[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84385-84386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24333]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500181910]


Availability of the Records of Decision and Approved Resource 
Management Plans for the Grand Junction Field Office and the Colorado 
River Valley Field Office, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Records of Decision (RODs) for the approved Resource Management 
Plans (RMPs) for the Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO) and the 
Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) located in western Colorado. The 
Colorado State Director signed the RODs on October 16, 2024, which 
constitutes the decision of the BLM and makes the approved RMPs 
effective immediately.

DATES: The Colorado State Director signed the RODs on October 16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: The RODs/approved RMPs are available online at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016085/510. Printed copies of 
the RODs/approved RMPs are available for public inspection at the 
Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction Field Offices or can be 
provided upon request by contacting BLM Project Manager Heather Sauls 
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#274f5446524b5467454b4a09404851"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="59312a382c352a193b3534773e362f">[email protected]</span></a> or 970-878-3855.
    A copy of the Protest Resolution Report is available at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Sauls, Project Manager, 
telephone 970-878-3855; address BLM Upper Colorado River District, 2518 
H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bad2c9dbcfd6c9fad8d6d794ddd5cc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5a32293b2f36291a383637743d352c">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals in 
the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a 
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting Ms. Sauls. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The planning area is identical to the 
combined planning areas for the 2015 CRVFO RMP and the 2015 GJFO RMP. 
Within the CRVFO portion of the supplemental EIS planning area, 
approximately 517,500 acres of BLM-administered surface lands and 
approximately 711,300 acres of BLM-administered Federal fluid mineral 
estate are in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Pitkin, and Routt Counties in 
Colorado. Within the GJFO portion of the planning area, approximately 
1,067,500 acres of BLM-administered surface lands and approximately 
1,235,600 acres of BLM-administered Federal fluid mineral estate are in 
Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, and Rio Blanco Counties in Colorado. The 
decision area is BLM-administered surface lands (BLM-administered 
lands) and the Federal fluid mineral estate below BLM-administered 
lands, split-estate lands, and other Federal lands (but not National 
Forest System lands).
    The BLM prepared a supplemental environmental impact statement 
(EIS) to the 2014 CRVFO RMP/final EIS and 2015 GJFO RMP/Final EIS. The 
BLM issued RODs and approved the RMPs for the CRVFO and GJFO in 2015. 
The supplemental EIS was written in response to a United States 
District Court, District of Colorado, opinion and order (1:16-cv-01822-
LTB) regarding the CRVFO RMP ROD and a subsequent settlement agreement. 
The court granted a partial remand without vacating the decisions 
contained in the EIS and ROD so that the BLM could address two 
deficiencies identified by the court. The supplemental EIS also 
responds to a court-approved voluntary remand of the GJFO ROD (1-19-cv-
02869-REB) to allow the BLM to address the same deficiencies identified 
in the CRVFO case.
    Through this collaborative planning effort, the approved RMPs 
describe the actions to guide future management and meet desired 
resource conditions. The proposed RMP (Alternative G) in the final 
supplemental EIS was carried forward as the approved RMP. As part of 
this supplemental EIS planning effort, the BLM identified several units 
within the planning area requiring an updated wilderness 
characteristics inventory; the updated inventory increased the size of 
the Flat Tops unit (from 3,500 acres to 6,900 acres) and the Pisgah 
Mountain unit (from 14,500 acres to 16,300 acres).
    The approved RMP retains the areas closed to fluid mineral leasing 
in the 2015 CRVFO and GJFO RMPs and also

[[Page 84386]]

retains the fluid mineral stipulations. Within the CRVFO, areas closed 
to oil and gas leasing in the 2015 RMP include: all Wilderness Study 
Areas (WSAs); lands within municipal boundaries; the Upper Colorado 
River Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA); Blue Hill, Bull Gulch, 
Deep Creek, and Thompson Creek Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 
(ACECs); Deep Creek, Flat Tops Addition, Pisgah Mountain, and Thompson 
Creek lands with wilderness characteristics; Deep Creek and two 
Colorado River segments found eligible for inclusion in the National 
Wild and Scenic Rivers System; and all State wildlife areas. Within the 
GJFO, areas closed to oil and gas leasing in the 2015 RMP include: all 
WSAs; Bangs, Dolores River, and Palisade Rim SRMAs; Gunnison River 
Bluffs Extensive Recreation Management Area; Badger Wash, Dolores River 
Riparian, Juanita Arch, Rough Canyon, Sinbad Valley, The Palisade, and 
Unaweep Seep ACECs; Bangs, Maverick, and Unaweep lands with wilderness 
characteristics; Gunnison sage-grouse critical habitat and greater 
sage-grouse habitat within 1 mile of an active lek; Grand Junction and 
Palisade municipal watersheds; and Bureau of Reclamation withdrawal 
areas.
    The approved RMPs close the no-known and low oil and gas 
development potential areas to future fluid mineral leasing, except for 
the helium potential area (GJFO), which remains open to leasing. Medium 
oil and gas development potential areas are closed where they are 
surrounded by low oil and gas development potential areas within the 
CRVFO. Medium oil and gas development potential areas that are either 
adjacent to (CRVFO) or surrounded by (GJFO) high oil and gas 
development potential areas remain open for oil and gas leasing. The 
high potential areas remain open for fluid mineral leasing. Within the 
high potential and open medium potential areas, there are areas closed 
to fluid mineral leasing due to specific resource concerns. Geothermal 
resources remain open to leasing, except for those within areas closed 
to oil and gas leasing due to specific resource concerns, and fluid 
mineral stipulations in the approved RMPs apply.
    The approved RMPs also close five existing designated ACECs to 
fluid mineral leasing to protect their relevant and important values, 
including the Glenwood Springs Debris Flow Hazard Zones and Grand 
Hogback ACECs in CRVFO, and the Atwell Gulch, Indian Creek, and Pyramid 
Rock ACECs in GJFO. The approved RMPs expand the existing Grand Hogback 
ACEC (CRVFO) and Pyramid Rock ACEC (GJFO).
    Within the CRVFO, the approved RMP designates the Castle Peak 
Addition lands with wilderness characteristics unit as a WSA and closes 
the Thompson Divide Withdrawal Area to oil and gas leasing. Within the 
GJFO, the approved RMP manages Cone Mountain, Granite Creek, Kings 
Canyon, Lumsden Canyon, and West Creek units for protection of their 
wilderness characteristics.
    Increased protections for the Roan and Carr Creeks ACEC and Jerry 
Creek, Mesa/Powderhorn, and Collbran municipal water source areas 
within the GJFO are provided through application of No-Surface-
Occupancy stipulations.
    The BLM provided the proposed RMP/final supplemental EIS on June 
21, 2024, for a 30-day protest period and received three protest 
letters and one comment letter. The BLM Assistant Director resolved all 
protests. Responses to protest issues have been compiled and documented 
in a Protest Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES).
    The BLM provided the proposed RMP/final supplemental EIS to the 
Governor of Colorado for a 60-day Governor's consistency review. No 
inconsistencies with State or local plans, policies, or programs were 
identified during the Governor's consistency review of the proposed 
RMP/final supplemental EIS. No changes to the proposed RMP/final 
supplemental EIS were necessary as a result of the Governor's 
consistency review.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.5-1)

Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-24333 Filed 10-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-16-P


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