Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in Oregon Final Environmental Impact Statement, 60807-60808 [2010-24641]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 190 / Friday, October 1, 2010 / Notices
from the wellhead to central tank
batteries carry high levels of water and
condensate and must be buried to
prevent plugging and freezing at
wellhead spacing greater than 20 acres.
Therefore, centralization of these
facilities would require a great deal of
buried pipelines to be constructed,
resulting in the same environmental
impacts described above for buried
pipelines. However, burying pipelines
and centralizing tank batteries, as a
means of reducing overall
environmental impact, will be
considered on a site-specific basis as
appropriate.
The public is encouraged to comment
on any of these alternatives. The BLM
asks that those submitting comments
make them as specific as possible with
reference to chapters, page numbers,
and paragraphs in the Draft EIS
document. Comments that contain only
opinions or preferences will not receive
a formal response; however, they will be
considered, and included, as part of the
BLM decision-making process. The most
useful comments will contain new
technical or scientific information,
identify data gaps in the impact
analysis, or will provide technical or
scientific rationale for opinions or
preferences.
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 us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Juan Palma,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010–24582 Filed 9–30–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
[LLOR932000–L16100000–DF0000–
LXSS062H0000; HAG 10–0283]
Notice of Availability of the Record of
Decision for Vegetation Treatments
Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land
Management Lands in Oregon Final
Environmental Impact Statement
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:34 Sep 30, 2010
Jkt 220001
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) has prepared
a Record of Decision (ROD) for
Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides
on Bureau of Land Management Lands
in Oregon and by this notice is
announcing its availability. The ROD
selects a slightly modified version of
Alternative 4 as described in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for Vegetation Treatments Using
Herbicides on Bureau of Land
Management Lands in Oregon, notice of
which was published in the Federal
Register on July 30, 2010 (75 FR 44981).
The selected alternative increases the
number of herbicides available for use
on BLM-managed lands in Oregon and
increases the number of objectives for
which they can be used. The herbicides
and uses permitted by the selected
alternative fall entirely within those
approved for use in 17 western states by
the BLM in its September 2007 ROD for
the Final Programmatic EIS for
Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides
on BLM lands in 17 Western States. The
Oregon decision incorporates the
standard operating procedures and
mitigation measures adopted by the
BLM’s 2007 17 western states decision
and adds additional mitigation and
monitoring requirements specific to
Oregon.
DATES: There is a 30-day appeal period
before the decision can take effect (see
ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS below).
Appeals must be postmarked within 30
days of the date of publication of this
notice in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Todd Thompson, EIS Project Manager,
by telephone at (503) 808–6326, by mail
at Bureau of Land Management—
OR932, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, Oregon
97208; or by e-mail at
orvegtreatments@blm.gov.
Copies of the ROD and the Vegetation
Treatments Final EIS upon which it is
based are available on the Internet at:
https://www.blm.gov/or/plans/
vegtreatmentseis/. Printed copies have
been sent to libraries and BLM district
offices throughout Oregon. Compact
Disc (CD) copies have also been sent to
affected Federal, State, tribal, and local
government agencies; to persons who
have asked to be on the project mailing
list; and to everyone who submitted
comments on the Draft EIS, unless they
requested the ROD in a different format
or opted off of the distribution list.
Requests to receive printed or CD copies
of the ROD should be sent to one of the
addresses listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final
EIS for Vegetation Treatments Using
Herbicides on BLM Lands in Oregon
PO 00000
Frm 00097
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
60807
provides a comprehensive analysis of a
proposal to make an additional 13
herbicides available (above the current
4) to BLM districts in Oregon and to
expand on the management objectives
for which they may be used (beyond just
noxious weed control). The selected
alternative, a slightly modified
Alternative 4, would allow for the use
of 17 herbicides east of the Cascades
and 14 herbicides west of the Cascades
to control noxious and invasive weeds;
treat vegetation along roads, rights-ofway, and BLM improvements; and
conduct habitat improvement projects
for special status species. The Oregon
BLM currently uses four herbicides only
for the treatment of noxious weeds. A
noxious weed is any plant designated by
a Federal, State or county government as
injurious to public health, agriculture,
recreation, wildlife, or property. The list
of invasive weeds includes not only
noxious weeds but also other nonnative, aggressive plants that have the
potential to cause significant damage to
native ecosystems and/or cause
significant economic losses.
In 1984, the BLM was prohibited from
using herbicides in Oregon by a U.S.
District Court injunction issued in
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to
Pesticides, et al. v. Block, et al., (Civ.
No. 82–6273–E). Following completion
of an EIS examining the use of four
herbicides for the treatment of noxious
weeds only, the injunction was
modified by the court in November
1987, (Civ. No. 82–6272–BU). For the
subsequent 23 years, the BLM in Oregon
has limited its herbicide use to the four
herbicides analyzed and limited the use
of those four herbicides to the control
and eradication of Federal-, State-, or
county-listed noxious weeds. In that
time, new herbicides have become
available that can be used in smaller
doses, are more target-specific, and are
lower risk to people and other nontarget organisms. In 2007, the BLM
Washington Office Rangeland Resources
Division completed the Vegetation
Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau
of Land Management lands in 17
Western States Programmatic EIS and
related Record of Decision
(Programmatic EIS), making 18
herbicides available for a full range of
vegetation treatments in 17 western
states including Oregon. Oregon cannot
fully implement that decision, however,
until and unless the 1984 District Court
injunction is lifted. The Vegetation
Treatments Using Herbicides on BLM
Lands in Oregon Final EIS, upon which
today’s decision is based, tiers to the 17
Western States Programmatic EIS,
incorporates its standard operating
E:\FR\FM\01OCN1.SGM
01OCN1
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
60808
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 190 / Friday, October 1, 2010 / Notices
procedures and adopted mitigation
measures for the use of herbicides,
provides additional detailed analysis
regarding the potential for human and
environmental risks generated in
support of the Programmatic EIS, and
addresses the concerns raised by the
District Court in its 1984 Order.
A June 2009 stipulated agreement
says the 1984 injunction, as modified in
1987, shall cease to be in force and
effect regarding BLM applying
herbicides to treat invasive species upon
the completion of the protest and
appeals period following issuance of
this ROD. Preparation of the Oregon EIS
began with a Notice of Intent to Prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement in
the Federal Register on June 23, 2008
(73 FR 35408). The scoping period
included the mailing of 17,000
postcards to potentially interested
persons or groups, statewide radio and
newspaper news releases, and 12 public
scoping meetings held throughout
Oregon. A Draft EIS was released on
October 2, 2009 (74 FR 50986). Over
1,000 comment letters received through
January 6, 2010, on the Draft EIS and the
ideas presented in those comments were
used to improve the analysis presented
in the Final EIS. Comment responses
and resultant changes are documented
in the Final EIS, Appendix 10.
The Final EIS addressed all 15.7
million acres of BLM lands in Oregon
and all 18 herbicides approved for use
by the 2007 ROD for the Programmatic
EIS, which are being used in the other
16 western states. The Final EIS
analyzed a ‘‘no action’’ and three action
alternatives, which were shaped in part
by the comments received during 12
public scoping meetings held
throughout Oregon in July 2008. A ‘‘no
herbicides’’ reference analysis was also
included. The alternatives addressed
eight ‘‘purposes’’ or issues also
identified during scoping.
The Final EIS analysis indicated that
by using standard operating procedures
identified in applicable BLM manuals
and policy direction, along with
Programmatic EIS-adopted mitigation
measures, human and environmental
risk from the use of herbicides is both
minimized and reduced from current
levels. The analysis indicates the
selected alternative will also slow the
spread of noxious weeds on BLM lands
by approximately 50 percent and result
in an estimated 2.2 million fewer
infested acres in 15 years than under
current program capabilities, will
reduce rights-of-way maintenance costs
by about $1 million per year, and will
make possible an additional 3,700 acres
of habitat improvement for federally
listed and other special status species
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:34 Sep 30, 2010
Jkt 220001
each year. The ROD does not authorize
any specific herbicide treatment
projects. No site-specific projects (i.e.
application of herbicides beyond
current authorized uses) will proceed
until completion of additional, sitespecific NEPA analysis and decisionmaking.
Consultation with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the National
Marine Fisheries Service was conducted
to ensure continued applicability of
informal consultation and the Biological
Opinion issued on the Programmatic
EIS by those two agencies respectively.
The signing official for the ROD is the
BLM Oregon and Washington State
Director.
Administrative Appeals: The decision
may be appealed to the Interior Board of
Land Appeals (IBLA), Office of the
Secretary, in accordance with
regulations contained in 43 CFR part 4
and Form 1842–1. If you file an appeal,
your notice of appeal must be mailed to
the Oregon/Washington BLM State
Director, P.O. Box 2965, Portland,
Oregon 97208–2965, and be postmarked
by November 1, 2010. The appellant has
the burden of showing the decision
appealed is in error.
A copy of the appeal, statement of
reasons, and all other supporting
documents must also be sent to the
Regional Solicitor, Pacific Northwest
Region, U.S. Department of the Interior,
805 SW. Broadway #600, Portland,
Oregon 97205–3346. If the notice of
appeal does not include a statement of
reasons for the appeal, it must be sent
to the Interior Board of Land Appeals,
Office of Hearings and Appeals, 801
North Quincy Street, Arlington, Virginia
22203 within 30 days of filing the notice
of appeal (43 CFR 4.412). It is suggested
that appeals be sent certified mail,
return receipt requested.
Requests for Stay: Should you wish to
file a motion for stay pending the
outcome of an appeal of this decision,
you must show sufficient justification
based on the following standards under
43 CFR 4.21:
• The relative harm to the parties if
the stay is granted or denied;
• The likelihood of the appellant’s
success on the merits;
• The likelihood of immediate and
irreparable harm if the stay is not
granted; and
• Whether or not the public interest
favors granting the stay.
As noted above, the motion for stay
must be filed in the office of the
PO 00000
Frm 00098
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
authorized officer and the Regional
Solicitor.
Edward W. Shepard,
State Director, Oregon/Washington.
[FR Doc. 2010–24641 Filed 9–30–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R4–R–2010–N134; 40136–1265–0000–
S3]
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife
Refuge, Chesterfield County, SC
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: Final
comprehensive conservation plan and
finding of no significant impact.
AGENCY:
We, the Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service), announce the
availability of our final comprehensive
conservation plan (CCP) and finding of
no significant impact (FONSI) for the
environmental assessment for Carolina
Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge
(NWR). In the final CCP, we describe
how we will manage this refuge for the
next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of
the CCP by writing to: Ms. Allyne
Askins, Refuge Manager, Carolina
Sandhills NWR, 23734 U.S. Highway 1,
McBee, SC 29101. The CCP may also be
accessed and downloaded from the
Service’s Web site: https://
southeast.fws.gov/planning/ under
‘‘Final Documents.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Allyne Askins; telephone: 843–335–
8350; fax: 843–335–8406; e-mail:
allyne_askins@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP
process for Carolina Sandhills NWR. We
started this process through a notice in
the Federal Register on August 22, 2007
(72 FR 47062).
Carolina Sandhills NWR was
established by Executive Order 8067,
dated March 17, 1939. This Executive
Order authorized the Federal
Government to purchase lands from
willing sellers to restore habitats and
wildlife species. Today, the 45,348-acre
refuge is managed to restore the longleaf
pine/wiregrass ecosystem for the benefit
of the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW)
and other endangered species; to
provide habitat for migratory and
upland game birds; to provide
opportunities for environmental
E:\FR\FM\01OCN1.SGM
01OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 190 (Friday, October 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60807-60808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24641]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLOR932000-L16100000-DF0000-LXSS062H0000; HAG 10-0283]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for Vegetation
Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in
Oregon Final Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared a Record of Decision (ROD) for Vegetation Treatments Using
Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in Oregon and by this
notice is announcing its availability. The ROD selects a slightly
modified version of Alternative 4 as described in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Vegetation Treatments Using
Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in Oregon, notice of
which was published in the Federal Register on July 30, 2010 (75 FR
44981). The selected alternative increases the number of herbicides
available for use on BLM-managed lands in Oregon and increases the
number of objectives for which they can be used. The herbicides and
uses permitted by the selected alternative fall entirely within those
approved for use in 17 western states by the BLM in its September 2007
ROD for the Final Programmatic EIS for Vegetation Treatments Using
Herbicides on BLM lands in 17 Western States. The Oregon decision
incorporates the standard operating procedures and mitigation measures
adopted by the BLM's 2007 17 western states decision and adds
additional mitigation and monitoring requirements specific to Oregon.
DATES: There is a 30-day appeal period before the decision can take
effect (see ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS below). Appeals must be postmarked
within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal
Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Thompson, EIS Project Manager, by
telephone at (503) 808-6326, by mail at Bureau of Land Management--
OR932, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, Oregon 97208; or by e-mail at
orvegtreatments@blm.gov.
Copies of the ROD and the Vegetation Treatments Final EIS upon
which it is based are available on the Internet at: https://www.blm.gov/or/plans/vegtreatmentseis/. Printed copies have been sent to libraries
and BLM district offices throughout Oregon. Compact Disc (CD) copies
have also been sent to affected Federal, State, tribal, and local
government agencies; to persons who have asked to be on the project
mailing list; and to everyone who submitted comments on the Draft EIS,
unless they requested the ROD in a different format or opted off of the
distribution list. Requests to receive printed or CD copies of the ROD
should be sent to one of the addresses listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EIS for Vegetation Treatments
Using Herbicides on BLM Lands in Oregon provides a comprehensive
analysis of a proposal to make an additional 13 herbicides available
(above the current 4) to BLM districts in Oregon and to expand on the
management objectives for which they may be used (beyond just noxious
weed control). The selected alternative, a slightly modified
Alternative 4, would allow for the use of 17 herbicides east of the
Cascades and 14 herbicides west of the Cascades to control noxious and
invasive weeds; treat vegetation along roads, rights-of-way, and BLM
improvements; and conduct habitat improvement projects for special
status species. The Oregon BLM currently uses four herbicides only for
the treatment of noxious weeds. A noxious weed is any plant designated
by a Federal, State or county government as injurious to public health,
agriculture, recreation, wildlife, or property. The list of invasive
weeds includes not only noxious weeds but also other non-native,
aggressive plants that have the potential to cause significant damage
to native ecosystems and/or cause significant economic losses.
In 1984, the BLM was prohibited from using herbicides in Oregon by
a U.S. District Court injunction issued in Northwest Coalition for
Alternatives to Pesticides, et al. v. Block, et al., (Civ. No. 82-6273-
E). Following completion of an EIS examining the use of four herbicides
for the treatment of noxious weeds only, the injunction was modified by
the court in November 1987, (Civ. No. 82-6272-BU). For the subsequent
23 years, the BLM in Oregon has limited its herbicide use to the four
herbicides analyzed and limited the use of those four herbicides to the
control and eradication of Federal-, State-, or county-listed noxious
weeds. In that time, new herbicides have become available that can be
used in smaller doses, are more target-specific, and are lower risk to
people and other non-target organisms. In 2007, the BLM Washington
Office Rangeland Resources Division completed the Vegetation Treatments
Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management lands in 17 Western
States Programmatic EIS and related Record of Decision (Programmatic
EIS), making 18 herbicides available for a full range of vegetation
treatments in 17 western states including Oregon. Oregon cannot fully
implement that decision, however, until and unless the 1984 District
Court injunction is lifted. The Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides
on BLM Lands in Oregon Final EIS, upon which today's decision is based,
tiers to the 17 Western States Programmatic EIS, incorporates its
standard operating
[[Page 60808]]
procedures and adopted mitigation measures for the use of herbicides,
provides additional detailed analysis regarding the potential for human
and environmental risks generated in support of the Programmatic EIS,
and addresses the concerns raised by the District Court in its 1984
Order.
A June 2009 stipulated agreement says the 1984 injunction, as
modified in 1987, shall cease to be in force and effect regarding BLM
applying herbicides to treat invasive species upon the completion of
the protest and appeals period following issuance of this ROD.
Preparation of the Oregon EIS began with a Notice of Intent to Prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement in the Federal Register on June 23,
2008 (73 FR 35408). The scoping period included the mailing of 17,000
postcards to potentially interested persons or groups, statewide radio
and newspaper news releases, and 12 public scoping meetings held
throughout Oregon. A Draft EIS was released on October 2, 2009 (74 FR
50986). Over 1,000 comment letters received through January 6, 2010, on
the Draft EIS and the ideas presented in those comments were used to
improve the analysis presented in the Final EIS. Comment responses and
resultant changes are documented in the Final EIS, Appendix 10.
The Final EIS addressed all 15.7 million acres of BLM lands in
Oregon and all 18 herbicides approved for use by the 2007 ROD for the
Programmatic EIS, which are being used in the other 16 western states.
The Final EIS analyzed a ``no action'' and three action alternatives,
which were shaped in part by the comments received during 12 public
scoping meetings held throughout Oregon in July 2008. A ``no
herbicides'' reference analysis was also included. The alternatives
addressed eight ``purposes'' or issues also identified during scoping.
The Final EIS analysis indicated that by using standard operating
procedures identified in applicable BLM manuals and policy direction,
along with Programmatic EIS-adopted mitigation measures, human and
environmental risk from the use of herbicides is both minimized and
reduced from current levels. The analysis indicates the selected
alternative will also slow the spread of noxious weeds on BLM lands by
approximately 50 percent and result in an estimated 2.2 million fewer
infested acres in 15 years than under current program capabilities,
will reduce rights-of-way maintenance costs by about $1 million per
year, and will make possible an additional 3,700 acres of habitat
improvement for federally listed and other special status species each
year. The ROD does not authorize any specific herbicide treatment
projects. No site-specific projects (i.e. application of herbicides
beyond current authorized uses) will proceed until completion of
additional, site-specific NEPA analysis and decision-making.
Consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
National Marine Fisheries Service was conducted to ensure continued
applicability of informal consultation and the Biological Opinion
issued on the Programmatic EIS by those two agencies respectively. The
signing official for the ROD is the BLM Oregon and Washington State
Director.
Administrative Appeals: The decision may be appealed to the
Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA), Office of the Secretary, in
accordance with regulations contained in 43 CFR part 4 and Form 1842-1.
If you file an appeal, your notice of appeal must be mailed to the
Oregon/Washington BLM State Director, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, Oregon
97208-2965, and be postmarked by November 1, 2010. The appellant has
the burden of showing the decision appealed is in error.
A copy of the appeal, statement of reasons, and all other
supporting documents must also be sent to the Regional Solicitor,
Pacific Northwest Region, U.S. Department of the Interior, 805 SW.
Broadway 600, Portland, Oregon 97205-3346. If the notice of
appeal does not include a statement of reasons for the appeal, it must
be sent to the Interior Board of Land Appeals, Office of Hearings and
Appeals, 801 North Quincy Street, Arlington, Virginia 22203 within 30
days of filing the notice of appeal (43 CFR 4.412). It is suggested
that appeals be sent certified mail, return receipt requested.
Requests for Stay: Should you wish to file a motion for stay
pending the outcome of an appeal of this decision, you must show
sufficient justification based on the following standards under 43 CFR
4.21:
The relative harm to the parties if the stay is granted or
denied;
The likelihood of the appellant's success on the merits;
The likelihood of immediate and irreparable harm if the
stay is not granted; and
Whether or not the public interest favors granting the
stay.
As noted above, the motion for stay must be filed in the office of the
authorized officer and the Regional Solicitor.
Edward W. Shepard,
State Director, Oregon/Washington.
[FR Doc. 2010-24641 Filed 9-30-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P
