Notice of Intent To Amend the Rawlins Resource Management Plan for the Rawlins Field Office and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment, 42350-42351 [2014-17007]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 139 (Monday, July 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42350-42351]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17007]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWY03000 L13100000.EI0000]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Rawlins Resource Management Plan 
for the Rawlins Field Office and Prepare an Associated Environmental 
Assessment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Rawlins Field 
Office (RFO), Rawlins, Wyoming, intends to prepare a Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental 
Assessment (EA) for the RFO and by this notice is announcing the 
beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and 
identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP 
amendment with an associated EA. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until August 20, 2014. The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through 
local news media, newspaper, and the BLM Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Planning/rmps/rawlins/water.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. We will provide additional 
opportunities for public participation, as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the RMP Amendment and 
associated EA for municipal water source protection by any of the 
following methods:
     Web site: https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Planning/rmps/rawlins/water.html
     Email: blm_wy_rfo_rmp_water_amend@blm.gov. Please 
reference ``Rawlins RMP Water Supply Amendment'' in the subject line.
     Fax: (307) 328-4224.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, 
1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301, or P.O. Box 2407, 
Rawlins, Wyoming 82301-2407.

Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Rawlins 
Field Office, 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Fleuret, Rawlins Field Office 
Project Manager, Telephone 307-328-4314; address Bureau of Land 
Management, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, 
Wyoming 82301; Email blm_wy_rfo_rmp_water_amend@blm.gov. Contact 
Ms. Fleuret to have your name added to our mailing list. 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 
Rawlins Field Office, Rawlins, Wyoming, intends to prepare an RMP 
amendment with an associated EA for the RFO and announces the beginning 
of the scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and planning 
criteria. The planning area is located in Carbon and Albany Counties, 
Wyoming, and encompasses approximately 12,425.34 acres of public land. 
The analysis of closing this area to oil and gas leasing was not 
conducted when the Rawlins Field Office RMP was finalized in 2008; 
therefore, this amendment is necessary to consider management of the 
BLM administered lands within these municipal water sources. The 
acreage was determined based on the location of the water sources in 
relation to BLM surface and sub-surface mineral estate and the extent 
of the watersheds draining to these sources. Of the 12,425.34 acres, 
9,335.42 acres are located approximately 27 miles south of the town of 
Rawlins; 2,320 acres are located approximately 3.5 miles east of the 
town of Saratoga, and 769.92 acres are located 11 miles northeast of 
Laramie. The parcels are located in the following townships:

6th Principal Meridian

T. 16 N., R. 72 W.,
    Sec. 4.
T. 16 N., R. 87 W.,
    Sec. 6, lots 3 to 8, inclusive, and lots 13 to 15, inclusive.
T. 16 N., R. 88 W.,
    Tract 38A;
    Tract 38B;
    Tract 38C;
    Sec. 1, lots 11 to 18 inclusive;
    Sec. 2, lots 11 to 27, inclusive;
    Sec. 3, lots 11 to 21, inclusive, lots 23 to 26, inclusive, W\1/
2\SW\1/4\, and E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 4, lots 11 to 22, inclusive, and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 5;
    Sec. 6, lots 14 to 28, inclusive, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, NE\1/4\;

[[Page 42351]]

    Sec. 10, lots 1 and 2, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/
2\NW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\NW\1/4\.
T. 17 N., R. 83 W.,
    Sec. 4, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 5, S\1/2\SE\1/4\ and S\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 8;
    Sec. 9;
    Sec. 10.
T. 17 N., R. 87 W.,
    Sec. 30, lots 1, 2, and 4, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/
4\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 31.
T. 17 N., R. 88 W.,
    Sec. 23, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 24, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, S\1/
2\SW\1/4\, and NE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 25, E\1/2\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, and E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 28, W\1/2\;
    Sec. 29;
    Sec. 32;
    Sec. 33, W\1/2\ and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 34, E\1/2\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 36, E\1/2\SE\1/4\.

    The purpose of the 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 have 
been identified by BLM personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; 
and other stakeholders. The issues include potential impacts related to 
conflicting land uses, including oil and gas development; wind turbine 
generator placement; and potential socioeconomic issues. The RMP 
amendment will consider closure of 12,425.34 acres of BLM surface and 
sub-surface mineral estate to oil and gas leasing due to concerns 
raised by communities regarding the protection of drinking water 
sources adjacent to the cities of Rawlins, Saratoga, and Laramie. 
Opportunities for on-site, regional, and compensatory mitigation 
strategies would be formulated through discussions with cooperators and 
other stakeholders. Preliminary planning criteria include:
     Planning decisions will cover BLM-administered public 
lands;
     Planning decisions will include split-estate lands where 
the BLM has jurisdiction over the mineral estate;
     The planning process would be collaborative and multi-
jurisdictional in nature;
     The environmental analysis will consider a reasonable 
range of alternatives;
     The BLM will consider current scientific information, 
research, new technologies, and the results of resource assessments, 
monitoring, and coordination;
     The BLM will consider current potential future uses of the 
public lands, through the development of reasonably foreseeable future 
development and activity scenarios; and
     Decisions in the RMP amendment will comply as appropriate 
to all applicable laws, regulations, policy, and guidance.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the 
BLM 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 use the NEPA public participation requirements to 
assist the agency in satisfying the public involvement requirements 
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 
U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 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 in the context of both NEPA and Section 106 
of the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government 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 development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating 
agency. 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 in the plan, 
and will place them into one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft RMP amendment 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 in the plan. 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 (including, but not 
limited to, analysis of potential impacts related to hydrology, soils, 
archaeology, wildlife, minerals, and socioeconomics) to develop the RMP 
amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified.
    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.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2

Larry Claypool,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-17007 Filed 7-18-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P