Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the White River Field Office Oil and Gas Development Resource Management Plan Amendment, Colorado, 51300-51301 [2015-20882]

Download as PDF 51300 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 163 / Monday, August 24, 2015 / Notices Applicant: Robert Winstead, Sandia, TX; PRT–72286B Applicant: Jeffery Palmer, Mapleton, CO; PRT–72842B Applicant: Andrew Wood, Chico, CA; PRT–73008B Applicant: William Mathers, Littletown, PA; PRT–73254B Applicant: John Justus, Lewisville, TX; PRT–68941B Brenda Tapia, Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits, Division of Management Authority. [FR Doc. 2015–20788 Filed 8–21–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Indian Affairs [156A2100DD/AAKC001030/ A0A501010.999900 253G] Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Bureau of Indian Education Collection Activities; Request for Comments Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior. ACTION: Notice of request for comments. AGENCY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is seeking comments on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the collection of information for the Tribal Colleges and Universities Application for Grants, authorized by OMB Control Number 1076–0018, and the Tribal Colleges and Universities Annual Report Form, authorized by OMB Control Number 1076–0105. Both of these information collections expire November 30, 2015. DATES: Submit comments on or before October 23, 2015. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the information collection to Juanita Mendoza, Acting Chief of Staff, Bureau of Indian Education, 1849 C Street NW., MIB—Mail Stop 4657, Washington, DC 20240; email Juanita.Mendoza@bie.edu. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Juanita Mendoza, (202) 208–3559. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: I. Abstract Each tribally-controlled college or university requesting financial assistance under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978, as amended, 25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. (Act) is required by 25 U.S.C. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:48 Aug 21, 2015 Jkt 235001 1807(a) and 25 CFR 41.8 to provide information for the purpose of securing a grant. Similarly, each triballycontrolled college or university that receives financial assistance under the Act is required by 25 U.S.C. 1808(c)(1) and 25 CFR 41.9 to provide a report on the use of funds received. II. Request for Comments The BIA requests your comments on these collections concerning: (a) The necessity of this information collection for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden (hours and cost) of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Ways we could enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways we could minimize the burden of the collection of the information on the respondents, such as through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and an individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it has a valid OMB Control Number. It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for review at the location 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 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. III. Data OMB Control Number: 1076–0018. Title: Tribal Colleges and Universities Application for Grants Form. Brief Description of Collection: Collection of the information is mandatory under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978, as amended, 25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., for the respondent to receive or maintain a benefit. Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved collection. Respondents: Tribal college and university administrators. Number of Respondents: 26 per year, on average. PO 00000 Frm 00105 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Total Number of Responses: 26 per year, on average. Frequency of Response: Annually. Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 26 hours. Estimated Total Annual Non-Hour Dollar Cost: $0. * * * * * OMB Control Number: 1076–0105. Title: Tribal Colleges and Universities Annual Report Form. Brief Description of Collection: Collection of the information is mandatory under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978, as amended, 25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., for the respondent to receive or maintain a benefit. Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved collection. Respondents: Tribal college and university administrators. Number of Respondents: 26 per year, on average. Total Number of Responses: 26 per year, on average. Frequency of Response: Annually. Estimated Time per Response: 3 hours. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 78 hours. Estimated Total Annual Non-Hour Dollar Cost: $0. Elizabeth K. Appel, Director, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs. [FR Doc. 2015–20817 Filed 8–21–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4337–15–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLCON05000 L16100000.DT0000] Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the White River Field Office Oil and Gas Development Resource Management Plan Amendment, Colorado Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment for Oil and Gas Development in the White River Field Office (WRFO). The planning are is located in Rio Blanco, Moffat, and Garfield Counties, Colorado. The Colorado State Director signed the ROD on August 20, 2015, which SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\24AUN1.SGM 24AUN1 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 163 / Monday, August 24, 2015 / Notices constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP Amendment effective immediately. ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/ Approved RMP Amendment are available upon request from the Field Manager, White River Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 220 East Market Street, Meeker, CO 81641 or via the Internet at https://www.blm.gov/co/ st/en/fo/wrfo.html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Sauls, Planning and Environmental Coordinator; telephone 970–878–3855; White River Field Office, 220 East Market Street, Meeker, CO 81641; email hsauls@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, seven 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 WRFO has worked with the public, interest groups, stakeholders, cooperating agencies, tribes, the Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council, and neighboring BLM offices for the past nine years through the oil and gas amendment development process. The result is an Approved RMP Amendment for oil and gas development that seeks to provide for a level of oil and gas development that is appropriate to the Nation’s energy needs in a responsible manner of multiple use that maintains the ecological integrity of the area and important natural, cultural, social and historical values. Included as part of the RMP Amendment is the Dinosaur Trail Master Leasing Plan (MLP), which will minimize the impacts from oil and gas exploration and development to important natural resources and areas in that portion of the planning area, including the Dinosaur National Monument, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs), and Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), . Impacts will be minimized by managing leasing opportunities in a phased approach and imposing controlled surface use stipulations for visual resources, night skies, and soundscapes. While the WRFO Approved RMP Amendment for Oil and Gas Development contains some conservation management measures for Greater Sage-Grouse habitat, the Northwest Colorado BLM Greater SageGrouse Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:48 Aug 21, 2015 Jkt 235001 fully analyzed applicable Greater SageGrouse conservation measures, including measures effecting lands within the WFRO. The BLM expects to make a comprehensive set of decisions for managing Greater Sage-Grouse on lands administered by the WRFO in the Record of Decision for the Northwest Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Amendment. That decision will amend the 1997 WRFO RMP, as needed, including any of the changes made to the 1997 WRFO as part of this Approved RMP Amendment for Oil and Gas Development. In the interim, leasing in Greater Sage-Grouse habitat will continue to be deferred until a final decision has been made on the Northwest Colorado Greater SageGrouse Plan Amendment. The BLM initiated scoping for the RMP Amendment in 2006 and collected information and public input via public meetings in order to develop the Draft RMP Amendment/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in August 2012. Based on public and agency comments, the BLM developed the Proposed RMP Amendment by combining various elements of all the alternatives considered in the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS. The BLM published the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS on March 27, 2015 (80 FR 16424), and made it available for a 30-day public protest period. During the protest period for the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS, the BLM received 11 protest letters on a variety of issues. From those protest letters, the BLM granted in part one protest regarding the requirement in BLM’s ACEC Manual that the BLM conduct a timely evaluation of ACEC nominations. As explained in the ROD, the BLM will evaluate these nominated areas to determine whether they satisfy the relevance and importance criteria consistent with BLM’s planning regulations and provide temporary (interim) management for those areas found to meet the criteria. The BLM included a timeline for conducting these evaluations in the ROD. The BLM also made minor editorial modifications to the Approved RMP Amendment to provide further clarification of some of the decisions. BLM regulations also require a 60-day Governor’s Consistency Review period for the Proposed RMP Amendment/ Final EIS to review consistency with approved state or local plans, policies, or programs. The Governor did not identify any inconsistencies with approved state or local plans, policies, or programs. Management decisions outlined in the Approved RMP Amendment apply only PO 00000 Frm 00106 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 51301 to oil and gas exploration and development activities on BLMadministered lands in the WRFO Planning Area and do not address other resources or resource allocations, or authorize development of those resources. Approximately 1.7 million acres of Federal oil and gas mineral estate is open to leasing and would be subject to lease stipulations and other management actions developed during this planning effort (i.e., BLM-leasable acres not associated with WSAs or surface estate managed by the National Park Service or U.S. Forest Service). Major decisions include adopting the Dinosaur Trail MLP; using thresholds to promote clustered development to allow for year-round drilling while reducing habitat loss due to behavioral avoidance by big game; using a tiered approach to managing lands with wilderness characteristics and identifying specific success criteria for reclamation. The Approved RMP Amendment does not include implementation decisions that would be appealable to the Interior Board of Land Appeals under 43 CFR part 4, subpart E. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6. Ruth Welch, BLM Colorado State Director. [FR Doc. 2015–20882 Filed 8–21–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLCAN03900 L17110000.DU0000.15X] Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the Headwaters Forest Reserve, California, and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment 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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arcata Field Office, Arcata, California, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Headwaters Forest Reserve and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. As the Headwaters Forest Reserve is jointly managed by the BLM and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\24AUN1.SGM 24AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 163 (Monday, August 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51300-51301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20882]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCON05000 L16100000.DT0000]


Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the White River 
Field Office Oil and Gas Development Resource Management Plan 
Amendment, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) Amendment for Oil and Gas Development in the White River Field 
Office (WRFO). The planning are is located in Rio Blanco, Moffat, and 
Garfield Counties, Colorado. The Colorado State Director signed the ROD 
on August 20, 2015, which

[[Page 51301]]

constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the Approved RMP 
Amendment effective immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/Approved RMP Amendment are available upon 
request from the Field Manager, White River Field Office, Bureau of 
Land Management, 220 East Market Street, Meeker, CO 81641 or via the 
Internet at https://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Sauls, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator; telephone 970-878-3855; White River Field 
Office, 220 East Market Street, Meeker, CO 81641; email hsauls@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, seven 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 WRFO has worked with the public, 
interest groups, stakeholders, cooperating agencies, tribes, the 
Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council, and neighboring BLM 
offices for the past nine years through the oil and gas amendment 
development process. The result is an Approved RMP Amendment for oil 
and gas development that seeks to provide for a level of oil and gas 
development that is appropriate to the Nation's energy needs in a 
responsible manner of multiple use that maintains the ecological 
integrity of the area and important natural, cultural, social and 
historical values.
    Included as part of the RMP Amendment is the Dinosaur Trail Master 
Leasing Plan (MLP), which will minimize the impacts from oil and gas 
exploration and development to important natural resources and areas in 
that portion of the planning area, including the Dinosaur National 
Monument, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs), and 
Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), . Impacts will be minimized by managing 
leasing opportunities in a phased approach and imposing controlled 
surface use stipulations for visual resources, night skies, and 
soundscapes.
    While the WRFO Approved RMP Amendment for Oil and Gas Development 
contains some conservation management measures for Greater Sage-Grouse 
habitat, the Northwest Colorado BLM Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Amendment 
and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) fully analyzed applicable 
Greater Sage-Grouse conservation measures, including measures effecting 
lands within the WFRO. The BLM expects to make a comprehensive set of 
decisions for managing Greater Sage-Grouse on lands administered by the 
WRFO in the Record of Decision for the Northwest Colorado Greater Sage-
Grouse Plan Amendment. That decision will amend the 1997 WRFO RMP, as 
needed, including any of the changes made to the 1997 WRFO as part of 
this Approved RMP Amendment for Oil and Gas Development. In the 
interim, leasing in Greater Sage-Grouse habitat will continue to be 
deferred until a final decision has been made on the Northwest Colorado 
Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Amendment. The BLM initiated scoping for the 
RMP Amendment in 2006 and collected information and public input via 
public meetings in order to develop the Draft RMP Amendment/
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in August 2012. Based on public 
and agency comments, the BLM developed the Proposed RMP Amendment by 
combining various elements of all the alternatives considered in the 
Draft RMP Amendment/EIS. The BLM published the Proposed RMP Amendment/
Final EIS on March 27, 2015 (80 FR 16424), and made it available for a 
30-day public protest period. During the protest period for the 
Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS, the BLM received 11 protest letters 
on a variety of issues. From those protest letters, the BLM granted in 
part one protest regarding the requirement in BLM's ACEC Manual that 
the BLM conduct a timely evaluation of ACEC nominations. As explained 
in the ROD, the BLM will evaluate these nominated areas to determine 
whether they satisfy the relevance and importance criteria consistent 
with BLM's planning regulations and provide temporary (interim) 
management for those areas found to meet the criteria. The BLM included 
a timeline for conducting these evaluations in the ROD. The BLM also 
made minor editorial modifications to the Approved RMP Amendment to 
provide further clarification of some of the decisions.
    BLM regulations also require a 60-day Governor's Consistency Review 
period for the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS to review consistency 
with approved state or local plans, policies, or programs. The Governor 
did not identify any inconsistencies with approved state or local 
plans, policies, or programs.
    Management decisions outlined in the Approved RMP Amendment apply 
only to oil and gas exploration and development activities on BLM-
administered lands in the WRFO Planning Area and do not address other 
resources or resource allocations, or authorize development of those 
resources. Approximately 1.7 million acres of Federal oil and gas 
mineral estate is open to leasing and would be subject to lease 
stipulations and other management actions developed during this 
planning effort (i.e., BLM-leasable acres not associated with WSAs or 
surface estate managed by the National Park Service or U.S. Forest 
Service). Major decisions include adopting the Dinosaur Trail MLP; 
using thresholds to promote clustered development to allow for year-
round drilling while reducing habitat loss due to behavioral avoidance 
by big game; using a tiered approach to managing lands with wilderness 
characteristics and identifying specific success criteria for 
reclamation.
    The Approved RMP Amendment does not include implementation 
decisions that would be appealable to the Interior Board of Land 
Appeals under 43 CFR part 4, subpart E.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6.

Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-20882 Filed 8-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P
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