Request for Comments on the Proposed 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012, 50457-50463 [06-7128]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 165 / Friday, August 25, 2006 / Notices
Classification Comments: Interested
parties may submit comments regarding
the suitability of the land for inclusion
into the Sumpter Valley Dredge State
Heritage Area. Comments on the
classification are restricted to whether
the land is physically suited for the
proposal, whether the use will
maximize the future use or uses of the
land, whether the use is consistent with
local planning and zoning, or if the use
is consistent with State and Federal
programs.
Application Comments: Interested
parties may submit comments regarding
the specific use proposed in the
application and plan of development,
whether the BLM followed proper
administrative procedures in reaching
the decision, or any factor not directly
related to the suitability of the lands for
inclusion in the Sumpter Valley Dredge
State Heritage Area.
Comments, including names, street
addresses and other contact information
of respondents, will be available for
public review. Individual respondents
may request confidentiality. If you wish
to request that the BLM consider
withholding your name, street address
and other contact information (such as:
FAX or phone number) from public
review or from disclosure under the
Freedom of Information Act, you must
state this prominently at the beginning
of your comment. The BLM will honor
requests for confidentiality on a case-bycase basis to the extent allowed by law.
The BLM will make available for public
inspection all submissions in their
entirety from organizations or
businesses and from individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses. Any
adverse comments will be reviewed by
the State Director who may sustain,
vacate, or modify this realty action. In
the absence of any adverse comments,
classification will become effective on
October 24, 2006. The lands will not be
offered for conveyance until after the
classification becomes effective.
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Authority: 43 CFR 2741.5
Dated: July 6, 2006.
Larry Frazier,
Associate District Manager, Vale District.
[FR Doc. E6–14093 Filed 8–24–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Notice of Availability of Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
Minerals Management Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Proposed Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing
Program: 2007–2012.
AGENCY:
Comments will be accepted until
November 22, 2006.
ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment,
you may submit your comments by any
one of several methods. You may
comment electronically using MMS’s
Public Connect online commenting
system at https://ocsconnect.mms.gov.
This is the preferred method for
commenting. From the Public Connect
‘‘Welcome’’ screen, search for ‘‘5-Year
Programmatic EIS 2007–2012’’ or select
it from the ‘‘Projects Open for
Comment’’ menu. You may also mail
comments to: 5-Yr DEIS, Attention: Mr.
James F. Bennett, Chief, Branch of
Environmental Assessment, 381 Elden
Street, Mail Stop 4042, Herndon,
Virginia 20170–4817. Finally, you may
hand-deliver comments to the
Department of the Interior, Main Interior
Building, 1849 C Street, NW., Room
4227, Washington, DC 20240. Envelopes
or packages must be marked ‘‘2007–
2012 Oil and Gas Program Draft
Environmental Impact Statement’’. Our
practice is to make comments, including
names and home addresses of
respondents, available for public
review. Individual respondents may
request that we withhold their names
and/or home addresses, but if you wish
us to consider withholding this
information you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your
comments. In addition, you must
present a rationale for withholding this
information. This rationale must
demonstrate that disclosure ‘‘would
constitute an unwarranted invasion of
privacy.’’ Unsupported assertions will
not meet this burden. In the absence of
exceptional, documentable
circumstances, this information will be
released. We will not consider
anonymous comments. We will always
make submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, available
for public inspection in their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
James F. Bennett, Minerals Management
DATES:
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50457
Service, Chief, Branch of Environmental
Assessment, at (703) 787–1660.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft
Environmental Impact Statement may
be found on the Internet at https://
www.mms.gov/5-year/. A limited
number of individual copies of the Draft
EIS may be obtained from the above
contact. Please specify if you wish CD
or paper copy. If neither is specified, a
CD containing the Draft EIS will be
forwarded.
In accordance with 30 CFR 256.2(b),
public hearings related to the draft EIS
will be held in the Gulf of Mexico,
Atlantic and Alaska Regions. The exact
dates, times, and locations of the
hearings will be announced by Federal
Register notice in the near future.
Library Availability: To learn which
libraries in Alaska have copies of the
draft EIS, contact the Alaska OCS
Region, Minerals Management Service,
949 East 36th Avenue, Anchorage,
Alaska 99508–4363, telephone 1–800–
764–2627 or (907) 271–6438. On the
Pacific coast contact the Pacific OCS
Region, Minerals Management Service,
770 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo,
California 93010–6064, telephone (805)
389–7520. For availability of the draft
EIS along the Gulf of Mexico and
Atlantic coasts contact the Gulf of
Mexico OCS Region, Minerals
Management Service, 1201 Elmwood
Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana
70123–2394, telephone (504) 736–2595.
Information on the availability of the
Draft EIS can also be obtained from the
Minerals Management Service. Contact
Mr. James F. Bennett.
The list of libraries and their locations
is also available on the MMS Home page
on the Internet at https://www.mms.gov/
library/.
After the public hearing testimony
and written comments on the Draft EIS
have been reviewed and analyzed, a
Final EIS will be prepared.
Dated: August 15, 2006.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance.
[FR Doc. E6–14073 Filed 8–24–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Request for Comments on the
Proposed 5-Year Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing
Program for 2007–2012
AGENCY:
Minerals Management Service,
Interior.
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 165 / Friday, August 25, 2006 / Notices
Request for Comments on the
Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas
Leasing Program for 2007–2012
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Minerals Management
Service requests comments on the
Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas
Leasing Program for 2007–2012. This is
the second draft of a new program to
succeed the current program that
expires on June 30, 2007. The first
proposal—the draft proposed program—
was issued in February for a 60-day
comment period that closed on April 11,
2006.
Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act (43
U.S.C. 1344) specifies a multi-step
process of consultation and analysis that
must be completed before the Secretary
of the Interior may approve a new 5-year
program. The required steps following
this notice include the development of
a proposed final program and
Secretarial approval. Pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), the MMS also will publish a
Final EIS for the new 5-year program.
DATES: Please submit comments and
information to the MMS no later than
November 24, 2006.
Public Comment Procedure
The MMS will accept comments in
one of two formats: by mail or our
Internet commenting system. Please
submit your comments using only one
of these formats, and include full names
and addresses. Comments submitted by
other means may not be considered. We
will not consider anonymous
comments, and we will make available
for inspection in their entirety all
comments submitted by organizations
and businesses or by individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives of organizations and
businesses.
Our practice is to make comments,
including the names and home
addresses of respondents, available for
public review. An individual
commenter may ask that we withhold
his or her name, home address, or both
from the public record, and we will
honor such a request to the extent
allowable by law. If you submit
comments and wish us to withhold such
information, you must so state
prominently at the beginning of your
submission.
Mail comments and
information to: Renee Orr, 5-Year
Program Manager, Minerals
Management Service (MS–4010), Room
3120, 381 Elden Street, Herndon,
Virginia 20170. Please label your
comments and the packaging in which
they are submitted according to the
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ADDRESSES:
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subject matter. Mark those pertaining to
program preparation, ‘‘Comments on
Draft Proposed 5-Year Program for
2007–2012,’’ and mark those pertaining
to EIS preparation, ‘‘Comments on the
Draft EIS for the 5-Year Program for
2007–2012.’’ If you submit any
privileged or proprietary information to
be treated as confidential, please mark
the envelope, ‘‘Contains Confidential
Information.’’
Internet: The MMS will accept
comments submitted to our electronic
commenting system. This system can be
accessed at https://www.mms.gov/5-year/
2007–2012main.htm. We also will
provide access to information
concerning the 5-year program and EIS,
including copies of comments we
receive in response to this notice, at the
MMS Internet Web site (https://
www.mms.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Renee Orr, 5-Year Program Manager, at
(703) 787–1215.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 18
of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344)
specifies a multi-step process of
consultation and analysis that must be
completed before the Secretary of the
Interior may approve a new 5-year
program. The required steps following
this notice include the development of
a proposed final program to be
submitted to the Congress and the
President, with Secretarial approval of a
new program no sooner than 60 days
afterward. Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act, the MMS
also is preparing an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the new 5year program. The draft EIS is being
issued with this proposed program and
a final EIS will be issued with the
proposed final program.
The MMS requests comments from
states, local governments, native groups,
tribes, the oil and gas industry, Federal
agencies, environmental and other
interest organizations, and all other
interested parties, including the public
to assist in the preparation of a 5-Year
OCS oil and gas leasing program for
2007–2012 and applicable EIS.
The proposed program document may
be downloaded off the MMS Web site at
https://www.mms.gov. The document
also is available as part of our electronic
commenting system noted above. Hard
copies will be made available by
contacting the 5-Year Program Office at
703–787–1215.
Background
Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act
requires the Secretary of the Interior to
prepare and maintain a schedule of
proposed OCS oil and gas lease sales
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determined to ‘‘best meet national
energy needs for the 5-year period
following its approval or reapproval.’’
Summary of the Proposed Program
In developing the proposed program
for 2007–2012, the MMS carries forward
the same proposed schedule of lease
sales as contained in the draft proposed
program published in February 2006,
with modifications in four areas as
detailed below. Some of these areas are
currently withdrawn from disposition
by leasing through June 30, 2012, under
section 12 of the OCS Lands Act (43
U.S.C. 1341) and have been subject to
annual congressional moratoria.
There will be no leasing of such areas
unless the Presidential withdrawal is
modified and Congress discontinues the
annual statutory moratoria. The
comments received and the analyses
conducted for this proposed program
may provide the information necessary
for a potential modification of the
withdrawal areas. The areas identified
as proposed program areas in this notice
are ones that warrant further study and
analysis based on oil and gas resource
estimates and comments received in
response to the draft proposed program
published in February of this year.
Continued inclusion of areas in the
proposed lease sale schedule provides a
basis for gathering information and
conducting analyses to inform policy
makers whether to include these areas
for leasing consideration in the new 5year program. The program proposes
sales in offshore areas that have the
highest oil and gas resource values and
highest industry interest, or areas that
are currently under leasing restrictions
and are off the coasts of states that have
expressed interest in learning more
about the energy potential offshore their
coasts. The proposed schedule is
responsive to the recommendations of
affected state and local governments.
The proposed program schedules a
total of 21 OCS lease sales in 7 areas (4
areas off Alaska, 2 areas in the Gulf of
Mexico, and 1 area in the Atlantic).
Maps A and B show the areas proposed
for leasing. Table A lists the location
and timing of the proposed lease sales
in areas that are available for leasing
consideration, i.e., not withdrawn or
subject to congressional moratoria.
Table B lists the location and timing of
the proposed lease sales in areas that are
withdrawn and/or subject to moratoria.
Alaska Region
In the Alaska Region, the program
proposes multiple lease sales in the
Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and North
Aleutian Basin Planning Areas, which
are three areas of interest to Alaska, the
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MMS, and the oil and gas industry.
Multiple sales are consistent with the
Governor of Alaska’s recommendations.
The North Aleutian Basin Planning Area
is currently withdrawn by presidential
order under section 12 of the OCS Lands
Act.
Two of these areas are modified from
the draft proposed program. In the
Chukchi Sea, the proposed program
removes from leasing consideration, a
25-mile buffer area along the coast, as
there is no existing oil and gas activity
in the area and the State has made no
request to include leasing closer to
shore. For the North Aleutian Basin, in
response to comments from the
Governor and the vast majority of the
local governments and tribal
organizations, this program proposes
sales only in the area offered in Sale 92
held in 1985. With that limitation of the
area to be offered, the Governor of
Alaska requested ‘‘that the President lift
the withdrawal of the North Aleutian
Basin planning area from the leasing
program, and allow the scheduling of
lease sales in the Sale 92 area in the
2007–2012 program.’’ Therefore, the
North Aleutian Basin is included.
The Cook Inlet Planning Area is
included on the schedule as a special
interest sale. The sales are proposed for
2009 and 2011, but before the MMS
proceeds, it will issue a request for
nominations and comments and will
move forward only if environmentally
acceptable blocks are nominated by
industry. If this does not occur, the sale
will likely be postponed and a request
for nominations and comments may be
issued again the following year and so
on through the 5-year schedule until the
sale is held or the schedule expires.
Gulf of Mexico Region
In the Central and Western Gulf of
Mexico Planning Areas, which remain
the two areas of highest resource
potential and interest, the proposed
program is the same as that of the draft
proposed program with the exception of
the exclusion of a small area in the
Central Gulf that is east of the military
line (86° W 41′ N). The program
continues to schedule annual areawide
lease sales, as has been the customary
practice, and proposes a sale in 2007 of
a portion of the area that was identified
for Sale 181 in the 5-year program for
1997–2002. As a result of the
reconfiguration of some planning areas
to follow new administrative lines,
some of the areas formerly included in
the Eastern and Western Gulf Planning
Area are now part of the Central Gulf
Planning Area. There are no lease sales
scheduled in the Eastern Gulf Planning
Area. The original Sale 181 area is not
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under presidential withdrawal and has
not been subject to congressional
moratoria. In addition, the area being
considered for leasing will not include
the area within 100 miles of the Florida
coast that used to be part of the Eastern
Gulf Planning Area. This will respect
the commitment made earlier by the
Secretary. In the August 2005 Request
for Information, then Secretary Norton
stated that she ‘‘had no intention of
offering for leasing areas in the Eastern
Gulf of Mexico Planning Area within
100 miles of the coast of the State of
Florida.’’ Subsequent annual Central
Gulf sales may include the area to the
south of the Sale 181 area that is
currently under presidential withdrawal
and has been subject to annual
congressional moratoria. In addition,
pursuant to Section 19 of the OCS Lands
Act, no sale will be proposed until all
affected states have the opportunity to
comment.
Atlantic OCS
Frm 00077
Sale No.
Area
204 ..............
Western Gulf of
Mexico.
Central Gulf of
Mexico.
Chukchi Sea ........
Central Gulf of
Mexico.
Western Gulf of
Mexico.
Central Gulf of
Mexico.
Beaufort Sea .......
Western Gulf of
Mexico.
Cook Inlet ............
Chukchi Sea ........
Central Gulf of
Mexico.
Western Gulf of
Mexico.
Central Gulf of
Mexico.
Beaufort Sea .......
Western Gulf of
Mexico.
Cook Inlet ............
Chukchi Sea ........
Central Gulf of
Mexico.
205 ..............
193 ..............
206 ..............
207 ..............
208 ..............
209 ..............
210 ..............
211 ..............
212 ..............
213 ..............
215 ..............
216 ..............
217 ..............
218 ..............
There are four planning areas in the
Atlantic OCS—North Atlantic, MidAtlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of
Florida. As in the draft proposed
program, the proposed program
proposes a special interest sale in the
Mid-Atlantic in late 2011, which may
proceed based on comments received in
response to the call for information and
depends on whether the presidential
withdrawal is lifted and the
congressional moratorium is
discontinued.
The area proposed for consideration is
in the Mid-Atlantic Planning Area off
the coastline of Virginia. Inclusion of
this area in the proposed program will
allow the gathering of additional
information needed to decide whether
to include this area in the proposed
final program. As in the Chukchi Sea,
the proposed program area includes a
25-mile buffer from leasing
consideration as there is no existing oil
and gas activity in the area and the State
has made no request to include leasing
closer to shore. In addition, there is no
leasing proposed in a wedge-shaped NoObstruction Zone, to protect navigation
activities in and out of the Chesapeake
Bay. In addition, pursuant to section 19
of the OCS Lands Act, no sale will be
proposed until all affected states have
the opportunity to comment. This area
is also under presidential withdrawal
under section 12 and has been subject
to congressional moratoria.
PO 00000
TABLE A: DRAFT PROPOSED PROGRAM
FOR
2007–2012—LEASE
SALE
SCHEDULE FOR AVAILABLE AREAS
Fmt 4703
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219 ..............
221 ..............
222 ..............
Year
2007
2007
2007
2008
2008
2009
2009
2009
2009
2010
2010
2010
2011
2011
2011
2011
2012
2012
TABLE B: DRAFT PROPOSED PROGRAM
FOR 2007–2012—POTENTIAL LEASE
SALE SCHEDULE FOR AREAS SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS*
Sale No.
Area
214 ..............
North Aleutian
Basin.
Mid-Atlantic .........
North Aleutian
Basin.
220 ..............
223 ..............
Year
2010
2011
2012
* Lease sales would only be held if the
President chooses to modify the withdrawal in
both areas and Congress discontinues the annual appropriations moratorium in the MidAtlantic.
Assurance of Fair Market Value
Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act
requires receipt of fair market value for
OCS oil and gas leases and the rights
they convey. The proposed program
carries forward the provisions published
in the draft proposed program: setting
minimum bid levels by individual lease
sale based on market conditions and
continuing use of a two-phase bid
evaluation process.
Information Requested
We request all interested and affected
parties to comment on the size, timing,
and location of leasing and the
procedures for assuring fair market
value that are included in the Proposed
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5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing
Program for 2007–2012. Respondents
who submitted information in response
to previous requests for comments on
the preparation of this 5-year program
may wish to reference that information,
as appropriate, rather than repeating it
in their comments on the proposed
program. We also invite comments and
suggestions on how to proceed with the
section 18 analysis for the proposed
final program.
Section 18(g) authorizes confidential
treatment of privileged or proprietary
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information that is submitted. In order
to protect the confidentiality of such
information, respondents should
include it as an attachment to other
comments submitted and mark it
appropriately. On request, the MMS will
treat such information as confidential
from the time of its receipt until 5 years
after approval of the new leasing
program, subject to the standards of the
Freedom of Information Act. MMS will
not treat as confidential any aggregate
summaries of such information, the
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names of respondents, and comments
not containing such information.
Next Steps in the Process
MMS plans to issue the proposed
final program and final EIS in the spring
of 2007. Sixty days later, the Secretary
may approve the new 5-year program to
go into effect as of July 1, 2007.
Dated: August 21, 2006.
R. M. ‘‘Johnnie’’ Burton,
Director, Minerals Management Service.
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50462
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 165 / Friday, August 25, 2006 / Notices
[FR Doc. 06–7128 Filed 8–24–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–C
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Plan of Operations and Environmental
Assessment for the Wilson Well No. 1
by Kindee Oil and Gas Texas, LLC,
Padre Island National Seashore, TX
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Plan
of Operations and Environmental
Assessment for the Wilson Well No. 1
by Kindee Oil and Gas Texas, LLC,
Padre Island National Seashore.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given in
accordance with § 9.52(b) of Title 36 of
the Code of Federal Regulations, part 9,
subpart B, of a Plan of Operations
submitted by Kindee Oil and Gas Texas,
LLC, for the Wilson Well No. 1 in Padre
Island National Seashore, Kenedy
County, Texas. Additionally, the NPS
has prepared an Environmental
Assessment for this proposal.
DATES: The above documents are
available for pubic review and comment
for September 25, 2006.
ADDRESSES: The Plan of Operations and
Environmental Assessment are available
for public review and comment in the
Office of the Superintendent, Colin
Campbell, Padre Island National
Seashore, 20301 Park Road 22, Corpus
Christi, Texas 78480. The documents
are also available at the Planning,
Environment and Public Comment
(PEPC) Web site at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov.
SUMMARY:
Mr.
Darrell Echols, Chief, Division of
Science and Resources Management,
Padre Island National Seashore, P.O.
Box 181300, Corpus Christi, Texas
78480–1300, Telephone: 361–949–8173,
ext. 223, e-mail at
Darrell_Echols@nps.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
If you
wish to comment on the environmental
assessment, you may mail comments to
the name and address above, handdeliver them to the street address
provided above, or post comments
online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/.
This environmental assessment will be
on public review for 30 days. Our
practice is to make comments, including
names, home addresses, home phone
numbers, and e-mail addresses of
respondents, available for public
review. Individual respondents may
request that we withhold their names
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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and/or home addresses, etc., but if you
wish us to consider withholding this
information you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your
comments. In addition, you must
present a rationale for withholding this
information. This rationale must
demonstrate that disclosure would
constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of privacy. Unsupported
assertions will not meet this burden. In
the absence of exceptional,
documentable circumstances, this
information will be released. We will
always make submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives of or officials of
organizations or businesses, available
for public inspection in their entirety.
Dated: July 7, 2006.
Anthony J. Schetzsle,
Acting Director, Intermountain Region.
[FR Doc. E6–14148 Filed 8–24–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–CD–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places;
Notification of Pending Nominations
and Related Actions
50463
Architecture MPS), Kauffman Rd.,
Stuttgart, 06000834.
Bradley County
Wilson—Martin House, 511 Bond St.,
Warren, 06000827
Chicot County
Fregory Dipping Vat, (Dip That Tick:Texas
Tick Fever Eradication in Arkansas MPS)
122 Rogers Rd., Lake Village, 06000830
Clark County
Young, W.H., House, 316 Meador Ln.,
Arkadelphia, 06000842
Conway County
Seven Hollows—Petit Jean Mountain Site #1,
(Rock Art Sites in Arkansas TR) Address
Restricted, Winrock, 06000833
Lonoke County
Memphis to Little Rock Road—Bayou Two
Prairie Segment, (Cherokee Trail of Tears
MPS) Address Resticted, Brownsville,
06000836
Nevada County
Moscow Methodist Church and Cemetery,
Jct. of AR 23 and AR 260, Prescott,
06000826
Pope County
Archeological site 3PP141, (Rock Art Sites in
Arkansas TR) Address Restricted, Atkins,
06000837
Archeological site 3PP142, (Rock Art Sites in
Arkansas TR) Address Restricted, Atkins,
06000839
Nominations for the following
properties being considered for listing
or related actions in the National
Register were received by the National
Park Service before August 12, 2006.
Pursuant to § 60.13 of 36 CFR part 60
written comments concerning the
significance of these properties under
the National Register criteria for
evaluation may be forwarded by United
States Postal Service, to the National
Register of Historic Places, National
Park Service, 1849 C St. NW., 2280,
Washington, DC 20240; by all other
carriers, National Register of Historic
Places, National Park Service, 1201 Eye
St. NW., 8th floor, Washington, DC
20005; or by fax, 202–371–6447. Written
or faxed comments should be submitted
by September 11, 2006.
Pulaski County
Arkansas Ordnance Plant Guard House, 100
Veteran’s Circle, Jacksonville, 06000831
First Hotze House, 1620 S. Main St., Little
Rock, 06000828
McCraw Cemetery, E of 2101 Old Military
Rd., Jacksonville, 06000829
John W. Roberts,
Acting Chief, National Register/National
Historic Landmarks Program.
Pasco County
Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian
Ave., Dade City, 06000843
ARIZONA
Sebastian County
Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive #1,
100 S 4th St., Fort Smith, 06000835
United States Air Force Locomotive #1246,
100 S. 4th St., Fort Smith, 06000840
St. Francis County
Campbell House, 305 N. Forrest St., Forrest
City, 06000841
Yell County
Archeological site 3YE958, Address
Restricted, Dardanelle, 06000838
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
Pima County,
Ramada House, 2801 E Camino Norberto,
Tucson, 06000832.
ARKANSAS
Catoosa County
Catoosa County Courthouse, (Georgia County
Courthouses TR) 7694 Nashville St.,
Ringgold, 06000844
Arkansas County
Arkansas 11, Old, Kauffman Road Segment,
(Arkansas Highway History and
Effingham County
Effingham County Jail, 1002 N. Pine St.,
Springfield, 06000845
PO 00000
Frm 00081
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 165 (Friday, August 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50457-50463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7128]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Request for Comments on the Proposed 5-Year Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012
AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.
[[Page 50458]]
ACTION: Request for Comments on the Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas
Leasing Program for 2007-2012
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service requests comments on the
Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012. This is
the second draft of a new program to succeed the current program that
expires on June 30, 2007. The first proposal--the draft proposed
program--was issued in February for a 60-day comment period that closed
on April 11, 2006.
Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) specifies a multi-
step process of consultation and analysis that must be completed before
the Secretary of the Interior may approve a new 5-year program. The
required steps following this notice include the development of a
proposed final program and Secretarial approval. Pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the MMS also will publish a
Final EIS for the new 5-year program.
DATES: Please submit comments and information to the MMS no later than
November 24, 2006.
Public Comment Procedure
The MMS will accept comments in one of two formats: by mail or our
Internet commenting system. Please submit your comments using only one
of these formats, and include full names and addresses. Comments
submitted by other means may not be considered. We will not consider
anonymous comments, and we will make available for inspection in their
entirety all comments submitted by organizations and businesses or by
individuals identifying themselves as representatives of organizations
and businesses.
Our practice is to make comments, including the names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review. An individual
commenter may ask that we withhold his or her name, home address, or
both from the public record, and we will honor such a request to the
extent allowable by law. If you submit comments and wish us to withhold
such information, you must so state prominently at the beginning of
your submission.
ADDRESSES: Mail comments and information to: Renee Orr, 5-Year Program
Manager, Minerals Management Service (MS-4010), Room 3120, 381 Elden
Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170. Please label your comments and the
packaging in which they are submitted according to the subject matter.
Mark those pertaining to program preparation, ``Comments on Draft
Proposed 5-Year Program for 2007-2012,'' and mark those pertaining to
EIS preparation, ``Comments on the Draft EIS for the 5-Year Program for
2007-2012.'' If you submit any privileged or proprietary information to
be treated as confidential, please mark the envelope, ``Contains
Confidential Information.''
Internet: The MMS will accept comments submitted to our electronic
commenting system. This system can be accessed at https://www.mms.gov/5-
year/2007-2012main.htm. We also will provide access to information
concerning the 5-year program and EIS, including copies of comments we
receive in response to this notice, at the MMS Internet Web site
(https://www.mms.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Renee Orr, 5-Year Program Manager, at
(703) 787-1215.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C.
1344) specifies a multi-step process of consultation and analysis that
must be completed before the Secretary of the Interior may approve a
new 5-year program. The required steps following this notice include
the development of a proposed final program to be submitted to the
Congress and the President, with Secretarial approval of a new program
no sooner than 60 days afterward. Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act, the MMS also is preparing an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the new 5-year program. The draft EIS is
being issued with this proposed program and a final EIS will be issued
with the proposed final program.
The MMS requests comments from states, local governments, native
groups, tribes, the oil and gas industry, Federal agencies,
environmental and other interest organizations, and all other
interested parties, including the public to assist in the preparation
of a 5-Year OCS oil and gas leasing program for 2007-2012 and
applicable EIS.
The proposed program document may be downloaded off the MMS Web
site at https://www.mms.gov. The document also is available as part of
our electronic commenting system noted above. Hard copies will be made
available by contacting the 5-Year Program Office at 703-787-1215.
Background
Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary of the
Interior to prepare and maintain a schedule of proposed OCS oil and gas
lease sales determined to ``best meet national energy needs for the 5-
year period following its approval or reapproval.''
Summary of the Proposed Program
In developing the proposed program for 2007-2012, the MMS carries
forward the same proposed schedule of lease sales as contained in the
draft proposed program published in February 2006, with modifications
in four areas as detailed below. Some of these areas are currently
withdrawn from disposition by leasing through June 30, 2012, under
section 12 of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1341) and have been subject
to annual congressional moratoria.
There will be no leasing of such areas unless the Presidential
withdrawal is modified and Congress discontinues the annual statutory
moratoria. The comments received and the analyses conducted for this
proposed program may provide the information necessary for a potential
modification of the withdrawal areas. The areas identified as proposed
program areas in this notice are ones that warrant further study and
analysis based on oil and gas resource estimates and comments received
in response to the draft proposed program published in February of this
year. Continued inclusion of areas in the proposed lease sale schedule
provides a basis for gathering information and conducting analyses to
inform policy makers whether to include these areas for leasing
consideration in the new 5-year program. The program proposes sales in
offshore areas that have the highest oil and gas resource values and
highest industry interest, or areas that are currently under leasing
restrictions and are off the coasts of states that have expressed
interest in learning more about the energy potential offshore their
coasts. The proposed schedule is responsive to the recommendations of
affected state and local governments.
The proposed program schedules a total of 21 OCS lease sales in 7
areas (4 areas off Alaska, 2 areas in the Gulf of Mexico, and 1 area in
the Atlantic). Maps A and B show the areas proposed for leasing. Table
A lists the location and timing of the proposed lease sales in areas
that are available for leasing consideration, i.e., not withdrawn or
subject to congressional moratoria. Table B lists the location and
timing of the proposed lease sales in areas that are withdrawn and/or
subject to moratoria.
Alaska Region
In the Alaska Region, the program proposes multiple lease sales in
the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and North Aleutian Basin Planning Areas,
which are three areas of interest to Alaska, the
[[Page 50459]]
MMS, and the oil and gas industry. Multiple sales are consistent with
the Governor of Alaska's recommendations. The North Aleutian Basin
Planning Area is currently withdrawn by presidential order under
section 12 of the OCS Lands Act.
Two of these areas are modified from the draft proposed program. In
the Chukchi Sea, the proposed program removes from leasing
consideration, a 25-mile buffer area along the coast, as there is no
existing oil and gas activity in the area and the State has made no
request to include leasing closer to shore. For the North Aleutian
Basin, in response to comments from the Governor and the vast majority
of the local governments and tribal organizations, this program
proposes sales only in the area offered in Sale 92 held in 1985. With
that limitation of the area to be offered, the Governor of Alaska
requested ``that the President lift the withdrawal of the North
Aleutian Basin planning area from the leasing program, and allow the
scheduling of lease sales in the Sale 92 area in the 2007-2012
program.'' Therefore, the North Aleutian Basin is included.
The Cook Inlet Planning Area is included on the schedule as a
special interest sale. The sales are proposed for 2009 and 2011, but
before the MMS proceeds, it will issue a request for nominations and
comments and will move forward only if environmentally acceptable
blocks are nominated by industry. If this does not occur, the sale will
likely be postponed and a request for nominations and comments may be
issued again the following year and so on through the 5-year schedule
until the sale is held or the schedule expires.
Gulf of Mexico Region
In the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Areas, which
remain the two areas of highest resource potential and interest, the
proposed program is the same as that of the draft proposed program with
the exception of the exclusion of a small area in the Central Gulf that
is east of the military line (86[deg] W 41[min] N). The program
continues to schedule annual areawide lease sales, as has been the
customary practice, and proposes a sale in 2007 of a portion of the
area that was identified for Sale 181 in the 5-year program for 1997-
2002. As a result of the reconfiguration of some planning areas to
follow new administrative lines, some of the areas formerly included in
the Eastern and Western Gulf Planning Area are now part of the Central
Gulf Planning Area. There are no lease sales scheduled in the Eastern
Gulf Planning Area. The original Sale 181 area is not under
presidential withdrawal and has not been subject to congressional
moratoria. In addition, the area being considered for leasing will not
include the area within 100 miles of the Florida coast that used to be
part of the Eastern Gulf Planning Area. This will respect the
commitment made earlier by the Secretary. In the August 2005 Request
for Information, then Secretary Norton stated that she ``had no
intention of offering for leasing areas in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico
Planning Area within 100 miles of the coast of the State of Florida.''
Subsequent annual Central Gulf sales may include the area to the south
of the Sale 181 area that is currently under presidential withdrawal
and has been subject to annual congressional moratoria. In addition,
pursuant to Section 19 of the OCS Lands Act, no sale will be proposed
until all affected states have the opportunity to comment.
Atlantic OCS
There are four planning areas in the Atlantic OCS--North Atlantic,
Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida. As in the draft
proposed program, the proposed program proposes a special interest sale
in the Mid-Atlantic in late 2011, which may proceed based on comments
received in response to the call for information and depends on whether
the presidential withdrawal is lifted and the congressional moratorium
is discontinued.
The area proposed for consideration is in the Mid-Atlantic Planning
Area off the coastline of Virginia. Inclusion of this area in the
proposed program will allow the gathering of additional information
needed to decide whether to include this area in the proposed final
program. As in the Chukchi Sea, the proposed program area includes a
25-mile buffer from leasing consideration as there is no existing oil
and gas activity in the area and the State has made no request to
include leasing closer to shore. In addition, there is no leasing
proposed in a wedge-shaped No-Obstruction Zone, to protect navigation
activities in and out of the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, pursuant to
section 19 of the OCS Lands Act, no sale will be proposed until all
affected states have the opportunity to comment. This area is also
under presidential withdrawal under section 12 and has been subject to
congressional moratoria.
Table A: Draft Proposed Program for 2007-2012--Lease Sale Schedule for
Available Areas
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sale No. Area Year
------------------------------------------------------------------------
204........................... Western Gulf of Mexico....... 2007
205........................... Central Gulf of Mexico....... 2007
193........................... Chukchi Sea.................. 2007
206........................... Central Gulf of Mexico....... 2008
207........................... Western Gulf of Mexico....... 2008
208........................... Central Gulf of Mexico....... 2009
209........................... Beaufort Sea................. 2009
210........................... Western Gulf of Mexico....... 2009
211........................... Cook Inlet................... 2009
212........................... Chukchi Sea.................. 2010
213........................... Central Gulf of Mexico....... 2010
215........................... Western Gulf of Mexico....... 2010
216........................... Central Gulf of Mexico....... 2011
217........................... Beaufort Sea................. 2011
218........................... Western Gulf of Mexico....... 2011
219........................... Cook Inlet................... 2011
221........................... Chukchi Sea.................. 2012
222........................... Central Gulf of Mexico....... 2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table B: Draft Proposed Program for 2007-2012--Potential Lease Sale
Schedule for Areas Subject to Restrictions*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sale No. Area Year
------------------------------------------------------------------------
214........................... North Aleutian Basin......... 2010
220........................... Mid-Atlantic................. 2011
223........................... North Aleutian Basin......... 2012
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Lease sales would only be held if the President chooses to modify the
withdrawal in both areas and Congress discontinues the annual
appropriations moratorium in the Mid-Atlantic.
Assurance of Fair Market Value
Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act requires receipt of fair market
value for OCS oil and gas leases and the rights they convey. The
proposed program carries forward the provisions published in the draft
proposed program: setting minimum bid levels by individual lease sale
based on market conditions and continuing use of a two-phase bid
evaluation process.
Information Requested
We request all interested and affected parties to comment on the
size, timing, and location of leasing and the procedures for assuring
fair market value that are included in the Proposed
[[Page 50460]]
5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012. Respondents who
submitted information in response to previous requests for comments on
the preparation of this 5-year program may wish to reference that
information, as appropriate, rather than repeating it in their comments
on the proposed program. We also invite comments and suggestions on how
to proceed with the section 18 analysis for the proposed final program.
Section 18(g) authorizes confidential treatment of privileged or
proprietary information that is submitted. In order to protect the
confidentiality of such information, respondents should include it as
an attachment to other comments submitted and mark it appropriately. On
request, the MMS will treat such information as confidential from the
time of its receipt until 5 years after approval of the new leasing
program, subject to the standards of the Freedom of Information Act.
MMS will not treat as confidential any aggregate summaries of such
information, the names of respondents, and comments not containing such
information.
Next Steps in the Process
MMS plans to issue the proposed final program and final EIS in the
spring of 2007. Sixty days later, the Secretary may approve the new 5-
year program to go into effect as of July 1, 2007.
Dated: August 21, 2006.
R. M. ``Johnnie'' Burton,
Director, Minerals Management Service.
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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[[Page 50462]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR25AU06.109
[[Page 50463]]
[FR Doc. 06-7128 Filed 8-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-C
