Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Roan Plateau, CO, 5834-5836 [2013-01698]
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5834
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 18 / Monday, January 28, 2013 / Notices
Las Cruces District RAC
Rena Gutierrez, Las Cruces District
Office, BLM, 1800 Marquess St., Las
Cruces, NM 88005, 575–525–4338.
Pecos District RAC
Betty Hicks, Pecos District Office,
BLM, 2909 West Second Street, Roswell,
NM 88201, 575–627–0242.
Oregon/Washington
Eastern Washington RAC; John DaySnake RAC; Southeast Oregon RAC
Stephen Baker, Oregon State Office,
BLM, 333 SW., First Avenue, P.O. Box
2965, Portland, OR 97204, 503–808–
6306.
Utah
Utah RAC
Sherry Foot, Utah State Office, BLM,
440 West 200 South, Suite 500, P.O. Box
45155, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, 801–
539–4195.
Certification Statement: I hereby
certify that the BLM Resource Advisory
Councils are necessary and in the public
interest in connection with the
Secretary’s responsibilities to manage
the lands, resources, and facilities
administered by the BLM.
Mike Pool,
Acting Director.
[FR Doc. 2013–01667 Filed 1–25–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLORB00000.L17110000.PH0000.L.X.SS.
020H0000.13XL1109AF; HAG13–0043]
Call for Nominations for the Steens
Mountain Advisory Council, OR
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) requests public
nominations for five persons to serve on
the Steens Mountain Advisory Council.
Citizens who serve on these groups
provide advice and recommendations to
the BLM on land use planning and
management of the Steens Mountain
Cooperative Management and Protection
Area. The BLM will accept public
nominations for 30 days after the
publication of this notice.
DATES: All nominations must be
received no later than February 27,
2013.
ADDRESSES: Send completed Advisory
Council nominations to BLM Burns
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SUMMARY:
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17:13 Jan 25, 2013
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District Office; 28910 Highway 20 West;
Hines, OR 97738–9424. Nomination
forms are available at the BLM Burns
District Office, or online at https://www.
blm.gov/or/rac/steensac.php.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tara
Martinak, Public Affairs Specialist, BLM
Burns District Office, 28910 Highway 20
West, Hines, OR 97738–9424, 541–573–
4519, or email tmartina@blm.gov.
Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to contact the
above individual during normal
business hours. The FIRS is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any
individual may nominate himself/
herself or others to serve on the Council.
Positions currently open or with terms
expiring in 2013 include a member of
the Burns Paiute Tribe, a representative
of the State government to serve as a
liaison to the advisory council, a
representative of a State environmental
organization, a person interested in fish
and recreational fishing in the
Cooperative Management and Protection
Area (CMPA), a recreation permit holder
or representative of a commercial
recreation operation in the CMPA, and
a private landowner within the CMPA.
All nomination applications should
include letters of reference and/or
recommendations from the represented
interests or organizations and any other
information explaining the nominee’s
qualifications (e.g., resume, curriculum
vitae). The BLM Burns District will
collect the nomination forms and letters
of reference and distribute them to the
officials responsible for submitting
nominations (County Court of Harney
County, the Governor of Oregon, and the
BLM). The BLM will then forward
recommended nominations to the
Secretary of the Interior, who appoints
Council members.
The Steens Mountain Advisory
Council (SMAC) was initiated on
August 14, 2001, pursuant to the Steens
Mountain Cooperative Management and
Protection Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106–
399). The SMAC provides representative
counsel and advice to the BLM
regarding new and unique approaches
to management of the land within the
bounds of the Steens Mountain CMPA;
recommending cooperative programs
and incentives for landscape
management that meet human needs,
and the maintenance and improvement
of the ecological and economic integrity
of the area. The BLM is publishing this
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notice under Section 9 (a)(2) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA), to seek public nominations for
membership on the SMAC. Applicants
must be qualified through education,
training, knowledge, or experience to
give informed advice regarding an
industry, discipline, or interest to be
represented. Nominees must also
demonstrate a commitment to
collaborative resource decision-making.
The Obama Administration prohibits
individuals who are currently federally
registered lobbyists from serving on all
FACA and non-FACA boards,
committees or councils.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comments, please 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.
Brendan Cain,
Burns District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2013–01666 Filed 1–25–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCON04000 L16100000.DP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement and Resource Management
Plan Amendment for the Roan Plateau,
CO
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Colorado intends to prepare a
Supplement to the Final Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) associated with
the development of the Roan Plateau
Resource Management Plan (RMP)
Amendment. The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment will amend two existing
RMPs: the Glenwood Springs Field
Office RMP and the White River Field
Office RMP. The Supplemental EIS will
analyze options for the management of
the Roan Plateau Planning Area,
including analysis of the ‘‘Community
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\28JAN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 18 / Monday, January 28, 2013 / Notices
Alternative’’ previously presented to the
BLM, consistent with the June 22, 2012,
Opinion and Order of the United States
District Court for the District of
Colorado and Secretary Salazar’s
commitment to develop the public’s oil
and gas resources responsibly and in the
right places. These and other issues
relevant to the proposed Roan Plateau
RMP Amendment will be identified
through scoping. By this notice the BLM
is announcing the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues for
analysis.
DATES: This notice initiates the public
scoping process for the Draft
Supplemental EIS, building upon the
scoping previously completed for the
Roan Plateau RMP Amendment.
Comments on issues and planning
criteria identified in this NOI may be
submitted in writing until February 27,
2013. The date(s) and location(s) of any
scoping meetings will be announced at
least 15 days in advance through local
news media, newspapers and the BLM
Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/co/st/
en/fo/crvfo.html. In order to be included
in the scoping process, all comments
must be received prior to the close of
the 30-day scoping period or 30 days
after the last public meeting, whichever
is later. The BLM will provide
additional opportunities for public
participation as appropriate.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on issues and planning criteria related
to Roan Plateau RMP Amendment by
any of the following methods:
• Web Site: www.blm.gov/co/st/en/
BLM_Programs/land_use_planning/
rmp/roan_plateau.html.
• Email: roanplateau@blm.gov.
• Fax: 970–876–9090.
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
Colorado River Valley Field Office,
Roan Plateau Comments, 2300 River
Frontage Road, Silt, CO 81652.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the Colorado River
Valley Field Office at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information and/or to have your
name added to our mailing list, contact
Steve Bennett, Field Manager, telephone
970–876–9000; see address above; email
roanplateau@blm.gov. Persons who use
a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, to leave a message
or question with the above individual.
You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:13 Jan 25, 2013
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This
document provides notice that the BLM
Colorado intends to develop a new
proposed Amendment to the Roan
Plateau RMP Amendment of the
Glenwood Springs and White River
RMPs and to prepare the necessary
NEPA analysis of environmental
impacts associated with the
management of the Roan Plateau
Planning Area, including proposed oil
and gas development on and around the
Roan Plateau. This notice announces the
beginning of the scoping process for the
Draft Supplemental EIS, and seeks
public input on issues and planning
criteria identified below. The Planning
Area, which is in west-central Colorado,
includes approximately 73,602 acres of
land (Federal surface, Federal mineral
estate, or both), and is located primarily
in Garfield County with a small portion
in southern Rio Blanco County.
The National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 1997, Public Law
105–85 (the ‘‘Transfer Act’’) effected
transfer of the Roan Plateau’s Naval Oil
Shale Reserves 1 and 3 from the
Department of Energy to the Department
of the Interior. The Transfer Act directs
the transferred lands to be managed in
accordance with FLPMA and other laws
applicable to public lands. In addition,
the Transfer Act directed the Secretary
to enter into leases with one or more
private entities ‘‘as soon * * * as
practicable’’ for the purpose of
exploration, development, and
production of petroleum.
The development of the Roan Plateau
RMP Amendment began with scoping in
2000. The Draft EIS was published in
November 2004. The Final EIS was
published in August 2006. The BLM
then issued two Records of Decision,
one in June 2007 and a second,
pertaining to Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern, in March 2008.
A lawsuit filed in July 2008 that
challenged the BLM’s oil and gas leasing
and management decisions for the Roan
Plateau resulted in a June 22, 2012,
ruling by the United States District
Court for the District of Colorado. The
Court set aside the Plan amendment and
remanded the matter to the BLM for
further action in accordance with the
Court’s decision. In particular, the Court
found that the Final EIS was deficient
insofar as it (i) failed sufficiently to
address the ‘‘Community Alternative’’
that various local governments,
environmental organizations, and
individual members of the public
recommended; (ii) failed sufficiently to
address the cumulative air quality
impacts of the Plan amendment
decision in conjunction with
anticipated oil and gas development on
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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5835
private lands outside the Roan Plateau
Planning Area; and (iii) failed
adequately to address the issue of
potential ozone impacts from proposed
oil and gas development. In view of the
Court’s ruling and Secretary Salazar’s
commitment to responsibly develop oil
and gas resources on the public lands in
the right places and in the right ways,
the BLM determined that a new
proposed Plan Amendment and a
supplemental analysis under NEPA are
warranted. The purpose of the public
scoping process is to determine relevant
issues, including those described by the
District Court ruling, that will influence
the scope of the environmental analysis,
including alternatives, and guide the
planning process. At present, the BLM,
together with other Federal, state and
local agencies and other stakeholders,
have identified the following
preliminary issues for analysis: oil and
gas development on and around the
Roan Plateau, directional drilling from
the base of the Roan Plateau, air quality
impacts, the effect of critical habitat
designations for endangered and
threatened plants, and Greater SageGrouse habitat. Preliminary planning
criteria include:
(1) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment will comply with NEPA,
FLPMA, the Transfer Act, and all other
applicable laws, regulations, and
policies;
(2) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment will consider reasonable
alternatives in accordance with
regulations at 43 CFR part 1610 and 40
CFR part 1500;
(3) Decisions in the Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment will only apply to public
lands and the mineral estate managed
by the BLM;
(4) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment and supplementation
process will follow the BLM Land Use
Planning Handbook H–1601–1 and the
BLM NEPA Handbook H–1790–1 where
appropriate;
(5) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment planning process will
include broad-based public
participation;
(6) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment process will consider the
identification and management of lands
with wilderness characteristics;
(7) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment process will include
coordination with state, local, and tribal
governments to ensure that BLM
considers provisions of pertinent plans,
seeks to resolve any inconsistencies
among state, local and tribal plans, and
provides ample opportunities for state,
local and tribal governments to
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5836
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 18 / Monday, January 28, 2013 / Notices
comment on the development of the
Plan amendment;
(8) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment process will rely on
available inventories of the lands and
resources as well as data gathered
during the planning process;
(9) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment process will follow
requirements to address Greater SageGrouse habitat and conservation as
outlined in the National Sage-Grouse
Habitat Conservation Strategy;
(10) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment process will use
Geographic Information Systems and
incorporate geospatial data to the extent
practicable and Federal Geographic Data
Committee standards and other
applicable BLM data standards will be
followed;
(11) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment will incorporate and
observe the principles of multiple use
and sustained yield;
(12) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment process will involve
consultation with Native American
tribal governments;
(13) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment will recognize valid
existing rights; and
(14) The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment and SEIS will use analysis
in the Roan Plateau Final EIS to the
extent possible and practicable.
You may submit comments on
relevant issues and planning criteria in
writing to the BLM at any public
scoping meeting, or you may submit
them to the BLM using one of the
methods listed in the ADDRESSES section
above.
The BLM will use the NEPA public
participation requirements to assist the
agency in satisfying the public
involvement requirements under
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C.
470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
The information about historic and
cultural resources within the area
potentially affected by the proposed
action will assist the BLM in identifying
and evaluating impacts to such
resources in the context of both NEPA
and Section 106 of the NHPA.
The BLM will consult with Indian
tribes on a government-to-government
basis in accordance with Executive
Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal
concerns, including impacts on Indian
trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Federal, state, and local
agencies, along with tribes and other
stakeholders that may be interested in,
or affected by, the proposed action the
BLM is evaluating, are invited to
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17:13 Jan 25, 2013
Jkt 229001
participate in the scoping process and,
if eligible, may request or be requested
by the BLM to participate in the
development of the environmental
analysis as a cooperating agency.
Before including your address, phone
number, email 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. The minutes and list of attendees
for each scoping meeting will be
available to the public and open for 30
days after the meeting to any participant
who wishes to clarify the views he or
she expressed. The BLM will evaluate
identified issues to be addressed in the
plan, and will place them into one of
three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the plan
amendment;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy
or administrative action; or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan
amendment.
The BLM will provide an explanation
in the Draft Supplemental EIS as to why
an issue was placed in category two or
three. The public is also encouraged to
help identify any management questions
and concerns that should be addressed
in the plan. The BLM will work
collaboratively with interested parties to
identify the management decisions that
are best suited to local, regional, and
national needs and concerns.
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary
approach to develop the Roan Plateau
RMP Amendment in order to consider
the variety of resource issues and
concerns identified. Specialists with
expertise in the following disciplines
will be involved in the planning
process: minerals and geology, air
resources, wildlife and fisheries,
rangeland management, forestry,
outdoor recreation, archaeology,
paleontology, lands and realty,
hydrology, soils, sociology, and
economics.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2
and 43 CFR 1610.5–5.
John Mehlhoff,
Acting BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013–01698 Filed 1–25–13; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Adjustment of Service Fees for Outer
Continental Shelf Activities
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Adjustment of Service Fees.
AGENCY:
This notice informs all
lessees, operators, permittees, and rightof-way (ROW) holders that certain
BOEM fees are being adjusted for
inflation, as provided for in BOEM
regulations at 30 CFR § 550.125 and 30
CFR § 556.63.
DATES: Effective Date: This Adjustment
of Service Fees becomes effective on
February 2, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Questions related to the
calculations underlying the cost
recovery fee adjustments should be
directed to: U.S. Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Economics Division, 381
Elden Street, HM 3310, Herndon,
Virginia 20170.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Meffert, Office of Policy,
Regulations and Analysis, (703) 787–
1610 or at Peter.Meffert@BOEM.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Regulations at 30 CFR § 550.125 and 30
CFR § 556.63 provide the authority for
BOEM to adjust a number of its cost
recovery service fees on an annual basis.
These fees were last updated in 2008,
with Federal Register Notice 73 FR
49943. BOEM is now adjusting various
cost recovery fees to reflect inflation
since the last update.
This notice informs all relevant
parties that the fees are being adjusted
in accordance with BOEM regulations at
30 CFR § 550.125 and 30 CFR § 556.63.
The proposed 2012 Fee Amount is based
on the Implicit Price Deflator value of
6.72 percent; this value is based on
inflation from 2007 through 2011.
The inflation rate between any two
years is calculated as the percentage
difference between the measure of the
level of prices for a designated year (e.g.,
2011) and some previous year (e.g.,
2007) of all new, domestically
produced, final goods and services in
the economy for the designated year
(e.g., 2011), as contained in the
Department of Commerce’s Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA) Table 1.1.9,
Implicit Price Deflators for Gross
Domestic Product, available at https://
www.bea.gov/national/pdf/dpga.pdf.
We expect BEA to revise the rate during
future updates and, as in the last few
years, we expect revisions to be upward.
Even if BEA revises the inflation rate,
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\28JAN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 18 (Monday, January 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5834-5836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01698]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCON04000 L16100000.DP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Roan Plateau,
CO
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Colorado intends to prepare a Supplement to the Final Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) associated with the development of the Roan
Plateau Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment. The Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment will amend two existing RMPs: the Glenwood Springs Field
Office RMP and the White River Field Office RMP. The Supplemental EIS
will analyze options for the management of the Roan Plateau Planning
Area, including analysis of the ``Community
[[Page 5835]]
Alternative'' previously presented to the BLM, consistent with the June
22, 2012, Opinion and Order of the United States District Court for the
District of Colorado and Secretary Salazar's commitment to develop the
public's oil and gas resources responsibly and in the right places.
These and other issues relevant to the proposed Roan Plateau RMP
Amendment will be identified through scoping. By this notice the BLM is
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues for analysis.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the Draft
Supplemental EIS, building upon the scoping previously completed for
the Roan Plateau RMP Amendment. Comments on issues and planning
criteria identified in this NOI may be submitted in writing until
February 27, 2013. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local news media,
newspapers and the BLM Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/crvfo.html. In order to be included in the scoping process, all
comments must be received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping
period or 30 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public participation
as appropriate.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to Roan Plateau RMP Amendment by any of the following methods:
Web Site: www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/land_use_planning/rmp/roan_plateau.html.
Email: roanplateau@blm.gov.
Fax: 970-876-9090.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Colorado River Valley
Field Office, Roan Plateau Comments, 2300 River Frontage Road, Silt, CO
81652.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the
Colorado River Valley Field Office at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Steve Bennett, Field
Manager, telephone 970-876-9000; see address above; email
roanplateau@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
Colorado intends to develop a new proposed Amendment to the Roan
Plateau RMP Amendment of the Glenwood Springs and White River RMPs and
to prepare the necessary NEPA analysis of environmental impacts
associated with the management of the Roan Plateau Planning Area,
including proposed oil and gas development on and around the Roan
Plateau. This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process for
the Draft Supplemental EIS, and seeks public input on issues and
planning criteria identified below. The Planning Area, which is in
west-central Colorado, includes approximately 73,602 acres of land
(Federal surface, Federal mineral estate, or both), and is located
primarily in Garfield County with a small portion in southern Rio
Blanco County.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997, Public
Law 105-85 (the ``Transfer Act'') effected transfer of the Roan
Plateau's Naval Oil Shale Reserves 1 and 3 from the Department of
Energy to the Department of the Interior. The Transfer Act directs the
transferred lands to be managed in accordance with FLPMA and other laws
applicable to public lands. In addition, the Transfer Act directed the
Secretary to enter into leases with one or more private entities ``as
soon * * * as practicable'' for the purpose of exploration,
development, and production of petroleum.
The development of the Roan Plateau RMP Amendment began with
scoping in 2000. The Draft EIS was published in November 2004. The
Final EIS was published in August 2006. The BLM then issued two Records
of Decision, one in June 2007 and a second, pertaining to Areas of
Critical Environmental Concern, in March 2008. A lawsuit filed in July
2008 that challenged the BLM's oil and gas leasing and management
decisions for the Roan Plateau resulted in a June 22, 2012, ruling by
the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The
Court set aside the Plan amendment and remanded the matter to the BLM
for further action in accordance with the Court's decision. In
particular, the Court found that the Final EIS was deficient insofar as
it (i) failed sufficiently to address the ``Community Alternative''
that various local governments, environmental organizations, and
individual members of the public recommended; (ii) failed sufficiently
to address the cumulative air quality impacts of the Plan amendment
decision in conjunction with anticipated oil and gas development on
private lands outside the Roan Plateau Planning Area; and (iii) failed
adequately to address the issue of potential ozone impacts from
proposed oil and gas development. In view of the Court's ruling and
Secretary Salazar's commitment to responsibly develop oil and gas
resources on the public lands in the right places and in the right
ways, the BLM determined that a new proposed Plan Amendment and a
supplemental analysis under NEPA are warranted. The purpose of the
public scoping process is to determine relevant issues, including those
described by the District Court ruling, that will influence the scope
of the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and guide the
planning process. At present, the BLM, together with other Federal,
state and local agencies and other stakeholders, have identified the
following preliminary issues for analysis: oil and gas development on
and around the Roan Plateau, directional drilling from the base of the
Roan Plateau, air quality impacts, the effect of critical habitat
designations for endangered and threatened plants, and Greater Sage-
Grouse habitat. Preliminary planning criteria include:
(1) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment will comply with NEPA, FLPMA,
the Transfer Act, and all other applicable laws, regulations, and
policies;
(2) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment will consider reasonable
alternatives in accordance with regulations at 43 CFR part 1610 and 40
CFR part 1500;
(3) Decisions in the Roan Plateau RMP Amendment will only apply to
public lands and the mineral estate managed by the BLM;
(4) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment and supplementation process will
follow the BLM Land Use Planning Handbook H-1601-1 and the BLM NEPA
Handbook H-1790-1 where appropriate;
(5) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment planning process will include
broad-based public participation;
(6) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment process will consider the
identification and management of lands with wilderness characteristics;
(7) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment process will include
coordination with state, local, and tribal governments to ensure that
BLM considers provisions of pertinent plans, seeks to resolve any
inconsistencies among state, local and tribal plans, and provides ample
opportunities for state, local and tribal governments to
[[Page 5836]]
comment on the development of the Plan amendment;
(8) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment process will rely on available
inventories of the lands and resources as well as data gathered during
the planning process;
(9) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment process will follow requirements
to address Greater Sage-Grouse habitat and conservation as outlined in
the National Sage-Grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy;
(10) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment process will use Geographic
Information Systems and incorporate geospatial data to the extent
practicable and Federal Geographic Data Committee standards and other
applicable BLM data standards will be followed;
(11) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment will incorporate and observe
the principles of multiple use and sustained yield;
(12) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment process will involve
consultation with Native American tribal governments;
(13) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment will recognize valid existing
rights; and
(14) The Roan Plateau RMP Amendment and SEIS will use analysis in
the Roan Plateau Final EIS to the extent possible and practicable.
You may submit comments on relevant issues and planning criteria in
writing to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit
them to the BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
section above.
The BLM will use the NEPA public participation requirements to
assist the agency in satisfying the public involvement requirements
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16
U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about
historic and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by
the proposed action will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating
impacts to such resources in the context of both NEPA and Section 106
of the NHPA.
The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Federal, state, and local agencies, along with tribes
and other stakeholders that may be interested in, or affected by, the
proposed action the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in
the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis
as a cooperating agency.
Before including your address, phone number, email 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. The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days after the
meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she
expressed. The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be addressed in
the plan, and will place them into one of three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft Supplemental EIS
as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. The public is
also encouraged to help identify any management questions and concerns
that should be addressed in the plan. The BLM will work collaboratively
with interested parties to identify the management decisions that are
best suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns.
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the Roan
Plateau RMP Amendment in order to consider the variety of resource
issues and concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the
following disciplines will be involved in the planning process:
minerals and geology, air resources, wildlife and fisheries, rangeland
management, forestry, outdoor recreation, archaeology, paleontology,
lands and realty, hydrology, soils, sociology, and economics.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2 and 43 CFR 1610.5-5.
John Mehlhoff,
Acting BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-01698 Filed 1-25-13; 8:45 am]
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