Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 170 / Friday, September 2, 2005 / Notices 52437 

operations at the Freedom Mine. The 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(DEIS) was available for public review 

from April 30, 2004, to June 29, 2004. 

The EPA and the BLM each published 

a Notice of Availability in the Federal 

Register on April 30 and May 7, 2004, 

respectively. A formal public hearing on 

this application was held pursuant to 43 

CFR 3425.4 on Wednesday June 23, 

2004, at the Heritage Center, Bismarck, 

North Dakota. The purpose of the 

hearing was to solicit public comments 

on the DEIS, the fair market value, the 

maximum economic recovery, and the 

proposed competitive sale of coal 

included in the proposed tract. Three 

public meetings were also held on 

Tuesday June 1, 2004, at 4 Bears Casino 

& Lodge, New Town, North Dakota; on 

Wednesday June 2, 2004, at the Civic 

Center, Beulah, North Dakota; and on 

Thursday June 3, 2004, at Prairie 

Knights Casino & Lodge, Fort Yates, 

North Dakota. The purpose of the 

meetings was to present the DEIS to the 

public and to solicit comments 

regarding the DEIS. The 60-day 

comment period on the DEIS ended on 

June 29, 2004. All comments were 

considered during the preparation of the 

final EIS. 

The draft and final EIS analyze 

leasing the tract as applied for. To avoid 

bypassing coal or to increase 

competitive interest in the unleased 

Federal coal in this area, BLM identified 

and evaluated other tract configurations. 

The tract configuration that BLM has 

identified as the preferred configuration 

is described and analyzed as alternative 

C in the EIS. The EIS also analyzes the 

alternative of rejecting the application to 

lease Federal coals (the No Action 

Alternative). 

To protect cultural values a small 

portion of Federal coal was bypassed. 

This preferred alternative was selected 

in consultation with American Indian 

Tribes. The Proposed Actions and 

Alternatives that are considered in the 

EIS are in conformance with the 

‘‘Approved Resource Management Plan 

for Public Lands Administered by the 

Bureau of Land Management North 

Dakota Field Office’’ (1987). 

The Office of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is 

a cooperating agency in the preparation 

of this EIS. If the tract is leased as a 

maintenance tract, the new lease must 

be incorporated into the existing mining 

and reclamation plan for the Freedom 

Mine and the Secretary of the Interior 

must approve each revision to the MLA 

(Mineral Leasing Act) mining plan for 

the mine before the Federal coal can be 

mined. OSM is the Federal agency that 

would be responsible for recommending 

approval, approval with conditions, or 

disapproval of the revised MLA mining 

plan to the office of the Secretary of the 

Interior if these tracts are leased. 

A Record of Decision (ROD) will be 

prepared for the LBA tract being 

considered for leasing. Comments 

received on the FEIS will be considered 

during preparation of the ROD. 

Comments, including names and street 

addresses of respondents, will be 

available for public review at the Bureau 

of Land Management, North Dakota 

Field Office, 2933 Third Avenue West, 

Dickinson, North Dakota, during regular 

business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), 

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. 

[Individual respondents may request 

confidentiality. If you wish to withhold 

your name or street address from public 

review or from disclosure under the 

Freedom of Information Act, you must 

state this prominently at the beginning 

of your written comment. Such requests 

will be honored to the extent allowed by 

law. All submissions from organizations 

or businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

made available for public inspection in 

their entirety.] 

Karen A. Wolf, 

Acting Field Manager. 

[FR Doc. 05–17502 Filed 9–1–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[AZ 422–1610–DO–090A–241E] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare the San 

Pedro Riparian National Conservation 

Area and Tucson Resource 

Management Plan and Environmental 

Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) Field Office, 

Tucson, Arizona intends to prepare a 

Resource Management Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/ 

EIS) for the San Pedro Riparian National 

Conservation Area and Tucson planning 

effort. When approved, the RMP will 

replace those portions of the existing 

Phoenix Resource Management Plan 

(1989) and Safford District Resource 

Management Plan (1992, 1994) within 

the Tucson Field Office administrative 

boundary. 

DATES: The scoping period commences 

with the publication of this notice and 

will continue for at least 60 days. Public 

meetings will be held approximately 

late 2005 to early 2006. All public 

meetings will be announced through the 

local media, newsletters, and the BLM 

Web site (http://www.az.blm.gov) at 

least 15 days prior to the first meeting 

(the Web site availability is subject to 

change). Public notice will be provided 

specifying the date, time, and location 

that the meetings will occur and include 

notification of when the scoping period 

will close and when comments are due. 

Formal opportunities for public 

participation will be provided upon 

publication of the Draft RMP/EIS. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted by any of the following 

methods: 

• Web Site: http://www.az.blm.gov 

(subject to change). 

• E-mail: AZ_TucsonRMP@blm.gov. 

• Fax: (520) 258–7238. 

• Mail: Tucson Field Office, 12661 

East Broadway, Tucson, Arizona 85748–

7208. 

Documents pertinent to this proposal 

may be examined at the Tucson Field 

Office upon request. Public comments, 

including names and street addresses of 

respondents, will be available for public 

review at Bureau of Land Management, 

12661 East Broadway, Tucson, Arizona 

85748 during regular business hours 

(7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through 

Friday, except holidays. Individual 

respondents may request 

confidentiality. If you wish to withhold 

your name or street address from public 

review or from disclosure under the 

Freedom of Information Act, you must 

state this prominently at the beginning 

of your comments. Such requests will be 

honored to the extent allowed by law. 

All submissions from organizations or 

businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

made available for public inspection in 

their entirety. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Linda Marianito, Planning and 

Environmental Coordinator, (520) 258–

7241, or e-mail 

Linda_Marianito@blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

document provides notice that the BLM 

Field Office, Tucson, Arizona intends to 

prepare a Resource Management Plan 

and Environmental Impact Statement 

(RMP/EIS) for the San Pedro Riparian 

National Conservation Area and Tucson 

planning effort. 

The two planning areas, the San 

Pedro RNCA and the Tucson Field 

52438 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 170 / Friday, September 2, 2005 / Notices 

Office, are located in Cochise, Gila, 

Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties, 

Arizona. This planning activity 

encompasses approximately 465,000 

acres of public land. The plan will 

fulfill the needs and obligations set forth 

by the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy 

and Management Act (FLPMA), and 

BLM management policies. 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. Interested 

governmental entities will be given the 

opportunity to request Cooperating 

Agency status in the planning process. 

The purpose of the public scoping 

process is to determine relevant issues 

that will influence the scope of the 

environmental analysis and RMP/EIS 

alternatives. These issues also guide the 

planning process. Comments on issues 

and planning criteria can be submitted 

in writing to the BLM at any public 

scoping meetings, or they may be 

mailed to the BLM at the address listed 

above. 

The changing needs and interests of 

the public necessitate a revision to the 

existing Safford District and Phoenix 

RMPs for this area. Preliminary issues 

and management concerns have been 

identified by BLM personnel, other 

agencies, and in meetings with 

individuals and user groups. The major 

issue themes that will be addressed in 

the plan effort include: (1) Protecting 

and sustaining cultural and natural 

resources; (2) accommodating public 

demands for resources and providing for 

appropriate uses; and, (3) providing 

direct community services. After 

gathering public comments on what 

issues the plan should address, the 

suggested issues will be placed in one 

of three categories. 

1. Issues to be resolved in the plan. 

2. Issues resolved through policy or 

administrative action. 

3. Issues beyond the scope of this 

plan. 

In addition to these major issues, a 

number of management questions and 

concerns will be addressed in the plan. 

The public is encouraged to help 

identify these questions and concerns 

during the scoping phase. 

An interdisciplinary approach will be 

used to develop the plan in order to 

consider the variety of resource issues 

and concerns identified. Disciplines 

involved in the planning process will 

include specialists with expertise in 

rangeland management, minerals and 

geology, outdoor recreation, 

archaeology, paleontology, wildlife and 

fisheries, threatened and endangered 

species, wilderness, lands and realty, 

hydrology, soils, interpretation and 

education, sociology and economics. 

Joanie Losacco, 

Acting Arizona State Director. 

[FR Doc. 05–17505 Filed 9–1–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–32–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[CO–200–1220–DU] 

Final Supplementary Rules Regarding 

Operation of Motorized Vehicles and 

Bicycles and Closure of Public Lands 

to Recreational Target Shooting 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management; 

Royal Gorge Field Office, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of final supplementary 

rules for public lands within El Paso, 

Fremont, Park and Teller Counties, 

Colorado. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM)’s Royal Gorge Field 

Office is implementing supplementary 

rules. These supplementary rules 

implement three decisions from the 

Gold Belt Travel Management Plan, 

approved August 18, 2004. The rules 

apply to the public lands within the 

Gold Belt Travel Management Plan area 

under the management of the Royal 

Gorge Field Office, in El Paso, Fremont, 

Park, and Teller Counties, Colorado. 

The rules are needed in order to protect 

the area’s natural resources and provide 

for public health and safety. 

DATES: The rules are effective October 3, 

2005. 

ADDRESSES: You may send inquiries or 

suggestions to the Bureau of Land 

Management, Royal Gorge Field Office, 

3170 East Main Street, Can ̃ on City, 

Colorado 81212. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy 

L. Masinton, Field Manager, or Leah 

Quesenberry, Outdoor Recreation 

Planner, Royal Gorge Field Office, 3170 

East Main Street, Can ̃ on City, Colorado 

81212, telephone 719–269–8500. 

Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may contact them individually 

through the Federal Information Relay 

Service at 1–800/877–8339, 24 hours a 

day, seven days a week. 

I. Background 

II. Discussion of the Supplementary Rules 

III. Procedural Matters 

I. Background 

A ‘‘Notice of Intent To Prepare the 

Gold Belt Travel Management Plan 

(TMP) and Amend the Royal Gorge 

Resource Management Plan’’ was 

announced in the Federal Register on 

June 18, 2002 (67 FR 41442). The 

completion of the Gold Belt Travel 

Management Plan Environmental 

Assessment led to a 30-day public 

comment period, starting on January 15, 

2004. Following analysis of the public 

comments, a decision on the Gold Belt 

TMP was issued on August 18, 2004. 

The decision restricts Off-Highway 

Vehicle use to designated roads and 

trails in the TMP area and provides for 

the supplementary rules. 

II. Discussion of Supplementary Rules 

These supplementary rules apply to 

the public lands within the Gold Belt 

Travel Management Plan area. This area 

consists of 138,600 acres of public lands 

within El Paso, Fremont, Park, and 

Teller Counties, Colorado, in the 

following described townships: 

Colorado, Sixth Principal Meridian 

T. 15 S., R. 70 W. through 72 W. 

T. 16 S., R. 68 W. through 72 W. 

T. 17 S., R. 68 W. through 72 W. 

T. 18 S., R. 68 W. through 71 W. 

These supplementary rules 

implement three decisions from the 

Gold Belt Travel Management Plan, 

approved August 18, 2004. They 

include: 

(1) A supplementary rule limiting 

motorized travel for parking, camping, 

and retrieving game to a maximum of 

100 feet from designated roads and trails 

in the Gold Belt Travel Management 

Plan area (138,600 acres of public 

lands). 

(2) A supplementary rule restricting 

mountain bikes to designated roads and 

trails in the Gold Belt Travel 

Management Plan area (138,600 acres of 

public lands). 

(3) The closure of approximately 

13,200 acres of public lands to 

recreational target shooting in the 

following areas: Garden Park Fossil Area 

(3,000 acres), the Shelf Road 

campgrounds and climbing area (2,900 

acres), a one-quarter mile wide corridor 

along Phantom Canyon Road (4,200 

acres), and Penrose Commons (3,100 

acres). Licensed hunters in legitimate 

pursuit of game during the proper 

season with appropriate firearms, as 

defined by the Colorado Division of 

Wildlife, are exempt from this closure. 

BLM has determined that these rules 

are necessary to prevent damage to 

public lands and natural resources, 

reduce user conflicts, protect public 

safety, and reduce vandalism to public 

and private property. 

The proposed supplementary rules 

were published in the Federal Register