Notice of Application for Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting, Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark; Wyoming, 15770-15771 [2014-06184]

Download as PDF 15770 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 55 / Friday, March 21, 2014 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [WYW 182138] Notice of Application for Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting, Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark; Wyoming Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting that the Secretary of the Interior withdraw approximately 4,513 acres of National Forest System land from mining in order to protect and preserve existing heritage resources and American Indian spiritual values within the formally designated Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark (NHL). Publication of this notice segregates the public lands for up to 2 years from location and entry under the United States mining laws and gives the public an opportunity to comment on the application and to request a public meeting. The land has been and will remain open to such forms of disposition allowed by law on National Forest System land and to mineral leasing. DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received on or before June 19, 2014. ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting requests should be sent to the BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gayle Laurent, USDA Forest Service, Region 2, Supervisors Office, 2013 Eastside Second Street, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801; telephone 307–674– 2656; email glaurent@fs.fed.us; or Janelle Wrigley, BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009; telephone 307–775–6257; email jwrigley@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. 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: The applicant is the USDA Forest Service. The application requests the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw, subject to mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:18 Mar 20, 2014 Jkt 232001 valid existing rights, the following described National Forest System land from location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not from the mineral leasing laws, for a period of 20 years, to protect and preserve existing heritage resources and American Indian spiritual values within the formally designated Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain NHL: Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming T. 56 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 19, lot 1. T. 56 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 8, SE1⁄4; Sec. 9, S1⁄2; Sec. 10, W1⁄2SW1⁄4; Sec. 13, S1⁄2NW1⁄4 and SW1⁄4; Sec. 14, W1⁄2NW1⁄4 and S1⁄2; Sec. 15, E1⁄2, NW1⁄4, N1⁄2SW1⁄4, and SE1⁄4SW1⁄4; Sec. 16, N1⁄2, SW1⁄4, N1⁄2SE1⁄4, and SW1⁄4SE1⁄4; Sec. 17, E1⁄2; Sec. 20, NE1⁄4; Sec. 21, N1⁄2; Sec. 22, N1⁄2 and N1⁄2SE1⁄4, excepting a strip of land 200 feet on each side of the center line of the Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in the N1⁄2; Sec. 23, N1⁄2, N1⁄2SW1⁄4, and N1⁄2SE1⁄4, excepting a strip of land 200 feet on each side of the center line of the Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in the N1⁄2, N1⁄2SW1⁄4, and N1⁄2SE1⁄4; Sec. 24, lots 1 and 2, W1⁄2NE1⁄4, and W1⁄2, excepting a strip of land 200 feet on each side of the center line of the Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in the W1⁄2; Sec. 25, N1⁄2NW1⁄4, excepting a strip of land 200 feet on each side of the center line of the Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in the N1⁄2NW1⁄4. The area described contains approximately 4,513 acres in Big Horn County. The purpose of the proposed withdrawal is to protect and preserve existing heritage resources and American Indian spiritual values within the formally designated Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain NHL. The original NHL boundary, designated on September 6, 1970, encompassed an area 110 acres in size surrounding the central Medicine Wheel feature. The area was designated for its archaeological significance, as one of the largest and best preserved medicine wheels in the country. The NHL received a name and boundary change from the Secretary of the Interior in 2011, which increased the site to almost 4,000 acres. The reason for the difference in acreage is because the boundary of the NHL could not be legally described in the FRN. The BLM supervisory cadastral surveyor worked with the FS surveyor to create a withdrawal boundary with a legal PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 description that could be described in the FRN. The use of a right-of-way, interagency or cooperative agreement would not adequately constrain nondiscretionary uses which could result in permanent loss of significant values and irreplaceable resources. There are no suitable alternative sites as the described lands contain the heritage resources and American Indian spiritual values in need of protection. No water rights would be needed to fulfill the purpose of the requested withdrawal. Records relating to the application may be examined by contacting Janelle Wrigley, BLM Wyoming State Office, at the above address; telephone 307–775– 6257; email jwrigley@blm.gov. For the period until June 19, 2014, all persons who wish to submit comments, suggestions or objections in connection with the requested withdrawal application may present their views in writing to the BLM Wyoming State Office at the address noted above. Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the BLM Wyoming State Office at the address above during regular business hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. 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 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. Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public meeting is afforded in connection with the proposed withdrawal. All interested persons who desire a public meeting for the purpose of being heard on the proposed withdrawal must submit a written request to the BLM Wyoming State Director no later than June 19, 2014. If the authorized officer determines that a public meeting will be held, a notice of the time and place will be published in the Federal Register and through local newspapers, at least 30 days before the scheduled date of the meeting. For a period until June 19, 2016, the lands described in this notice will be segregated from location and entry under the United States mining laws unless the application is denied or cancelled or the withdrawal is approved prior to that date. Licenses, permits, cooperative agreements or discretionary E:\FR\FM\21MRN1.SGM 21MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 55 / Friday, March 21, 2014 / Notices land use authorizations of a temporary nature which will not significantly impact the values to be protected by the withdrawal may be allowed with the approval of the authorized officer of the USDA FS during the temporary segregative period. This application will be processed in accordance with the regulations set forth in 43 CFR 2310.3. Donald A. Simpson, Wyoming State Director. [FR Doc. 2014–06184 Filed 3–20–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–11–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLIDI03000.L71220000.EX0000.XXXX. LVTFD0977180; IDI–33145, IDI–35728] Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Proposed Modification to the Thompson Creek Mine Plan of Operations, Section 404 Clean Water Act Permit Application, and Public Land Disposal, Custer and Bannock Counties, Idaho Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. 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), Challis Field Office, Idaho, has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) and draft resource management plan (RMP) amendment for a proposed modified mining plan of operations (MMPO) for the Thompson Creek molybdenum mine and a related Section 404 Clean Water Act (CWA) permit application and land exchange proposal. The BLM announces the availability of the draft EIS/RMP amendment and the start of the comment period for the draft EIS/RMP amendment. DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive written comments on the draft EIS/RMP amendment within 90 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future public meetings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:18 Mar 20, 2014 Jkt 232001 You may submit comments or request your name be added to the mailing list for the project by any of these methods: D Email: BLM_ID_TCM_EIS@blm.gov; D Fax: 208–879–6219 (please reference ‘‘TCM EIS’’); or D Mail: TCM EIS, Bureau of Land Management, Challis Field Office, 1151 Blue Mountain Road, Challis, ID 83226. Copies of the draft EIS/RMP amendment are available in the BLM Challis Field Office at the address listed above from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Copies of the draft EIS/RMP amendment are also available at https:// www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/nepa_ register/TCM-exlx_EIS.html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Gardner, project manager, at the BLM Challis Field Office, telephone: 208– 879–6210; address: 1151 Blue Mountain Road, Challis, ID 83226; email: ksgardner@blm.gov. Persons who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800–877–8339 to contact the above individual. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message for the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft EIS analyzes the potential environmental effects of the proposed MMPO, Section 404 CWA permit, RMP amendment, and land exchange pursuant to the NEPA. In response to these proposals: (1) The BLM will decide whether to approve the portion of an MMPO involving BLMadministered land under BLM regulations at 43 CFR 3809; (2) The US Forest Service will decide whether to approve the portion of an MMPO involving National Forest System land under Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR 228, Subpart A; (3) The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will decide whether to issue a permit under Section 404 of the CWA and USACE regulations at 33 CFR 320 to discharge fill materials into waters of the US; (4) The BLM will decide whether to amend the Challis Field Office 1999 RMP pursuant to Section 202 of the FLPMA and BLM regulations at 43 CFR 1600 to identify the BLM-administered land in the land exchange proposal as available for disposal (exchange or sale); and (5) The BLM will decide whether to approve a land disposal action. The cooperating agencies for the draft EIS/RMP amendment are the Forest Service, Salmon-Challis National Forest; USACE, Walla Walla District; US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10; Idaho ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 15771 Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Falls Regional Office; and Idaho Department of Lands, Eastern Idaho Supervisory Area Office. The BLM, Forest Service, and Idaho Department of Lands each administer their respective portions of a single plan of operations for the mine. If the BLM approves the land exchange, Thompson Creek Mining Company (TCMC) would obtain title to nearly all of the BLMadministered land involved with the mine. In such case, the few mine support features (i.e., pipelines, power lines, access roads, and a pump station) remaining on BLM-administered land could continue to be authorized by a portion of the plan of operations administered by the BLM, or by grants for rights-of-ways and special use permits under the FLPMA. In the latter case, only the Forest Service and the Idaho Department of Lands would administer the plan of operations. Regardless, the BLM must issue a decision on the MMPO because any title transfer would not occur until several months after any decision approving an RMP amendment and land disposal action. TCMC owns and operates the mine, which is 7 miles northwest of Clayton and 21 miles southwest of Challis in Custer County, Idaho. The mine has been in operation since 1981 and is authorized for approximately 3,300 acres of surface disturbance, of which approximately 2,300 acres are on private land, approximately 750 acres are on BLM-administered land, and approximately 250 acres are on National Forest System land. The current surface disturbance at the mine is approximately 2,800 acres. The MMPO would allow an approximate 10-year extension of the mine life and expansion of the waste rock and tailings storage facilities, requiring additional authorized surface disturbance on approximately 200 acres of BLMadministered land, 150 acres of National Forest System land, and 80 acres of private land. The land exchange proposal is an offer to exchange approximately 900 acres of private lands owned by TCMC in Custer and Bannock counties for approximately 5,100 acres of selected, BLM-administered land involving the mine in Custer County, including nearly all of the BLM-administered land involved in the MMPO. The offered lands are the Broken Wing Ranch (813 acres) in Custer County and the Garden Creek property (82 acres) in Bannock County. The ranch borders several miles of the Salmon River, and the Garden Creek property contains a portion of the headwaters of Garden Creek. Public E:\FR\FM\21MRN1.SGM 21MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 55 (Friday, March 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15770-15771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06184]



[[Page 15770]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WYW 182138]


Notice of Application for Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public 
Meeting, Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark; 
Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest 
Service (FS) has filed an application with the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) requesting that the Secretary of the Interior withdraw 
approximately 4,513 acres of National Forest System land from mining in 
order to protect and preserve existing heritage resources and American 
Indian spiritual values within the formally designated Medicine Wheel/
Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark (NHL). Publication of this 
notice segregates the public lands for up to 2 years from location and 
entry under the United States mining laws and gives the public an 
opportunity to comment on the application and to request a public 
meeting. The land has been and will remain open to such forms of 
disposition allowed by law on National Forest System land and to 
mineral leasing.

DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received on 
or before June 19, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting requests should be sent to the BLM 
Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gayle Laurent, USDA Forest Service, 
Region 2, Supervisors Office, 2013 Eastside Second Street, Sheridan, 
Wyoming 82801; telephone 307-674-2656; email glaurent@fs.fed.us; or 
Janelle Wrigley, BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, 
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009; telephone 307-775-6257; email 
jwrigley@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. 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: The applicant is the USDA Forest Service. 
The application requests the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw, 
subject to valid existing rights, the following described National 
Forest System land from location and entry under the United States 
mining laws, but not from the mineral leasing laws, for a period of 20 
years, to protect and preserve existing heritage resources and American 
Indian spiritual values within the formally designated Medicine Wheel/
Medicine Mountain NHL:

Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming

T. 56 N., R. 91 W.,
    Sec. 19, lot 1.
T. 56 N., R. 92 W.,
    Sec. 8, SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 10, W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 13, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 14, W\1/2\NW\1/4\ and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 15, E\1/2\, NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 16, N\1/2\, SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 17, E\1/2\;
    Sec. 20, NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 21, N\1/2\;
    Sec. 22, N\1/2\ and N\1/2\SE\1/4\, excepting a strip of land 200 
feet on each side of the center line of the Medicine Wheel Road, No. 
104 in the N\1/2\;
    Sec. 23, N\1/2\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and N\1/2\SE\1/4\, excepting a 
strip of land 200 feet on each side of the center line of the 
Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in the N\1/2\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and N\1/
2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 24, lots 1 and 2, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, and W\1/2\, excepting a 
strip of land 200 feet on each side of the center line of the 
Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in the W\1/2\;
    Sec. 25, N\1/2\NW\1/4\, excepting a strip of land 200 feet on 
each side of the center line of the Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in 
the N\1/2\NW\1/4\.

    The area described contains approximately 4,513 acres in Big Horn 
County.
    The purpose of the proposed withdrawal is to protect and preserve 
existing heritage resources and American Indian spiritual values within 
the formally designated Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain NHL. The 
original NHL boundary, designated on September 6, 1970, encompassed an 
area 110 acres in size surrounding the central Medicine Wheel feature. 
The area was designated for its archaeological significance, as one of 
the largest and best preserved medicine wheels in the country. The NHL 
received a name and boundary change from the Secretary of the Interior 
in 2011, which increased the site to almost 4,000 acres. The reason for 
the difference in acreage is because the boundary of the NHL could not 
be legally described in the FRN. The BLM supervisory cadastral surveyor 
worked with the FS surveyor to create a withdrawal boundary with a 
legal description that could be described in the FRN.
    The use of a right-of-way, interagency or cooperative agreement 
would not adequately constrain nondiscretionary uses which could result 
in permanent loss of significant values and irreplaceable resources.
    There are no suitable alternative sites as the described lands 
contain the heritage resources and American Indian spiritual values in 
need of protection.
    No water rights would be needed to fulfill the purpose of the 
requested withdrawal.
    Records relating to the application may be examined by contacting 
Janelle Wrigley, BLM Wyoming State Office, at the above address; 
telephone 307-775-6257; email jwrigley@blm.gov.
    For the period until June 19, 2014, all persons who wish to submit 
comments, suggestions or objections in connection with the requested 
withdrawal application may present their views in writing to the BLM 
Wyoming State Office at the address noted above. Comments, including 
names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public 
review at the BLM Wyoming State Office at the address above during 
regular business hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    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 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. Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public 
meeting is afforded in connection with the proposed withdrawal. All 
interested persons who desire a public meeting for the purpose of being 
heard on the proposed withdrawal must submit a written request to the 
BLM Wyoming State Director no later than June 19, 2014. If the 
authorized officer determines that a public meeting will be held, a 
notice of the time and place will be published in the Federal Register 
and through local newspapers, at least 30 days before the scheduled 
date of the meeting.
    For a period until June 19, 2016, the lands described in this 
notice will be segregated from location and entry under the United 
States mining laws unless the application is denied or cancelled or the 
withdrawal is approved prior to that date. Licenses, permits, 
cooperative agreements or discretionary

[[Page 15771]]

land use authorizations of a temporary nature which will not 
significantly impact the values to be protected by the withdrawal may 
be allowed with the approval of the authorized officer of the USDA FS 
during the temporary segregative period.
    This application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set forth in 43 CFR 2310.3.

Donald A. Simpson,
Wyoming State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-06184 Filed 3-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-11-P
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