Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting for Mud Flat Oolite Site, Idaho, 63964-63965 [2024-17315]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63964-63965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17315]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_ID_FRN_MO4500179179; IDID106326604]


Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting 
for Mud Flat Oolite Site, Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and subject 
to valid existing rights, the Secretary of the Interior proposes to 
withdraw 1,957.89 acres of public land from location and entry under 
the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the mineral 
and geothermal leasing laws or disposal under the Mineral Materials Act 
of 1947, for 50 years to protect the rare plants and fossils within the 
Mud Flat Oolite Site, Idaho. Publication of this notice segregates the 
lands for up to two years from location and entry under the United 
States mining laws, subject to valid existing rights, but not from 
leasing under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws or disposal under 
the Mineral Materials Act of 1947, while the application is being 
processed. This notice initiates a 90-day public comment period and 
announces the opportunity to request a public meeting on the proposed 
withdrawal.

[[Page 63965]]


DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received by 
November 4, 2024.

ADDRESSES: All comments and meeting requests should be sent to the BLM 
Idaho State Office, Attn: ID-933-Realty/Mud Flat Oolite Site 
Withdrawal, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709, or by email to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Sloand, Realty Specialist, 
BLM Idaho State Office, telephone: (208) 908-3368, or [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. 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. You will receive a reply during normal business 
hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM has filed a petition/application 
requesting the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw the following 
described public land from location and entry under the United States 
mining laws, subject to valid existing rights, but not from leasing 
under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws or disposal under the 
Mineral Materials Act of 1947, for a period of 50 years.

Boise Meridian, Idaho

T. 7 S., R. 2 E.,
    Sec. 1, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 12, lots 1 and 2, lots 6 thru 11, and lots 14 thru 16.
T. 7 S., R. 3 E.,
    Sec. 4, lots 2 thru 4 and S\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 5, lots 1 thru 3, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, 
N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 6, lot 7, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 7, lots 5 thru 12;
    Sec. 8, N\1/2\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\NW\1/4\.

    The areas described aggregate 1957.89 acres, according to the 
official plats of the surveys of the said lands, on file with the 
BLM.

    The Secretary of the Interior has approved the petition to file a 
withdrawal application. The Secretary's approval constitutes a proposal 
to withdraw and segregate the subject lands (43 CFR 2310.1-3(e)).
    The use of a right-of-way, interagency agreement, or cooperative 
agreement, or surface management under 43 CFR subpart 3809 regulations, 
would not adequately constrain non-discretionary uses and would not 
provide adequate protection for rare plants and fossils on these lands.
    Water rights will not be needed to fulfill the purpose of the 
proposed withdrawal.
    There are no suitable alternative sites, as the described public 
lands were specifically selected since the rare plants and fossils 
needing protection occur within the Mud Flat Oolite Site boundary.
    For a period until November 4, 2024, persons who wish to submit 
comments, suggestions, or objections related to the withdrawal 
application may present their views in writing to the BLM Idaho State 
Office at the address listed above or by email to 
[email protected].
    Comments will be available for public review by appointment at the 
BLM Idaho State Office Public Room from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    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. You may ask 
the BLM in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, but we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and 
from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of officials 
of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
inspection in their entirety.
    Notice is hereby given that the opportunity for a public meeting is 
afforded in connection with the withdrawal application. All interested 
parties who desire a public meeting for the purpose of being heard on 
the withdrawal application must submit a written request to the BLM 
Idaho State Office at the address indicated above or by email to 
[email protected] by November 4, 2024. If the 
authorized officer determines that the BLM will hold a public meeting, 
the BLM will publish a notice of the time and place in the Federal 
Register and a local newspaper at least 30 days before the scheduled 
date of the meeting.
    For a period until August 6, 2026, subject to valid existing 
rights, the public lands described in this notice will be segregated 
from location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not 
from leasing under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, or disposal 
under the Mineral Materials Act of 1947, while the withdrawal 
application is being processed, unless the application is denied or 
canceled or the withdrawal is approved prior to that date.
    The public lands described in this notice will remain open to such 
other forms of disposition as may be allowed by law on the public 
lands. Licenses, permits, cooperative agreements, or discretionary land 
use authorizations of a temporary nature and that would not 
significantly impact the values to be protected by the requested 
withdrawal may be allowed with the approval of the authorized officer 
during the temporary segregation period.
    This withdrawal application will be processed in accordance with 
the regulations set forth in 43 CFR part 2300.

(Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1714)

Peter Ditton,
BLM Acting Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-17315 Filed 8-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-19-P