19272 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 74 / Friday, April 17, 1998 / Notices

Certification

I hereby certify that the establishment

of the Science Advisory Board is

necessary and in the public interest in

connection with the Secretary of the

Interior’s responsibilities to manage the

public lands and resources administered

by the Bureau of Land Management.

Dated: April 15, 1998.

Bruce Babbitt,

Secretary of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 98–10372 Filed 4–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–84–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT–060–08–1610–00, 1613P]

Notice of Intent to Prepare an Area of

Critical Environmental Concern Plan

Amendment for the Judith-ValleyPhillips Resource Management Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

will amend the Judith-Valley-Phillips

Resource Management Plan (RMP). The

Bureau of Land Management is

amending the RMP to address special

management for two potential Areas of

Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC);

Bitter Creek and Mountain Plover. The

public land being considered is located

in Valley County, Montana. An

environmental assessment will be

prepared by the Valley Resource Area to

analyze the impacts of this proposal and

any alternatives.

DATES: Comments and

recommendations on this notice to

amend the Judith-Valley-Phillips RMP

should be received on or before May 18,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments

concerning this notice to Richard M.

Hotaling, Area Manager, Valley

Resource Area, RR1–4775, Glasgow, MT

59230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry

Majerus, 406–538–7461.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An ACEC

is an area within the public lands where

special management attention is

required to protect important historic,

cultural or scenic values, fish and

wildlife resources or other natural

systems, or to protect life and safety

from natural hazards.

In November 1990, the BLM received

the Mixed Grass Prairie ACEC

nomination which encompasses

approximately 350,000 acres of public

land in north Valley County. This area

was nominated by several organizations

for its natural integrity, scenic values,

vegetation and on the basis that it is one

of the largest and most intact sections of

prairie remaining in the United States

and a continuation of the Canadian

Grasslands National Park. The BLM

evaluated this nomination to determine

it met both the relevance and

importance criteria as outlined in the

BLM’s procedural guidance to ACECs

(BLM Manual 1613). In summary, the

entire nomination area was found to be

relevant in terms of the scenic, cultural,

and wildlife resources. In addition, two

areas of approximately 100,000 acres in

size were found relevant from a natural

process or systems perspective.

However, only the Bitter Creek

Wilderness Study Area (WSA) (59,660

acres) was found to meet the importance

criteria due to the scenic diversity and

variety of vegetation types and wildlife

habitats. The Bitter Creek WSA does

qualify for further consideration as an

ACEC.

In addition to the Mixed Grass Prairie

nomination, the BLM previously

evaluated the Mountain River (9,600

acres) nomination in south Valley

County and determined it is a potential

ACEC. This area was nominated for the

mountain plover, a candidate species

identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service. The area provides natural

habitat for the mountain plover which is

not associated with black-tailed prairie

dogs. It is one of the last areas of native

plover habitat and is more than locally

significant.

The next step before either of these

areas could become designated ACEC’s

is to determine if they require special

management. Alternatives for special

management will be considered through

this plan amendment to the JudithValley-Phillips RMP. Meetings for the

plan amendment are not yet scheduled.

If meetings are scheduled, the public

will be notified through an

informational letter and/or local news

releases.

The BLM is seeking comments from

individuals, organizations, and agencies

who may be interested or affected by the

potential ACECs. Specifically,

comments on nominations, issues,

concerns or alternatives that should be

addressed in the plan amendment.

This notice meets the requirements of

43 CFR 1610.7–2 for designation of

ACECs.

(Authority: Sec. 202, Pub. L. 94–579, 90 Stat.

2747 (43 U.S.C. 1712))

Dated: April 9, 1998.

Scott Haight,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 98–10187 Filed 4–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–DN–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO–230–1110–00–24 1A]

Science Advisory Board; Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Announcement of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) announces a

meeting of its Science Advisory Board

on Thursday, April 30, 1998, at the

Embassy Suites Hotel, 150 Anza

Boulevard, Burlingame, California,

telephone (650) 342–4600. Meeting

hours will be 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The proposed agenda for the meeting

is:

—Welcome by BLM Director Pat Shea;

—Existing needs and capabilities for

inventory and monitoring within the

BLM;

—Emerging research and assessment

efforts;

—Inventory and monitoring assistance

needed;

—Communication and coordination of

needs and results;

—Suggestions for future action;

—Developing a coordinated inventory

and monitoring strategy; and

—Public comment period.

All meetings of the Board are open to

the public. Members of the public

wishing to make oral statements to the

Board will have an opportunity to do so

beginning at 3:30 p.m. Persons wishing

to make statements should register with

the BLM by noon at the meeting

location. Depending on the number of

speakers, the Board may limit the length

of presentations. Speakers should

address specific issues listed on the

agenda and provide a written copy of

their statement.

DATES: Thursday, April 30, 1998.

Science Advisory Board meeting.

ADDRESSES: The Board meeting will be

held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 150

Anza Boulevard, Burlingame, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christine Jauhola, Bureau of Land

Management, 1849 C Street, N.W., LSB–

204, Washington, D.C. 20240, 202–452–

7761, or Jack E. Williams, Bureau of

Land Management, 1387 South Vinell

Way, Boise, Idaho 83709, 208–373–

4049.