Notice of Public Meeting; Central Montana Resource Advisory Council, 10110-10111 [05-4011]

Download as PDF 10110 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 40 / Wednesday, March 2, 2005 / Notices (2) Obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to include in the environmental document. DATES: Open house style meeting(s) will be held throughout the scoping phase of the comprehensive conservation plan development process. Special mailings, newspaper articles, and other media announcements will be used to inform the public and state and local government agencies of the opportunities for input throughout the planning process. ADDRESSES: Address comments, questions, and requests for more information to Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner, Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 401 Island Road, Marksville, Louisiana 71351. To ensure consideration, written comments must be received within 45 days following the date of this notice. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1958 primarily as a wintering area for migratory waterfowl. The refuge, in east-central LaSalle Parish and west-central Catahoula Parish, about 30 miles northeast of Alexandria and 12 miles east of Jena, now totals 25,162 acres. The 6,671-acre Headquarters Unit borders 9 miles of the northeast shore of Catahoula Lake, a 26,000-acre natural wetland renowned for its large concentrations of migratory waterfowl. The 18,491-acre Bushley Bayou Unit, located 8 miles west of Jonesville, was established in May 2001. The acquisition was made possible through a partnership agreement between The Conservation Fund, American Electric Power, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge lies within a physiographic region known as the Lower Mississippi River Alluvia Valley. This valley was, at one time, a 25million-acre forested wetland complex that extended along both sides of the Mississippi River from Illinois to Louisiana. Although the refuge was part of this very productive bottomland hardwood ecosystem, most of the forest on the refuge was cleared in the early 1970s for agriculture production. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Natural Resource Planner, Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, telephone: 318/253–4238; fax: 318/253–7139; e-mail: tina_chouinard@fws.gov.; or mail (write to the Natural Resource Planner at address in ADDRESSES section). Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Pub. L. 105–57. VerDate jul<14>2003 15:00 Mar 01, 2005 Jkt 205001 Dated: January 28, 2005. Cynthia K. Dohner, Acting Regional Director. [FR Doc. 05–4012 Filed 3–1–05; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [MT–060–01–1020–PG] BILLING CODE 4310–55–M Notice of Public Meeting; Central Montana Resource Advisory Council DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [WY–100–05–1310–DB] Notice of Meeting of the Pinedale Anticline Working Group Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (1976) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (1972), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) will meet in Pinedale, Wyoming, for a business meeting. Group meetings are open to the public. DATES: The PAWG will meet March 15, 2005, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting of the PAWG will be held at the Pinedale Volunteer Fire Department, 130 S. Fremont Ave., Pinedale, WY. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Kruse, BLM/PAWG Liaison, Bureau of Land Management, Pinedale Field Office, 432 E. Mills St., PO Box 738, Pinedale, WY, 82941; 307–367– 5352. The Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) was authorized and established with release of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Project on July 27, 2000. The PAWG advises the BLM on the development and implementation of monitoring plans and adaptive management decisions as development of the Pinedale Anticline Natural Gas Field proceeds for the life of the field. The agenda for these meetings will include follow-up discussions and recommendations on proposed monitoring plans submitted by individual task groups. At a minimum, public comments will be heard prior to lunch and adjournment of the meeting each day. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dated: February 24, 2005. Priscilla E. Mecham, Field Office Manager. [FR Doc. 05–4040 Filed 3–1–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–22–P PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Central Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below. DATES: The meeting will be held March 22 & 23, 2005, at the Best Western Great Northern Inn, 1345 1st Street, in Havre, Montana. The March 22 meeting will begin at 1 p.m. with a 30-minute public comment period. The meeting is scheduled to adjourn at approximately 6 p.m. The March 23 meeting will begin at 8 a.m. with a 60-minute public comment period. This meeting will adjourn at approximately 3 p.m. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 15member council advises the Secretary of the Interior on a variety of management issues associated with public land management in Montana. At these meetings the council will discuss/act upon: The minutes of their proceeding meeting; Election of officers; The West Hi-Line update; Oil and gas leases within the monument; Field Managers updates; The upcoming Lewis and Clark signature event; The sage grouse management plan; Potential for buy/out/trade-out of oil and gas leases in the Blacklead area; The Montana Challenge (the economic contribution of public lands); Community collaborative planning along the Rock Mountain Forest; and Special recreation use permits on the river and in the uplands. All meetings are open to the public. The public may present written comments to the RAC. Each formal RAC meeting will also have time allocated for hearing public comments. Depending on the number of persons wishing to comment and time available, the time for individual oral comments may be limited. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: June Bailey, Lewistown Field Manager, Lewistown Field Office, PO Box 1160, Lewistown, MT 59457, (406) 538–7461. E:\FR\FM\02MRN1.SGM 02MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 40 / Wednesday, March 2, 2005 / Notices Dated: February 24, 2005. June Bailey, Lewistown Field Manager. [FR Doc. 05–4011 Filed 3–1–05; 8:45 am] Dated: February 11, 2005. Thomas A. Readinger, Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management. [FR Doc. 05–4033 Filed 3–1–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–$$–M BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Minerals Management Service Minerals Management Service Outer Continental Shelf, Pacific Region, Environmental Document Prepared for Plains Exploration and Production Company’s Submarine Power Cable Repair Project Minerals Management Service (MMS). Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI). AGENCY: SUMMARY: The MMS prepared an EA for Plains Exploration and Production Company’s Platform Hillhouse-to-Shore Submarine Power Cable Repair Project and issued a FONSI pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Minerals Management Service, Pacific Region, 770 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo, CA 93010, Mr. John Lane, telephone (805) 389–7820. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS prepares EAs and FONSIs for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas exploration and development activities and other operations on the Pacific OCS. Plains Exploration and Production Company’s power cable repair project involves replacing up to 400 feet of failed power cable that links OCS Platform Hillhouse to shore in the County of Santa Barbara. The EA examines the potential environmental effects of the project and presents MMS’s conclusions regarding the significance of those effects. The MMS prepares EAs to determine whether proposed projects constitute a major Federal action that significantly affects the quality of the human environment in the sense of NEPA 102(2)(C). A FONSI is prepared in those instances where the MMS finds that approval will not result in significant effects on the quality of the human environment. The FONSI briefly presents the basis for that finding and includes a summary or copy of the EA. The MMS completed the EA and issued the FONSI on January 31, 2005. This notice constitutes the public Notice of Availability of environmental documents required under the NEPA regulations. VerDate jul<14>2003 15:00 Mar 01, 2005 Jkt 205001 Collection of Royalties, Rentals, Bonuses, and Other Monies Due the Federal Government Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior. ACTION: Notice requesting comments on an increase in base rentals and the use of sliding scale rentals in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) lease sales. AGENCY: SUMMARY: MMS is considering an increase to the base level rentals and the use of sliding scale rentals in Gulf of Mexico lease sales. This notice explains the purpose of the change and what the sliding scale rentals might be. MMS requests comments on both the increase to the base amounts and on the structure of the sliding scale system and its potential effects. DATES: MMS will consider all comments received by April 1, 2005, and may not fully consider comments received after April 1, 2005. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the notice by any of the following methods listed below. Please use ‘‘Increasing Base Rentals and Sliding Scale Rentals’’ as an identifier in your message. See also Public Comment Policy at the end of this notice. • MMS’s Public Connect on-line commenting system, https:// ocsconnect.mms.gov. Follow the instructions on the website for submitting comments. • Email MMS at rules.comments@mms.gov. Use ‘‘Increasing Base Rentals and Sliding Scale Rentals’’ in the subject line. • Fax: 703–787–1093. Identify as ‘‘Increasing Base Rentals and Sliding Scale Rentals’’. • Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Processing Team (RPT); 381 Elden Street, MS–4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170–4817. Please reference ‘‘Increasing Base Rentals and Sliding Scale Rentals’’ in your comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marshall Rose, Chief, Economics Division, at (703) 787–1536 or Marshall.Rose@mms.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 10111 Background The increase in the pace of leasing since the introduction of the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act (DWRRA) has been about twice as high as the increase in the pace of exploration. In order to encourage exploration drilling in deepwater areas earlier in the lease term, MMS is considering the use of a sliding scale rental system in future GOM sales. Under this policy, annual rentals would escalate gradually beginning with the sixth year of the initial lease term period except under certain conditions. If a lease is drilled within the first 5 years of its initial period, escalating rentals can be avoided either through a discovery, at which time the rental rate would stay the same until the start of royalty-bearing production, or, as might occur in the case of unsuccessful exploration, through relinquishment. If a discovery is made after the first 5 years of the primary term of the lease, the rental rates would return to the level that prevailed during the first 5-year period. Most deepwater blocks, i.e., those located in water depths of 400 meters or greater, are issued with longer primary terms and lower royalty rates than shallow water blocks. MMS issues all deepwater blocks, i.e., those located in water depths of 200 meters or greater, with provisions for royalty suspension or the possibility of royalty suspension, unlike shallow water blocks. Partly due to these lease terms, a $7.50 per acre annual rental rate has been used in deeper water depths since the implementation of the DWRRA in 1996. In contrast, the annual rental rate for leases in shallow water has been set at $5.00 per acre over this same time period. The authority for MMS to require payment of a rental, at a rate specified in the lease, exists under 43 U.S.C. 1337 (b)(6): An oil and gas lease issued pursuant to this section shall ‘‘ * * * contain such rental and other provisions as the Secretary may prescribe at the time of offering the area for lease * * *.’’ The President’s FY 2006 Budget submission includes language that MMS would increase the base level for rentals. The current base amounts are $5.00 per acre or fraction thereof for blocks in water depths of less than 200 meters and $7.50 per acre or fraction thereof for blocks in water depths of 200 meters or greater. These rates were last adjusted in 1993 for the shallow water depth and in 1996 for the deeper water depth. MMS is considering raising these base levels to approximately $6.25 per acre or fraction thereof for blocks in water depths of less than 200 meters E:\FR\FM\02MRN1.SGM 02MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10110-10111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4011]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-060-01-1020-PG]


Notice of Public Meeting; Central Montana Resource Advisory 
Council

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of 
the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Central Montana Resource 
Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

DATES: The meeting will be held March 22 & 23, 2005, at the Best 
Western Great Northern Inn, 1345 1st Street, in Havre, Montana. The 
March 22 meeting will begin at 1 p.m. with a 30-minute public comment 
period. The meeting is scheduled to adjourn at approximately 6 p.m. The 
March 23 meeting will begin at 8 a.m. with a 60-minute public comment 
period. This meeting will adjourn at approximately 3 p.m.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 15-member council advises the Secretary 
of the Interior on a variety of management issues associated with 
public land management in Montana. At these meetings the council will 
discuss/act upon:
    The minutes of their proceeding meeting;
    Election of officers;
    The West Hi-Line update;
    Oil and gas leases within the monument;
    Field Managers updates;
    The upcoming Lewis and Clark signature event;
    The sage grouse management plan;
    Potential for buy/out/trade-out of oil and gas leases in the 
Blacklead area;
    The Montana Challenge (the economic contribution of public lands);
    Community collaborative planning along the Rock Mountain Forest; 
and
    Special recreation use permits on the river and in the uplands.
    All meetings are open to the public. The public may present written 
comments to the RAC. Each formal RAC meeting will also have time 
allocated for hearing public comments. Depending on the number of 
persons wishing to comment and time available, the time for individual 
oral comments may be limited.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: June Bailey, Lewistown Field Manager, 
Lewistown Field Office, PO Box 1160, Lewistown, MT 59457, (406) 538-
7461.


[[Page 10111]]


    Dated: February 24, 2005.
June Bailey,
Lewistown Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 05-4011 Filed 3-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-$$-M

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