Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Approval of Herbicide Active Ingredients for Use on Public Lands, 24627-24628 [2023-08240]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 77 (Friday, April 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24627-24628]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08240]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_HQ_FRN_MO45169797]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for Approval of Herbicide Active Ingredients for Use 
on Public Lands

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In compliance 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) announces the 
availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Approval of Herbicide Active Ingredients for Use on 
Public Lands.

DATES: To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the 
Final EIS, please ensure that the BLM receives your comments within 45 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS in the 
Federal Register. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.

ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS is available for review on the BLM ePlanning 
project website at https://go.usa.gov/xtk6a.
    Written comments related to the Herbicide Approval EIS may be 
submitted by any of the following methods:
     ePlanning Website: https://go.usa.gov/xtk6a.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: Seth Flanigan--Project Manager, HQ-220, 1387 South 
Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709.
    wDocuments pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at the 
ePlanning website.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seth Flanigan, Project Manager, 
telephone: 208-373-4094; email: [email protected]. Individuals in the 
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a 
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting Mr. Flanigan. 
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services 
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM

[[Page 24628]]

has prepared a Draft Programmatic EIS for a review of active 
ingredients that may be approved for use in vegetation treatments on 
BLM-managed public lands, announces the beginning of the associated 
public review process, and seeks public input regarding the assessment 
and disclosure of impacts associated with this action.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The BLM's purpose and need is to improve the effectiveness of its 
invasive plant management efforts by allowing the use of EPA-registered 
active ingredients not currently authorized for use on BLM public 
lands. Approving additional active ingredients would diversify the 
BLM's herbicide treatment options and help meet the purposes that were 
first identified in the 2007 and 2016 Programmatic EISs related to 
vegetation treatments, which are to make herbicides available for 
vegetation treatment on public lands and to describe the stipulations 
that apply to their use.

Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The BLM proposes to approve several herbicide active ingredients, 
including aminocyclopyrachlor, clethodim, fluozifop-p-butyl, 
flumioxazin, imazamox, indaziflam, and oryzalin, for use in vegetation 
treatments on public lands. These active ingredients are registered by 
the EPA. In an effort to approve any of these active ingredients, the 
BLM will adopt and rely on Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments 
prepared by the U.S. Forest Service.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM anticipates releasing a Final EIS in August 2023 and 
anticipates issuing a Record of Decision in September 2023.

Responsible Official

    Assistant Director for Resources and Planning.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Through this process, the BLM will decide whether to approve the 
herbicide active ingredients identified earlier for use on BLM-managed 
public lands. This decision will be based on the best available science 
and current needs for vegetation management. Any authorization to apply 
any of these active ingredients at a particular site will be made 
through a separate, site-specific decision and so is not within the 
scope of the programmatic EIS or potential decision described in this 
notice.

Public Comment Process

    The BLM will host a virtual public meeting during the public 
comment period. The date, time, and virtual access information for this 
meeting is provided on the BLM website at: https://go.usa.gov/xtk6a.
    The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations and 
Alaska Native corporations on a government-to-government basis in 
accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM MS 1780, and other 
Departmental policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian 
trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given 
due consideration.
    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.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.)

Brian St. George,
Acting Assistant Director, Resources and Planning.
[FR Doc. 2023-08240 Filed 4-20-23; 8:45 am]
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