Notice of Availability of the Amendment to the Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Final Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, 4140-4141 [05-1730]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 18 / Friday, January 28, 2005 / Notices
Call for nominations for the
Steens Mountain Advisory Council
(SMAC).
ACTION:
SUMMARY: BLM is publishing this notice
under Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act. Pursuant to
the Steens Mountain Cooperative
Management and Protection Act of 2000
(Public Law 106–399), BLM gives notice
that the Secretary of the Interior intends
to call for nominations for terms
expiring on the SMAC. This notice
requests the public to submit
nominations for membership on the
SMAC. Any individual or organization
may nominate one or more persons to
serve on the SMAC. Individuals may
nominate themselves for SMAC
membership. Nomination forms may be
obtained from the Burns District Office,
Bureau of Land Management (see
address below). To make a nomination,
submit a completed nomination form,
letters of reference from the represented
interests or organizations, and any other
information that speaks to the
nominee’s qualifications, to the Burns
District Office. Nominations may be
made for the following categories of
interest:
• One person who is a grazing
permittee on Federal land in the Steens
Mountain Cooperative Management and
Protection Area (CMPA) (appointed
from nominees submitted by the County
Court of Harney County);
• One person who is a recognized
environmental representative from the
local area (appointed from nominees
submitted by the Governor of Oregon);
• A person who participates in what
is commonly called dispersed
recreation, such as hiking, camping,
nature viewing, nature photography,
bird watching, horseback riding, or trail
walking (appointed from nominees
submitted by the Oregon State Director
of the BLM); and
• A person with expertise and
interest in wild horse management on
Steens Mountain (appointed from
nominees submitted by the Oregon State
Director for BLM).
The specific category the nominee
will represent should be identified in
the letter of nomination. The Burns
District will collect the nomination
forms and letters of reference and
distribute them to the officials
responsible for submitting nominations
(County Court of Harney County, the
Governor of Oregon, and BLM). BLM
will then forward recommended
nominations to the Secretary of the
Interior, who has responsibility for
making the appointments.
DATES: Nominations should be
submitted to the address listed below no
VerDate jul<14>2003
15:43 Jan 27, 2005
Jkt 205001
later than 30 days after publication of
this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rhonda Karges, Management Support
Specialist, Burns District Office, 28910
Hwy 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738,
(541) 573–4433, or
Rhonda_Karges@or.blm.gov or from the
following Web site https://
www.or.blm.gov/steens (Public Law
106–399 in its entirety can be found on
the Steens Web site as previously cited.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
purpose of the SMAC is to advise BLM
on the management of the CMPA as
described in Title 1 of Public Law 106–
399. Each member will be a person who,
as a result of training and experience,
has knowledge or special expertise
which qualifies him or her to provide
advice for one or more of the interest
categories listed above.
Members of the SMAC are appointed
for terms of 3 years. The Grazing
Permittee, Environmental
Representative, Dispersed Recreation,
and Wild Horse Management position
terms will expire August 2005. These
four positions will begin no earlier than
August 2005 and will end August 2008.
Members will serve without monetary
compensation, but will be reimbursed
for travel and per diem expenses at
current rates for Government
employees. The SMAC shall meet only
at the call of the Designated Federal
Official, but not less than once per year.
Dated: December 21, 2004.
Karla Bird,
Andrews Resource Area Field Manager,
Bureau of Land Management, Burns, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 05–1596 Filed 1–27–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AK–931–1310–DT–NPRA]
Notice of Availability of the
Amendment to the Northeast National
Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Final
Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental
Impact Statement
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Amendment to the
Northeast National Petroleum ReserveAlaska (NPR-A) Final Integrated
Activity Plan/ Environmental Impact
Statement (IAP/EIS) will be made
available to the public for a 30-day
period beginning on the date the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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Frm 00057
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
files a Notice of Availability of the Final
IAP/EIS in the Federal Register. The
EPA notice is expected to occur on or
about January 28, 2005. A Record of
Decision (ROD) will be issued after the
30-day availability period. The ROD
will identify the selected alternative as
well as mitigation measures.
The Final IAP/EIS addresses two
primary objectives for the amendment of
the Northeast National Petroleum
Reserve-Alaska IAP/EIS.
1. Consider making available all or
portions of lands currently closed to oil
and gas leasing in the Planning Area;
and,
2.Consider developing performancebased lease stipulations and ROPs to
provide the BLM greater flexibility in
protecting important surface resources
from the impacts of oil and gas
activities, similar to those developed for
the Northwest National Petroleum
Reserve—Alaska.
Location of the Document: The Final
IAP/EIS will be available in either hard
copy or on compact disk at the Alaska
State Office, Public Information Center
at 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage,
Alaska 99513–7599. Copies of the Final
IAP/EIS will also be available at the
following locations: Tuzzy Public
Library, Barrow, Alaska; City of
Nuiqsut, Nuiqsut, Alaska; City of
Atqasuk, Atqasuk, Alaska; City of
Anaktuvuk Pass, Anaktuvuk Pass,
Alaska; City of Bethel, Bethel, Alaska, Z.
J. Loussac Public Library, Anchorage,
AK; Noel Wien Public Library,
Fairbanks, AK.
The final IAP/EIS will also be
available on the project Web site at
https://nenpra.ensr.com/nenpra/
default.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Childs, BLM Alaska State office
(907) 271–1985.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Northeast Planning Area (Planning
Area) boundary encompasses
approximately 4.6 million acres located
in the northeastern portion of the
National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The
Planning Area is roughly bounded by
the Beaufort Sea to the North, the
Ikpikpuk River to the west and the
Colville River to the east and south of
the planning area. The 1998 Record of
Decision (ROD) for the Northeast
Planning area provided 87% of the area
for oil and gas leasing; however,
approximately 840,000 acres, much of
the area surrounding the Teshekpuk
Lake, including the lake, was made
unavailable for leasing under the 1998
ROD. In 2002, the President’s National
Energy Policy Development Group
recommended that the President direct
E:\FR\FM\28JAN1.SGM
28JAN1
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
Jkt 205001
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
PO 00000
Frm 00058
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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]
BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P
E:\FR\FM\28JAN1.SGM
28JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 18 (Friday, January 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4140-4141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1730]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AK-931-1310-DT-NPRA]
Notice of Availability of the Amendment to the Northeast National
Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Final Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Amendment to the Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-
Alaska (NPR-A) Final Integrated Activity Plan/ Environmental Impact
Statement (IAP/EIS) will be made available to the public for a 30-day
period beginning on the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
files a Notice of Availability of the Final IAP/EIS in the Federal
Register. The EPA notice is expected to occur on or about January 28,
2005. A Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued after the 30-day
availability period. The ROD will identify the selected alternative as
well as mitigation measures.
The Final IAP/EIS addresses two primary objectives for the
amendment of the Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska IAP/EIS.
1. Consider making available all or portions of lands currently
closed to oil and gas leasing in the Planning Area; and,
2.Consider developing performance-based lease stipulations and ROPs
to provide the BLM greater flexibility in protecting important surface
resources from the impacts of oil and gas activities, similar to those
developed for the Northwest National Petroleum Reserve--Alaska.
Location of the Document: The Final IAP/EIS will be available in
either hard copy or on compact disk at the Alaska State Office, Public
Information Center at 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-
7599. Copies of the Final IAP/EIS will also be available at the
following locations: Tuzzy Public Library, Barrow, Alaska; City of
Nuiqsut, Nuiqsut, Alaska; City of Atqasuk, Atqasuk, Alaska; City of
Anaktuvuk Pass, Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska; City of Bethel, Bethel, Alaska,
Z. J. Loussac Public Library, Anchorage, AK; Noel Wien Public Library,
Fairbanks, AK.
The final IAP/EIS will also be available on the project Web site at
https://nenpra.ensr.com/nenpra/default.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Childs, BLM Alaska State office
(907) 271-1985.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Northeast Planning Area (Planning Area)
boundary encompasses approximately 4.6 million acres located in the
northeastern portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The
Planning Area is roughly bounded by the Beaufort Sea to the North, the
Ikpikpuk River to the west and the Colville River to the east and south
of the planning area. The 1998 Record of Decision (ROD) for the
Northeast Planning area provided 87% of the area for oil and gas
leasing; however, approximately 840,000 acres, much of the area
surrounding the Teshekpuk Lake, including the lake, was made
unavailable for leasing under the 1998 ROD. In 2002, the President's
National Energy Policy Development Group recommended that the President
direct
[[Page 4141]]
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 Reserve-Alaska 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 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 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
