Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Amendment to the Resource Management Plan for the Buffalo Field Office, Wyoming, 65999 [2019-26024]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 231 (Monday, December 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 65999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26024]



[[Page 65999]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[L13200000 DS0000 LXSSK1700000 20X LLWYP07000]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved 
Amendment to the Resource Management Plan for the Buffalo Field Office, 
Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: 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) Buffalo Field 
Office prepared a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
Amendment for the 2015 Buffalo Field Office RMP. This effort was in 
response to a United States District Court of Montana opinion and order 
(Western Organization of Resource Councils, et al. v. BLM; 3/26/2018 
and 7/31/2018). The Wyoming State Director signed the ROD, which 
constitutes the final plan amendment decision of the BLM, on November 
22, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available at the Buffalo Field Office 
at 1425 Fort Street, Buffalo, WY 82834, and online at https://go.usa.gov/ xP6S3.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Thomas (Tom) Bills, RMP 
Supplemental EIS Project Manager; telephone: 307-684-1133; email: 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to 
contact Mr. Bills during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 
hours a day, seven days a week, to leave a message or question. You 
will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 2015 Buffalo Field Office Approved RMP 
provided a single, comprehensive land use plan to guide management of 
BLM-administered lands and minerals in the Buffalo Field Office, which 
includes 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 above-referenced court decision, feedback from 
cooperating agencies and stakeholders, and public scoping, the BLM 
developed the supplemental EIS and analyzed a No Action Alternative and 
an Action Alternative. The alternatives focused on the allocation of 
lands open for leasing federal coal, in response to the court order.
    The No Action Alternative represented the decision area from the 
2015 RMP and brought forward all management decisions that precluded 
coal development in the 2015 RMP. It relied on decisions from the 2001 
coal screening process that informed the 2015 RMP, but used an updated 
2018 coal production baseline. The BLM also used the 2019 U.S. Energy 
Information Administration development forecast to project development 
in the Buffalo Field Office over the 20-year planning period. The No 
Action Alternative analyzed 686,896 acres for consideration of coal 
leasing, which included approximately 73.66 billion tons of BLM-
administered coal reserves.
    The Action Alternative also used the 2018 coal production baseline 
and the 2019 U.S. Energy Information Administration development 
forecast. In addition, the Action Alternative applied new coal screens 
(as described in 43 CFR 3420.1-4(e)), considered new scientific and 
geospatial data, and evaluated issues identified through internal and 
public scoping. Based on these factors, the Action Alternative area 
analyzed 455,467 acres for consideration of coal leasing, which 
included approximately 52.24 billion tons of BLM-administered coal 
reserves.
    The Final Supplemental EIS was published on October 4, 2019 (84 FR 
53170). During the 30-day protest period, the BLM Director received 
four protest letters. All protests were resolved prior to the issuance 
of the ROD. Simultaneously with the protest period, the Governor of 
Wyoming conducted a 60-day consistency review of the Final Supplemental 
EIS and Proposed Plan Amendment and found no inconsistencies.
    The approved RMP amendment is a modification of the Supplemental 
EIS's Action Alternative that makes 495,251 acres of federal coal 
available for consideration for leasing. This area includes all the 
acreage identified as available under the Action Alternative, as well 
as 40,847 additional acres that were included under the No Action 
Alternative. The BLM made this decision as a result of public, 
stakeholder, and cooperating agency input on the Supplemental EIS as 
well as updated best available information and special expertise 
provided by cooperating agencies and the public.
    The ROD summarizes the decisions, clarifications, and modifications 
included in the Approved RMP Amendment.

    Authority:  43 CFR 1610.2(c), 40 CFR 1506.6.

Valori Armstrong,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-26024 Filed 11-29-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-22-P