Notice of Availability of the Draft Amendment to the Approved Resource Management Plan for the Miles City Field Office, Montana, and the Associated Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 22516-22517 [2019-10288]
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22516
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 96 / Friday, May 17, 2019 / Notices
Buffalo Field Office, 1425 Fort Street,
Buffalo, WY 82834.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information or to have your
name added to our mailing list, contact
Thomas (Tom) Bills, RMP Supplemental
EIS Project Manager; Telephone 307–
684–1133; or at the above mailing
address or email. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to
contact the above individual during
normal business hours. The FRS 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 2015
Buffalo Approved RMP provides a
single, comprehensive land use plan
that guides management of BLMadministered lands and minerals in the
Buffalo Field Office, which consists of
approximately 800,000 acres of BLM
surface land and 4.7 million acres of
BLM mineral estate in Campbell,
Johnson, and Sheridan counties in
north-central Wyoming.
Based on the court decision Western
Organization of Resource Councils, et
al. v. BLM (CV 16–21–GF–BMM; 3/23/
2018 and 7/31/2018); feedback from
cooperating agencies and stakeholders;
and public scoping, the BLM developed
and analyzed a No Action Alternative
and an Action Alternative, which are
detailed in the Draft Supplemental EIS.
The alternatives focus solely on the
leasing of BLM-administered coal, in
response to the court order.
The No Action Alternative represents
the decision area from the 2015 RMP
and brings forward all management
decisions that precluded coal
development in the 2015 RMP. It relies
on the decisions from the 2001 coal
screening process that informed the
2015 RMP, but uses an updated 2018
coal production baseline. The BLM also
used the 2019 U.S. Energy Information
Administration development forecast to
project development over the 20-year
planning period. The No Action
Alternative covers a total area of
approximately 968,252 acres, including
approximately 59.324 billion tons of
BLM-administered coal reserves.
The Action Alternative also uses the
2018 coal production baseline and the
2019 U.S. Energy Information
Administration development forecast. In
addition, the Action Alternative applies
new coal screens (as described in 43
CFR 3420.1–4(e)), considers new
scientific and GIS data, and evaluates
issues identified through internal and
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:05 May 16, 2019
Jkt 247001
public scoping. Based on these factors,
the Action Alternative area contains
approximately 328,578 acres, including
approximately 37.345 billion tons of
BLM-administered coal reserves.
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.
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 Supplemental Draft EIS by
any of the following methods:
• Website: https://go.usa.gov/xmbE4.
• Mail: Miles City Field Office; Irma
Nansel; 111 Garryowen Road, Miles
City, MT 59301.
Copies of the Supplemental Draft EIS
are available at the Miles City Field
Office at the above address, or may be
viewed at: https://go.usa.gov/xmbE4.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irma
Nansel, RMP Supplemental EIS Project
Authority: 43 CFR 1610.2(c) and
Manager, Miles City Field Office, at
3420.1–2.
(406) 233–3653, or at the above mailing
address or website. Persons who use a
Mary Jo Rugwell,
telecommunications device for the deaf
Wyoming State Director.
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay
[FR Doc. 2019–10289 Filed 5–16–19; 8:45 am]
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
contact Ms. Nansel during normal
business hours. The FRS is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
message or question. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
Bureau of Land Management
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 2015
[L16100000 DS0000 LXSS036E0000 19X
Miles City Approved RMP provides a
LLMTC020000]
single, comprehensive land use plan
that guides management of BLMNotice of Availability of the Draft
Amendment to the Approved Resource administered lands and minerals in the
Miles City Field Office, which consists
Management Plan for the Miles City
of approximately 2.7 million acres of
Field Office, Montana, and the
BLM surface land and 10.6 million acres
Associated Supplemental Draft
of BLM mineral estate across 17
Environmental Impact Statement
counties in eastern Montana.
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
Based on the above-referenced court
Interior.
decision, feedback from cooperating
agencies and stakeholders, and public
ACTION: Notice of availability.
scoping, the BLM developed and
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
analyzed a No Action Alternative and
National Environmental Policy Act of
two Action Alternatives, which are
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the
detailed in the Supplemental Draft EIS.
Federal Land Policy and Management
The No Action Alternative represents
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of
the decision area from the 2015 RMP
Land Management (BLM) Montana
and brings forward all management
Miles City Field Office has prepared a
decisions that precluded coal
Supplemental Draft Environmental
development in the 2015 RMP. It relies
Impact Statement (EIS) for the 2015
on the decisions from the 1985 Power
Miles City Field Office Approved
River RMP and 1996 Big Dry RMP coal
Resource Management Plan (RMP). This screening process. The No Action
effort is in response to a United States
Alternative includes a total area of
District Court of Montana opinion and
approximately 1,581,240 acres available
order (Western Organization of Resource for further consideration for leasing of
Councils, et al. v. BLM). By this notice,
BLM-administered coal.
the BLM is announcing the opening of
The Action alternatives applied the
the comment period.
coal screens (43 CFR 3420.1–4(e)) using
current data and evaluate the issues
DATES: To ensure that comments will be
identified through internal and public
considered, the BLM must receive
scoping. The Action alternatives also
written comments on the Draft
address the NEPA deficiencies
Supplemental EIS within 90 days
identified by the court order associated
following the date the Environmental
with the application of the multiple-use
Protection Agency publishes its Notice
screen. Alternative B considers the
of Availability of the Supplemental
development of air resources as a
Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The
BLM will announce future meetings and multiple-use screen in accordance with
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 96 / Friday, May 17, 2019 / Notices
the Clean Air Act. Alternative C applies
an air resource multiple-use screen that
encompasses greenhouse-gas emission
criteria limited to coal development tied
to existing mining areas. Based on these
factors, Alternative B area contains
approximately 990,815 acres available
for further consideration for leasing of
BLM-administered coal; and Alternative
C area contains approximately 144,877
acres available for further consideration
for leasing of BLM-administered coal.
The BLM revised the reasonableforeseeable development scenario used
in the 2015 Miles City RMP using
current coal production from existing
mines to forecast development over the
20-year planning period. The revised
scenario was applied to all alternatives.
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, the
BLM cannot guarantee that it will be
able to do so.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 43 CFR
1610.2.
Donato J. Judice,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019–10288 Filed 5–16–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–DN–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLMTL060–L16100000–DP0000]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Lewistown Resource Management
Plan Revision and Associated
Environmental Impact Statement,
Montana
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Lewistown and Butte Field Offices have
prepared a Draft Resource Management
Plan (RMP) with an associated Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for BLM public lands and resources
managed by the Lewistown Field Office
and a portion of the Butte Field Office
in northern Lewis and Clark County,
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:05 May 16, 2019
Jkt 247001
Montana, and by this notice are
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/
Draft EIS within 90 days following the
date the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes its Notice of
Availability of the Draft RMP/Draft EIS
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 Lewistown Draft RMP/
Draft EIS by any of the following
methods:
• Website: https://bit.ly/2lUdsb2
• Mail: Lewistown Field Office, Attn:
Lewistown RMP, 920 NE Main Street,
Lewistown, MT 59457
Copies of the Lewistown Draft RMP/
Draft EIS are available in the Lewistown
Field Office at the above address, or
may be viewed at: https://bit.ly/
2lUdsb2.
Dan
Brunkhorst, RMP Project Manager,
Lewistown Field Office, at (406) 538–
1981, and at the above mailing address
or website. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to
contact Mr. Brunkhorst during normal
business hours. The FRS is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Lewistown Draft RMP/Draft EIS covers
approximately 651,200 acres of BLMmanaged public lands and 1,196,800
acres of Federal mineral estate in central
Montana in Cascade, Fergus, Judith
Basin, Meagher, Petroleum, Pondera,
Teton, Chouteau, and Lewis and Clark
counties. These lands and minerals are
managed by two BLM offices located in
Lewistown and Butte, Montana. The
RMP will fulfill the needs and
obligations set forth by NEPA, FLPMA,
and BLM management policies. The
RMP will reflect the changing needs of
the planning area over the next several
decades, and will replace the current
Headwaters and Judith RMPs, as
amended, that were developed in 1984
and 1994, respectively.
The planning effort is needed to
identify goals, objectives, and
management actions for the BLMmanaged public lands. The BLM used
public scoping comments to help
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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22517
identify planning issues that directed
the formulation of alternatives and
framed the scope of analysis in the Draft
RMP/Draft EIS. Resource issues
identified included air quality, soil and
water resources, vegetation, geology,
cave and karst features, fish and
wildlife, special status species, wildland
fire management, cultural and
paleontological resources, wilderness
characteristics, and visual resource
values. The plan also considers resource
uses including livestock grazing;
delineation of lands open, closed, or
subject to special stipulations or
mitigation measures for minerals and
energy development; forest, woodland,
and special forest products; recreation,
visitor services, access, and travel
management designations; and lands
and realty actions including rights-ofway (ROWs), withdrawals, and land
tenure adjustments. Special
designations, social and economic
conditions, tribal interests, and public
safety are also addressed.
The Draft RMP/Draft EIS evaluates
four alternatives in detail.
Alternative A is the No Action
Alternative, which is a continuation of
current management direction in the
existing Judith and Headwaters RMPs.
Alternative B emphasizes managing
habitats for priority plant, wildlife, and
fish species while providing modest
development of resource uses.
Alternative B also emphasizes hunting,
fishing, and other recreation through
Backcountry Conservation Areas and
management of lands with wilderness
characteristics.
Alternative C is the agency preferred
alternative. Alternative C emphasizes
resource uses on BLM-administered
lands and mineral estate targeting social
and economic outcomes while
protecting land health. Alternative C
employs less special management
designations for resource use objectives.
Alternative D emphasizes resource
uses and a variety of management
prescriptions (e.g., recreation
management areas, Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACECs), Visual
Resource Management) to address the
use and conservation of natural and
cultural resources, while sustaining and
enhancing forest and range health across
the landscape.
Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7–2(b), this
notice announces a concurrent public
comment period for potential ACECs.
The proposed ACECs include:
• Acid Shale-Pine Forest: (2,700
acres) Alternatives A, B, and D;
• Blacktail Creek: (1,200 acres)
Alternative B;
• Blind Horse: (4,900 acres)
Alternatives B and D;
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22516-22517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10288]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[L16100000 DS0000 LXSS036E0000 19X LLMTC020000]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Amendment to the Approved
Resource Management Plan for the Miles City Field Office, Montana, and
the Associated Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Montana Miles
City Field Office has prepared a Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the 2015 Miles City Field Office Approved
Resource Management Plan (RMP). This effort is in response to a United
States District Court of Montana opinion and order (Western
Organization of Resource Councils, et al. v. BLM). By this notice, the
BLM 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 Supplemental EIS within 90 days following
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of
Availability of the Supplemental Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The
BLM will announce future meetings 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 Supplemental Draft
EIS by any of the following methods:
Website: https://go.usa.gov/xmbE4.
Mail: Miles City Field Office; Irma Nansel; 111 Garryowen
Road, Miles City, MT 59301.
Copies of the Supplemental Draft EIS are available at the Miles
City Field Office at the above address, or may be viewed at: https://go.usa.gov/xmbE4.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irma Nansel, RMP Supplemental EIS
Project Manager, Miles City Field Office, at (406) 233-3653, or at the
above mailing address or website. Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at
1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms. Nansel during normal business hours. The
FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or
question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 2015 Miles City Approved RMP provides a
single, comprehensive land use plan that guides management of BLM-
administered lands and minerals in the Miles City Field Office, which
consists of approximately 2.7 million acres of BLM surface land and
10.6 million acres of BLM mineral estate across 17 counties in eastern
Montana.
Based on the above-referenced court decision, feedback from
cooperating agencies and stakeholders, and public scoping, the BLM
developed and analyzed a No Action Alternative and two Action
Alternatives, which are detailed in the Supplemental Draft EIS.
The No Action Alternative represents the decision area from the
2015 RMP and brings forward all management decisions that precluded
coal development in the 2015 RMP. It relies on the decisions from the
1985 Power River RMP and 1996 Big Dry RMP coal screening process. The
No Action Alternative includes a total area of approximately 1,581,240
acres available for further consideration for leasing of BLM-
administered coal.
The Action alternatives applied the coal screens (43 CFR 3420.1-
4(e)) using current data and evaluate the issues identified through
internal and public scoping. The Action alternatives also address the
NEPA deficiencies identified by the court order associated with the
application of the multiple-use screen. Alternative B considers the
development of air resources as a multiple-use screen in accordance
with
[[Page 22517]]
the Clean Air Act. Alternative C applies an air resource multiple-use
screen that encompasses greenhouse-gas emission criteria limited to
coal development tied to existing mining areas. Based on these factors,
Alternative B area contains approximately 990,815 acres available for
further consideration for leasing of BLM-administered coal; and
Alternative C area contains approximately 144,877 acres available for
further consideration for leasing of BLM-administered coal.
The BLM revised the reasonable-foreseeable development scenario
used in the 2015 Miles City RMP using current coal production from
existing mines to forecast development over the 20-year planning
period. The revised scenario was applied to all alternatives.
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, the BLM cannot guarantee that it will
be able to do so.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 43 CFR 1610.2.
Donato J. Judice,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-10288 Filed 5-16-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P
