Wildlife Service
[OR-015-97-1020-00: G7-0140]


Plan Amendment to the Warner Lakes Management Framework Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS), DOI.

ACTION: Notice of Intent, Plan Amendment to the Warner Lake Management 
Framework Plan and Jurisdictional Land Exchange with the Hart Mountain 
National Antelope Refuge.

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SUMMARY: The Lakeview District (BLM) and Hart Mountain National 
Antelope

[[Page 41971]]

Refuge (USFWS) are initiating the planning process for a proposed plan 
amendment to the Warner Lakes Management Framework Plan (MFP, as 
amended) and jurisdictional land exchange with the Hart Mountain 
National Antelope Refuge. The proposed amendment/land exchange would 
transfer management jurisdiction of approximately 10,932 acres of BLM-
administered lands to the USFWS and approximately 5,317 acres of USFWS-
administered lands to the BLM.

DATES: This notice announces the beginning of the public scoping 
comment period on the proposal. Interested individuals, organizations, 
and other agencies are encouraged to provide written comments within 30 
days of the date of this notice to the address below. Public meetings 
will be held on the following dates:

August 14, 1997, 7 p.m.--USFWS Office, Kietzke Plaza, 4600 Kietzke 
Lane, Building B, Room 111, Reno, Nevada
August 26, 1997, 7 p.m.--BLM, Lakeview District Office conference room, 
1000 South Ninth Street, Lakeview, Oregon
August 27, 1997, 7 p.m.--Bend Welcome Center, 63085 North Highway 97, 
Bend, Oregon.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action consists of transferring 
management jurisdiction of approximately 10,932 of BLM-administered 
lands to the USFWS and approximately 5,317 acres of USFWS-administered 
lands to BLM. The lands proposed for transfer are located in south 
central Lake County, Oregon, and are legally described below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Acres of BLM   Acres of USFWS
            Legal description             transferred to  transferred to
                                               USFWS            BLM     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
T. 39S, R. 27E, Secs. 2, 10, and 11.....               0             480
T. 38S, R. 26E, Secs. 1-4, 5, 6, and 8-                                 
 16.....................................           5,169             134
T. 38S, R. 27E, Secs. 3-6, 12-14, 26, 35                                
 and 36.................................           2,377           1,280
T. 37S, R. 25E, Sec. 30.................               0             168
T. 37S, R. 24E, Secs. 1, 2, and 12......             793               0
T. 36S, R. 24E, Secs. 8, 17-19, and 36..              38             945
T. 36S, R. 28E, Secs. 6 and 8...........               0             360
T. 35S, R. 25E, Secs. 1, 10, 11, 15, 20,                                
 21, 29, and 32.........................             182             624
T. 34S, R. 28E, Secs. 5 and 6...........             320               0
T. 34S, R. 26E, Secs. 2, 10, 11, 20, 28,                                
 30, and 31.............................               6             604
T. 34S, R. 25E, Secs. 36................             302               0
T. 32S, R. 26E, Secs. 24, 25, and 35....             320              29
T. 32S, R. 27E, Secs. 3, 9, 17-19.......           1,425             650
                                         -------------------------------
      Totals............................          10,932           5,317
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A map showing the lands proposed for jurisdictional transfer can be 
viewed at the BLM or USFWS offices listed below.
    An integrated planning and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
document will be prepared in accordance with applicable planning and 
NEPA regulations which will evaluate the potential impacts of the 
jurisdictional land transfer. USFWS lands located along the western 
boundary of the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge transferred to 
the BLM which fall within the boundary of the Warner Wetlands Areas of 
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) would be managed in accordance 
with the Warner Lakes Plan Amendment for Wetlands and Associated 
Uplands (1989), the Warner Wetlands ACEC Management Plan (1990), and 
subsequent activity level management plans (1990). Isolated parcels of 
USFWS land location south of the refuge (i.e. Shirk Ranch) transferred 
to the BLM would be managed in accordance with the Warner Lakes MFP 
(1983) and Lakeview Grazing Management Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Record of Decision (1982). Additional details of the related, 
but separate on-going effort to develop an allotment management plan 
and environmental impact statement for the Beaty Butte allotment (0600) 
located south and east of the refuge in southeastern Lake County and 
southwestern Harney County, Oregon (see Federal Register, Vol 61, No. 
246). All BLM lands transferred to the USFWS would be managed in 
accordance with the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge 
Comprehensive Management Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement and 
Record of Decision (1994).
    Currently, three preliminary issues have been identified. These 
include: (1) How would the lands be managed once the transfer is 
completed? (2) how will the transfer improve management?, and (3) how 
would the transfer affect current uses (i.e. off-highway vehicle use, 
mineral management, and livestock grazing)?
    Only two preliminary alternatives have been identified: (1) no 
action (i.e. do not conduct the transfer and continue current 
management), (2) transfer management jurisdiction of the described 
lands between the two agencies through formal land withdrawals, 
withdrawal revocations, or other title transfer, as appropriate.
    At this time, individuals, organizations, agencies, and tribal 
government are invited to provide input on the preliminary issues, 
alternatives to be considered, and other aspects of the proposal that 
they feel should be addressed. All comments should be submitted in 
writing to the attention of Scott Florence, at the BLM address listed 
below within 30 days after this notice appears in the Federal Register. 
Comments, including the names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays, and may be 
published as part of the NEPA/planning document. Individual respondents 
may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or 
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 businesses, organizations, and 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives of officials of 
organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
inspection in their entirety.
    Persons wishing to be added to the mailing list for the plan 
amendment/

[[Page 41972]]

 NEPA document may do so by contacting Paul Whitman at the BLM address 
below. The draft document is expected to be available for review during 
the fall of 1997 and will have a minimum 45-day comment period starting 
on the date the Notice of Availability appears in the Federal Register. 
The supporting planning record will be maintained at the BLM and USFWS 
Offices below and will be available for public inspection during normal 
business hours. Because of recent court rulings, it is very important 
that those interested in the proposed action participate during 
appropriate comment opportunities, so that any substantive comments are 
provided at a time when the BLM and USFWS can meaningfully consider 
them.

ADDRESSES: BLM, Lakeview District Office, P.O. Box 151, Lakeview, 
Oregon, 97630, Telephone: (541)-947-2177, or Hart Mountain National 
Antelope Refuge, Post Office Building, Lakeview, Oregon, 97630, 
Telephone: (541)-947-3315.

    Dated: July 14, 1997.
Scott R. Florence,
Area Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-20446 Filed 8-1-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-M