69324 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices

the White River Field Office RMP of

1997.

The planning area is northwest of the

town of Rifle, Colorado. It generally

includes all BLM managed public lands

west of State Highway 13 and north of

Interstate 70, east of Parachute Creek,

and roughly south of the Garfield

County Rio Blanco County line. The

amendment will consider management

changes to the on approximately 73,367

acres (68,447 surface and 4,455 subsurface, including 4,455 surface/subsurface acres within the White River

Resource Area). Boundaries may be

adjusted after the scoping phase of

planning is completed.

The BLM proposes to develop a

scientifically sound, community

supported strategy for the management

of the public lands in the Roan Plateau

area. The EIS will be prepared using an

inter-disciplinary approach to insure the

integration of biological, social and

environmental values. The disciplines

of the preparers shall be appropriate to

the scope and issues identified in the

scoping process. The analysis for the

amendment will be embodied with the

analysis for the EIS.

The amendment will focus on the

major needed land use allocation

decisions including; oil and gas

management, wilderness suitability,

special area designations (Area of

Critical Environmental Concern,

Wilderness Study Area, etc.) and travel

management. The amendment will also

review and analyze the multiple of

public land uses and resource issues as

identified by scoping and necessary to

develop a proactive integrated

management strategy.

DATES: The BLM can best utilize your

input if you submit written comments

pertaining to management concerns;

important social, economic and

environmental values; resource use;

resource development and resource

protection before January 31, 2001. A

public scoping meeting will be held

from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on

December 13, 2000 at the Rifle Fire

Department, 1850 Railroad Ave in Rifle,

Colorado 81650.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

the Field Manager, Glenwood Springs

Field Office, Bureau of Land

Management, 50629 Highway 6 & 24,

P.O. Box 1009, Glenwood Springs, CO

81602

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests to be placed on a mailing list

should be mailed to the address above.

You can also telephone Brian Hopkins

at (970) 947–2840 or e-mail him at

bhopkins@co.blm.gov. Documents and

maps relevant to the planning process

will be available for public review at the

Glenwood Springs Field Office and, as

feasible, available on the Glenwood

Springs Field Office website http://

www.co.blm.gov/gsra/roanplateau.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

November, 1997 Public Law 105–85

directed the transfer of jurisdiction of

the area formally known as the (NOSR)

from the Department of Energy (DOE) to

the BLM. The transfer directed that the

lands be managed in accordance with

laws applicable to public lands,

including Federal Land Policy and

Management Act (FLPMA.).

BLM has been providing custodial

surface management for some activities

on the Naval Oil Shale Reserve (NOSR)

for many years under a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) with the

Department of Energy. The formal

transfer of the lands to the BLM has

broadened BLM’s overall management

responsibilities and created the need to

amend the RMPs for the GSFO and the

WRFO. From a planning and public

involvement standpoint it is efficient to

include the identified adjacent lands in

the planning process.

The foremost goal of the planning

process is to ensure opportunities for

the public to participate in the planning

process. Individuals will have the

opportunity to attend public meetings

and field trips, write letters, telephone

and meet with directly with the

planning staff.

Anne Huebner,

Glenwood Springs Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–29402 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA–160–1220–00]

Meeting of the Central California

Resource Advisory Council

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Meeting of the Central

California Resource Advisory Council.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authorities in

the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Pub. L. 92–463) and the Federal Land

Policy and Management Act of 1976

(sec. 309), the Bureau of Land

Management Resource Advisory

Council for Central California will meet

in Sacramento.

DATES: Thursday and Friday, November

30–December 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: BLM-California State Office,

2135 Butano Drive, Sacramento, CA

95825.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 12

member Central California Resource

Advisory Council is appointed by the

Secretary of the Interior to advise the

Bureau of Land Management on public

land issues. On Friday morning, the

Council will hold a satellite

teleconference with Secretary of the

Interior Bruce Babbitt, and will meet

with new BLM-California State Director

Mike Pool. Other agenda items for the

two meetings include a discussion of

the BLM land exchange program, and a

review of Council’s proposed standards

and guidelines for the recreation

program. There will be a public

comment period at 11:30 a.m. Thursday

and at 1 p.m. on Friday at which time

the Council will hear comments on any

public land issue. Written comments

will also be accepted, either at the

meeting or at the address below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Larry Mercer, Public Affairs Officer,

Bureau of Land Management, 3801

Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308,

telephone 661–391–6010.

Dated: November 9, 2000.

Ron Fellows,

Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–29397 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA–670–00–1220–00, C00–0927 WHA–ADR]

Imperial Sand Dunes Vehicular Use

Closure

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Department of the Interior, El Centro

Field Office, California Desert District.

ACTION: Temporary closure of parts of

the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation

Management Area to off-highway

vehicle and other vehicular use in

compliance with court-approved

stipulations resulting from a lawsuit

involving the Endangered Species Act.

SUMMARY: On March 16, 2000 a lawsuit

was filed against the Bureau of Land

Management by Center for Biological

Diversity, Sierra Club and Public

Employees for Environmental

Responsibility. The basis of the lawsuit

is that BLM has not yet consulted with

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as

required by the Endangered Species Act,

on the effects of the California Desert

Conservation Area Plan on species

listed by the Service as threatened or

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices 69325

endangered. In compliance with

stipulations agreed to by the plaintiffs

and the BLM and approved by the U.S.

District Court for the Northern

Jurisdiction regarding Case No. C00–

0927 WHA–ADR, the public land areas

described below within the Imperial

Sand Dunes Recreation Management

Area are closed to off-highway vehicle

and other vehicular use effective Nov 3,

2000.

This is a temporary closure until the

Bureau of Land Management consults

with and receives a Biological Opinion

from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

on the impacts of vehicular use in the

Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area

on the Peirson’s milk-vetch (Astragalus

magdalenae var. peirsonii), designated

by Service in 1998 as a threatened

species under the Endangered Species

Act.

Affected Lands

Parcel 1, the northern closure area as

stipulated in the above mentioned case,

is bounded on the southeasterly side by

the North Algodones Wilderness Area,

on the northeasterly side by NilandGlamis Road, on the north side by a

latitudinal line, and on the

southwesterly side by the New

Coachella Canal Road. Said parcel

contains 3,800 acres more or less, and

is more particularly described as

follows:

Beginning at the northwesterly corner of

the North Algodones Wilderness Area;

thence southwesterly on a prolongation of

the northwesterly line of the above

mentioned wilderness area, approximately

300 feet to a line parallel with and 15.00 feet

northeast of the center line of the New

Coachella Canal Road (approximate

geographic position: longitude 115.26404

degrees, latitude 33.06407 degrees); thence

northwesterly, parallel with and 15.00 feet

northeast of the center line of the New

Coachella Canal Road, to a point at latitude

33.1038 degrees (approximate geographic

position: longitude 115.31038 degrees,

latitude 33.1038 degrees); thence east to a

line parallel with and 20.00 feet

southwesterly of the center line of NilandGlamis Road (approximate geographic

position: longitude 115.23364 degrees,

latitude 33.1038 degrees); thence

southeasterly, parallel with and 20.00 feet

southwesterly of the center line of NilandGlamis Road, to a prolongation of the

northwesterly line of the North Algodones

Wilderness Area (approximate geographic

position: 115.23123 degrees, latitude

33.10230 degrees); thence southwesterly

along said line of prolongation 85.00 feet to

point 1 of the North Algodones Wilderness

Area; thence continuing southwesterly along

the northwesterly line of the wilderness

boundary to the point of beginning.

Parcel 2, the small central closure as

stipulated in the above mentioned case,

contains 2,000 acres more or less, and

is more particularly described as

follows:

Beginning at longitude 115.09392 degrees,

latitude 32.92036 degrees; thence to

longitude 115.10286 degrees, latitude

32.91969 degrees; thence to longitude

115.10916 degrees, latitude 32.92183 degrees;

thence to longitude 115.11854 degrees,

latitude 32.93341 degrees; thence to

longitude 115.12616 degrees, latitude

32.93998 degrees; thence to longitude

115.11041 degrees, latitude 32.95332 degrees;

thence to longitude 115.09628 degrees,

latitude 32.95288 degrees; thence to

longitude 115.09225 degrees, latitude

32.94338 degrees; thence to point of

beginning.

Parcel 3, the large central closure area

as stipulated in the above-mentioned

case, is bounded on the northeasterly

side by Wash Road, on the north side by

a latitudinal line, on the southwesterly

side by the Sand Highway, and on the

southeasterly side by a line falling

northerly of Patton Valley. Said parcel

contains 43,035 acres more or less, and

is more particularly described as

follows:

Beginning at the point of intersection of a

line parallel with and 20.00 feet northeasterly

of the northeasterly edge of the Sand

Highway and a line parallel with and 150.00

feet northwesterly of the center line of Patton

Valley Road (approximate geographic

position: longitude 114.96653 degrees,

latitude 32.76586 degrees); thence

northwesterly, parallel with and 20.00 feet

northeasterly of the northeasterly edge of the

Sand Highway, to a point at latitude

32.90653 degrees (approximate geographic

position: longitude 115.11257 degrees,

latitude 32.90653 degrees); thence east to a

line parallel with and 20.00 feet

southwesterly of the center line of Wash

Road (approximate geographic position:

longitude 114.95415 degrees, latitude

32.90653 degrees); thence southeasterly,

parallel with and 20.00 feet southwesterly of

the center line of Wash Road, to a point at

latitude 32.83805 degrees (approximate

geographic position: longitude 114.86802

degrees, latitude 32.83805 degrees); thence

southwesterly to a line parallel with and

150.00 feet northwesterly of the center line

of Patton Valley Road, at latitude 32.78236

degrees (approximate geographic position:

longitude 114.95298 degrees, latitude

32.78236 degrees); thence southwesterly,

parallel with and 150.00 feet northwesterly of

the center line of Patton Valley Road, to the

point of beginning.

Parcel 4, the south central closure as

stipulated in the above mentioned case

is bounded on the southwesterly side by

the Sand Highway, on the northwesterly

side by Patton Valley Road, with the

remainder being defined by longitude

and latitude. Said parcel contains 310

acres more or less, and is more

particularly described as follows:

Beginning at the point of intersection of a

line parallel with and 20.00 feet northeasterly

of the northeasterly edge of the Sand

Highway and a line parallel with and 150 feet

southeasterly of the center line of Patton

Valley Road; thence northeasterly, parallel

with and 150.00 feet southeasterly of the

center line of Patton Valley Road, to a point

at latitude 32.77713 degrees (approximate

geographic position: longitude 114.95341

degrees, latitude 32.77713 degrees); thence

easterly, leaving said road, to longitude

114.94770 degrees, latitude 32.77746 degrees;

thence to longitude 114.94433 degrees,

latitude 32.77629 degrees; thence to

longitude 114.94401 degrees, latitude

32.77449 degrees; thence to longitude

114.94708 degrees, latitude 32.77218 degrees;

thence to longitude 114.95472 degrees,

latitude 32.76916 degrees; thence

southwesterly to a line parallel with and

20.00 feet northeasterly of the northeasterly

edge of the Sand Highway, at latitude

32.76222 degrees (approximate geographic

position: longitude 114.96253 degrees,

latitude 32.76222 degrees); thence

northwesterly, parallel with and 20.00 feet

northeasterly of the northeasterly edge of the

Sand Highway, to the point of beginning.

Parcel 5, the southern closure as

stipulated in the above mentioned case,

contains 160 acres more or less, and is

more particularly defined as follows:

Beginning at longitude 114.91161 degrees,

latitude 32.71803 degrees; thence to

longitude 114.91115 degrees, latitude

32.72076 degrees; thence to longitude

114.90694 degrees, latitude 32.72732 degrees;

thence to longitude 114.90049 degrees,

latitude 32.72711 degrees; thence to

longitude 114.90507 degrees, latitude

32.71860 degrees; thence to longitude

114.90873 degrees, 32.71786 degrees; thence

to point of beginning.

In all five areas, the longitudes and

latitudes are based upon the North

American Datum of 1983, and were

derived from the Bureau of Land

Management’s Base Cartographic Data

as depicted in the exhibits for the abovementioned case. Longitudinal and

latitudinal coordinates are informative

calls and shall yield to the physical

features where cited. More accurate

positions will be collected and recorded

when the official survey is performed.

This legal land description will be

finalized after formal Land Survey Plats

are completed.

Official government vehicles

conducting monitoring or other

legitimate governmental activities shall

be allowed inside the closed areas.

For Additional Information Contact:

Roxie Trost, BLM, El Centro Field

Office, 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro , CA

92243, telephone (760) 337 4400.

Greg Thomsen,

Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–29314 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P