Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices 84383 

with respect to eligible renewable 

energy projects on covered land, with 

the goal of accelerating responsible 

development of renewable energy (i.e., 

geothermal) on public lands. 

Authorities: NEPA, the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); E.O. 

11514, March 5, 1970, as amended by 

E.O. 11991, May 24, 1977; and CEQ 

regulations (40 CFR 1507.3). 

Stephen G. Tryon, 

Director, Office of Environmental Policy and 

Compliance. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24358 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4331–84–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500182301] 

Notice of Availability of the Record of 

Decision and Approved Resource 

Management Plan Amendment for the 

Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus 

minimus), Colorado and Utah 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) announces the 

availability of the Record of Decision 

(ROD) for the Approved Resource 

Management Plan (RMP) Amendment 

for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse 

(Centrocercus minimus) located in 

Southwest Colorado and Southeast 

Utah. The Colorado and Utah State 

Directors signed the ROD on October 17, 

2024, which constitutes the decision of 

the BLM and makes the Approved RMP 

Amendment effective immediately. 

DATES: The Colorado and Utah State 

Directors signed the ROD/Approved 

RMP Amendment on October 17, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: The ROD/Approved RMP 

Amendment is available online at 

https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ 

project/2019031/510. Printed copies of 

the ROD/Approved RMP Amendment 

are available for public inspection at the 

Grand Junction, Uncompahgre, Tres 

Rios, Gunnison, San Luis Valley, Moab, 

and Monticello Field Offices or can be 

provided upon request by contacting 

Gina Phillips, Project Manager, BLM 

Colorado, telephone 970–589–9852, 

BLM Southwest District Office, 2465 S 

Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, 

email BLM_CO_GUSG_RMPA@blm.gov. 

A copy of the Protest Resolution 

Report is available at: https://

www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/protestresolution-reports. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gina 

Phillips, Project Manager, telephone 

970–589–9852, BLM Colorado, BLM 

Southwest District Office, 2465 S 

Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, 

email BLM_CO_GUSG_RMPA@blm.gov. 

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. Phillips. 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 

Approved RMP Amendment for the 

Gunnison Sage-Grouse changes the 

following existing plans: 

Colorado: 

• Canyons of the Ancients National 

Monument RMP (2010) 

• Dominguez-Escalante National 

Conservation Area RMP (2017) 

• Grand Junction Field Office RMP 

(2015) 

• Gunnison Gorge National 

Conservation Area RMP (2004) 

• Gunnison Resource Area RMP 

(1993) 

• McInnis Canyons National 

Conservation Area RMP (2004) 

• San Luis Resource Area RMP (1991) 

• Tres Rios Field Office RMP (2015) 

• Uncompahgre Field Office RMP 

(2020) 

Utah: 

• Moab Field Office RMP (2008) 

• Monticello Field Office RMP (2008) 

The Gunnison Sage-Grouse Approved 

RMP Amendment modifies management 

decisions and actions to promote 

Gunnison sage-grouse recovery and 

maintain and enhance habitat, as 

identified in the 2020 U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (USFWS) Recovery 

Plan, across the eight currently 

recognized populations in southwest 

Colorado and southeast Utah. Gunnison 

sage-grouse is federally listed as a 

threatened species under the 

Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 

1531–1544). The planning area spans 

portions of 19 Colorado Counties: 

Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, 

Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Gunnison, 

Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, 

Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio 

Grande, Saguache, San Juan, and San 

Miguel; and two Utah Counties: Grand 

and San Juan, and encompasses 

approximately 25 million acres of 

public land. The Approved RMP 

Amendment makes decisions for 

approximately 2,182,660 acres of BLMmanaged surface lands (1,951,440 acres 

in Colorado and 231,220 acres in Utah) 

and 2,852,390 acres of Federal 

subsurface mineral estate (2,563,220 

acres in Colorado and 289,170 acres in 

Utah). The alternative selected as the 

Approved RMP Amendment is a 

clarified version of Alternative F, as 

described in the Proposed RMP 

Amendment. The Approved RMP 

Amendment focuses conservation 

measures on occupied and unoccupied 

habitat. For all populations, the 

Approved RMP Amendment would 

apply buffers to protect all lek statuses 

(active, inactive, historic, unknown, 

occupied, and unoccupied). The 

Approved RMP Amendment includes a 

1-mile adjacent non-habitat buffer 

around occupied and unoccupied 

habitat areas, where minimization 

measures could apply. For Recreation 

and Lands and Realty program areas, the 

Approved RMP Amendment applies 

management designed for the Gunnison 

Basin population and different 

management designed for the seven 

satellite populations (those outside of 

the Gunnison Basin). For all 

populations, the Approved RMP 

Amendment manages resource uses 

with an objective for no increase in net 

surface disturbance in habitat. Also, the 

Approved RMP Amendment closes all 

areas with no and low potential for fluid 

mineral leasing in both occupied and 

unoccupied habitat management areas. 

The Approved RMP Amendment 

designates three new Areas of Critical 

Environmental Concern: Dry Creek 

Basin (San Miguel population; 10,920 

acres), Sapinero Mesa (Gunnison Basin 

population; 17,240 acres), and Chance 

Gulch (Gunnison Basin population; 

13,150 acres), specifically for the 

protection and enhancement of 

Gunnison sage-grouse habitat. One new 

Backcountry Conservation Area 

(referred to as Sugar Creek Backcountry 

Conservation Area in the Gunnison 

Basin population; 17,210 acres) is 

designated to preserve intact, public 

lands and priority habitat for wildlife, 

while offering primitive recreation 

opportunities. 

These landscape level management 

decisions provide habitat conservation 

and reduction of threats to Gunnison 

sage-grouse populations. They reflect a 

long-term commitment by the BLM and 

cooperating agencies for conservation of 

the species by continuing protection, 

restoration, and enhancement of 

Gunnison sage-grouse habitat. 

The BLM published a notice of intent 

in the Federal Register to initiate the 

public scoping period for this planning 

effort on July 6, 2022 (87 FR 40262). 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
84384 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices 

After preparing the Draft RMP 

Amendment/EIS in coordination with 

30 cooperating agencies and working 

with Tribes, the BLM announced the 90- 

day comment period through 

publication of its Notice of Availability 

in the Federal Register on November 9, 

2023 (88 FR 77353). Based on public 

comments received on the Draft RMP 

Amendment/Draft EIS, the BLM 

updated the Proposed RMP 

Amendment/Final EIS (Alternative F) 

by incorporating management actions 

and allowable uses from Alternatives A, 

B, C, D and E, including corrections and 

rewording for clarification of purpose 

and intent. 

The BLM provided the Proposed RMP 

Amendment on July 5, 2024, for a 30- 

day protest period. The BLM received 

five unique protest letter submissions. 

Three letters contained valid protest 

issues. After careful review of the 

responses to the valid protest issues in 

the protest resolution report, the BLM 

Director concluded that the BLM 

Colorado and Utah State Directors 

followed the applicable laws, 

regulations, and policies, and 

considered all relevant resource 

information and public input. The BLM 

Director dismissed the protests, and that 

decision is the final decision of the U.S. 

Department of the Interior. Responses to 

protest issues are compiled and 

documented in a Protest Resolution 

Report (see ADDRESSES). 

The BLM provided the Proposed RMP 

Amendment to the Governors of 

Colorado and Utah for a 60-day 

Governor’s consistency review. The 

State of Utah identified potential 

inconsistencies with State policy and 

the State Resource Management Plan. In 

response, the BLM modified a travel 

management action and followed up 

with a response letter to address 

additional topics of concern. The State 

of Colorado did not identify any 

inconsistencies with State or local 

plans, policies or programs identified 

during the Governor’s consistency 

review of the Proposed RMP 

Amendment. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.5– 

1) 

Douglas J. Vilsack, 

BLM Colorado State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24335 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4331–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500182534] 

Notice of Availability of the Record of 

Decision for the Approved Resource 

Management Plan Amendment for Big 

Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and 

Gas Management, Colorado 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) announces the 

availability of the Record of Decision 

(ROD) for the Approved Resource 

Management Plan (RMP) Amendment 

for Big Game Habitat Conservation for 

Oil and Gas Management in Colorado. 

The Colorado State Director signed the 

ROD on October 17, 2024, which 

constitutes the final decision of the BLM 

and makes the Approved RMP 

Amendment effective immediately. 

DATES: The Colorado State Director 

signed the ROD on October 17, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: The ROD/Approved RMP 

Amendment is available online at 

https://go.usa.gov/xzXxY. Printed 

copies of the ROD/Approved RMP 

Amendment are available for public 

inspection at the Colorado State Office, 

Denver Federal Center Building 40, 

Lakewood, CO 80215, or can be 

provided upon request by contacting the 

BLM at BLM_CO_corridors_planning@

blm.gov. 

A copy of the Protest Resolution 

Report is available at: https://

www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/protestresolution-reports. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Alan Bittner, Deputy State Director, 

Resources, telephone 303–239–3768; 

address BLM Colorado State Office, 

Attn: Big Game Corridor amendment/ 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), 

Denver Federal Center Building 40, P.O. 

Box 151029, Lakewood, CO 80215; 

email BLM_CO_corridors_planning@

blm.gov. 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 Mr. Bittner. 

Individuals outside the United States 

should use the relay services offered 

within their country to make 

international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Approved RMP Amendment changes 

the following existing plans: 

• Eastern Colorado RMP for the Royal 

Gorge Field Office (2024) 

• San Luis Resource Area RMP (1991) 

• Gunnison Resource Area RMP (1993) 

• Uncompahgre Field Office RMP 

(2020) 

• Colorado River Valley Field Office 

RMP (2015) and Roan Plateau 

Amendment (2016) 

• Grand Junction Field Office RMP 

(2015) 

• Kremmling RMP (2015) 

• Little Snake RMP (2011) 

• White River Field Office RMP (1997) 

• Tres Rios Field Office RMP (2015) 

• Canyons of the Ancients National 

Monument RMP (2010) 

• Gunnison Gorge National 

Conservation Area RMP (2004) 

The planning area includes all 

counties in Colorado and encompasses 

approximately 8.3 million acres of 

public land and approximately 27 

million acres of Federal mineral estate. 

The decision area includes all 8.3 

million acres of BLM-administered 

surface land (except where Federal 

minerals have been withdrawn from 

mineral leasing) plus approximately 4.7 

million acres of Federal mineral split 

estate where the surface is owned by 

private owners, local government, or the 

State. 

The Approved RMP Amendment 

describes the actions and management 

guidance for the conservation of big 

game High Priority Habitat (HPH) and 

oil and gas management. The RMP 

Amendment aligns BLM management of 

oil and gas in big game HPH with the 

Colorado Energy and Carbon 

Management Commission (ECMC) rules 

for oil and gas development in elk, mule 

deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep 

HPH (Rule 1202.c, d; Rule 1203). Where 

lands are open to oil and gas leasing 

under existing RMPs, the plan 

prescribes measures consistent with the 

ECMC rules to conserve seasonal 

habitats and connectivity within big 

game HPH in support of Colorado Parks 

and Wildlife’s (CPW) big game 

population objectives. The approved 

RMP Amendment calls for the BLM to 

consider alternative locations for oil and 

gas operations that either avoid big 

game HPH altogether, or, where 

avoidance is not feasible, minimize 

adverse impacts to the maximum extent 

possible. The plan includes a controlled 

surface use stipulation that limits 

facility density to no more than one 

active oil and gas location per square 

mile in big game HPH. A consideration 

of CPW recommendations for route 

density is included as an objective and 

as a lease notice to further guide 

implementation. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1