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
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices 84385 

This surface density limitation would 

require the operator to address adverse 

direct and unavoidable indirect impacts 

through mitigation. This includes 

avoidance, minimization, and 

compensatory mitigation strategies in 

subsequent implementation-level 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) analyses for proposed actions 

that may result in big game HPH loss 

and degradation. Subsequent 

implementation-level mitigation could 

limit the duration and extent of 

development activities in big game HPH 

through all phases of development by 

avoiding activities in HPH, applying 

surface density and timing limitations, 

and mitigating residual impacts. The 

BLM may also require compensatory 

mitigation to offset disturbance or 

density limitation exceedances and 

adverse direct and unavoidable indirect 

impacts that result in the functional loss 

of habitat from oil and gas development 

in big game HPH. The BLM, after 

coordination with CPW, will determine 

whether compensatory mitigation 

proposed by the operator is sufficient to 

protect big game HPH from adverse 

direct and unavoidable indirect impacts. 

The BLM has the discretion to require 

an operator to modify surface operations 

to change or add specific mitigation 

measures when supported by scientific 

analysis and consistent with existing 

rights. Potential mitigation or 

conservation measures not already 

required as stipulations would be 

analyzed in a site-specific NEPA 

document and incorporated, as 

appropriate, as conditions of approval of 

the permit, plan of development, or 

other use authorization. The plan would 

require operators to develop and 

implement mitigation plans to minimize 

and offset direct, indirect, and 

cumulative adverse impacts. The RMP 

Amendment includes management 

guidance for enhanced coordination and 

use of best available science and 

information during implementation. 

The BLM provided the Proposed 

RMP/Final EIS on July 19, 2024, for a 

30-day protest period and did not 

receive any valid protests. No changes 

to the Proposed RMP Amendment/EIS 

were necessary. 

The BLM provided the Proposed RMP 

Amendment 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 Amendment. No changes 

to the RMP Amendment or EIS were 

necessary as a result of the Governor’s 

consistency review. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 

43 CFR 1610.2) 

Douglas J. Vilsack, 

State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24336 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4331–16–P 

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. 

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 hsauls@blm.gov or 

970–878–3855. 

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: 

Heather Sauls, Project Manager, 

telephone 970–878–3855; address BLM 

Upper Colorado River District, 2518 H 

Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506; email 

hsauls@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. 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 BLMadministered surface lands and 

approximately 711,300 acres of BLMadministered 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 BLMadministered 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, splitestate 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 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1