Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Bering Sea-Western Interior Planning Area, Alaska, 78350-78351 [2020-26646]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 234 / Friday, December 4, 2020 / Notices
and cumulative impacts on all affected
resources. In addition to the Proposed
Action, Alternative A, the following
alternatives are also analyzed in the
document: Alternative B, which is a
partial backfilling of the pit that would
result in a small wet area; Alternative C
which does not backfill the pit and
would result in three small, and
probably seasonal, pit lakes; and the No
Action Alternative. Alternatives A, B
and C include an application for an
eagle take permit for loss of productivity
of three golden eagle breeding pairs.
Additionally, Alternative C would
require nest site enhancement as
compensatory mitigation under the Bald
and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the proposed Project was
published in the Federal Register on
July 31, 2020 (85 FR 10460). Two virtual
public meetings were held during the
comment period. The BLM received 63
public comment documents during the
45-day comment period. The documents
contained 813 individual substantive
comments which included concerns on
potential impacts to groundwater
quality, potential impacts to springs and
stream flows in the surrounding area of
the mine, storage and management of
waste rock and tailings, grazing
allotments, and mine closure. These
comments were considered and
addressed in Appendix R (Comments
Responses) of the Final EIS.
Comments on the Draft EIS received
from the public and internal BLM
review were considered and
incorporated, as appropriate, into the
Final EIS. Public comments resulted in
corrections or the addition of clarifying
text but did not significantly change the
proposed action.
The BLM has consulted with the
Nevada State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO) on the Project in
accordance with the 2014 State Protocol
Agreement between the BLM and
Nevada SHPO for Implementing the
National Historic Preservation Act. The
BLM has determined that the Project
would cause adverse effects to 57
historic properties and the Nevada
SHPO has concurred. The BLM and
Nevada SHPO recently executed a
Memorandum of Agreement to resolve
adverse effects to the 57 historic
properties. The specific actions
necessary to resolve adverse effects to
historic properties would be carried out
if the Project is authorized, prior to
Project implementation.
The BLM has consulted and continues
to consult with Indian tribes on a
government-to-government basis in
accordance with Executive Order 13175
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:18 Dec 03, 2020
Jkt 253001
and other policies. Tribal concerns,
including impacts to Indian trust assets
and potential impacts to cultural
resources have been analyzed in the
Final EIS.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 43 CFR
1506.10)
Ester M. McCullough,
Winnemucca District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2020–26599 Filed 12–3–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[21X.LLAK930000 L16100000.PN0000]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Bering Sea-Western Interior
Planning Area, Alaska
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
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), Anchorage Field
Office, Anchorage, Alaska, prepared a
Proposed Resource Management Plan
(RMP)/Final Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Bering Sea–
Western Interior region of Alaska and by
this notice is announcing its
availability.
DATES: BLM planning regulations state
that any person who meets the
conditions as described in the
regulations at 43 CFR 1610.5–2 may
protest the BLM’s Proposed RMP/Final
EIS. A person who meets the conditions
must file or postmark their protest no
later than 30 days from the date of the
Final EIS Notice of Availability
published by the Environmental
Protection Agency.
ADDRESSES: Copies or notification of the
electronic availability of the RMP for the
Bering Sea–Western Interior Proposed
RMP/Final EIS are being sent to affected
federal, State, tribal, and local
government agencies and to other
stakeholders. The electronic Proposed
RMP/Final EIS is available on the BLM’s
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) Register (https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/36665/510 [please use Chrome])
and at https://www.blm.gov/programs/
planning-and-nepa/plans-indevelopment/alaska/BSWI. On the
project summary page, click on
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00049
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
‘‘Documents’’ on the left side of the
screen to find the electronic version of
this material. Hard copies of the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS are also
available for public inspection. Please
contact each of the following facilities
prior to visiting to determine the
specific COVID–19 protocols in place,
such as needing an appointment and
face mask to enter:
BLM Anchorage Field Office, 4700 BLM
Road, Anchorage, AK 99507, (907)
261–1246.
BLM Fairbanks District Office, 222
University Avenue, Fairbanks, AK
99709, (907) 474–2200.
BLM Alaska Public Information Center,
James M. Fitzgerald Federal Building,
222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK
99513 (907) 271–5960.
Alaska Resources Library & Information
Services, 3211 Providence Drive,
Suite 111, Anchorage, AK 99508,
(907) 272–7547.
All protests must be in writing and
filed with the BLM Director, either as a
hard copy or electronically via BLM’s
National NEPA Register by the close of
the protest period. The only electronic
protests the BLM will accept are those
filed through BLM’s National NEPA
Register. All protest letters sent to the
BLM via fax or email will be considered
invalid unless a properly filed protest is
also submitted.
Instructions for filing a protest may be
found in the ‘‘Dear Reader’’ Letter of the
Bering Sea–Western Interior Proposed
RMP/Final EIS, at 43 CFR 1610.5–2, and
online at https://www.blm.gov/
programs/ planning-and-nepa/publicparticipation/filing-a-plan-protest. If
you do not have the ability to file your
protest electronically, hard copy
protests must be mailed to one of the
following addresses:
• Regular Mail: BLM Director (210),
Attention: Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box
261117, Lakewood, CO 80226
• Overnight Delivery: BLM Director
(210), Attention: Protest Coordinator,
2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO
80215.
Before including your phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your protest,
you should be aware that your entire
protest—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your protest to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jorjena Barringer, BLM Anchorage Field
Office, telephone: (907) 267–1317,
E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM
04DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 234 / Friday, December 4, 2020 / Notices
email: jbarringer@blm.gov. People 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, 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
Bering Sea–Western Interior Planning
Area is in western Alaska and
encompasses approximately 62.3
million acres of land, including 13.5
million acres managed by the BLM.
This RMP replaces the 1981
Southwest Management Framework and
a small portion of the 1986 Central
Yukon Resource Management Plan,
including amendments. It provides:
• Consolidated direction to address
land and resource use and development
on BLM-managed lands within the
planning area under one RMP, and
• Analysis of the environmental
effects that could result from the
implementation of the alternatives
proposed in the RMP/EIS.
The purpose of this Proposed RMP is
to make decisions that guide future land
management actions and site-specific
implementation decisions. The
decisions will address goals and
objectives for resource management
(desired outcomes) and establish land
uses (allocations) that are allowable,
restricted, or prohibited to achieve the
goals and objectives. The need for this
RMP is to provide guidance that will
address the significant alterations in
resources, circumstances, laws, policies,
and regulations in the planning area
since 1981.
The Proposed RMP/Final EIS
evaluates five alternatives for managing
the planning area. Alternative A, the no
action alternative, represents existing
management described by current land
use plans and provides the benchmark
against which to compare the other
alternatives. Alternative B emphasizes
reducing the potential for competition
between recreational or developmental
uses and subsistence resources by
identifying key areas for additional
management actions. Alternative C
emphasizes adaptive management at the
planning level to maintain the long-term
sustainability of resources while
providing for multiple resource uses.
Alternative D provides additional
flexibility at the site-specific
implementation level and fewer
management restrictions at the planning
level. The Proposed RMP (Alternative E)
emphasizes adaptive management at the
planning level to protect the long-term
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:18 Dec 03, 2020
Jkt 253001
sustainability of resources while
providing for multiple resource uses.
This alternative is meant to provide
flexibility at the planning level while
still providing enough direction to make
processing of site-specific projects easier
and more consistent. Alternatives B, C,
D, and E were developed using input
from the public, stakeholders, and
cooperating agencies. Major planning
issues addressed include subsistence
resources, including water resources,
fisheries, and wildlife; forestry; minerals
and mining; recreation; travel
management and access; and areas of
critical environmental concern.
The BLM initiated the scoping
process for the Bering Sea-Western
Interior RMP with the publication of a
Notice of Intent in the Federal Register
on July 18, 2013 and concluded that
scoping process 180 days later on
January 17, 2014. The BLM requested
agencies, tribes, groups, and the public
to identify issues and concerns within
the planning area. Scoping comments
collected at public meetings and by
emails, letters, and phone calls were
used to identify issues and define the
scope of analysis for management
alternatives. Meetings were held in 10
communities with proximity to
substantial blocks of BLM lands, the
Iditarod National Historic Trail, the
Unalakleet Wild River Corridor, and
major watersheds in the planning area
(Kuskokwim and Yukon Rivers). Local
and regional news releases advertised
the times and locations of these
meetings. Additional detail on the
public outreach efforts related to the
scoping process is included in the
Scoping Report (BLM 2014a).
During February and March of 2015,
the BLM held public meetings in 14
communities that focused on explaining
the preliminary alternatives for the
future Draft RMP/EIS. The BLM released
the Preliminary Alternatives Comment
Summary Report in August 2015, which
summarized input received on
preliminary alternatives for the Draft
RMP/EIS. The BLM used the comments,
along with subsequently identified
issues and planning criteria, to help
formulate a reasonable range of
alternatives for analysis in the Draft
RMP/EIS.
The BLM provided additional public
outreach when there were substantial
project updates through its Bering SeaWestern Interior ePlanning website;
mailing of postcards and flyers; seven
newsletter publications; emailed eNews
Blasts; and through press releases,
newspaper advertisements, and radio
public service announcements.
The 90-day public comment period on
the Draft RMP/EIS ran from March 15,
PO 00000
Frm 00050
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
78351
2019, to June 13, 2019, with 17 public
meetings held during that time to gather
comments on the Draft RMP/EIS. The
BLM engaged in a collaborative
outreach and public involvement
process during the public comment
period that included federally
recognized tribes, Alaska Native
corporations, city, state, and federal
agencies, non-governmental
organizations, and the general public.
The BLM collected comments on
alternatives, objectives, and actions
described in the Draft RMP/EIS. This
Proposed RMP/Final EIS reflects
changes and adjustments based on
information received during public
comment on the Draft RMP/EIS and new
information. The Bering Sea-Western
Interior Comment Summary Report
(BLM 2019) provides additional detail
on the public comment period,
comments received, and how those
comments were addressed in this
Proposed RMP/Final EIS. A summary of
comments received during the public
comment period and responses to those
comments is also included in Appendix
G.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3120(a); 40 CFR
1506.6(b).
Chad B. Padgett,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2020–26646 Filed 12–3–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVL00000.L19900000.EX0000 21X MO
#4500150160]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Robinson Mine Plan of Operations
Amendment, White Pine County,
Nevada
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance 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) Ely
District (EYDO), Nevada, has prepared a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Robinson Mine Plan of
Operations Amendment project and by
this notice is announcing its
availability.
DATES: In order to have comments
considered for inclusion in the Final
EIS, the BLM must receive comments on
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM
04DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 234 (Friday, December 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78350-78351]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26646]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[21X.LLAK930000 L16100000.PN0000]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan
and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Bering Sea-Western
Interior Planning Area, Alaska
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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), Anchorage Field
Office, Anchorage, Alaska, prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan
(RMP)/Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Bering Sea-
Western Interior region of Alaska and by this notice is announcing its
availability.
DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the
conditions as described in the regulations at 43 CFR 1610.5-2 may
protest the BLM's Proposed RMP/Final EIS. A person who meets the
conditions must file or postmark their protest no later than 30 days
from the date of the Final EIS Notice of Availability published by the
Environmental Protection Agency.
ADDRESSES: Copies or notification of the electronic availability of the
RMP for the Bering Sea-Western Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS are
being sent to affected federal, State, tribal, and local government
agencies and to other stakeholders. The electronic Proposed RMP/Final
EIS is available on the BLM's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Register (https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/36665/510
[please use Chrome]) and at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/alaska/BSWI. On the project summary page,
click on ``Documents'' on the left side of the screen to find the
electronic version of this material. Hard copies of the Proposed RMP/
Final EIS are also available for public inspection. Please contact each
of the following facilities prior to visiting to determine the specific
COVID-19 protocols in place, such as needing an appointment and face
mask to enter:
BLM Anchorage Field Office, 4700 BLM Road, Anchorage, AK 99507, (907)
261-1246.
BLM Fairbanks District Office, 222 University Avenue, Fairbanks, AK
99709, (907) 474-2200.
BLM Alaska Public Information Center, James M. Fitzgerald Federal
Building, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99513 (907) 271-5960.
Alaska Resources Library & Information Services, 3211 Providence Drive,
Suite 111, Anchorage, AK 99508, (907) 272-7547.
All protests must be in writing and filed with the BLM Director,
either as a hard copy or electronically via BLM's National NEPA
Register by the close of the protest period. The only electronic
protests the BLM will accept are those filed through BLM's National
NEPA Register. All protest letters sent to the BLM via fax or email
will be considered invalid unless a properly filed protest is also
submitted.
Instructions for filing a protest may be found in the ``Dear
Reader'' Letter of the Bering Sea-Western Interior Proposed RMP/Final
EIS, at 43 CFR 1610.5-2, and online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/
planning-and-nepa/public- participation/filing-a-plan-protest. If you
do not have the ability to file your protest electronically, hard copy
protests must be mailed to one of the following addresses:
Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest
Coordinator, P.O. Box 261117, Lakewood, CO 80226
Overnight Delivery: BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest
Coordinator, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO 80215.
Before including your phone number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jorjena Barringer, BLM Anchorage Field
Office, telephone: (907) 267-1317,
[[Page 78351]]
email: [email protected]. People 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, 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 Bering Sea-Western Interior Planning
Area is in western Alaska and encompasses approximately 62.3 million
acres of land, including 13.5 million acres managed by the BLM.
This RMP replaces the 1981 Southwest Management Framework and a
small portion of the 1986 Central Yukon Resource Management Plan,
including amendments. It provides:
Consolidated direction to address land and resource use
and development on BLM-managed lands within the planning area under one
RMP, and
Analysis of the environmental effects that could result
from the implementation of the alternatives proposed in the RMP/EIS.
The purpose of this Proposed RMP is to make decisions that guide
future land management actions and site-specific implementation
decisions. The decisions will address goals and objectives for resource
management (desired outcomes) and establish land uses (allocations)
that are allowable, restricted, or prohibited to achieve the goals and
objectives. The need for this RMP is to provide guidance that will
address the significant alterations in resources, circumstances, laws,
policies, and regulations in the planning area since 1981.
The Proposed RMP/Final EIS evaluates five alternatives for managing
the planning area. Alternative A, the no action alternative, represents
existing management described by current land use plans and provides
the benchmark against which to compare the other alternatives.
Alternative B emphasizes reducing the potential for competition between
recreational or developmental uses and subsistence resources by
identifying key areas for additional management actions. Alternative C
emphasizes adaptive management at the planning level to maintain the
long-term sustainability of resources while providing for multiple
resource uses. Alternative D provides additional flexibility at the
site-specific implementation level and fewer management restrictions at
the planning level. The Proposed RMP (Alternative E) emphasizes
adaptive management at the planning level to protect the long-term
sustainability of resources while providing for multiple resource uses.
This alternative is meant to provide flexibility at the planning level
while still providing enough direction to make processing of site-
specific projects easier and more consistent. Alternatives B, C, D, and
E were developed using input from the public, stakeholders, and
cooperating agencies. Major planning issues addressed include
subsistence resources, including water resources, fisheries, and
wildlife; forestry; minerals and mining; recreation; travel management
and access; and areas of critical environmental concern.
The BLM initiated the scoping process for the Bering Sea-Western
Interior RMP with the publication of a Notice of Intent in the Federal
Register on July 18, 2013 and concluded that scoping process 180 days
later on January 17, 2014. The BLM requested agencies, tribes, groups,
and the public to identify issues and concerns within the planning
area. Scoping comments collected at public meetings and by emails,
letters, and phone calls were used to identify issues and define the
scope of analysis for management alternatives. Meetings were held in 10
communities with proximity to substantial blocks of BLM lands, the
Iditarod National Historic Trail, the Unalakleet Wild River Corridor,
and major watersheds in the planning area (Kuskokwim and Yukon Rivers).
Local and regional news releases advertised the times and locations of
these meetings. Additional detail on the public outreach efforts
related to the scoping process is included in the Scoping Report (BLM
2014a).
During February and March of 2015, the BLM held public meetings in
14 communities that focused on explaining the preliminary alternatives
for the future Draft RMP/EIS. The BLM released the Preliminary
Alternatives Comment Summary Report in August 2015, which summarized
input received on preliminary alternatives for the Draft RMP/EIS. The
BLM used the comments, along with subsequently identified issues and
planning criteria, to help formulate a reasonable range of alternatives
for analysis in the Draft RMP/EIS.
The BLM provided additional public outreach when there were
substantial project updates through its Bering Sea-Western Interior
ePlanning website; mailing of postcards and flyers; seven newsletter
publications; emailed eNews Blasts; and through press releases,
newspaper advertisements, and radio public service announcements.
The 90-day public comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS ran from
March 15, 2019, to June 13, 2019, with 17 public meetings held during
that time to gather comments on the Draft RMP/EIS. The BLM engaged in a
collaborative outreach and public involvement process during the public
comment period that included federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native
corporations, city, state, and federal agencies, non-governmental
organizations, and the general public. The BLM collected comments on
alternatives, objectives, and actions described in the Draft RMP/EIS.
This Proposed RMP/Final EIS reflects changes and adjustments based on
information received during public comment on the Draft RMP/EIS and new
information. The Bering Sea-Western Interior Comment Summary Report
(BLM 2019) provides additional detail on the public comment period,
comments received, and how those comments were addressed in this
Proposed RMP/Final EIS. A summary of comments received during the
public comment period and responses to those comments is also included
in Appendix G.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3120(a); 40 CFR 1506.6(b).
Chad B. Padgett,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2020-26646 Filed 12-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JA-P
