Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Bird Canyon Natural Gas Infill Project, Lincoln and Sublette Counties, WY, 26773-26774 [2014-10489]
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ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 90 / Friday, May 9, 2014 / Notices
the RMP amendment in order to
consider the variety of resource issues
and concerns identified.
Preliminary issues have been
identified by BLM personnel, federal,
state and local agencies and other
stakeholders and include:
• Compliance with NEPA, FLPMA,
and other applicable laws, executive
orders, regulations and policy;
• Recognition of valid existing rights;
• All lands that may affect or be
affected by BLM management decisions.
Planning decisions in the RMP
amendment will apply only to BLMadministered lands and federal mineral
estate; and
• A collaborative and multijurisdictional approach, when possible,
to jointly determine the desired future
condition and management direction for
the public lands. To the extent possible
and within legal and regulatory
parameters, the BLM management and
planning decisions will complement the
planning and management decisions of
other agencies, state and local
governments, and jurisdictions
intermingled with, and adjacent to, the
planning area.
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 RMP amendment/EA as to
why an issue was placed in category
two or three. The public is 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.
Comments may be submitted in
writing to the BLM at any public
scoping meeting or through one of the
methods listed in the ADDRESSES section
above. 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 may 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.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
14:53 May 08, 2014
Jkt 232001
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR
1610.2.
Larry Claypool,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014–10498 Filed 5–8–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWYD04000–2013–LL13110000–EJ0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Bird Canyon Natural Gas Infill
Project, Lincoln and Sublette Counties,
WY
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Rock Springs
Field Office (RSFO) intends to prepare
an environmental impact statement
(EIS) for the Bird Canyon Natural Gas
Infill Project and by this notice
announces the opening of the scoping
period. The plan of development for this
project proposes that 348 natural gas
wells be drilled on public lands in the
17,612 acre Bird Canyon project area.
DATES: Comments must be received by
June 9, 2014. The BLM will hold two
public meetings as part of the public
comment period; these will be
announced through the local news
media and the BLM Web site at
www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/
documents/rsfo/birdcanyon.html at
least 15 days in advance. In order to be
included in the analysis, all comments
must be received prior to the close of
the 30-day scoping period or 15 days
after the last public meeting, whichever
is later. The BLM will provide
additional opportunities for public
participation as appropriate.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on issues
and planning criteria may be submitted
through any of the following methods:
• Mail or Delivery: BLM Rock Springs
Field Office, Attn: Spencer Allred, 280
Highway 191 N., Rock Springs, WY
82901.
• EMail: blm_wy_bird_canyon_eis@
blm.gov with ‘‘Public Comment’’ in the
subject line.
• Fax: 307–352–0329.
All comments must include a legible
full name and address on the envelope,
letter, fax, postcard or email.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00064
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
26773
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the RSFO, 280
Highway 191 N., Rock Springs,
Wyoming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Spencer Allred, Natural Resource
Specialist, at 307–352–0325. Persons
who use a telecommunications device
for the deaf 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: Koch
Exploration Company, LLC, and
Memorial Resource Development, LLC,
propose to drill 348 new natural gas
wells within 17,612 acres of public land
in the existing Bird Canyon Field, in
Lincoln and Sublette counties,
Wyoming. Drilling activities would
occur over the next 10 to 20 years. The
life of the project, including final
reclamation, is projected to be
approximately 55 years. The wells
would be directionally drilled on
expansions of existing well pads or on
newly constructed multiple-well pads.
Average well-pad spacing would be four
pads per 640 acres. It is estimated that
well pads would initially occupy 3.8
acres, which would then be reclaimed
back to 1.1 acres after production
facilities are installed. Total estimated
initial disturbance for this project,
including access roads, well pads and
pipelines, is 392 acres. Following
interim reclamation, including
reclamation of 64 existing pads, total
estimated long-term surface disturbance
is 20 acres.
The proposed project is in an area
designated as marginal nonattainment
for ozone within the Upper Green River
Basin by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) in July 2012.
Oil and gas development has occurred
in the Bird Canyon Field since the
1960s. During that time, 90 wells have
been drilled within the project area.
Eighteen of those wells have been
plugged or shut-in, leaving 72 wells in
the field that are actively producing at
this time.
An EIS will be prepared to analyze
the impacts of the proposed project
which the RSFO has preliminarily
identified as socioeconomics, viewshed
qualities, historical and cultural
resources, wildlife habitat, air quality,
water quality and livestock forage.
Identification of opportunities to apply
mitigation hierarchy strategies for onsite, regional, and compensatory
E:\FR\FM\09MYN1.SGM
09MYN1
26774
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 90 / Friday, May 9, 2014 / Notices
mitigation, and (appropriate to the size
of the project) landscape-level
conservation and management actions
to achieve resource objectives] will be
considered.
A critical part of the EIS process is
gathering comments and concerns from
the public to help the BLM understand
the scope of the issues associated with
this project. The BLM will utilize and
coordinate the NEPA public comment
process to comply with section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act
(16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36
CFR 800.2(d)(3). Native American tribal
consultations will be conducted in
accordance with BLM policy and sites
of religious or cultural significance or
other tribal concerns 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 project, may
request or be requested by the BLM to
participate in the development of the
EIS as a cooperating agency. Additional
opportunities for public participation
will be provided when the Draft EIS is
published.
Comments can be submitted in
writing to the BLM at any public
scoping meeting or through one of the
methods listed in the ADDRESSES
section. 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 may 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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Larry Claypool,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014–10489 Filed 5–8–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
[LLIDC00000.14XL1109AF.L10200000.
DS0000.LXSSD0090000.241A; 4500061279]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Cottonwood Resource Management
Plan Amendment for Domestic Sheep
Grazing and Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement,
Idaho
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
14:53 May 08, 2014
Jkt 232001
ACTION:
Notice of availability.
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended, the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft
Resource Management Plan (RMP)
Amendment for Domestic Sheep
Grazing and Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and by this notice is announcing the
opening of the comment period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be
considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft RMP
Amendment/Supplemental EIS within
90 days following the date the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes a notice of availability of this
document in the Federal Register. The
BLM will announce future meetings or
hearings and any other public
participation activities at least 15 days
in advance through public notices,
media releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the Draft RMP Amendment
and Supplemental EIS by any of the
following methods:
• Web site: https://www.blm.gov/id/st/
en/prog/nepa_register/cfo_SEIS-planamdt-sheep.html.
• Email: BLM_ID_SheepSEIS@
blm.gov.
• Mail: BLM Coeur d’Alene District,
ATTN: Sheep SEIS, 3815 Schreiber
Way, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815.
The Draft RMP Amendment and
Supplemental EIS is available on the
project Web site at https://www.blm.gov/
id/st/en/prog/nepa_register/cfo_SEISplan-amdt-sheep.html, in the BLM
Coeur d’Alene District Office at the
above address, and at the BLM
Cottonwood Field Office, One Butte
Drive, Cottonwood, ID 83522.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Scott Pavey, telephone 208–769–5059,
BLM Coeur d’Alene District Office
(address above); email: BLM_ID_
SheepSEIS@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: The BLM
proposes to amend the 2008
Cottonwood RMP by providing new
management direction and allocations
for livestock grazing on 19,405 acres of
BLM-managed lands within 4 BLM
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00065
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
allotments in Idaho and Adams
Counties of Idaho.
In August 2008, the BLM published
the Proposed Cottonwood RMP and
Final EIS and subsequently received a
number of protests on the proposed
decision. The BLM Director denied all
protest points but one, which was in
regard to the adequacy of the range of
alternatives for management of domestic
sheep grazing on four BLM allotments
that are within bighorn sheep habitat.
Specifically, the Director found that the
Final EIS did not include an adequate
range of alternatives to address potential
disease transmission from domestic
sheep and goats to bighorn sheep, and
required that the State Director
complete a supplemental EIS that would
include a reasonable range of
alternatives for managing livestock
grazing and would analyze the impacts
of domestic sheep and goat grazing
within the four allotments. The Director
further specified that the supplemental
EIS be for the limited purpose of
analyzing the impacts of domestic sheep
and goat grazing within four allotments.
The Supplemental EIS identifies and
analyzes three related planning issues:
(1) Bighorn sheep—Domestic sheep
and goats may contact and transmit
diseases to bighorn sheep, which may
be a contributing factor to the
downward trend in bighorn
populations.
(2) Native American tribal interests
and treaty rights—BLM management of
livestock grazing, specifically domestic
sheep and goats, may affect the
availability of resources and uses
(specifically related to bighorn sheep)
that are important to the interests and
rights of the Nez Perce Tribe.
(3) Livestock grazing and social and
economic interests—Changes to BLM
management of livestock grazing may
affect the local economy.
Please note that public comments and
information submitted including names,
street addresses, and email addresses of
persons who submit comments will be
available for public review and
disclosure at the above address during
regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except
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 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.
E:\FR\FM\09MYN1.SGM
09MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26773-26774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10489]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWYD04000-2013-LL13110000-EJ0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Bird Canyon Natural Gas Infill Project, Lincoln and Sublette
Counties, WY
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rock
Springs Field Office (RSFO) intends to prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) for the Bird Canyon Natural Gas Infill Project and by
this notice announces the opening of the scoping period. The plan of
development for this project proposes that 348 natural gas wells be
drilled on public lands in the 17,612 acre Bird Canyon project area.
DATES: Comments must be received by June 9, 2014. The BLM will hold two
public meetings as part of the public comment period; these will be
announced through the local news media and the BLM Web site at
www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/rsfo/birdcanyon.html at least
15 days in advance. In order to be included in the analysis, all
comments must be received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping
period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public participation
as appropriate.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on issues and planning criteria may be
submitted through any of the following methods:
Mail or Delivery: BLM Rock Springs Field Office, Attn:
Spencer Allred, 280 Highway 191 N., Rock Springs, WY 82901.
EMail: blm_wy_bird_canyon_eis@blm.gov with ``Public
Comment'' in the subject line.
Fax: 307-352-0329.
All comments must include a legible full name and address on the
envelope, letter, fax, postcard or email.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the RSFO,
280 Highway 191 N., Rock Springs, Wyoming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Spencer Allred, Natural Resource
Specialist, at 307-352-0325. Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf 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: Koch Exploration Company, LLC, and Memorial
Resource Development, LLC, propose to drill 348 new natural gas wells
within 17,612 acres of public land in the existing Bird Canyon Field,
in Lincoln and Sublette counties, Wyoming. Drilling activities would
occur over the next 10 to 20 years. The life of the project, including
final reclamation, is projected to be approximately 55 years. The wells
would be directionally drilled on expansions of existing well pads or
on newly constructed multiple-well pads. Average well-pad spacing would
be four pads per 640 acres. It is estimated that well pads would
initially occupy 3.8 acres, which would then be reclaimed back to 1.1
acres after production facilities are installed. Total estimated
initial disturbance for this project, including access roads, well pads
and pipelines, is 392 acres. Following interim reclamation, including
reclamation of 64 existing pads, total estimated long-term surface
disturbance is 20 acres.
The proposed project is in an area designated as marginal
nonattainment for ozone within the Upper Green River Basin by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in July 2012.
Oil and gas development has occurred in the Bird Canyon Field since
the 1960s. During that time, 90 wells have been drilled within the
project area. Eighteen of those wells have been plugged or shut-in,
leaving 72 wells in the field that are actively producing at this time.
An EIS will be prepared to analyze the impacts of the proposed
project which the RSFO has preliminarily identified as socioeconomics,
viewshed qualities, historical and cultural resources, wildlife
habitat, air quality, water quality and livestock forage.
Identification of opportunities to apply mitigation hierarchy
strategies for on-site, regional, and compensatory
[[Page 26774]]
mitigation, and (appropriate to the size of the project) landscape-
level conservation and management actions to achieve resource
objectives] will be considered.
A critical part of the EIS process is gathering comments and
concerns from the public to help the BLM understand the scope of the
issues associated with this project. The BLM will utilize and
coordinate the NEPA public comment process to comply with section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided
for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Native American tribal consultations will be
conducted in accordance with BLM policy and sites of religious or
cultural significance or other tribal concerns 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 project, may request or be requested by the BLM to participate
in the development of the EIS as a cooperating agency. Additional
opportunities for public participation will be provided when the Draft
EIS is published.
Comments can be submitted in writing to the BLM at any public
scoping meeting or through one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
section. 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 may
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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Larry Claypool,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-10489 Filed 5-8-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
