41108 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 

between the national government and 

the States, or the distribution of power 

and responsibilities among various 

levels of government. A federalism 

summary impact statement is not 

required. 

Civil Justice Reform (Executive Order 

12988) 

This notice complies with the 

requirements of Executive Order 12988. 

Specifically, in issuing this notice, the 

Department has taken the necessary 

steps to eliminate drafting errors and 

ambiguity, minimize potential litigation, 

and provide a clear legal standard for 

affected conduct as required by section 

3 of Executive Order 12988. 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

These rate adjustments do not affect 

the collections of information which 

have been approved by the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), under the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995. The OMB Control Number 

is 1076–0141 and expires June 30, 2019. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

The Department has determined that 

these rate adjustments do not constitute 

a major Federal action significantly 

affecting the quality of the human 

environment and that no detailed 

statement is required under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 

U.S.C. 4321–4370(d), pursuant to 43 

CFR 46.210(i). In addition, the rate 

adjustments do not present any of the 12 

extraordinary circumstances listed at 43 

CFR 46.215. 

Data Quality Act 

In developing this notice, we did not 

conduct or use a study, experiment, or 

survey requiring peer review under the 

Data Quality Act (Pub. L. 106–554). 

Dated: August 13, 2018. 

Tara Sweeney, 

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17724 Filed 8–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4337–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[18X 1109AF LLUT930000 

L16100000.DS0000.LXSSJ0640000] 

Notice of Availability of the Grand 

Staircase-Escalante National 

Monument-Grand Staircase, 

Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyon 

Units and Federal Lands Previously 

Included in the Monument That Are 

Excluded From the Boundaries Draft 

Resource Management Plans and 

Associated Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended, and the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act of 1976, as 

amended, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument (GSENM) 

and Kanab Field Office (KFO) have 

prepared Draft Resource Management 

Plans (RMPs) and a Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) for the GSENM 

Grand Staircase, Kaiparowits, and 

Escalante Canyons Units and Federal 

lands excluded from the Monument by 

Proclamation 9682 and by this notice 

are announcing the opening of the 

public comment period. 

DATES: To ensure that comments will be 

considered, the BLM must receive 

written comments on the Draft RMPs/ 

Draft EIS within 90 days of the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes its Notice of Availability of 

the Draft RMPs/Draft EIS in the Federal 

Register. The BLM will announce future 

meetings or hearings and any other 

public involvement activities at least 15 

days in advance through public notices, 

media releases and/or mailings. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the Draft RMPs/Draft EIS by either of 

the following methods: 

• Website: https://goo.gl/EHvhbc 

• Mail: 669 S Hwy. 89A, Kanab, UT 

84741, Attn: Matt Betenson 

Copies of the Draft RMPs/Draft EIS are 

available at the following locations: 

• Bureau of Land Management, Utah 

State Office, 440 West 200 South, 

Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 

• Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, 

755 West Main, Escalante, Utah 

• Kanab Field Office, 669 South 

Highway 89A, Kanab, Utah 

The Draft RMPs/Draft EIS and 

accompanying background documents 

are available on the ePlanning website 

at: https://goo.gl/EHvhbc. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt 

Betenson, Associate Monument 

Manager, telephone (435) 644–1200; 

address 669 S Hwy. 89A, Kanab, UT 

84741; email BLM_UT_CCD_

monuments@blm.gov. Persons who use 

a telecommunications device for the 

deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to 

contact the above individual during 

normal business hours. The FRS is 

available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 

to leave a message or question for the 

above individual. You will receive a 

reply during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

December 4, 2017, President Donald 

Trump signed Presidential Proclamation 

9682 modifying the boundaries of the 

GSENM as established by Proclamation 

6920 to exclude from designation and 

reservation approximately 861,974 acres 

of land. Lands that remain part of the 

GSENM are included in three units, 

known as the Grand Staircase, 

Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyons 

Units and are reserved for the care and 

management of the objects of historic 

and scientific interest described in 

Proclamation 6920, as modified by 

Proclamation 9682. Lands that are 

excluded from the Monument 

boundaries are now referred to as the 

Kanab-Escalante Planning Area (KEPA) 

and are managed in accordance with the 

BLM’s multiple-use mandate. 

The planning area is located in Kane 

and Garfield Counties, Utah, and 

encompasses approximately 1.86 

million acres of public land. For the 

GSENM Grand Staircase, Kaiparowits, 

and Escalante Canyons Units, this 

planning effort, is needed to identify 

goals, objectives, and management 

actions necessary for the conservation, 

protection, restoration, or enhancement 

of the resources, objects, and values 

identified in Proclamation 6920, as 

modified by Proclamation 9682. For 

lands excluded from the monument, 

this planning effort is needed to 

determine to identify goals, objectives, 

and management actions necessary to 

ensure that public lands and their 

various resource values are utilized in 

the combination that will best meet the 

present and future needs of the 

American people. 

The entire planning area is currently 

managed by the BLM and under the 

Grand Staircase-Escalante National 

Monument Management Plan (BLM 

1999), as amended. This planning effort 

would replace the existing Monument 

Management Plan with four new RMPs. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 41109 

Within the Draft EIS, the BLM is also 

considering alternatives related to 

livestock Grazing on 318,000 acres of 

land within the Glen Canyon National 

Recreation Area, 65,500 acres in the 

Kanab Field Office and 2,300 acres in 

the Arizona Strip Field Office. The EIS 

includes information regarding the 

environmental consequences of 

implementing various livestock grazing 

management actions on resources in 

these areas. At the completion of this 

planning process, the National Park 

Service, who is cooperating with the 

BLM on preparation of the NEPA 

analysis, may adopt the EIS and prepare 

a separate decision related to livestock 

grazing for lands under NPS authority. 

The BLM reviewed public scoping 

comments to identify planning issues 

that directed the formulation of 

alternatives and framed the scope of 

analysis in the Draft RMPs/Draft EIS. 

Issues identified include management of 

recreation and access; paleontological 

and cultural resources; livestock 

grazing; mineral resources; and wildlife, 

water, vegetation, and soil resources. 

This planning effort also considers 

management of lands with wilderness 

characteristics and designation of Areas 

of Critical Environmental Concern 

(ACECs). 

The Draft RMPs/Draft EIS evaluate 

four alternatives in detail. Alternative A 

is the No Action alternative, which is a 

continuation of existing decisions in the 

Monument Management Plan. 

Alternative B generally focuses on 

protection of resources (e.g., wildlife, 

vegetation, cultural, etc.) while 

providing for targeted resource use (e.g., 

rights-of-way, travel, mineral 

development). Alternative C generally 

represents a balance of resource 

protection and resource use. Alternative 

D generally focuses on maximizing 

resource use (e.g., rights-of-way, 

minerals development, livestock 

grazing) while still providing for 

resource protection as required by 

applicable regulations, laws, policies, 

plans, and guidance, including 

protection of Monument objects within 

the GSENM Units. The BLM has 

identified Alternative D as the preferred 

alternative for purposes of public 

comment and review. Identification of 

this alternative, however, does not 

represent final agency direction, and the 

Proposed RMPs/Final EIS may include 

management actions described in the 

other analyzed alternatives. 

Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7–2(b), the 

BLM is required to publish a notice in 

the Federal Register listing each ACEC 

proposed and specifying the resource 

use limitations which would occur if 

the ACEC were formally designated. 

This notice announces a concurrent 

public comment period for potential 

ACECs. There are no ACECs under 

Alternative A. There are 14 potential 

ACECs under Alternative B (totaling 

308,044 acres), 5 potential ACECs under 

Alternative C (totaling 130,997 acres), 

and no potential ACECs under 

Alternative D. Pertinent information 

regarding ACECs, including proposed 

designation acreage and resource use 

limitations are included below: 

Potential ACEC Alternative B 

(acres) 

Alternative C 

(acres) 

Relevant and important 

values Resource use limitations 

Alvey Wash .................... 30,460 Not Designated ........... Historic and Cultural 

Values.

• Prohibit exclusive commercial mineral material sites. 

• Prohibit community mineral material pits larger than five acres in 

size. 

• Surface facilities incident to underground mining would be required 

to avoid known and document archaeological sites. 

• Stipulations would be necessary to mitigate adverse effects of subsidence. 

• NSO for fluid mineral leasing. 

• No rock climbing allowed within 100 meters of archaeological structures. 

• No casual use collection of fossils or other paleontological materials. 

• Require inventories of all paleontological resources prior to surface 

disturbing activities to document significant invertebrate and 

paleobotanical fossil sites, not just vertebrates. 

Bulldog Bench ............... 361 Not Designated ........... Historic and Cultural 

Values.

• No casual use collection of fossils or other paleontological materials. 

• Require inventories of all paleontological resources prior to surface 

disturbing activities to document significant invertebrate and 

paleobotanical fossil sites, not just vertebrates. 

Butler Valley .................. 15,899 Not Designated ........... Scenic and Natural 

Process or System.

• Manage as VRM Class II. 

• No collection of BLM or State sensitive plants without a research 

permit. 

• Prohibit vegetation treatments that are likely to harm, or will not 

benefit, special status species plants in known suitable habitat. 

Circle Cliffs .................... 26,706 26,706 ......................... Historic and Cultural, 

Scenic, and Fish and 

Wildlife Resources.

• Prohibit exclusive commercial mineral material sites. 

• Prohibit community mineral material pits larger than five acres in 

size. 

• NSO for fluid mineral leasing. 

• No Casual Collection of petrified Wood. 

• Avoid surface disturbance and placement of facilities near concentrations of petrified wood or in situ logs. 

Cockscomb East ............ 42,182 32,683 ......................... Fish and Wildlife Resources, Natural 

Process or Systems, 

Scenic, and Historic 

and Cultural Value.

• No collection of BLM or State sensitive plants without a research 

permit. 

• Prohibit vegetation treatments that are likely to harm, or will not 

benefit, special status species plants in known suitable habitat. 

• Manage as VRM Class II. 

• No casual use collection of fossils or other paleontological materials. 

• Require inventories of all paleontological resources prior to surface 

disturbing activities to document significant invertebrate and 

paleobotanical fossil sites, not just vertebrates. 

• Do not designate new OHV routes. OHV use limited to designated 

routes. 


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41110 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 

Potential ACEC Alternative B 

(acres) 

Alternative C 

(acres) 

Relevant and important 

values Resource use limitations 

Cockscomb West ........... 40,476 40,476 ......................... Natural Process or 

Systems, Scenic, 

and Historic and Cultural Values.

• Prohibit exclusive commercial mineral material sites. 

• Prohibit community mineral material pits larger than five acres in 

size. 

• NSO for fluid mineral leasing (Alternative B). 

• CSU for fluid mineral leasing (Alternative C). 

• Avoid vegetation treatments that disturb soils in previously untreated areas that are either Semidesert Shallow Loam (Pinyon-Juniper) or Semidesert Shallow Gypsum (Mormontea) Ecological 

Sites; Limit method to hand-thinning (lop and scatter). 

• No collection of BLM or State sensitive plants without a research 

permit. 

• Manage as VRM Class II. 

Collet Top ...................... 9,218 Not Designated ........... Historic and Cultural 

Values, Scenic, and 

Natural Process or 

Systems.

• Prohibit exclusive commercial mineral material sites. 

• Prohibit community mineral material pits larger than five acres in 

size. 

• NSO for fluid mineral leasing. 

• Surface facilities incident to underground mining would be required 

to avoid known and document archaeological sites. 

• Stipulations would be necessary to mitigate adverse effects of subsidence. 

• No rock climbing allowed within 100 meters of archaeological structures. 

• Manage as VRM Class II. 

• No collection of BLM or State sensitive plants without a research 

permit. 

Henderson/Pardner ....... 12,259 Not Designated ........... Scenic and Historic 

and Cultural Values.

• Manage as VRM Class II. 

• No casual use collection of fossils or other paleontological materials. 

• Require inventories of all paleontological resources prior to surface 

disturbing activities to document significant invertebrate and 

paleobotanical fossil sites, not just vertebrates. 

Hole in the Rock Trail .... 61,064 Not Designated ........... Historic and Cultural 

Values and Natural 

Process or System.

• Manage all areas outside WSAs VRM Class II. 

• Prohibit exclusive commercial mineral material sites. 

• Prohibit community mineral material pits larger than 5 acres in size. 

• NSO for fluid mineral leasing. 

• No collection of BLM or State sensitive plants without a research 

permit. 

Paria River ..................... 180 Not Designated ........... Scenic, Historic and 

Cultural Values, Fish 

Wildlife, Natural 

Process or System.

• Manage all areas outside WSAs VRM Class II. 

• Closed or limited to designated routes. 

Scorpion Flat/Dry Fork .. 30,691 Not Designated ........... Scenic ......................... • Manage all areas outside WSAs VRM Class II. 

Straight Cliffs/Fifty Mile 

Bench.

21,357 12,270 ......................... Scenic and Historical 

and Cultural Values.

• Prohibit exclusive commercial mineral material sites. 

• Prohibit community mineral material pits larger than five acres in 

size. 

• NSO for fluid mineral leasing (Alternative B). 

• CSU for fluid mineral leasing (Alternative C). 

• Surface facilities incident to underground mining would be required 

to avoid known and document archaeological sites. 

• Stipulations would be necessary to mitigate adverse effects of subsidence. 

• No rock climbing allowed within 100 meters of archaeological structures. 

• Manage as VRM Class II. 

Tibbet Head ................... 19,079 19,079 ......................... Historical and Cultural 

Values and Natural 

process or System.

• No collection of BLM or State sensitive plants without a research 

permit. No casual use collection of fossils or other paleontological 

materials. 

• Require inventories of all paleontological resources prior to surface 

disturbing activities to document significant invertebrate and 

paleobotanical fossil sites, not just vertebrates. 

Wahweap Hoodoos ....... 130 Not Designated ........... Natural Systems or 

Process.

• Recommend withdrawing from mineral entry. 

• No rock climbing or rappelling within 100 meters of any hoodoo formation. 

The application of the Federal coal 

unsuitability criteria to portions of the 

Southern Kaiparowits in the lands 

excluded from the monument is 

included in the Draft RMP/Draft EIS. As 

required by 43 CFR 3461.2–1(a)(2), the 

public is invited to comment on the 

results of the application of the criteria 

and the process used to derive these 

results. 

BLM Utah is soliciting comments on 

the entire Draft RMPs/Draft EIS. Please 

note that public comments and 

information submitted including names, 

street addresses, and email addresses of 

persons who submit comments will be 

available for public review and 

disclosure at addresses provided in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice during 

regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), 

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email address or other personal 

identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you may request to withhold your 

personal identifying information from 

public review, we cannot guarantee that 

we will be able to do so. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 41111 

Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10 

and 43 CFR 1610.2. 

Edwin L. Roberson, 

State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17751 Filed 8–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[18X 1109AF LLUT930000 

L16100000.DS0000.LXSSJ0650000] 

Notice of Availability of the Draft Bears 

Ears National Monument Indian Creek 

and Shash Ja ́a Units Monument 

Management Plans and Associated 

Environmental Impact Statement, Utah 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended, and the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act of 1976, as 

amended, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) Canyon Country 

District Office, in coordination with the 

United States Forest Service (USFS), 

Manti-La Sal National Forest, has 

prepared Draft Monument Management 

Plans (MMPs) and an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) for the Bears 

Ears National Monument (BENM) 

Indian Creek and Shash Ja ́a Units. By 

this Notice, the BLM is announcing the 

opening of the public comment period. 

DATES: To ensure that comments will be 

considered, the BLM must receive 

written comments on the BENM Draft 

MMPs/Draft EIS within 90 days of the 

date the Environmental Protection 

Agency publishes its Notice of 

Availability of the BENM Draft MMPs/ 

Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The 

BLM will announce future meetings or 

hearings and any other public 

involvement activities at least 15 days 

in advance through public notices, 

media releases and/or mailings. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the BENM Draft MMPs/EIS by either 

of these methods: 

• Email: blm_ut_monticello_

monuments@blm.gov 

• Mail: BLM, Canyon Country District 

Office, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, Utah 

84532, Attn: Lance Porter 

Copies of the BENM Draft MMPs/ 

Draft EIS are available at the following 

locations: 

• Bureau of Land Management, Utah 

State Office, 440 West 200 South, 

Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 

• Bureau of Land Management, 

Monticello Field Office, 365 North 

Main, Monticello, Utah 

• Bureau of Land Management, Canyon 

Country District Office, 82 E 

Dogwood, Moab, Utah 

• Manti-La-Sal National Forest, 559 

West Price River Drive, Price, Utah 

The BENM Draft MMPs/Draft EIS and 

accompanying background documents 

are available on the ePlanning website 

at: https://goo.gl/uLrEae. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lance Porter, District Manager, BLM 

Canyon Country District Office, 82 East 

Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532, telephone 

435–259–2100 or email l50porte@

blm.gov. Persons who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to 

contact the above individual during 

normal business hours. The FRS is 

available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 

to leave a message or question for the 

above individual. You will receive a 

reply during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

December 4, 2017, President Donald 

Trump signed Proclamation 9681 

modifying the Bears Ears National 

Monument designated by Proclamation 

9558 to exclude from its designation 

and reservation approximately 

1,150,860 acres of land. The revised 

BENM boundary includes two units— 

Shash Ja ́a and Indian Creek Units—that 

are reserved for the care and 

management of the objects of historic 

and scientific interest within their 

boundaries. The planning area is located 

entirely in San Juan County, Utah and 

encompasses 169,289 acres of BLMmanaged lands and 32,587 acres of 

National Forest System Lands. All of the 

National Forest System Lands are 

within the Shash Ja ́a Unit. 

The BLM is the lead agency for the 

preparation of the EIS, and the Forest 

Service is participating as a cooperating 

agency. 

This planning effort is needed to 

identify goals, objectives, and 

management actions necessary for the 

conservation, protection, restoration, or 

enhancement of the resources, objects, 

and values identified in Proclamation 

9558, as modified by Proclamation 

9681. The BENM is jointly managed by 

the BLM and USFS under the 

Monticello Resource Management Plan 

(BLM 2008), as amended, and the Manti 

La-Sal Land and Resource Management 

Plan (LRMP), as amended (USFS 1986). 

The MMPs would replace the existing 

Monticello RMP for the BLMadministered lands within the BENM, 

and would amend the existing Manti LaSal LRMP for USFS-administered lands 

within the BENM. 

Each agency will continue to manage 

their lands within the monument 

pursuant to their respective applicable 

legal authorities. The responsible 

official for the BLM is the Utah State 

Director; the responsible official for the 

USFS is the Manti-La Sal Forest 

Supervisor. The USFS intends to use the 

BLM’s EIS to make its decision for the 

part of the Shash Ja ́a Unit MMP it 

administers. The USFS will use the 

BLM’s administrative review 

procedures, as provided by the USFS 

2012 Planning Rule, at 36 CFR 

219.59(b). 

The BLM and USFS have reviewed 

public scoping comments to identify 

planning issues that directed the 

formulation of alternatives and framed 

the scope of analysis in the Draft MMPs/ 

Draft EIS. Issues identified include 

management of cultural resources, 

including protection of American Indian 

sacred sites, traditional cultural 

properties, and access by members of 

Indian tribes for traditional cultural and 

customary uses; recreation and access; 

livestock grazing; and wildlife, water, 

vegetation, and soil resources. This 

planning effort also considers 

management of lands with wilderness 

characteristics. 

The Draft MMPs/Draft EIS evaluate 

four alternatives in detail. Alternative A 

is the No Action alternative, which is a 

continuation of existing decisions in the 

Monticello RMP and in the Manti-La Sal 

Forest Plan, to the extent that those 

decisions are compatible with the 

proclamations. Alternative B 

emphasizes resource protection and 

conservation. It is the alternative which 

imposes the greatest restrictions on 

recreation and other uses. The BLM and 

USFS would take a more active 

management approach to ensure that 

objects and values are conserved, 

protected and restored. Alternative C 

represents a balance among levels of 

restriction on recreation and other uses 

and emphasizes adaptive management 

to protect the long-term sustainability of 

Monument objects and values while 

providing for other multiple uses. 

Alternative D is the alternative with the 

least restrictive management 

prescriptions and utilizes a more 

passive management strategy, with the 

aim of minimizing the number of 

changes in the BENM. The agencies 

would focus on management actions 

that preserve objects and values but do 

not alter the existing character of the 

landscape or limit future agency 

discretion. 

The BLM and USFS have identified 

Alternative D as the preferred 


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