Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of Terminated Oil and Gas Lease, Utah, 4141 [05-1593]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 18 / Friday, January 28, 2005 / Notices
the Secretary of the Interior to consider
additional environmentally responsible
oil and gas development, based on
sound science and the best available
technology, through further lease sales
in the National Petroleum ReserveAlaska and that such consideration
should include areas not currently
leased within the northeast corner of the
National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. In
addition, Public Law 96–514 of
December 12, 1980, amended the
NPRPA authorizing oil and gas leasing
in the reserve and as codified in 42
U.S.C. 6508 stated, ‘‘There shall be
conducted, not withstanding any other
provision of law and pursuant to such
rules and regulations as the Secretary
may prescribe, an expeditious program
of competitive leasing of oil and gas in
the National Petroleum Reserve in
Alaska; provided, that: (1) Activities
undertaken pursuant to this section
shall include or provide for such
conditions, restrictions, and
prohibitions as the Secretary deems
necessary or appropriate to mitigate
reasonably foreseeable and significantly
adverse effects on the surface resources
of the National Petroleum Reserve in
Alaska * * *.’’ In exercising this
authority a revised Preferred Alternative
which incorporates additional surface
protection measures has been developed
to safeguard important resources and
subsistence activities. This Final IAP/
EIS amendment contains four
alternatives for a land management plan
for the 4.6 million-acre planning area
and assessments of each plan’s impacts
on the surface resources present there,
as well as the cumulative effects of each
alternative.
A Draft Amended IAP/EIS was made
available for a 76-day comment period
on June 9, 2004. Scoping and comment
meetings on the Draft IAP/EIS were held
in Bethel, Nuiqsut, Atqasuk, Barrow,
Anaktuvuk Pass, Fairbanks, Anchorage,
and Washington, DC. The Northeast
Planning Area provides particularly
important habitat for caribou,
waterfowl, subsistence species, and
other waterfowl. Many of the local
residents of the area rely on harvesting
these resources for subsistence
purposes. Ensuring adequate protection
of these resources has been one of the
main focuses of public comment. The
BLM held public hearings on
subsistence as well as public hearings
on the Draft IAP/EIS. The first set of
subsistence hearings was held in
conjunction with the public hearings on
the Draft IAP/EIS during the weeks of
June 28, August 9 and 16 in Bethel,
Nuiqsut, Atqasuk, Barrow, Anaktuvuk
Pass, Fairbanks, Anchorage (all in
VerDate jul<14>2003
15:43 Jan 27, 2005
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Alaska) and Washington, DC. An
additional set of subsistence hearings
was held in the effected Alaska North
Slope communities of Nuiqsut,
Ataqasuk, Barrow and Anaktuvuk Pass,
Alaska, as well as the community of
Bethel, Alaska, in the Yukon Delta,
during the weeks of October 25 and
November 29. Under the final Preferred
Alternative, approximately 4,389,000
acres of BLM administered subsurface
estate within the Planning Area would
be available for oil and gas leasing.
Teshekpuk Lake would be deferred from
oil and gas leasing under this
alternative. In addition, there would be
no recommended Wilderness Study
Areas or Wild and Scenic Rivers. Lease
stipulations and required operating
procedures under the final Preferred
Alternative, would establish setbacks
prohibiting permanent facilities within
1⁄4 to 1 mile along major rivers and 1 to
3 miles along Fish Creek; 1⁄4 mile
shoreward from deep water lakes and 3⁄4
mile along coastal areas, to protect
subsistence resources/activities and
other important surface resources. No
Surface Occupancy for permanent oil
and gas development stipulations were
included which would protect goose
molting areas, caribou movement
corridors, and the southern caribou
calving grounds. Multi-year studies
would be required prior to development
to protect spectacled and Steller’s
eiders, yellow-billed loons, and caribou.
Other stipulations and required
operating procedures would establish
restrictions and guidance that apply to
waste prevention and spills, water use,
winter overland moves and seismic
activity, exploratory drilling, aircraft use
and subsistence consultation.
The no action alternative calls for
continuation of current management,
which does provide for continued
leasing in the area previously made
available for oil and gas leasing through
the 1998 Northeast National Petroleum
Reserve-Alaska IAP/EIS and Record of
Decision. Alternatives A through C
make progressively more land, available
for oil and gas leasing. The final
Proposed Action, Altnerative D, would
make a more land available Alternatives
A, but less land available than
Alternatives B or C. Alternative A,
makes available 87% of the planning
area available for oil and gas leasing;
Alternative B makes 96% percent of the
planning area available for oil and gas
leasing; Alternative C makes 100% of
the planning area available for oil and
gas leasing; and the final Proposed
Action, Alternative D, makes
approximately 95% available for oil and
gas leasing. Performance-based
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4141
stipulations and (ROPs) would provide
protection for natural and cultural
resources under all alternatives: B, C,
and D, but their nature, number and
scope varies between the alternatives.
Alternative A, the No Action
Alternative, would continue to protect
the planning area with stipulations
implemented throughout the 1998
Northeast Record of Decision.
Dated: December 6, 2004.
Henri R. Bisson,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 05–1730 Filed 1–27–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UTU76532]
Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of
Terminated Oil and Gas Lease, Utah
December 22, 2004.
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY: In accordance with Title IV of
the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty
Management Act (Public Law 97–451), a
petition for reinstatement of oil and gas
lease UTU76532 for lands in San Juan
County, Utah, was timely filed and
required rentals accruing from July 1,
2004, the date of termination, have been
paid.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Teresa Catlin, Acting Chief, Branch of
Fluid Minerals at (801) 539–4122.
The lessee
has agreed to new lease terms for rentals
and royalties at rates of $5 per acre and
16–2⁄3 percent, respectively. The $500
administrative fee for the lease has been
paid and the lessee has reimbursed the
Bureau of Land Management for the cost
of publishing this notice.
Having met all the requirements for
reinstatement of the lease as set out in
Section 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral
Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188), the
Bureau of Land Management is
proposing to reinstate lease UTU76532,
effective July 1, 2004, subject to the
original terms and conditions of the
lease and the increased rental and
royalty rates cited above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Robert Henricks,
Acting Chief, Branch of Fluid Minerals.
[FR Doc. 05–1593 Filed 1–27–05; 8:45 am]
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[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 18 (Friday, January 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 4141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1593]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UTU76532]
Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of Terminated Oil and Gas Lease,
Utah
December 22, 2004.
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with Title IV of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty
Management Act (Public Law 97-451), a petition for reinstatement of oil
and gas lease UTU76532 for lands in San Juan County, Utah, was timely
filed and required rentals accruing from July 1, 2004, the date of
termination, have been paid.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teresa Catlin, Acting Chief, Branch of
Fluid Minerals at (801) 539-4122.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lessee has agreed to new lease terms for
rentals and royalties at rates of $5 per acre and 16-\2/3\ percent,
respectively. The $500 administrative fee for the lease has been paid
and the lessee has reimbursed the Bureau of Land Management for the
cost of publishing this notice.
Having met all the requirements for reinstatement of the lease as
set out in Section 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30
U.S.C. 188), the Bureau of Land Management is proposing to reinstate
lease UTU76532, effective July 1, 2004, subject to the original terms
and conditions of the lease and the increased rental and royalty rates
cited above.
Robert Henricks,
Acting Chief, Branch of Fluid Minerals.
[FR Doc. 05-1593 Filed 1-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P
