Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 29, 1995 / Notices 16157

questions about the Plan of Operations.

Additional scoping meetings may be

held as appropriate. Written comments

on the Plan of Operations and the scope

of the Environmental Impact Statement

will be accepted until May 5, 1995.

A Draft Environmental Impact

Statement is expected to be completed

by late summer 1995 and made

available for public review and

comment. At that time a Notice of

Availability of the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement will be published in

the Federal Register. The comment

period on the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement will be 60 days from

the date the Notice of Availability is

published.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Scoping comments may be sent to:

District Manager, Bureau of Land

Management, 1535 Hot Springs Road,

Suite 300, Carson City, NV 89706.

ATTN: Talapoosa Environmental Impact

Statement Project Manager.

For additional information, write to

the above address or call Ron Moore at

(702) 885–6155.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Miramar

Gold Corporation of Reno, Nevada has

submitted a Plan of Operations for the

Talapoosa Mine located approximately

3 miles north of Silver Springs, Nevada.

The proposed operation will include an

open-pit mine, tailing facilities, heap

leach facilities, waste rock dumps, water

treatment facilities, a milling complex

as well as administrative and

maintenance buildings. The proposal is

expected to disturb 570 acres of public

and private land.

The issues expected to be analyzed in

the Environmental Impact Statement

are: Surface and groundwater quantity

and quality, mine pit water quality,

threatened and endangered species,

wildlife, cultural resources, reclamation,

hazardous materials, air quality, soils

and watershed, vegetation, visual

resources, recreation and wilderness,

social and economic values, geology,

paleontology, grazing management,

access and land use, noise, and

cumulative impacts. These topics will

be evaluated by an interdisciplinary

team and will include review of the

proposed Plan of Operations as well as

other pertinent environmental

documents and studies.

A range of alternatives (including but

not limited to alternative reclamation

measures and the no-action alternative),

as well as mitigating measures, will be

considered to evaluate and minimize

environmental impacts and to assure

that the proposed action does not result

in undue or unnecessary degradation of

public lands.

Federal, state and local agencies and

other individuals or organizations who

may be interested in or affected by the

Bureau’s decision on the Plan of

Operations are invited to participate in

the scoping process with respect to this

environmental analysis. These entities

and individuals are also invited to

submit comments on the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement.

It is important that those interested in

the Plan of Operations participate in the

scoping and commenting processes. To

be most helpful, comments should be as

specific as possible.

The tentative project schedule is as

follows:

Begin Public Comment Period—April

1995

Issuance of Draft Environmental Impact

Statement—August 1995

File Final Environmental Impact

Statement—November 1995

Record of Decision—January 1996

Begin Construction of Operation—

Spring of 1996.

The Bureau of Land Management’s

scoping process for the Environmental

Impact Statement will include: (1)

Identification of issues to be addressed;

(2) Identification of viable alternatives;

(3) Notification of interested groups,

individuals and agencies so that

additional information concerning these

issues, or other additional issues, can be

obtained.

Dated: March 21, 1995.

John O. Singlaub,

Carson City District Manager.

[FR Doc. 95–7644 Filed 3–28–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P

[CO–034–95–1220–00]

Designation Order; San Miguel County,

CO; Establishment of 7 Day Camping

Limit on Public Lands Within San

Miguel and Montrose Counties,

Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Uncompahgre Basin Resource Area,

Montrose District, Montrose, Colorado.

ACTION: Amendment of existing 14 day

camping stay limits on 32,641 acres of

public lands administered by the

Bureau of Land Management as a San

Miguel River Special Recreation

Management Area (SRMA) and Area of

Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)

in San Miguel and Montrose Counties,

Colorado.

SUMMARY: Notice is given that person(s)

may occupy a designated camping site

or multiple sites on BLM Public Lands

not closed or otherwise restricted to

camping within the San Miguel River

Special Recreation Management Area

located in the San Miguel and Montrose

Counties, Colorado, for a total period of

not more than seven (7) days within a

thirty (30) day period.

Following the seven (7) day period,

person(s) may not relocate on public

lands within the Special Recreation

Management Area defined to the north

by the town of Pinon in Montrose

County, approximately nine miles

northwest of the town of Norwood, and

to the south by Deep Creek,

approximately 7 miles east of the town

of Telluride on the San Miguel River,

until completion of the thirty (30) day

period.

The seven (7) day limit may be

reached either through a number of

separate visits or through a period of

continuous occupation of a site. Under

special circumstances and upon request,

the authorized officer may give written

permission for extension of the seven (7)

day limit.

Additionally, no person may leave

personal property unattended in

designated campgrounds, recreation

developments, or anywhere else on

BLM public lands within the State of

Colorado for a period of more than fortyeight (48) hours without written

permission from the authorized officer.

This camping stay limit does not

apply to Long Term Visitor Use Areas

which may be so designated in the

future by the BLM Montrose District

office.

DATES: This camping stay limit will be

effective May 1, 1995.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

camping stay limit is being established

to assist the Bureau in reducing the

incidences of long-term occupancy

trespass being conducted under the

guise of camping on public lands within

the San Miguel River Special Recreation

Management Area and Area of Critical

Environmental Concern. Of equal

importance is the problem of long-term

camping which precludes equal

opportunities for other members of the

public to camp in the same area, which

creates user conflicts.

The restriction is also necessary to

prevent excessive impacts to soil,

vegetation and other resources caused

by long-term camping. The restriction

applies to all public land users except

those who have obtained prior approval

from the authorized officer, and those

who are specifically allowed a longer

stay under terms of a Special Recreation

Permit.

CFR Title 43, Chapter II, Part 8360,

Subpart 8364.1, Subpart 8365, Subpart

8365.1–2, 8365.1–6, and 8365.2–3

provide BLM authority for establishing
16158 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 29, 1995 / Notices

this camping stay limit. The decision for

reducing the fourteen day (14) limit to

seven (7) days is in compliance with the

Bureau’s San Juan/San Miguel Resource

Management Plan Amendment; San

Miguel River ACEC and SRMA, 1993.

8360.0–7 PENALTIES: Violations of

any regulations in this part by a member

of the public, except for the provisions

of 8365.1–7, are punishable by fine not

to exceed $1,000 and/or imprisonment

not to exceed 12 months. Violations of

supplementary rules authorized by

8365.1–6 are punishable in the same

manner.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Additional information concerning this

camping stay limit for public lands

administered by the BLM in San Miguel

and Montrose Counties in the State of

Colorado may be obtained from Karen

Tucker, Recreation Planner,

Uncompahgre Basin Resource Area,

Montrose District, 2505 South

Townsend Ave., Montrose, Colorado

80401, (970) 249–6047.

Dated: March 22, 1995.

Philip Dwyer,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 95–7681 Filed 3–28–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–M

[NM–010–1610–00]

Intent To Prepare a Rio Puerco

Resource Area Resource Management

Plan (RMP) Amendment/Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) for El Malpais

National Conservation Area (NCA) and

Chain of Craters Wilderness Study Unit

(WSU); Albuquerque District, NM

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a

RMP amendment/EIS and invitation to

participate in developing a management

plan for the El Malpais NCA including

recommendation on the wilderness

suitability of the Chain of Craters WSU.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management, Albuquerque District is

initiating the preparation of the El

Malpais NCA management plan and

EIS. This action will amend the Rio

Puerco RMP. It will include a

recommendation on the wilderness

suitability of the Chain of Craters WSU

and may consider establishment of

Areas of Critical Environmental

Concern. Proposed planning criteria and

dates of public scoping meetings are

also included herein.

DATES: Written comments regarding

issues to be addressed in developing the

draft El Malpais Plan must be submitted

on or before May 19, 1995. In addition

to written comments, two public

scoping meetings will be held in April

(see below.)

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

the El Malpais Planning Team, BLM,

Albuquerque District, 435 Montano NE.,

Albuquerque, NM 87107–4935.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kent Hamilton at 505–761–8746 or Patty

McLean at 505–761–8728, at 435

Montano NE., Albuquerque, NM 87107–

4935.

PUBLIC MEETINGS: The public is invited

to attend two public meetings to

identify issues to be considered in the

draft El Malpais Plan and Chain of

Craters wilderness suitability analysis.

The meetings will be held at the

following times and locations:

Date/time Location

April 25, 1995 ........... National Guard Armory.

7 p.m.–10 p.m ........... 2001 East Santa Fe

Avenue, Grants,

NM.

April 27, 1995 ........... Amberley Suite Hotel.

7 p.m.–10 p.m ........... 7620 Pan American

Freeway NE., Albuquerque, NM.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The El

Malpais NCA, near Grants, New Mexico

was established by Public Law 100–225

on December 31, 1987. The NCA

encompasses 262,600 acres. The Chain

of Craters WSU, established through the

same legislation, totals 18,300 acres and

is included within the NCA. Between

1988 and 1991, BLM developed a

General Management Plan (GMP) for the

El Malpais NCA. BLM considered the

GMP an ‘‘activity plan’’ and completed

an environmental assessment, rather

than a formal RMP amendment and EIS.

The GMP was appealed to the Interior

Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) by the

New Mexico Wilderness Coalition on

the grounds that the plan required an

EIS and in 1994 IBLA decided in favor

of the appellants and directed BLM to

prepare an RMP amendment. The

proposed El Malpais Plan and EIS will

direct the management of the NCA for

the next ten to twenty years and will

address all requirements of PL 100–225

and the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act, including a suitability

analysis and recommendation for the

Chain of Craters Wilderness Study Area.

The planning area will include all lands

within or contiguous to the NCA

boundary, including lands acquired

since the NCA was established.

The El Malpais plan will be

developed by an interdisciplinary team

representing Archeology, Range,

Outdoor Recreation, Interpretation and

Wildlife Biology. Additional technical

support will be provided by other

Technical Specialists as needed.

Anticipated Planning Issues

Suggested issues to be addressed in

the plan include the following:

American Indian Issues; Boundary

Adjustments; Cultural Resources;

Desired Plant Communities; Facility

Development; Interpretation and Public

Education; Natural Resources; Range

Management; Recreation;

Transportation (including ORV

designation); Wilderness (WSA and

designated wilderness areas); and

Wildlife Habitat.

Planning Criteria

Proposed planning criteria for

development of the El Malpais Plan are

listed below. Public comment is invited.

Planning criteria may be changed as

planning proceeds based on public

suggestions and the findings of various

studies and assessments.

1. Actions must comply with laws,

executive orders, and regulations.

2. In each planned action, resource

outputs must be reasonable and

achievable.

3. Planned actions will sustain the

productivity and diversity of natural

systems in the NCA.

4. The plan will be developed using

the best available scientific information

as the cornerstone for resource

allocations and other land management

decisions in the NCA. The plan will

incorporate the work done for the GMP

published in 1991 as well as new

information attained since

establishment of the NCA.

5. The BLM will use an

interdisciplinary approach to land

management.

6. The BLM will base planning and

management on long-term horizons and

goals.

7. To the extent possible, this plan

will be consistent with the lands and

policies of tribes, other federal agencies,

and state and local governments.

8. Consideration will be given to

designating special administrative

management areas within the planning

area, such as Areas of Critical

Environmental Concern and Research

Natural Areas.

9. Planned actions will contribute to

or sustain the health of the land.

Monitoring and inventory information

will be used to assess the effect of

management actions.

Public Participation

Public participation activities during

the planning process will include

consultation with affected users and