7030 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 26 / Monday, February 9, 2015 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLCAD07000 L16100000.DS0000 

15XL1109AF] 

Notice of Intent To Amend the 

California Desert Conservation Area 

Plan and Prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement/Environmental 

Impact Report for a Proposed 

Recreation Area Management Plan and 

General Plan Update for the 

Management of Ocotillo Wells State 

Vehicular Recreation Area in Imperial 

County, California 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA), and the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) El 

Centro Field Office, California, and 

California Department of Parks and 

Recreation Off-Highway Motor Vehicle 

Recreation Division (OHMVR) intend to 

prepare a California Desert Conservation 

Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment with an 

associated joint Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact 

Report (EIR) for the Ocotillo Wells State 

Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) for 

the proposed Recreation Area 

Management Plan (RAMP) and General 

Plan update. By this notice, the BLM 

and OHMVR are announcing the 

beginning of the scoping process to 

solicit public comments and identify 

issues. 

DATES: This notice initiates the public 

scoping process for the CDCA Plan 

Amendment with associated joint EIS/

EIR. Comments on issues may be 

submitted in writing until March 11, 

2015. 

The BLM has scheduled two public 

scoping meetings: 

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 

3:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m., Temecula 

Conference Center, 41000 Main Street, 

Temecula, CA 92590. 

Saturday, March 21, 2015 

12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., Ocotillo Wells 

SVRA Visitor Center, Discovery Center 

Building, 5172 Highway 78, Borrego 

Springs, CA 92004. 

The date(s) and location(s) of any 

additional scoping meetings will be 

announced at least 15 days in advance 

through local media, newspapers and 

the BLM Web site at: www.blm.gov/ca/ 

st/en/fo/elcentro.html. In order to be 

included in the analysis, all comments 

must be received prior to the close of 

the 30-day scoping period or 15 days 

after the last public meeting, whichever 

is later. The BLM will provide 

additional opportunities for public 

participation as appropriate. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on issues and planning criteria related 

to the Ocotillo Wells SVRA RAMP and 

General Plan Update by any of the 

following methods: 

• Web site: www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ 

elcentro.html. 

• Email: BLM_CA_Ocotillo_Wells_

RAMP@blm.gov. 

• Fax: 760–337–4490 

• Mail: Attn: Carrie Simmons, BLM El 

Centro Field Office, 1661 S. 4th Street, 

El Centro, CA 92243. 

Documents pertinent to this proposal 

may be examined at the El Centro Field 

Office at the above address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carrie Simmons; telephone 760–337– 

4437; address 1661 S. 4th Street, El 

Centro, CA 92243; or email BLM_CA_

Ocotillo_Wells_RAMP@blm.gov. Persons 

who use a telecommunications device 

for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 

800–877–8339 to contact the above 

individual during normal business 

hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week, to leave a message 

or question with the above individual. 

You will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

document provides notice that the BLM 

intends to prepare a CDCA Plan 

Amendment with an associated EIS, 

announces the beginning of the scoping 

process, and seeks public input on 

issues and planning criteria. The 

Ocotillo Wells SVRA is located in San 

Diego and Imperial counties, generally 

north of State Route 78, west of State 

Route 86, and bounded by Anza-Borrego 

Desert State Park on the north and west. 

The BLM portion of this project occurs 

solely within Imperial County and 

constitutes approximately 21,600 acres 

within the 85,000 acre Ocotillo Wells 

SVRA. 

The BLM lands within the Ocotillo 

Wells SVRA are managed by California 

State Parks OHMVR Division through a 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). 

A joint RAMP/General Plan would 

improve the efficiency and effectiveness 

of resource and recreation management 

at Ocotillo Wells SVRA. Primary 

recreation activities at Ocotillo Wells 

SVRA include off-highway vehicle 

(OHV) use, camping, education and 

interpretation, and special events. The 

California State Parks General Plan 

revision is needed to provide updated 

planning and management policies, 

goals, and guidelines for the entire 

SVRA including SVRA expansions since 

the 1982 General Plan was adopted. The 

BLM decisions include whether or not 

to amend the CDCA plan to change the 

land use designation of some BLM 

parcels in the SVRA. This may include 

making changes in OHV area 

designations in accordance with 43 CFR 

8342. The CDCA Plan Amendment/EIS 

will consider a proposal to designate the 

Ocotillo Wells SVRA as a Special 

Recreation Management Area (SRMA). 

SRMA designations recognize public 

lands where recreation is the 

predominant land use. In response to a 

California State Parks Recreation and 

Public Purposes Act (R&PP Act) 

application, the BLM will also identify 

lands within the planning area that 

would be available for leasing or patent 

to the State of California through the 

R&PP Act or other land transfer or 

disposal processes. The purpose of the 

public scoping process is to determine 

relevant issues that will influence the 

scope of the environmental analysis, 

including alternatives, and guide the 

planning process. Preliminary issues for 

the CDCA Plan Amendment area have 

been identified by BLM and OHMVR as 

well as other Federal, State, and local 

agencies and stakeholders. Issues 

include wildlife and botany; cultural 

resources and paleontology; water 

resources; noise; land use; geology and 

soils; mineral resources including 

geothermal; socioeconomics; hazardous 

materials and solid waste; public health; 

visual resources; air quality; recreation; 

and traffic and transportation. 

In addition, the BLM anticipates the 

following planning issues: (1) How best 

to address conflicts between 

recreational users, and (2) how to 

balance opportunities for the different 

kinds of recreation uses. 

A preliminary list of the potential 

planning criteria that will be used to 

help guide and define the scope of the 

Plan Amendment includes: 

1. Compliance with FLPMA, NEPA, 

and all other relevant Federal laws, 

executive orders, and BLM policies; 

2. To the extent consistent with 

Federal law, the lands will be managed 

consistently with the California 

Department of Parks and Recreation 

OHMVR Division’s Strategic Plan and 

the Off-Highway Motorized Vehicle 

Recreation Act, which include policies 

for managing both environmental 

resources and recreational activities in a 

sustainable manner; 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 26 / Monday, February 9, 2015 / Notices 7031 

3. The Plan Amendment/RAMP/

General Plan will recognize valid 

existing rights; 

4. Public involvement and 

participation will be an integral part of 

the planning process; and 

5. Where existing planning decisions 

are still valid, those decisions may 

remain unchanged and be incorporated 

into the new Plan Amendment/RAMP/ 

General Plan. 

You may submit comments on issues 

and planning criteria in writing to the 

BLM at any public scoping meeting, or 

using one of the methods listed in the 

ADDRESSES section above. To be most 

helpful, you should submit comments 

by the close of the 30-day scoping 

period or within 15 days after the last 

public meeting, whichever is later. 

The BLM will utilize and coordinate 

the NEPA scoping process to help fulfill 

the public involvement process under 

the National Historic Preservation Act 

(54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 

CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about 

historic and cultural resources within 

the area potentially affected by the 

proposed action will assist the BLM in 

identifying and evaluating impacts to 

such resources. The BLM will consult 

with Indian tribes on a government-togovernment basis in accordance with 

Executive Order 13175 and other 

policies. Tribal concerns, including 

impacts on Indian trust assets and 

potential impacts to cultural resources, 

will be given due consideration. 

Federal, State, and local agencies, along 

with tribes and other stakeholders that 

may be interested in or affected by the 

proposed action that the BLM is 

evaluating, are invited to participate in 

the scoping process and, if eligible, may 

request or be requested by the BLM to 

participate in the development of the 

EIS as a cooperating agency. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. The minutes and list of attendees 

for each scoping meeting will be 

available to the public and open for 30 

days after the meeting to any participant 

who wishes to clarify the views he or 

she expressed. 

The BLM will evaluate identified 

issues to be addressed, and will place 

them into one of three categories: 

1. Issues to be resolved in the CDCA 

Plan Amendment; 

2. Issues to be resolved through policy 

or administrative action; or 

3. Issues beyond the scope of this 

CDCA Plan Amendment. 

The BLM will provide an explanation 

in the Scoping Report or the EIS/EIR as 

to why an issue was placed in category 

two or three. The public is also 

encouraged to help identify any 

management questions and concerns 

that should be addressed by the project. 

The BLM will work collaboratively with 

interested parties to identify the 

management decisions that are best 

suited to local, regional, and national 

needs and concerns. The BLM will use 

an interdisciplinary approach to 

develop the CDCA Plan Amendment in 

order to consider the variety of resource 

issues and concerns identified. 

Specialists with expertise in the 

following disciplines will be involved 

in the planning process: Planning, 

minerals and geology, outdoor 

recreation, archaeology, paleontology, 

wildlife, botany, lands and realty, 

hydrology, soils, sociology and 

economics. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 

1610.2 

Thomas Pogacnik, 

Deputy State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02551 Filed 2–6–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLCO923000 L14300000.ET0000; COC– 

28675] 

Notice of Proposed Withdrawal 

Modification of Public Land Order No. 

184 and Opportunity for a Public 

Meeting, Colorado 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary of the 

Interior for Land and Minerals 

Management proposes to modify, on 

behalf of the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM), Public Land Order 

(PLO) No. 184 by opening the public 

land to all forms of appropriation and 

entry under the public land laws to 

provide for the disposal of small, 

fragmented, isolated parcels that are 

largely intermingled within residential 

areas. The public lands will remain 

closed to location and entry under the 

United States mining and mineral 

leasing laws. This notice gives the 

public an opportunity to comment on 

the application and to request a public 

meeting. 

DATES: Comments and public meeting 

requests must be received on or before 

May 11, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting 

requests should be sent to the BLM 

Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield 

Street, Lakewood, CO 80215–7093. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

D. Beck, Chief, Branch of Lands and 

Realty, 303–239–3882. Persons who use 

a telecommunication device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

to contact the above individual. The 

FIRS is available 24 hours a day, seven 

days a week, to leave a message or 

question with the above individual. You 

will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM 

filed an application requesting the 

Assistant Secretary for Land and 

Minerals Management to modify PLO 

No. 184, by opening the following 

described public lands to all forms of 

appropriation and entry under the 

public land laws, but not to the United 

States mining and mineral leasing laws, 

subject to valid existing rights, other 

segregations of record, and the 

requirements of applicable law: 

Sixth Principal Meridian 

T. 9 S., R. 79 W., 

secs. 18, 19, and 30, all public land. 

T. 9 S., R. 80 W., 

sec. 12, all public land; 

sec. 13, lots 30 and 31, and all remaining 

public land; 

sec. 24, lot 13, and all remaining public 

land. 

The areas described aggregate 

approximately 219 acres in Lake County. 

The Assistant Secretary for Land and 

Minerals Management approved the 

BLM’s petition/application; therefore, 

the petition constitutes a withdrawal 

modification proposal of the Secretary 

of the Interior (43 CFR 2310.1–3(e)). 

The purpose of the withdrawal 

modification is to allow the BLM the 

ability to dispose of small, fragmented, 

isolated parcels that are largely 

intermingled within residential areas. 

The lands will remain closed to location 

and entry under the United States 

mining and mineral leasing laws. 

The use of a right-of-way, interagency 

or cooperative management agreement 

would not allow for title transfer in 

cases where it is determined to be in the 

public interest to dispose of highlyfragmented, isolated parcels. 

There are no suitable alternative sites 

available. 

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