Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment; Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Sale of Public Lands in Simpson County, MS, 42739-42741 [2023-14045]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 126 / Monday, July 3, 2023 / Notices
an average of 16 agreements per year.
The 16 award recipients are required to
submit 6-month progress reports
throughout the duration of the project,
and a final technical report. We estimate
an additional eight hours for each sixmonth progress report (24 hours per
award recipient, totaling 384 burden
hours) and 20 hours for each
cooperative agreement recipient to
complete and submit a final technical
report due within 90 days of the project
ending date (totaling 320 burden hours).
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 1,904.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Non-hour
Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, nor is a person required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
The authority for this action is the
PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Sarah J. Ryker,
Associate Director for Energy and Mineral
Resources, U.S. Geological Survey.
[FR Doc. 2023–14038 Filed 6–30–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_ES_FRN_MO4500172068]
Notice of Intent To Amend the
Resource Management Plan and
Prepare an Associated Environmental
Assessment; Notice of Realty Action:
Proposed Sale of Public Lands in
Simpson County, MS
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of realty
action.
AGENCY:
In compliance 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)
Eastern States State Director intends to
prepare a resource management plan
(RMP) amendment with an associated
environmental assessment (EA) for the
non-competitive direct sale of public
land in Simpson County, Mississippi,
and by this notice is announcing the
beginning of the scoping period to
solicit public comments and identify
issues, providing the planning criteria
for public review, and announcing a
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SUMMARY:
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comment period on the proposed realty
action offering for sale a tract of public
land.
DATES: The BLM requests that the public
submit comments concerning the scope
of the analysis, potential alternatives,
and identification of relevant
information and studies by August 17,
2023. To afford the BLM the
opportunity to consider issues raised by
commenters in the Draft RMP
Amendment and EA, please ensure your
comments are received prior to the close
of the 45-day scoping period or 15 days
after the last public meeting, whichever
is later.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on issues and planning criteria related
to the Proposed RMP Amendment and
Non-Competitive Direct Sale of Public
Land in Simpson County, Mississippi,
by any of the following methods:
• Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/
eplanning-ui/project/2016717/510.
• Mail: ATTN: Mississippi Tract 37,
Southeastern States District Office, 273
Market Street, Flowood, MS 39232.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined online at https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2016717/510 and at the
Southeastern States District Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Vicki Craft, Realty Specialist, telephone
(601) 317–6971; address Southeastern
States District Office, 273 Market Street,
Flowood, MS 39232; email vcraft@
blm.gov. Contact Ms. Craft to have your
name added to our mailing list.
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.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
document provides notice that the BLM
Eastern States State Director intends to
prepare an RMP amendment with an
associated EA for the non-competitive
direct sale of public land in Simpson
County, Mississippi, announces the
beginning of the scoping process, and
seeks public input on issues and
planning criteria. The RMP amendment
is being considered to allow the BLM to
evaluate the disposal of 12.3 acres of
public land to Dempsey Sullivan, which
would require amending the existing
2009 Mississippi RMP. The direct sale
is subject to the applicable provisions of
section 203 of FLPMA and BLM landsale regulations at 43 CFR 2710.
Publication of this notice in the Federal
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42739
Register also segregates the subject land
from all forms of appropriation under
the public land laws, including the
general mining laws, and from the
mineral leasing and geothermal leasing
laws, except for the sale provisions of
FLPMA.
The planning area is in Simpson
County, Mississippi, and encompasses
approximately 12.3 acres of public land.
The scope of this land use planning
process does not include addressing the
evaluation or designation of areas of
critical environmental concern (ACECs),
and the BLM is not considering ACEC
nominations as part of this process.
Purpose and Need
The need of the proposed action is to
resolve an inadvertent, unauthorized
use on public lands that were omitted
from an official Federal survey in the
early 1800’s in Simpson County,
Mississippi. The purpose for the
proposed action is to transfer from
Federal ownership the small parcel of
land that is logistically and
economically difficult to manage
(FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1713(a)(1)). The
BLM needs to amend the 2009
Mississippi RMP because section 203 of
FLPMA specifically requires that land
made available for disposal under the
sale authority be clearly identified in
the relevant land use plan. The BLM
proposes to amend the 2009 Mississippi
RMP to identify the tract as available for
disposal through sale.
Preliminary Alternatives
The RMP identifies parcels suitable
for disposal, and the subject land is not
currently listed as available for disposal.
The BLM will analyze the suitability for
disposal of the 12.3 acres per the criteria
listed in FLPMA section 203(a). The
RMP amendment would allow for the
land to be sold if it is found suitable for
disposal.
The BLM is considering a direct sale
of the following described land:
St. Stephens Meridian, Mississippi
T. 9 N., R. 17 W., Tract 37.
The area described contains 12.3
acres, according to the official plat of
the survey of the said land on file with
the BLM.
The conveyance document, if issued,
will contain the following terms,
covenants, conditions, and reservations:
1. All the mineral deposits in the land
so patented pursuant to FLPMA (43
U.S.C. 1719), including, without
limitation, substances subject to
disposition under the general mining
laws, the general mineral leasing laws,
the Materials Act and the Geothermal
Steam Act, and to it, its permittees,
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 126 / Monday, July 3, 2023 / Notices
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licensees, lessees, and mining
claimants, the right to prospect for,
mine, and remove the minerals owned
by the United States under applicable
law and such regulations as the
Secretary of the Interior may prescribe.
This reservation includes necessary
access and exit rights and the right to
conduct all necessary and incidental
activities including, without limitation,
all drilling, underground, open pit or
surface mining operations, storage, and
transportation facilities deemed
reasonably necessary.
Unless otherwise provided by
separate agreement with the surface
owner, mining claimants, permittees,
licensees, and lessees of the United
States shall reclaim disturbed areas to
the extent prescribed by regulations
issued by the Secretary of the Interior.
All causes of action brought to enforce
the rights of the surface owner under the
regulations above referred to shall be
instituted against mining claimants,
permittees, licensees, and lessees of the
United States; and the United States
shall not be liable for the acts or
omissions of its mining claimants,
permittees, licensees, and lessees.
2. An appropriate indemnification
clause protecting the United States from
claims arising out of the patentee’s use,
occupancy, or operations on the
patented land.
The No Action Alternative would not
amend the 2009 Mississippi RMP to
allow for the disposal of Tract 37. Tract
37 would be retained in Federal
ownership and the BLM would continue
to manage the small, isolated tract.
The BLM welcomes comments on all
preliminary alternatives as well as
suggestions for additional alternatives.
Planning Criteria
The planning criteria guide the
planning effort and lay the groundwork
for effects analysis by identifying the
preliminary issues and their analytical
frameworks. Preliminary issues for the
planning area have been identified by
BLM personnel and from early
engagement conducted for this planning
effort with Federal, State, and local
agencies; Tribes; and stakeholders. The
BLM has identified two preliminary
issues for this planning effort’s analysis:
(1) How would lands and realty be
impacted by or impact the proposed
sale?
(2) How would the proposed sale
impact opportunities for public
recreation and hunting?
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping period and public review of the
planning criteria, which guide the
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development and analysis of the RMP
Amendment and EA.
The BLM does not intend to hold any
public meetings, in-person or virtual,
during the public scoping period.
Should the BLM later determine to hold
public meetings, the specific date(s) and
location(s) of any meeting will be
announced at least 15 days in advance
through announcements in the Magee
Courier and the Mt. Olive Tribune
newspapers as well as on the BLM
Eastern States’ Facebook page.
Sale Notifications
The segregation will terminate upon
issuance of a conveyance or July 3,
2025, whichever occurs first. The BLM
is no longer accepting land-use
applications affecting the subject public
land, except applications to amend
previously filed right-of-way
applications or existing authorizations
to increase grant terms in accordance
with 43 CFR 2807.15 and 43 CFR
2886.15.
The notification of the proposed RMP
amendment and EA and, if applicable,
signed finding of no significant impact
(FONSI) would begin a 30-day protest
period subject to BLM Manual Section
2711.1 step 4(d) on the land-sale
decision. The BLM Eastern States State
Director will review all protests and
may sustain, vacate, or modify the RMP
amendment and land sale, in whole or
in part. In the absence of any protests
and FONSI, the BLM may select the
approved RMP amendment alternative
and prepare a decision record which
would document the final
determination of the Department of the
Interior for the land sale.
In addition to publication of this
notice in the Federal Register, the BLM
will publish this notice in the Magee
Courier and the Mt. Olive Tribune
newspapers once a week for three
consecutive weeks. Any other
subsequent notices related to the RMP
amendment and land sale may also be
published in the Magee Courier and the
Mt. Olive Tribune newspapers.
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary
approach to develop the plan to
consider the variety of resource issues
and concerns identified. Specialists
with expertise in the following
disciplines will be involved in this
planning effort: outdoor recreation,
archaeology, wildlife, lands and realty,
soils, vegetation, sociology, and
economics.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and
consider mitigation to address the
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reasonably foreseeable impacts to
resources from the proposed plan
amendment and all analyzed reasonable
alternatives and, in accordance with 40
CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate
mitigation measures not already
included in the proposed plan
amendment or alternatives. Mitigation
may include avoidance, minimization,
rectification, reduction or elimination
over time, and compensation; it may
also be considered at multiple scales,
including the landscape scale.
The BLM will utilize and coordinate
the NEPA and land use planning
processes for this planning effort to help
support compliance with applicable
procedural requirements under the
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C.
1536), and section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C.
306108) as provided in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3), including public
involvement requirements of section
106. The information about historic and
cultural resources and threatened and
endangered species within the area
potentially affected by the proposed
plan will assist the BLM in identifying
and evaluating impacts to such
resources.
The BLM will consult with Tribal
Nations on a government-to-government
basis in accordance with Executive
Order 13175, BLM Manual Section
1780, and other Departmental policies.
The BLM will send invitations to
potentially affected Tribal Nations prior
to consultation meetings. The BLM will
provide additional opportunities for
government-to-government consultation
during the NEPA process. Tribal
concerns, including impacts on Indian
trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Federal, State, and local
agencies, along with Tribal Nations and
stakeholders that may be interested in or
affected by the Proposed RMP
Amendment and Non-Competitive
Direct Sale of Public Land in Simpson
County, Mississippi, are invited to
participate in the scoping process and,
if eligible, may request or be requested
by the BLM to participate in the
development of the environmental
analysis as a cooperating agency.
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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 126 / Monday, July 3, 2023 / Notices
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9, 43 CFR 1610.2,
and 43 CFR 2710)
Age about 45 years.’’ No associated
funerary objects are present.
Mitchell Leverette,
State Director, BLM Eastern States.
Cultural Affiliation
The human remains in this notice are
connected to one or more identifiable
earlier groups, tribes, peoples, or
cultures. There is a relationship of
shared group identity between the
identifiable earlier groups, tribes,
peoples, or cultures and one or more
Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations. The following types of
information were used to reasonably
trace the relationship: Geographical,
kinship, biological, archeological,
linguistic, folkloric, oral traditional,
historical, and other information or
expert opinion.
[FR Doc. 2023–14045 Filed 6–30–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–18–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0036105;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Santa
Barbara Museum of Natural History,
Santa Barbara, CA
National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the Native
American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Santa
Barbara Museum of Natural History has
completed an inventory of human
remains and has determined that there
is a cultural affiliation between the
human remains and Indian Tribes or
Native Hawaiian organizations in this
notice. The human remains were
removed from Lake County, IL.
DATES: Repatriation of the human
remains in this notice may occur on or
after August 2, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Luke Swetland, President
and CEO, Santa Barbara Museum of
Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol,
Santa Barbara, CA 93105, telephone
(805) 682–4711, email lswetland@
sbnature2.org.
SUMMARY:
This
notice is published as part of the
National Park Service’s administrative
responsibilities under NAGPRA. The
determinations in this notice are the
sole responsibility of the Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History. The
National Park Service is not responsible
for the determinations in this notice.
Additional information on the
determinations in this notice, including
the results of consultation, can be found
in the inventory or related records held
by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Description
Human remains representing, at
minimum, one individual were removed
from Lake County, Illinois. On an
unknown date, a cranium and mandible
were collected by Charles Herman, and
on October 10th, 1926, they were
donated to the Santa Barbara Museum of
Natural History. These human remains
were described as ‘‘Skull of male Illini.
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Jkt 259001
Determinations
Pursuant to NAGPRA and its
implementing regulations, and after
consultation with the appropriate
Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian
organizations, the Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History has
determined that:
• The human remains described in
this notice represent the physical
remains of one individual of Native
American ancestry.
• There is a relationship of shared
group identity that can be reasonably
traced between the human remains
described in this notice and the HoChunk Nation; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and
Nebraska; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma;
Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma;
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation; Sac &
Fox Nation, Oklahoma; and the
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the
human remains in this notice must be
sent to the Responsible Official
identified in ADDRESSES. Requests for
repatriation may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian
Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations
identified in this notice.
2. Any lineal descendant, Indian
Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization
not identified in this notice who shows,
by a preponderance of the evidence, that
the requestor is a lineal descendant or
a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or
Native Hawaiian organization.
Repatriation of the human remains in
this notice to a requestor may occur on
or after August 2, 2023. If competing
requests for repatriation are received,
the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History must determine the most
appropriate requestor prior to
repatriation. Requests for joint
repatriation of the human remains are
considered a single request and not
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42741
competing requests. The Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History is
responsible for sending a copy of this
notice to the Indian Tribes identified in
this notice.
Authority: Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act, 25
U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing
regulations, 43 CFR 10.9, 10.10, and
10.14.
Dated: June 21, 2023.
Melanie O’Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2023–14075 Filed 6–30–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0036103;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion:
Indiana Department of Transportation,
Indianapolis, IN
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the Native
American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Indiana
Department of Transportation, though
its agent, Ball State University, Applied
Anthropology Laboratories, has
completed an inventory of human
remains and associated funerary objects
and has determined that there is no
cultural affiliation between the human
remains and associated funerary objects
and any Indian Tribe. The human
remains and associated funerary objects
were removed from Henry County, IN.
DATES: Disposition of the human
remains and associated funerary objects
in this notice may occur on or after
August 2, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Kevin C. Nolan, Ball State
University, Applied Anthropology
Laboratories, 2000 University Avenue,
Muncie, IN 47306, telephone (765) 285–
5325, email kcnolan@bsu.edu.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
notice is published as part of the
National Park Service’s administrative
responsibilities under NAGPRA. The
determinations in this notice are the
sole responsibility of the Indiana
Department of Transportation. The
National Park Service is not responsible
for the determinations in this notice.
Additional information on the
determinations in this notice, including
the results of consultation, can be found
in the inventory or related records held
by Ball State University, Applied
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42739-42741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14045]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_ES_FRN_MO4500172068]
Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan and
Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment; Notice of Realty
Action: Proposed Sale of Public Lands in Simpson County, MS
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of realty action.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance 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)
Eastern States State Director intends to prepare a resource management
plan (RMP) amendment with an associated environmental assessment (EA)
for the non-competitive direct sale of public land in Simpson County,
Mississippi, and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the
scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues,
providing the planning criteria for public review, and announcing a
comment period on the proposed realty action offering for sale a tract
of public land.
DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of
relevant information and studies by August 17, 2023. To afford the BLM
the opportunity to consider issues raised by commenters in the Draft
RMP Amendment and EA, please ensure your comments are received prior to
the close of the 45-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public
meeting, whichever is later.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the Proposed RMP Amendment and Non-Competitive Direct Sale
of Public Land in Simpson County, Mississippi, by any of the following
methods:
Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016717/510.
Mail: ATTN: Mississippi Tract 37, Southeastern States
District Office, 273 Market Street, Flowood, MS 39232.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016717/510 and at the
Southeastern States District Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicki Craft, Realty Specialist,
telephone (601) 317-6971; address Southeastern States District Office,
273 Market Street, Flowood, MS 39232; email [email protected]. Contact Ms.
Craft to have your name added to our mailing list. 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. 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
Eastern States State Director intends to prepare an RMP amendment with
an associated EA for the non-competitive direct sale of public land in
Simpson County, Mississippi, announces the beginning of the scoping
process, and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. The
RMP amendment is being considered to allow the BLM to evaluate the
disposal of 12.3 acres of public land to Dempsey Sullivan, which would
require amending the existing 2009 Mississippi RMP. The direct sale is
subject to the applicable provisions of section 203 of FLPMA and BLM
land-sale regulations at 43 CFR 2710. Publication of this notice in the
Federal Register also segregates the subject land from all forms of
appropriation under the public land laws, including the general mining
laws, and from the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, except
for the sale provisions of FLPMA.
The planning area is in Simpson County, Mississippi, and
encompasses approximately 12.3 acres of public land.
The scope of this land use planning process does not include
addressing the evaluation or designation of areas of critical
environmental concern (ACECs), and the BLM is not considering ACEC
nominations as part of this process.
Purpose and Need
The need of the proposed action is to resolve an inadvertent,
unauthorized use on public lands that were omitted from an official
Federal survey in the early 1800's in Simpson County, Mississippi. The
purpose for the proposed action is to transfer from Federal ownership
the small parcel of land that is logistically and economically
difficult to manage (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1713(a)(1)). The BLM needs to
amend the 2009 Mississippi RMP because section 203 of FLPMA
specifically requires that land made available for disposal under the
sale authority be clearly identified in the relevant land use plan. The
BLM proposes to amend the 2009 Mississippi RMP to identify the tract as
available for disposal through sale.
Preliminary Alternatives
The RMP identifies parcels suitable for disposal, and the subject
land is not currently listed as available for disposal. The BLM will
analyze the suitability for disposal of the 12.3 acres per the criteria
listed in FLPMA section 203(a). The RMP amendment would allow for the
land to be sold if it is found suitable for disposal.
The BLM is considering a direct sale of the following described
land:
St. Stephens Meridian, Mississippi
T. 9 N., R. 17 W., Tract 37.
The area described contains 12.3 acres, according to the official
plat of the survey of the said land on file with the BLM.
The conveyance document, if issued, will contain the following
terms, covenants, conditions, and reservations:
1. All the mineral deposits in the land so patented pursuant to
FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1719), including, without limitation, substances
subject to disposition under the general mining laws, the general
mineral leasing laws, the Materials Act and the Geothermal Steam Act,
and to it, its permittees,
[[Page 42740]]
licensees, lessees, and mining claimants, the right to prospect for,
mine, and remove the minerals owned by the United States under
applicable law and such regulations as the Secretary of the Interior
may prescribe. This reservation includes necessary access and exit
rights and the right to conduct all necessary and incidental activities
including, without limitation, all drilling, underground, open pit or
surface mining operations, storage, and transportation facilities
deemed reasonably necessary.
Unless otherwise provided by separate agreement with the surface
owner, mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and lessees of the
United States shall reclaim disturbed areas to the extent prescribed by
regulations issued by the Secretary of the Interior.
All causes of action brought to enforce the rights of the surface
owner under the regulations above referred to shall be instituted
against mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and lessees of the
United States; and the United States shall not be liable for the acts
or omissions of its mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and
lessees.
2. An appropriate indemnification clause protecting the United
States from claims arising out of the patentee's use, occupancy, or
operations on the patented land.
The No Action Alternative would not amend the 2009 Mississippi RMP
to allow for the disposal of Tract 37. Tract 37 would be retained in
Federal ownership and the BLM would continue to manage the small,
isolated tract.
The BLM welcomes comments on all preliminary alternatives as well
as suggestions for additional alternatives.
Planning Criteria
The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the
groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues
and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning
area have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement
conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local
agencies; Tribes; and stakeholders. The BLM has identified two
preliminary issues for this planning effort's analysis:
(1) How would lands and realty be impacted by or impact the
proposed sale?
(2) How would the proposed sale impact opportunities for public
recreation and hunting?
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and
analysis of the RMP Amendment and EA.
The BLM does not intend to hold any public meetings, in-person or
virtual, during the public scoping period. Should the BLM later
determine to hold public meetings, the specific date(s) and location(s)
of any meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through
announcements in the Magee Courier and the Mt. Olive Tribune newspapers
as well as on the BLM Eastern States' Facebook page.
Sale Notifications
The segregation will terminate upon issuance of a conveyance or
July 3, 2025, whichever occurs first. The BLM is no longer accepting
land-use applications affecting the subject public land, except
applications to amend previously filed right-of-way applications or
existing authorizations to increase grant terms in accordance with 43
CFR 2807.15 and 43 CFR 2886.15.
The notification of the proposed RMP amendment and EA and, if
applicable, signed finding of no significant impact (FONSI) would begin
a 30-day protest period subject to BLM Manual Section 2711.1 step 4(d)
on the land-sale decision. The BLM Eastern States State Director will
review all protests and may sustain, vacate, or modify the RMP
amendment and land sale, in whole or in part. In the absence of any
protests and FONSI, the BLM may select the approved RMP amendment
alternative and prepare a decision record which would document the
final determination of the Department of the Interior for the land
sale.
In addition to publication of this notice in the Federal Register,
the BLM will publish this notice in the Magee Courier and the Mt. Olive
Tribune newspapers once a week for three consecutive weeks. Any other
subsequent notices related to the RMP amendment and land sale may also
be published in the Magee Courier and the Mt. Olive Tribune newspapers.
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan
to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified.
Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines will be
involved in this planning effort: outdoor recreation, archaeology,
wildlife, lands and realty, soils, vegetation, sociology, and
economics.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan
amendment and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance
with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not
already included in the proposed plan amendment or alternatives.
Mitigation may include avoidance, minimization, rectification,
reduction or elimination over time, and compensation; it may also be
considered at multiple scales, including the landscape scale.
The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning
processes for this planning effort to help support compliance with
applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered Species Act (16
U.S.C. 1536), and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
(54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including public
involvement requirements of section 106. The information about historic
and cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the
area potentially affected by the proposed plan will assist the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
The BLM will consult with Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual
Section 1780, and other Departmental policies. The BLM will send
invitations to potentially affected Tribal Nations prior to
consultation meetings. The BLM will provide additional opportunities
for government-to-government consultation during the NEPA process.
Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential
impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribal Nations and
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the Proposed RMP
Amendment and Non-Competitive Direct Sale of Public Land in Simpson
County, Mississippi, are invited to participate in the scoping process
and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to participate
in the development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating
agency.
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.
[[Page 42741]]
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9, 43 CFR 1610.2, and 43 CFR 2710)
Mitchell Leverette,
State Director, BLM Eastern States.
[FR Doc. 2023-14045 Filed 6-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-18-P
