Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Navajo Nation Integrated Weed Management Plan, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, 60065-60066 [2021-23591]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 207 / Friday, October 29, 2021 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[222A2100DD/AAKC001030/
A0A501010.999900253G]
Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for the Navajo Nation
Integrated Weed Management Plan,
Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
This notice advises the public
that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
as the lead Federal agency, with the
Navajo Nation as a cooperating agency,
intends to file a Draft Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement
(DPEIS) with the Environmental
Protection Agency for the proposed
Navajo Nation Integrated Weed
Management Plan (NNIWMP). This
notice also announces that the DPEIS is
now available for public review and
comment and that a public hearing will
be held to receive comments on the
DPEIS.
DATES: To be fully considered, written
comments on the DEIS must arrive no
later than 45 days after EPA publishes
its Notice of Availability in the Federal
Register. The dates and times of the
virtual public hearings will be
published in the Navajo Times, the
Gallup Sun, Farmington Daily Times,
the Gallup Independent, and the
Navajo-Hopi Observer.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to Leonard Notah, NEPA
Coordinator, Navajo Regional Office,
Branch of Environmental Quality
Compliance and Review, P.O. Box 1060,
Gallup City, New Mexico 87301 or by
email to leonard.notah@bia.gov. The
locations of the virtual public hearings
will be published in the Navajo Times,
the Gallup Sun, Farmington Daily
Times, the Gallup Independent, and the
Navajo-Hopi Observer. The NNIWMP
DPEIS is available for review at: https://
www.bia.gov/regional-offices/navajo/
navajo-nation-integrated-weedmanagement-plan. Please see the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this notice for physical locations where
the DPEIS is available and for
information on how to register to
participate in the virtual public
hearings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Leonard Notah, NEPA Coordinator,
Bureau of Indian Affairs Navajo
Regional Office, Branch of
Environmental Quality Compliance and
Review, P.O. Box 1060, Gallup City,
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:17 Oct 28, 2021
Jkt 256001
New Mexico 87301, telephone (505)
863–8256, email leonard.notah@bia.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
proposed Federal action is
implementation of the NNIWMP. The
BIA Navajo Regional Office prepared the
NNIWMP to determine the most
effective and appropriate methods to
treat noxious and invasive weeds. The
DPEIS discloses the direct, indirect, and
cumulative environmental impacts of
weed treatment techniques that would
result from the Proposed Action and
alternatives. The weed treatment
techniques provide the BIA with the
tools to implement an integrated
approach to treating weeds on the
Navajo Nation (Navajo Tribal Trust
Lands, Navajo Indian Allotments, and
Navajo Partitioned Lands).
The purpose of the NNIWMP is to
prevent, eradicate, contain, and/or
monitor 45 noxious weed species on the
Navajo Nation including the Navajo
Tribal trust lands, Navajo Indian
allotments, and Navajo partitioned
lands. The NNIWMP focuses on
managing non-native invasive plant
species using mechanical, manual,
cultural, biological, and chemical weed
treatment methods.
The following objectives were
developed for the NNIWMP:
• Develop the best control techniques
described for the target weed species in
a planned, coordinated, and
economically feasible program to limit
the impact and spread of noxious and
invasive weeds;
• Incorporate project successes and
lessons learned from completed weed
projects on the Navajo Nation when
developing weed removal project
proposals through adaptive
management;
• Identify and prevent the expansion
of existing infestations of target weed
species, and quickly prevent the spread
of new high priority weed species in the
project area;
• Coordinate weed removal efforts
with adjacent landowners, land
managers, and/or Federal agencies to
prevent the further spread of weed
populations (e.g. State roads and Bureau
of Land Management);
• Provide and promote economic
opportunities to the Navajo people by
improving rangeland productivity and
potentially providing economic
opportunities to remove noxious plant
species; and
• Develop a public education
program focusing on weed
identification, prevention, and removal
techniques for local communities and
non-profit organizations.
The NNWIMP encompasses a 10-year
period but will incorporate a plan
PO 00000
Frm 00090
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
60065
review after five years. Repeated
treatments will be necessary for most
species since seeds can be viable in soil
for 10 or more years. Therefore, reoccurring weed treatments will be
implemented until the desired
management goal is reached.
Cooperating agencies for this NEPA
process include: The Navajo Nation,
Arizona Department of Transportation
(ADOT), Utah Department of
Transportation (UDOT), Navajo Nation
Soil and Water Conservation Districts
(SWCD), San Juan Soil and Water
Conservation District, U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS), the
Bureau of Land Management, USDA
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) and the National Park
Service. The BIA will seek to coordinate
weed removal projects on adjacent lands
managed by the above-mentioned
agencies and neighboring areas managed
by the Coconino National Forest and the
Hopi Tribe.
BIA will use the DPEIS to make
decisions on the implementation of the
NNIWMP.
Directions for Submitting Comments:
In accordance with the regulations for
implementing NEPA, the BIA solicits
public comment on the DPEIS.
Comments on the DPEIS may be
submitted in writing or by email to the
address listed above in the ADDRESSES
section of this notice. At the top of your
letter or in the subject line of your email
message, indicate that the comments are
‘‘Navajo Nation IWMP Draft EIS
Comments.’’
Public Hearings: To help protect the
public and limit the spread of the
COVID–19 virus, the BIA Navajo
Regional Office will hold five virtual
public hearings to facilitate public
review and comment on the DPEIS.
Members of the public can register for
virtual public hearings at: https://
www.bia.gov/regional-offices/navajo/
navajo-nation-integrated-weedmanagement-plan.
After registering, participants will
receive a confirmation email with
instruction for joining the meeting.
Locations Where the DPEIS is
Available for Review: The NNIWMP
DPEIS is available for review at: https://
www.bia.gov/regional-offices/navajo/
navajo-nation-integrated-weedmanagement-plan. Paper and CD copies
of the DPEIS may also be available to
the public at the following BIA Offices
(Natural Resources):
• Navajo Region, 301 West Hill Street,
Room 214, Gallup, New Mexico 87301:
Phone (505) 863–8314.
• Western Navajo Agency, East
Highway 160 & Warrior Drive, #407
E:\FR\FM\29OCN1.SGM
29OCN1
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
60066
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 207 / Friday, October 29, 2021 / Notices
Federal Building, Tuba City, Arizona,
86045; Phone: (928) 283–2252.
• Chinle (Central) Navajo Agency,
U.S. Highway 191 & Navajo Route 7,
Federal Building #136C, Room C–12,
Chinle, Arizona 86503; Phone: (928)
674–5100.
• Eastern Navajo Agency, Building
#222, Chaco Boulevard, Crownpoint,
New Mexico, 87313; Phone: (505) 786–
6100.
• Fort Defiance Agency, Kit Carson
Drive, Building #40, Fort Defiance,
Arizona, 86504; Phone: (928) 729–7223.
• Shiprock (Northern) Navajo
Agency, Nataani Nez Complex, 2nd
Floor, Highway 491 South, Shiprock,
New Mexico, 87420; Phone: (505) 368–
3308.
• Navajo Partitioned Lands, 1⁄4 mile
South of Navajo Route 4 & Main, Pinon,
Arizona, 86510; Phone: (928) 725–3343.
Public Comment Availability: All
submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
available for public review to the extent
consistent with applicable law. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, be aware your entire
comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be
publicly available at any time. You can
request the BIA to withhold your
personal identifying information from
public review, but we cannot guarantee
that we will be able to do so. Comments
submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered; however,
those who submit anonymous
comments may not have standing to
appeal the subsequent decision.
To be placed on the mailing list for
future information, please see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: This notice is published in
accordance with section 1503.1 of the
Council on Environmental Quality
regulations (40 CFR 1500 et seq.) and
the Department of the Interior
Regulations (43 CFR part 46)
implementing the procedural
requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq), and in accordance with the
exercise of authority delegated to the
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary—
Indian Affairs by part 209 of the
Department Manual.
Bryan Newland,
Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021–23591 Filed 10–28–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337–15–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:17 Oct 28, 2021
Jkt 256001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–ONAA–31167;
PPWOWMADY0–PPMPSAS1Y.Y00000]
Indian Youth Service Corps Program
Draft Guidelines and Tribal
Consultations
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of Tribal consultations
and availability of draft guidelines.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the John
S. McCain III 21st Century Conservation
Service Corps Act, the National Park
Service (NPS) is giving notice that the
Department of the Interior is holding
consultation with Tribes, Alaska Native
corporations, and the Native Hawaiian
community to announce the availability
of draft guidelines for the Departments
of Agriculture, Commerce, and Interior
to implement the Indian Youth Service
Corps Program. This notice provides a
link to the draft guidelines and provides
information for how to register for each
of the consultation sessions.
DATES: The Department of the Interior
will hold consultation sessions on the
dates listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this notice.
Written comments on the draft
guidelines will be accepted until 11:59
ET December 17, 2021.
ADDRESSES: The draft guidelines are
available at the Office of Native
American Affairs’ website at https://
www.nps.gov/orgs/1015/index.htm.
Tribes, Alaska Native corporations, and
leaders of Native Hawaiian
organizations may submit written
comments to onaa_program@nps.gov.
Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this notice for
information on how to register for the
consultation sessions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information concerning these draft
guidelines, contact George McDonald,
Chief, Youth Programs Division, NPS, at
george_mcdonald@nps.gov, or by
telephone at (202) 997–5189, or
Genevieve Giaccardo, Chief of Staff,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, at
genevieve.giaccardo@bia.gov, or by
telephone at (202) 208–3587.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Background
The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation,
Management, and Recreation Act (Pub.
L. 116–9, March 2019) established the
John S. McCain III 21st Century
Conservation Service Corps Act (21 CSC
Act) that amends and expands the
Public Lands Corps Act. Contained
PO 00000
Frm 00091
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
within the 21 CSC Act is the
establishment of the Indian Youth
Service Corps (IYSC) Program. The
intent of the IYSC Program is to provide
a direct benefit to members of federally
recognized Indian Tribes or Alaska
Native corporations. The IYSC Program
will provide meaningful education,
employment, and training opportunities
to its participants through conservation
projects on eligible service land, which
includes public lands, Indian lands, and
Hawaiian homelands.
While the Public Land Corps is
established in the Departments of
Agriculture and Commerce in addition
to the Department of the Interior, the
Act specifically charges the Secretary of
the Interior with issuing guidelines for
the management of the Indian Youth
Service Corps (16 U.S.C. 1727b(c)).
Consultation
The Department invites Tribes, Alaska
Native corporations, and the Native
Hawaiian community to consult on the
draft guidelines.
• Consultation for all Tribes east of
the Mississippi River:
Æ Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Æ 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET
Æ Please register in advance at:
https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/
register/vJIsce-qrjgrHR9_-5h9vtljHz4Z6TDrVE
• Consultation for all Tribes west of
the Mississippi River and Alaska Native
corporations:
Æ Thursday, December 2, 2021
Æ 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET
Æ Please register in advance at:
https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/
register/vJIscumsrD8rHrvg9RUgp5LnLRuZLfpkIo
• Consultation for Native Hawaiian
Organizations:
Æ Thursday, December 9, 2021
Æ 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET
Æ Please register in advance at:
https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/
register/vJItce2hqDsi
G4qyOuAZyPjzqd020qVcYZI
Written Comments
Tribes are also invited to submit
written comments by the deadline listed
in the DATES section of this notice.
Public Disclosure of Comments:
Before including your address,
telephone 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
E:\FR\FM\29OCN1.SGM
29OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 207 (Friday, October 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60065-60066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23591]
[[Page 60065]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[222A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900253G]
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Navajo
Nation Integrated Weed Management Plan, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) as the lead Federal agency, with the Navajo Nation as a
cooperating agency, intends to file a Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (DPEIS) with the Environmental Protection Agency for
the proposed Navajo Nation Integrated Weed Management Plan (NNIWMP).
This notice also announces that the DPEIS is now available for public
review and comment and that a public hearing will be held to receive
comments on the DPEIS.
DATES: To be fully considered, written comments on the DEIS must arrive
no later than 45 days after EPA publishes its Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register. The dates and times of the virtual public
hearings will be published in the Navajo Times, the Gallup Sun,
Farmington Daily Times, the Gallup Independent, and the Navajo-Hopi
Observer.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Leonard Notah, NEPA
Coordinator, Navajo Regional Office, Branch of Environmental Quality
Compliance and Review, P.O. Box 1060, Gallup City, New Mexico 87301 or
by email to [email protected]. The locations of the virtual public
hearings will be published in the Navajo Times, the Gallup Sun,
Farmington Daily Times, the Gallup Independent, and the Navajo-Hopi
Observer. The NNIWMP DPEIS is available for review at: https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/navajo/navajo-nation-integrated-weed-management-plan. Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this notice for physical locations where the DPEIS is available and for
information on how to register to participate in the virtual public
hearings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leonard Notah, NEPA Coordinator,
Bureau of Indian Affairs Navajo Regional Office, Branch of
Environmental Quality Compliance and Review, P.O. Box 1060, Gallup
City, New Mexico 87301, telephone (505) 863-8256, email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Federal action is
implementation of the NNIWMP. The BIA Navajo Regional Office prepared
the NNIWMP to determine the most effective and appropriate methods to
treat noxious and invasive weeds. The DPEIS discloses the direct,
indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of weed treatment
techniques that would result from the Proposed Action and alternatives.
The weed treatment techniques provide the BIA with the tools to
implement an integrated approach to treating weeds on the Navajo Nation
(Navajo Tribal Trust Lands, Navajo Indian Allotments, and Navajo
Partitioned Lands).
The purpose of the NNIWMP is to prevent, eradicate, contain, and/or
monitor 45 noxious weed species on the Navajo Nation including the
Navajo Tribal trust lands, Navajo Indian allotments, and Navajo
partitioned lands. The NNIWMP focuses on managing non-native invasive
plant species using mechanical, manual, cultural, biological, and
chemical weed treatment methods.
The following objectives were developed for the NNIWMP:
Develop the best control techniques described for the
target weed species in a planned, coordinated, and economically
feasible program to limit the impact and spread of noxious and invasive
weeds;
Incorporate project successes and lessons learned from
completed weed projects on the Navajo Nation when developing weed
removal project proposals through adaptive management;
Identify and prevent the expansion of existing
infestations of target weed species, and quickly prevent the spread of
new high priority weed species in the project area;
Coordinate weed removal efforts with adjacent landowners,
land managers, and/or Federal agencies to prevent the further spread of
weed populations (e.g. State roads and Bureau of Land Management);
Provide and promote economic opportunities to the Navajo
people by improving rangeland productivity and potentially providing
economic opportunities to remove noxious plant species; and
Develop a public education program focusing on weed
identification, prevention, and removal techniques for local
communities and non-profit organizations.
The NNWIMP encompasses a 10-year period but will incorporate a plan
review after five years. Repeated treatments will be necessary for most
species since seeds can be viable in soil for 10 or more years.
Therefore, re-occurring weed treatments will be implemented until the
desired management goal is reached.
Cooperating agencies for this NEPA process include: The Navajo
Nation, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Utah Department of
Transportation (UDOT), Navajo Nation Soil and Water Conservation
Districts (SWCD), San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service
(NRCS), the Bureau of Land Management, USDA Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) and the National Park Service. The BIA will
seek to coordinate weed removal projects on adjacent lands managed by
the above-mentioned agencies and neighboring areas managed by the
Coconino National Forest and the Hopi Tribe.
BIA will use the DPEIS to make decisions on the implementation of
the NNIWMP.
Directions for Submitting Comments: In accordance with the
regulations for implementing NEPA, the BIA solicits public comment on
the DPEIS. Comments on the DPEIS may be submitted in writing or by
email to the address listed above in the ADDRESSES section of this
notice. At the top of your letter or in the subject line of your email
message, indicate that the comments are ``Navajo Nation IWMP Draft EIS
Comments.''
Public Hearings: To help protect the public and limit the spread of
the COVID-19 virus, the BIA Navajo Regional Office will hold five
virtual public hearings to facilitate public review and comment on the
DPEIS. Members of the public can register for virtual public hearings
at: https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/navajo/navajo-nation-integrated-weed-management-plan.
After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email
with instruction for joining the meeting.
Locations Where the DPEIS is Available for Review: The NNIWMP DPEIS
is available for review at: https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/navajo/navajo-nation-integrated-weed-management-plan. Paper and CD
copies of the DPEIS may also be available to the public at the
following BIA Offices (Natural Resources):
Navajo Region, 301 West Hill Street, Room 214, Gallup, New
Mexico 87301: Phone (505) 863-8314.
Western Navajo Agency, East Highway 160 & Warrior Drive,
#407
[[Page 60066]]
Federal Building, Tuba City, Arizona, 86045; Phone: (928) 283-2252.
Chinle (Central) Navajo Agency, U.S. Highway 191 & Navajo
Route 7, Federal Building #136C, Room C-12, Chinle, Arizona 86503;
Phone: (928) 674-5100.
Eastern Navajo Agency, Building #222, Chaco Boulevard,
Crownpoint, New Mexico, 87313; Phone: (505) 786-6100.
Fort Defiance Agency, Kit Carson Drive, Building #40, Fort
Defiance, Arizona, 86504; Phone: (928) 729-7223.
Shiprock (Northern) Navajo Agency, Nataani Nez Complex,
2nd Floor, Highway 491 South, Shiprock, New Mexico, 87420; Phone: (505)
368-3308.
Navajo Partitioned Lands, \1/4\ mile South of Navajo Route
4 & Main, Pinon, Arizona, 86510; Phone: (928) 725-3343.
Public Comment Availability: All submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be
available for public review to the extent consistent with applicable
law. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, be aware your
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be
publicly available at any time. You can request the BIA to withhold
your personal identifying information from public review, but we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so. Comments submitted anonymously
will be accepted and considered; however, those who submit anonymous
comments may not have standing to appeal the subsequent decision.
To be placed on the mailing list for future information, please see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: This notice is published in accordance with section
1503.1 of the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500
et seq.) and the Department of the Interior Regulations (43 CFR part
46) implementing the procedural requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq), and in accordance
with the exercise of authority delegated to the Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by part 209 of the Department
Manual.
Bryan Newland,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-23591 Filed 10-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P
