[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84383-84384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24335]


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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.

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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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cb898786948884948c9e988c9499869b8a8ba9a7a6e5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bffdf3f2e0fcf0e0f8eaecf8e0edf2effeffddd3d291d8d0c9">[email protected]</span></a>.
    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: Gina Phillips, Project Manager, 
telephone 970-589-9852, BLM Colorado, BLM Southwest District Office, 
2465 S Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401, email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f9bbb5b4a6bab6a6beacaabea6abb4a9b8b99b9594d79e968f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bdfff1f0e2fef2e2fae8eefae2eff0edfcfddfd1d093dad2cb">[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. 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:
    <bullet> Canyons of the Ancients National Monument RMP (2010)
    <bullet> Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area RMP (2017)
    <bullet> Grand Junction Field Office RMP (2015)
    <bullet> Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area RMP (2004)
    <bullet> Gunnison Resource Area RMP (1993)
    <bullet> McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area RMP (2004)
    <bullet> San Luis Resource Area RMP (1991)
    <bullet> Tres Rios Field Office RMP (2015)
    <bullet> Uncompahgre Field Office RMP (2020)
Utah:
    <bullet> Moab Field Office RMP (2008)
    <bullet> 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 BLM-
managed 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).

[[Page 84384]]

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


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