Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices 69323

The remainder of this notice, with the

exception of the December 18, 2000

date, and a minor correction of the

internet web page address from

‘‘imperial project’’ to

‘‘imperiallproject’’ is identical to the

November 9th notice.

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of

1969 and 40 CFR 1503.4, this is notice

that the Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) and the County of Imperial have

jointly published the Final

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report (Final

EIS/EIR) on the proposed Imperial

Project. The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) has prepared a

Final EIS/EIR for the Imperial Project,

proposed by Glamis Imperial

Corporation is an open-pit gold mine on

about 1,500 acres of public land. The

project is located on BLM-administered

public lands in an unincorporated area

of southeastern Imperial County,

California. The Final EIS/EIR contains

the BLM preferred alternative.

Interested citizens are invited to

review a copy of the Final EIS. The

entire document will be available on the

internet at http://www.ca.blm.gov/

elcentro/imperiallproject. The

document also is available by request to

the BLM El Centro Field Office on CDROM. The CD-ROM is in Adobe Acrobat

Reader format, and contains a free

download of Acrobat Reader so it can be

opened easily.

A limited number of paper copies of

the Final EIS are available, and a copy

may be obtained by telephoning or

writing the contact person listed below.

Public reading copies are available at

the following public libraries:

List of Libraries to Which Copies of the

Final EIS/EIR Have Been Sent

Arizona Western College Library, 9500

South Avenue 8 East, Yuma, AZ

85365

Holtville Library, 101 East Sixth Street,

Holtville, CA 92250

BLM Library SC–322A, Bldg. 50, Denver

Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225

Brawley Public Library, 400 Main

Street, Brawley, CA 92227

Calexico City Library, 850 Encinas

Avenue, Calexico, CA 92231

El Centro Public Library, 539 State

Street, El Centro, CA 92243

Imperial County Library, 1647 West

Main Street, El Centro, CA 92243

Imperial County Free Library, 939 West

Main Street, El Centro, CA 92243

Imperial Valley College Library, 380

East Aten Road, Imperial, CA 92251

Imperial Public Library, 200 W. Ninth

Street, Imperial, CA 92251

Meyer Memorial Library, 225 West Main

Street, Calipatria, CA 92233

Palo Verde District Library, 125 W.

Chanslor Way, Blythe, CA 92225

San Diego City Public Library—

Clairemont, 2920 Burgener Boulevard,

San Diego, CA 92110–1027

San Diego City Public Library—Logan

Hills, 811 South 28th Street, San

Diego, CA 92113–2498

San Diego City Pub. Library—Mission

Hills, 925 West Washington Street,

San Diego, CA 92103–1895

San Diego City Public Library—Oak

Park, 2802 54th Street, San Diego, CA

92105–4941

San Diego City Public Library—Paradise

Hills, 5922 Rancho Hills Drive, San

Diego, CA 92139–3137

San Diego County Public Library, 2130

Arnold Way, Alpine, CA 91901–9499

San Diego County Public Library, 652

Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs,

CA 92004–0297

San Diego County Public Library, 1309

Camino del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014–

2693

San Diego County Public Library, 201 E.

Douglas, El Cajon, CA 92020–4519

San Diego County Public Library, 8055

University Avenue, La Mesa, CA

91941–5097

San Diego County Public Library, 1406

Monicito Road, Ramona, CA 92065–

2296

San Diego County Public Library, 700

Eucalyptus Avenue, Vista, CA 92084–

6245

San Diego State University Library, 720

Heber Avenue, Calexico, CA 92231

Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter Office

Library, 3820 Ray Street, San Diego,

CA 92104–3623

Yuma County Library District, 350

South 3rd Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364.

DATES: Public comments on the Final

EIS/EIR will be accepted at the BLM El

Centro Field Office until close of

business on December 18, 2000. Unless

specifically requested otherwise, names

of commentators will be available to the

public. BLM will be rendering a

decision on the proposed Project no

sooner than mid-December 2000.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Comments on the Final EIS/EIR should

be addressed to Mr. Glen R. Miller, BLM

El Centro Field Office, 1661 S. 4th St.,

El Centro, CA 92243. To obtain copies

of the Final EIS/EIR, contact Mr. Miller

at (760) 337–4473. Fax requests may be

sent to the attention of Mr. Glen Miller

at (760) 337–4490. Requests also may be

placed through email at: gmiller@

ca.blm.gov. Please specify either CDROM or the specific volume(s) desired

(see Supplemental Information below).

Include your name, complete mailing

address (no P.O. Boxes), and phone

number on all requests.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A Draft EIS/EIR was published in

November 1997, with a comment period

closing on April 13, 1998.

A Recirculated Supplement to the

Draft EIS/EIR (SDEIS/EIR) was released

in March 1999.

The Final EIS/EIR incorporates

changes based on public comments

received on the Draft EIS/EIR. The Final

EIS/EIR contains the BLM Preferred

Alternative, along with responses to

written comments received during the

135-day public comment period for the

Draft EIS/EIR. Both the Solicitor’s

Opinion on regulation of hardrock

mining in the California desert, and a

report of the task force of the Advisory

Council on Historic Preservation are

included as appendices to Volume I.

The Final EIS/EIR has 3 volumes:

• Volume I—Main Text—

(incorporates changes to DEIS/EIR, text

and appendices)

• Volume II—Technical

Appendices—(this is identical to the

DEIS/EIR Volume II)

• Volume III—Public Comments to

the Draft EIS/EIR and Responses to

Comments—Written Comment Letters

from Individuals/Petitions/Form Letters

Dated: November 9, 2000.

Greg Thomsen,

Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–29401 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO–14000–01–1610–DH]

Resource Management Plan

Amendment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Glenwood Springs Field Office, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

to Amend the Glenwood Springs Field

Office Resource Management Plan

(RMP) and the White River Field Office

RMP for the Roan Plateau Area.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969 and section 202 of the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act of 1976 and Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) regulations in CFR

1610.2 and 1610.5–5. BLM intends to

write an Environmental Impact

Statement which will amend the RMP

for the Glenwood Springs Field Office

(GSFO) approved in January of 1984 and

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