[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 158 (Friday, August 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43745-43746]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21628]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[WY-985-0777-66]


Supplementary Rule Requiring the Use of Certified Noxious Weed-
Free Forage on Public Lands in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and the 
Availability of the Environmental Assessment, Decision Record, and 
Finding of No Significant Impact for Implementation of Requirements for 
Weed-Free Forage on Public Lands in the Bureau of Land Management's 
Worland District, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notices.

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SUMMARY: The Worland District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
recently prepared an environmental assessment (EA) documenting the 
analysis of two alternatives for managing noxious weeds on public lands 
in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming. The EA's proposed action consisted of 
a supplementary rule under 43 CFR 8365.1-6 to require the use of 
certified noxious weed-free forage on those public lands. Forage 
subject to this rule would include hay, cubes, straw, and mulch. The 
District Manager of the BLM's Worland District has issued a decision 
record that the EA's proposed action and supplemental rule will not 
have any significant impact on the human environment and that an 
environmental impact statement is not required. Therefore, the District 
Manager is requiring that public land users, including permittees and 
local, state, or federal government agents conducting administrative 
activities, use certified noxious weed-free forage on BLM-administered 
public lands in the Worland District, Wyoming. In addition to certified 
weed-free forage, the use of pelletized feeds and grain products is 
authorized.
    The Worland District encompasses approximately 3,089,600 acres of 
public land in Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie counties in 
Northwestern Wyoming. This rule will affect public land users who use 
hay or other forage products on the BLM-administered public lands in 
the Worland District such as recreationists using pack and saddle 
stock, ranchers with grazing permits, outfitters, and contractors who 
use straw or other mulch for reclamation purposes. These individuals or 
groups would be required to use only certified noxious weed-free forage 
products, while on BLM-administered public lands in the Worland 
District, Wyoming.

EFFECTIVE DATES: The rule will become effective September 1, 1997 and 
will remain in effect until modified or rescinded by the Authorized 
Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management, Worland 
District Office, Roger Inman, Resource Advisor, P. O. Box 119, 101 
South 23rd Street, Worland, Wyoming 82401-0119, or telephone (307) 347-
5292.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental assessment (EA) is 
consistent with the land-use plans for the Worland District.
    Noxious and undesirable weeds are a serious problem in the western 
United States. Estimates of the rapid spread of weeds in the west 
include 2,300 acres per day on BLM-administered public lands and 4,600 
acres per day on all federally-administered land in the west. Species 
such as leafy spurge, spotted knapweed, Russian knapweed, musk thistle, 
dalmatian toadflax, purple loosestrife, houndstoungue, and other non-
native noxious and undesirable weeds have no natural controls to keep 
their populations in balance. Consequently, these weeds invade healthy 
ecosystems, displace native vegetation, reduce species diversity, and 
damage wildlife habitat. Widespread infestations lead to soil erosion 
and stream sedimentation. Furthermore, noxious weed invasions weaken 
revegetation efforts, reduce livestock and wildlife grazing capacity, 
occasionally affect the health of public land users by aggravating 
allergies and other ailments, and threaten federally-protected or 
native plants and animals.
    To help reduce the spread of noxious weeds, a number of Western 
States have jointly developed noxious weed-free forage certification 
standards, and, in cooperation with various federal, state, and county 
agencies, passed weed management laws. Because hay and other forage 
products containing noxious weed seed are part of the infestation 
problem, Wyoming has developed a state crop inspection; a 
certification-identification process; participates in a regional 
inspection certification-identification process; and encourages forage 
producers in Wyoming to grow noxious weed-free products and have them 
certified.
    Region II of the United States Forest Service, Department of 
Agriculture, implemented a similar policy for all National Forest lands 
in Wyoming in 1996. The Wyoming BLM implemented a standard stipulation 
on all Special Recreation Permits in 1994, requiring permit holders who 
use livestock to use certified noxious weed-free products. This 
proposal will provide a standard regulation for all users of BLM-
administered public lands in the Worland District and will provide for 
coordinated and consistent management with the U.S. Forest Service.
    In cooperation with the State of Wyoming and the U.S. Forest 
Service, the Worland District is implementing a ban of the use of 
forage that has not been certified, on all BLM-administered lands 
within the Worland District. This proposal includes public information 
to insure that: (1) This ban is well publicized and understood, and (2) 
visitors to and land users of public lands administered by the Worland 
District BLM will know where they can purchase state-certified hay and 
other forage products.
    These supplementary rules will not appear in the Code of Federal 
Regulations. The principal author of these supplementary rules is Roger 
Inman, Resource Advisor, of the Worland District, Wyoming BLM.
    For the reasons stated above, under the authority of 43 Code of 
Federal Regulations 8365.1-6, the Worland District Manager issues 
supplementary rules to read:
    Supplementary Rules to Require the Use of Certified Noxious Weed-
Free Forage on Bureau of Land Management-

[[Page 43746]]

 Administered Public Lands in the Worland District, Wyoming.
    1. To help prevent the spread of weeds on BLM-administered lands in 
Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie counties of Wyoming, 
effective September 1, 1997, all BLM-administered public lands within 
the BLM's Worland District of Wyoming, shall be closed to possessing, 
transporting or storing hay, cubes, straw, and mulch that has not been 
certified as free of noxious weed seed.
    2. Certification will comply with ``Regional Weed Free Forage 
Certification Standards,'' jointly developed by the states of Wyoming, 
Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and Nebraska, for noxious weed-free 
forage.
    3. The following persons are exempt from this order: (1) Any person 
with a permit signed by an authorized officer of the BLM's Bighorn 
Basin Resource Area office or the Cody Resource Area office, 
specifically authorizing the prohibited act or omission within that 
resource area; (2) Persons possessing or using pelletized feed or grain 
products; and (3) Persons transporting forage products on Federal and 
State Highways and County roads.
    4. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates the provisions 
of these supplemental rules may be commanded to appear before a 
designated United States Magistrate and may be subject to a fine of not 
more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 12 months, or both, 
as defined in 43 United States Code 1733(a).

    Dated: July 29, 1997.
Darrell Barnes,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-21628 Filed 8-14-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P