Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 206 in the Central Gulf of Mexico (2008), 35258-35259 [E7-12441]

Download as PDF jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES 35258 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 123 / Wednesday, June 27, 2007 / Notices buggies), a Special Recreation Permit Fee (SRP) of $10.00 per OHV would be charged upon arriving at the site. Both the SAR and SRP fees would be good for a weekly pass covering a period from Wednesday through Tuesday regardless of day of purchase. An SRP season pass in the amount of $80.00 would also be available for purchase. BLM plans to seek review and a recommendation from the Pacific Southwest Region Resources Advisory Committee being established under the authority of the REA. The CCMA is a popular off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation area and also offers excellent opportunities for hunting, hang gliding, rock hounding, hiking, backpacking, and peak climbing activities. The CCMA qualifies as an area where fees can be charged based on the significant opportunities for outdoor recreation, substantial Federal investment, the ability to collect fees efficiently, has designated developed parking, permanent toilets, permanent trash receptacles, interpretive signs, picnic tables, and security. The BLM’s commitment is to find the proper balance between public use and the protection of sensitive resources. It is BLM’s policy to ‘‘collect fees at all specialized recreation sites, or where the BLM provides facilities, equipment or services, at federal expense, in connection with outdoor recreation use.’’ The Clear Creek Special Recreation Management Area Fee Collection Project is intended to provide funding to maintain existing facilities and recreational opportunities, to provide for law enforcement presence, to develop additional services, and to protect unique and sensitive resources in the area. The rationale for charging recreation fees was established in the Clear Creek Special Recreation Management Area Business Plan and in a manner consistent with the following criteria: (1) The amount of the recreation fee shall be commensurate with the benefits and services provided to the visitor; (2) The aggregate effect of recreation fees on recreation users and recreation service providers were considered; (3) Comparable fees charged elsewhere and by other public agencies and by nearby private sector operators were considered; (4) Public policy or management objectives served by the recreation fee were considered; (5) Recommendations and guidelines regarding initiating fee sites from the Central California Resource Advisory Council (RAC) was considered and incorporated into the Business Plan; and (6) Other factors or criteria as VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:50 Jun 26, 2007 Jkt 211001 determined by the Secretary were considered. The public has been notified and heavily involved since the inception of the idea to collect fees in the CCMA. The RAC; government officials; tribal, Federal, State, county, and local government agencies; environmentalists, recreationists, private in-holders and right-of-way holders have been notified of the Hollister Field Office’s proposal to collect fees in the CCMA through direct mailings, bulletins, fee brochures, public meetings, and on-site information and public contact. The Clear Creek Management Area Resource Management Plan Amendment and Route Designation Record of Decision was issued January 2006 and allows for recreation opportunities and the charging of fees for use. All recreation fee receipts would be retained at the site. Of this amount, at least 85% would be used for repair and maintenance projects, interpretation, signage, habitat or facility enhancement, resource preservation, maintenance, law enforcement directly related to recreation use, support volunteer projects, Challenge Cost Share projects, and similar partnership authorities directly relating to visitor enjoyment, visitor access, and health and safety at recreation fee projects. The Hollister Field Office would not use more than 15% of total fees collected for administration, overhead, and indirect costs related to the recreation fee program except in the case of SRPs where this amount can not be exceeded for overhead and indirect costs relating to issuing and administering the SRP. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. (Authority: 43 CFR 1824.10) Dated: June 20, 2007. Rick Cooper, Field Manager, Hollister Field Office. [FR Doc. E7–12412 Filed 6–26–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–40–P PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Minerals Management Service Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 206 in the Central Gulf of Mexico (2008) Minerals Management Service, Interior. ACTION: Preparation of an environmental assessment. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is issuing this notice to advise the public, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., that MMS intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas Lease Sale 206 in the Central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) scheduled for March 2008. The MMS is issuing this notice to facilitate public involvement. The preparation of this EA is an important step in the decision process for Lease Sale 206. The proposal for Lease Sale 206 was identified by the Call for Information and Nominations published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2006, and was analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2007–2012; Western Planning Area Sales 204, 207, 210, 215, and 218; Central Planning Area Sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 222—Final Environmental Impact Statement; Volumes I and II (Multisale EIS, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007–018). The proposal does not include approximately 5.8 million acres located in the southeastern part of the Central Planning Area (CPA) which the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 opened to leasing after many years of appropriations Acts containing leasing moratoria. Because of the limited geological and geophysical data available to industry and the limited environmental review for this area, the MMS has decided that it would be premature to offer this area in proposed Lease Sale 206. Before this area is offered for lease, the MMS will conduct a separate NEPA review to reevaluate the expanded CPA sale area. This EA for proposed Lease Sale 206 will reexamine the potential environmental effects of the proposed lease sale and its alternatives (excluding the unleased blocks near biologically sensitive topographic features; excluding the unleased blocks within 15 miles of the Baldwin County, Alabama, coast; use of a nomination and tract selection leasing system; and no action) E:\FR\FM\27JNN1.SGM 27JNN1 jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 123 / Wednesday, June 27, 2007 / Notices based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that were not available at the time the Multisale EIS was prepared. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dennis Chew, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, MS 5410, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123– 2394. You may also contact Mr. Chew by telephone at (504) 736–2793. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In April 2007, the MMS published a Multisale EIS that addressed 11 proposed Federal actions that would offer for lease areas on the GOM OCS that may contain economically recoverable oil and gas resources. Federal regulations allow for several related or similar proposals to be analyzed in one EIS (40 CFR 1502.4). Since each proposed lease sale and its projected activities are very similar each year for each planning area, a single EIS was prepared for the 11 Western Planning Area (WPA) and CPA lease sales scheduled in the proposed OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2007– 2012 (5-Year Program). The Multisale EIS addressed WPA Lease Sale 204 in 2007, Sale 207 in 2008, Sale 210 in 2009, Sale 215 in 2010, and Sale 218 in 2011; and CPA Lease Sale 205 in 2007, Sale 206 in 2008, Sale 208 in 2009, Sale 213 in 2010, Sale 216 in 2011, and Sale 222 in 2012. Although the Multisale EIS addresses 11 proposed lease sales, at the completion of the EIS process, a Record of Decision will be published in July 2007 for only proposed WPA Lease Sale 204 and proposed CPA Lease Sale 205. Prior to each of the nine subsequent proposed lease sales, including Lease Sale 206, an additional NEPA review (an EA) will be conducted to address any new information relevant to that proposed lease sale. After completion of the EA, MMS will determine whether to prepare a Finding of No New Significant Impact (FONNSI) or a Supplemental EIS. The MMS prepares a Consistency Determination (CD) to determine whether the lease sale is consistent with each affected state’s federally-approved coastal zone management program. Finally, the MMS will solicit comments via the Proposed Notice of Sale (PNOS) from the governors of the affected states on the size, timing, and location of the lease sale. The tentative schedule for the prelease decision process for Lease Sale 206 is as follows: EA/FONNSI or Supplemental EIS decision, October 2007; CDs sent to affected states, October 2007; PNOS sent to governors of the affected states, October 2007; Final Notice of Sale published in the Federal Register, February 2008; and Lease Sale 206, March 2008. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:50 Jun 26, 2007 Jkt 211001 Public Comments: Within 30 days of this Notice’s publication, interested parties are requested to send comments regarding any new information or issues that should be addressed in the EA. Comments may be submitted in one of the following two ways: 1. In written form enclosed in an envelope labeled ‘‘Comments on CPA Lease Sale 206 EA’’ and mailed (or hand carried) to the Regional Supervisor, Leasing and Environment (Mail Stop 5410), Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123–2394. 2. Electronically to the MMS e-mail address: environment@mms.gov. To obtain single copies of the Multisale EIS, you may contact the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Attention: Public Information Office (Mail Stop 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123– 2394 (1–800–200–GULF). You may also view the Multisale EIS or check the list of libraries that have copies of the Multisale EIS on the MMS Web site at https://www.gomr.mms.gov. Dated: June 5, 2007. Robert P. LaBelle, Acting Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management. [FR Doc. E7–12441 Filed 6–26–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Notice of Charter Renewal; California Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee Charter Renewal Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of renewal. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This notice is published in accordance with Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92–463). Following consultation with the General Services Administration, notice is hereby given that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) is renewing the charter for the California Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee (Committee). The purpose of the Committee is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary on implementation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program (Program) as described in the Programmatic Record of Decision which outlines the long-term comprehensive solution for addressing the problems affecting the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 35259 Joaquin Delta Estuary, Public Law 108– 361, and other applicable law. Specific responsibilities of the Committee include: (1) Making recommendations on annual priorities and coordination of Program actions to achieve balanced implementation of the Program elements; (2) providing recommendations on effective integration of Program elements to provide continuous, balanced improvement of each of the Program objectives (ecosystem restoration, water quality, levee system integrity, and water supply reliability); (3) evaluating implementation of Program actions, including assessment of Program area performance; (4) reviewing and making recommendations on Program Plans and Annual Reports describing implementation of Program elements as set forth in the ROD to the Secretary; (5) recommending Program actions taking into account recommendations from the Committee’s subcommittees; and (6) liaison between the Committee’s subcommittees, the State and Federal agencies, the Secretary and the Governor. The Committee consists of 20 to 30 members who are appointed by the Secretary, in consultation with the Governor. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Buzzard, CALFED Program Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95821–1898, telephone 916–978–5525. The certification of Charter renewal is published below: Certification I hereby certify that Charter renewal of the California Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Department of the Interior. Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior. [FR Doc. 07–3146 Filed 6–26–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–MN–M E:\FR\FM\27JNN1.SGM 27JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35258-35259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12441]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for Proposed Outer 
Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 206 in the Central Gulf of 
Mexico (2008)

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Preparation of an environmental assessment.

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

SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is issuing this notice 
to advise the public, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., that MMS intends to 
prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for proposed Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS) oil and gas Lease Sale 206 in the Central Gulf of Mexico 
(GOM) scheduled for March 2008. The MMS is issuing this notice to 
facilitate public involvement. The preparation of this EA is an 
important step in the decision process for Lease Sale 206. The proposal 
for Lease Sale 206 was identified by the Call for Information and 
Nominations published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2006, and 
was analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2007-
2012; Western Planning Area Sales 204, 207, 210, 215, and 218; Central 
Planning Area Sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 222--Final 
Environmental Impact Statement; Volumes I and II (Multisale EIS, OCS 
EIS/EA MMS 2007-018).
    The proposal does not include approximately 5.8 million acres 
located in the southeastern part of the Central Planning Area (CPA) 
which the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 opened to leasing 
after many years of appropriations Acts containing leasing moratoria. 
Because of the limited geological and geophysical data available to 
industry and the limited environmental review for this area, the MMS 
has decided that it would be premature to offer this area in proposed 
Lease Sale 206. Before this area is offered for lease, the MMS will 
conduct a separate NEPA review to reevaluate the expanded CPA sale 
area.
    This EA for proposed Lease Sale 206 will reexamine the potential 
environmental effects of the proposed lease sale and its alternatives 
(excluding the unleased blocks near biologically sensitive topographic 
features; excluding the unleased blocks within 15 miles of the Baldwin 
County, Alabama, coast; use of a nomination and tract selection leasing 
system; and no action)

[[Page 35259]]

based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues 
that were not available at the time the Multisale EIS was prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dennis Chew, Minerals Management 
Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, MS 
5410, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. You may also contact Mr. Chew 
by telephone at (504) 736-2793.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In April 2007, the MMS published a Multisale 
EIS that addressed 11 proposed Federal actions that would offer for 
lease areas on the GOM OCS that may contain economically recoverable 
oil and gas resources. Federal regulations allow for several related or 
similar proposals to be analyzed in one EIS (40 CFR 1502.4). Since each 
proposed lease sale and its projected activities are very similar each 
year for each planning area, a single EIS was prepared for the 11 
Western Planning Area (WPA) and CPA lease sales scheduled in the 
proposed OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2007-2012 (5-Year Program). 
The Multisale EIS addressed WPA Lease Sale 204 in 2007, Sale 207 in 
2008, Sale 210 in 2009, Sale 215 in 2010, and Sale 218 in 2011; and CPA 
Lease Sale 205 in 2007, Sale 206 in 2008, Sale 208 in 2009, Sale 213 in 
2010, Sale 216 in 2011, and Sale 222 in 2012. Although the Multisale 
EIS addresses 11 proposed lease sales, at the completion of the EIS 
process, a Record of Decision will be published in July 2007 for only 
proposed WPA Lease Sale 204 and proposed CPA Lease Sale 205. Prior to 
each of the nine subsequent proposed lease sales, including Lease Sale 
206, an additional NEPA review (an EA) will be conducted to address any 
new information relevant to that proposed lease sale. After completion 
of the EA, MMS will determine whether to prepare a Finding of No New 
Significant Impact (FONNSI) or a Supplemental EIS. The MMS prepares a 
Consistency Determination (CD) to determine whether the lease sale is 
consistent with each affected state's federally-approved coastal zone 
management program. Finally, the MMS will solicit comments via the 
Proposed Notice of Sale (PNOS) from the governors of the affected 
states on the size, timing, and location of the lease sale. The 
tentative schedule for the prelease decision process for Lease Sale 206 
is as follows: EA/FONNSI or Supplemental EIS decision, October 2007; 
CDs sent to affected states, October 2007; PNOS sent to governors of 
the affected states, October 2007; Final Notice of Sale published in 
the Federal Register, February 2008; and Lease Sale 206, March 2008.
    Public Comments: Within 30 days of this Notice's publication, 
interested parties are requested to send comments regarding any new 
information or issues that should be addressed in the EA. Comments may 
be submitted in one of the following two ways:
    1. In written form enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Comments on 
CPA Lease Sale 206 EA'' and mailed (or hand carried) to the Regional 
Supervisor, Leasing and Environment (Mail Stop 5410), Minerals 
Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park 
Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394.
    2. Electronically to the MMS e-mail address: environment@mms.gov. 
To obtain single copies of the Multisale EIS, you may contact the 
Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Attention: 
Public Information Office (Mail Stop 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park 
Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200-
GULF). You may also view the Multisale EIS or check the list of 
libraries that have copies of the Multisale EIS on the MMS Web site at 
https://www.gomr.mms.gov.

     Dated: June 5, 2007.
Robert P. LaBelle,
Acting Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management.
 [FR Doc. E7-12441 Filed 6-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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