Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 1997 / Notices 67651

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT–020–1610–00]

Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), Montana/Dakotas, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

202 of the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976, an

environmental assessment has been

prepared for proposed Areas of Critical

Environmental Concern (ACEC) on

BLM-administered surface estate in the

South Dakota Resource Area, Dakotas

District, North Dakota; and the Billings

and Powder River Resource Areas, Miles

City District, Montana. The document

will amend three Resource Management

Plans: Billings (1983), Powder River

(1984) and South Dakota (1985). The

Environmental Assessment and Draft

Resource Management Plan Amendment

evaluates the relevance and importance

of areas nominated for ACEC

designation in portions of the following

counties: Carbon, Carter, Custer, Golden

Valley, Musselshell, Powder River,

Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone

(Montana); Big Horn (Wyoming); and

Fall River (South Dakota). The

amendment is a comprehensive plan for

managing the areas BLM proposes for

ACEC designation.

DATES: Comments on BLM’s

management prescriptions for areas

proposed for ACEC designation should

be submitted to BLM on or before March

9, 1998.

ADDRESS: All comments should be sent

to the following address: BLM, Tim

Murphy, District Manager, 111

Garryowen Road, Miles City, Montana

59301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Bloom, Team Leader, at (406) 233–

2826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice

of Intent to plan was filed in the Federal

Register on April 6, 1995. The public

was asked to submit nominations, issues

and alternatives. All comments received

were considered in the preparation of

the plan.

The environmental assessment and

draft resource management plan

amendment analyzes three alternatives

to resolve the issues. Each alternative

represents a complete management

plan. The alternatives are summarized

as (1) No Action, where no areas of

critical environmental concern would

be designated, (2) Protection For

Relevant and Important Values and (3)

the Preferred Alternative, which may be

a previous alternative, a combination of,

or a new alternative.

One area nominated, Pompeys Pillar,

has already been planned for and

designated in BLM’s 1996 ‘‘Pompeys

Pillar Resource Management Plan

Amendment and Environmental

Assessment Record of Decision’’. That

document approved the designation and

management for Pompeys Pillar Area of

Critical Environmental Concern.

The Area of Critical Environmental

Concern Environmental Assessment and

Draft Resource Management Plan

Amendment evaluates 21 areas of

critical environmental concern

nominations. BLM proposes designation

and special management for 12 areas.

Six areas did not meet the relevance

and/or importance criteria. Three areas

were considered but not analyzed in

detail. The 12 areas proposed for

designation are:

1. The Bridger Fossil area (575 public

surface acres) in Carbon County would

be designated an area of critical

environmental concern. This significant

fossil area would be retained in public

ownership and managed to enhance and

protect the paleontological resources.

Management actions affecting this area

are: rights-of-way, and mineral material

sales and permits would be allowed

with stipulations; oil and gas leasing

would be allowed with a Controlled

Surface Use stipulation; underground

explosives for geophysical exploration

for oil and gas would not be allowed,

other geophysical exploration methods

for oil and gas would be allowed if the

method would not damage the

paleontology resource; livestock grazing

would be allowed; and off-road vehicle

use would be limited to designated

roads and trails.

2. Castle Butte (185 public surface

acres) in Yellowstone County would be

designated an area of critical

environmental concern. The area would

be retained in public ownership and

managed to enhance and protect

significant cultural resources.

Management actions affecting this area

are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; wood

product sales and geophysical

exploration for oil and gas would be

allowed; rights-of-way would be

allowed when they avoid the significant

cultural resource sites; livestock grazing

and range improvements would be

allowed; and off-road vehicle use would

be limited to designated roads and

trails.

3. The East Pryor Mountains (29,500

public surface acres) in Carbon County,

Montana and Big Horn County,

Wyoming would be designated an area

of critical environmental concern. The

area would be retained in public

ownership and managed for its wild

horse and wildlife values, and long-term

conservation and recreational use for

the public. Management actions

affecting this area are: fire would be

managed with conditional fire

suppression; wood product sales, rightsof-way, livestock grazing, mineral

material sales and permits, geophysical

exploration for oil and gas, and oil and

gas leasing would not be allowed;

locatable minerals would be withdrawn

from entry; and off-road vehicle use

would be limited to the designated

trails.

4. Meeteetse Spires (960 public

surface acres) in Carbon County would

be designated an area of critical

environmental concern. The area would

be retained in public ownership and

managed to enhance and protect the rare

plants and scenery in the area, and to

help protect the public from dangerous

cliffs. Management actions affecting this

area are: an easement across state land

(T. 8 S., R. 20 E., Section 36) would be

obtained; fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; selected

timber harvests may be periodically

necessary to protect the area’s overall

resource value; wood product sales

would not be allowed; livestock grazing,

except for sheep, would be allowed;

rights-of-way, oil and gas leasing, and

mineral material sales and permits

would not be allowed; locatable

minerals would be withdrawn from

entry; in the sensitive plant area,

geophysical exploration for oil and gas

would not be allowed by any method;

on the remaining area, geophysical

exploration would be accessed by air

only; exploration would be shot holes

and above-ground shots, vibroseis

would not be allowed; and off-road

vehicle use would be limited to

designated roads and trails.

5. Petroglyph Canyon (240 public

surface acres) in Carbon County would

be designated an area of critical

environmental concern. This significant

site would be retained in public

ownership and managed to protect and

enhance the cultural resources.

Management actions affecting this area

are: wood product sales, rights-of-way,

oil and gas leasing and geophysical

exploration would not be allowed;

livestock grazing and range

improvements would be allowed; and

locatable minerals would be withdrawn

from entry. The area would be closed to

off-road vehicle use.

6. Stark Site (800 public surface acres)

in Musselshell County would be

designated an area of critical

environmental concern. The area would
67652 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 1997 / Notices

be retained in public ownership and

managed to enhance and protect

significant cultural resources.

Management actions affecting this area

are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; wood

product sales, livestock grazing and

range improvements would be allowed;

rights-of-way, and mineral material

sales and permits would not be allowed;

oil and gas leasing would be allowed

with a No Surface Occupancy

stipulation; the area would be closed to

geophysical exploration for oil and gas

on the cultural resource sites and

allowed (surface methods and vibroseis)

in the remainder of the area; and offroad vehicle use would be limited to

designated roads and trails.

7. Weatherman Draw (4,268 public

surface acres) in Carbon County would

be designated an area of critical

environmental concern. This significant

cultural site would be retained in public

ownership and managed to enhance and

protect the cultural resources.

Management actions affecting this area

are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; wood

product sales would not be allowed;

rights-of-way associated with valid

existing oil or gas lease rights would be

allowed with restrictions, other rightsof-way would not be allowed; livestock

grazing would be allowed; range

improvements would be allowed when

they do not conflict with the area of

critical environmental concern values;

locatable minerals would be withdrawn

from entry; mineral material sales and

permits would not be allowed; oil and

gas leasing would be allowed with a No

Surface Occupancy stipulation with no

waiver, exception or modification

provisions; geophysical exploration for

oil and gas would be closed; and offroad vehicle use would be limited to

authorized use.

8. Battle Butte (120 public surface

acres) in Rosebud County would be

designated an area of critical

environmental concern. This historic

battlefield would be retained in public

ownership and managed to enhance and

protect the cultural resources.

Management actions affecting the area

are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; livestock

grazing and range improvements would

be allowed; rights-of-way, coal leasing,

and mineral material sales and permits

would not be allowed; oil and gas

leasing would be allowed with a No

Surface Occupancy stipulation;

geophysical exploration for oil and gas

would be allowed on designated roads

and trails with restrictions; and off-road

vehicle use would be limited to

designated roads and trails.

9. Finger Buttes (6,206 public surface

acres) in Carter County would be

designated an area of critical

environmental concern. The area would

be retained in public ownership and

managed for its scenic values.

Management actions affecting this area

are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; wood

product sales would be allowed with

restrictions; rights-of-way would avoid

the area; livestock grazing and range

improvements would be allowed;

mineral material sales and permits and

nonenergy leasable mineral leasing

would not be allowed; oil and gas

leasing would be allowed with a

Controlled Surface Use stipulation;

geophysical exploration for oil and gas

would be allowed on designated roads

and trails with restrictions; and off-road

vehicle use would be limited to

designated roads and trails.

10. Howrey Island (321 public surface

acres) in Treasure County would be

designated an area of critical

environmental concern. The area would

be retained in public ownership and

managed for its special wildlife habitat.

Management actions affecting this area

are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; wood

product sales would be allowed with

restrictions; rights-of-way would not be

allowed; livestock grazing would be

allowed; range improvements would be

allowed when they do not degrade the

area’s values; and off-road vehicles

would be limited to the BLM road

except from February 15th to June 1st.

During that time, no vehicles would be

allowed, including on the BLM road.

11. Reynolds Battlefield (336 public

surface acres) in Powder River County

would be designated an area of critical

environmental concern. This historic

battlefield would be retained in public

ownership and managed to enhance and

protect the cultural resources.

Management actions affecting the area

are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; timber

sales and wood product sales would be

allowed with restrictions; rights-of-way

would avoid the area; livestock grazing

and range improvements would be

allowed; coal leasing and mineral

material sales and permits would not be

allowed; oil and gas leasing would be

allowed with a No Surface Occupancy

stipulation; geophysical exploration for

oil and gas would be allowed on

designated roads and trails with

restrictions; and off-road vehicle use

would be limited to designated roads

and trails.

12. The Fossil Cycad area (320 public

surface acres) in Fall River County,

South Dakota, would be designated an

area of critical environmental concern.

The surface and minerals would be

retained in public ownership and

managed to protect and enhance

significant paleontological resources.

Management actions affecting this area

are: fire would be managed with

conditional fire suppression; timber

sales, wood product sales, and

geophysical exploration for oil and gas

would not be allowed; rights-of-way

would be allowed with stipulations; oil

and gas leasing would be allowed with

a No Surface Occupancy stipulation;

livestock grazing would be allowed;

locatable minerals would be withdrawn

from entry; and off-road vehicle use

would be limited to designated roads

and trails.

This notice meets the requirements of

43 CFR 1610.7–2 for designation of

areas of critical environmental concern.

Dated: December 16, 1997.

Timothy M. Murphy,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–33719 Filed 12–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–DN–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA–360–1020–00]

Notice of Resource Advisory Council

Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Northwest California Resource Advisory

Council, Ukiah, California.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authorities in

the Federal Advisory Committees Act

(Public Law 92–463) and the Federal

Land Policy and Management Act

(Public Law 94–579), the U.S. Bureau of

Land Management’s Northwest

California Resource Advisory Council

will meet Thursday and Friday, Feb. 5

and 6, 1998, at the BLM’s Clear Lake

Field Office, 2550 North State Street,

Ukiah.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

meeting begins at 10 a.m. Feb. 5.

Agenda items include discussion of a

proposal to close Black Sands Beach to

motor vehicle access, the status of an

environmental impact statement on

Healthy Rangeland Standards and

Guidelines, discussion of recreation

user fees, the status of planning in the

Sacramento River Bend Area of Critical

Environmental Concern, reports on the

status of the plan amendment for South

Cow Mountain, and reports from the

managers of BLM’s Arcata, Clear Lake

and Redding field offices. Public