Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the North Dakota Resource Management Plan Revision, 65391-65392 [2024-17402]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 154 / Friday, August 9, 2024 / Notices
burdens, we invite the public and other
Federal agencies to comment on new,
proposed, revised, and continuing
collections of information. This helps us
assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. It also
helps the public understand our
information collection requirements and
provide the requested data in the
desired format.
We are especially interested in public
comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in
response to this Notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. 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.
Abstract: The General Mining Law (30
U.S.C. 29, 30, and 39) authorizes a
holder of an unpatented claim for
hardrock minerals to apply for fee title
(patent) to the federal land (as well as
minerals) embraced in the claim.
Division E, Title IV of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2024 (H.R. 4366–
260), annual appropriation bill for the
Department of the Interior, has
prevented the BLM from processing
mineral patent applications unless the
applications were grandfathered under
the initial legislation. While
grandfathered applications are rare at
present, the approval to collect the
information continues to be necessary
because of the possibility that the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:21 Aug 08, 2024
Jkt 262001
moratorium will be lifted and applicable
regulations that contain the information
are still part of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
OMB control number 1004–0025 is
scheduled to expire on July 31, 2025.
The BLM plans to request that OMB
renew this OMB control number for an
additional three (3) years.
Title of Collection: Mineral Surveys,
Mineral Patent Applications, Adverse
Claims, Protests, and Contests (43 CFR
parts 3860 and 3870).
OMB Control Number: 1004–0025.
Form Numbers: 3860–2 and 3860–5.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Owners
of unpatented mining claims and mill
sites upon the public lands, and of
reserved mineral lands of the United
States, National Forests, and National
Parks.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 1.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 10.
Estimated Completion Time per
Response: Varies depending on activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 559.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Non-hour
Burden Cost: $256,425.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor and, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, a person is not
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 of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Darrin A. King,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–17739 Filed 8–8–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_MT_FRN_MO4500180327]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the North Dakota Resource
Management Plan Revision
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00080
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65391
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended, the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared a
proposed resource management plan
(RMP) and final environmental impact
statement (EIS) for the North Dakota
Resource Management Plan Revision
and by this notice is announcing the
start of a 30-day protest period of the
proposed RMP.
DATES: This notice announces a 30-day
protest period to the BLM on the
proposed RMP beginning with the date
following the Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) publication of its Notice
of Availability (NOA) of the proposed
RMP/final EIS in the Federal Register.
The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on
Fridays. Protests must be postmarked or
electronically submitted on the BLM’s
ePlanning site during the 30-day protest
period.
ADDRESSES: The proposed RMP and
final EIS and other pertinent documents
are available on the BLM ePlanning
project website at eplanning.blm.gov/
eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510 and
at the North Dakota Field Office;
address 99 23rd Avenue West, Suite A,
Dickinson, ND 58601.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the BLM for the North Dakota Resource
Management Plan Revision can be
found at: https://www.blm.gov/
programs/planning-and-nepa/publicparticipation/filing-a-plan-protest and
at 43 CFR 1610.5–2.
All protests must be submitted in
writing through one of the following
methods:
• Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/
eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510
• Regular and Overnight Mail: BLM
Director, Attention: Protest
Coordinator (HQ210), Denver Federal
Center, Building 40 (Door W–4),
Lakewood, CO 80215
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kristine Braun, telephone 701–227–
7725; address 99 23rd Avenue West,
Suite A, Dickinson, ND 58601; email
kebraun@blm.gov. 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 Ms. Kristine Braun.
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: The North
Dakota proposed RMP provides a
comprehensive land use plan that
guides management on approximately
58,500 acres of BLM-managed public
E:\FR\FM\09AUN1.SGM
09AUN1
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
65392
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 154 / Friday, August 9, 2024 / Notices
lands and 4.1 million acres of BLMadministered mineral estate in North
Dakota. The planning area is currently
managed under the 1988 North Dakota
RMP, as amended. This planning effort
would update management guidance
and create a new North Dakota RMP.
The proposed RMP/final EIS
evaluates five alternatives in detail.
Alternative A is the No Action
Alternative, which is the continuation
of current management under the
existing 1988 North Dakota RMP, as
amended.
Alternative B (Preferred Alternative
from the draft RMP/EIS) emphasizes
sustaining the ecological integrity of
habitats for all priority plant, wildlife,
and fish species, while allowing
appropriate development scenarios for
resource uses. Under Alternative B, the
BLM would close low oil and gas
development potential areas and Statedesignated drinking water source
protection areas to future Federal oil
and gas leasing and would not allow
future leasing for Federal coal outside of
a 4-mile development area from existing
mine permit boundaries. Where oil and
gas are available for leasing, no surface
occupancy, controlled surface use, or
timing limitation stipulations would
apply to most areas. Alternative B
provides opportunities for recreation
and improved access by designating one
special recreation management area
(SRMA) and two backcountry
conservation areas (BCAs). It would
manage for other social and scientific
values by designating one area of critical
environmental concern (ACEC).
Alternative B would recommend three
eligible wild and scenic rivers as
suitable for designation.
Alternative B.1 is a sub-alternative to
Alternative B that provides the same
management opportunities and
protections as found under Alternative
B for all resources except coal. Under
this alternative, future leasing of Federal
coal would be further restricted by
designating the area outside the
approved permit boundaries at each
coal mine (as of September 9, 2022) as
unavailable for coal leasing.
Alternative C does not close any areas
to future Federal oil and gas leasing, but
more acres would be subject to no
surface occupancy lease stipulations
than Alternative A. Under Alternative C,
fewer acres of Federal coal would be
made unavailable for leasing than
Alternative B, but more than Alternative
A. Alternative C provides opportunities
for recreation and improved access by
also designating one SRMA and two
BCAs, but with reduced size and/or
management restrictions.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:21 Aug 08, 2024
Jkt 262001
Alternative D is the proposed RMP
and includes management direction
from Alternatives A, B, and C.
Alternative D carries forward many of
the key allocations from Alternative B
(the Preferred Alternative in the draft
RMP/draft EIS) for oil, gas, and coal as
well as the management direction
establishing the SRMA, two BCAs, and
designation of one ACEC. Alternative D
would close low oil and gas
development potential areas and Statedesignated drinking water source
protection areas to future Federal oil
and gas leasing and would make Federal
coal minerals outside a 4-mile
development area from existing mine
permit boundaries unavailable for
consideration for future leasing.
Alternative D, however, adjusts fluid
mineral lease stipulations for some
wildlife habitat and would change some
right-of-way exclusion areas to
avoidance areas where the functionality
of the habitat can be maintained by
applying special stipulations and design
features. Alternative D also adjusts the
application of Coal Screen 4 to look for
clusters of surface owner opposition in
determining lands as unavailable for
future consideration for leasing.
Alternative D would not recommend
any river as suitable for inclusion in the
National Wild and Scenic River System
due to segments being small,
fragmented, and impractical to manage.
Alternative D would also reduce some
visual resource management
classifications and would include
approximately 100 acres as potentially
available for disposal to allow for
flexibility for transfer, exchange, or
direct sale of a handful of small,
scattered parcels without public access
ranging in size from 0.1 –1.0 acres.
The North Dakota draft RMP/draft EIS
public comment period began on
January 20, 2023, was extended 30-days,
and ended on May 22, 2023. The BLM
held two in-person public meetings in
Bowman and Dickinson, North Dakota,
during the public comment period. The
BLM considered and incorporated in the
proposed RMP, as appropriate,
comments received from the public,
cooperating agencies, and internal BLM
review.
Protest of the Proposed RMP
The BLM planning regulations state
that any person who participated in the
preparation of the RMP and has an
interest that will or might be adversely
affected by approval of the proposed
RMP may protest its approval to the
BLM Director. Protest on the proposed
RMP constitutes the final opportunity
for administrative review of the
proposed land use planning decisions
PO 00000
Frm 00081
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
prior to the BLM adopting an approved
RMP. Instructions for filing a protest
regarding the proposed RMP with the
BLM Director may be found online at
https://www.blm.gov/programs/
planning-and-nepa/publicparticipation/filing-a-plan-protest and
at 43 CFR 1610.5–2. All protests must be
in writing and mailed to the appropriate
address or submitted electronically
through the BLM ePlanning project
website as set forth in the ADDRESSES
section. Protests submitted by any other
means will be invalid. The BLM
Director will render a written decision
on each protest. The Director’s decision
shall be the final decision of the
Department of the Interior. Responses to
valid protest issues will be compiled
and documented in a Protest Resolution
Report made available following the
protest resolution online at: https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/protestresolution-reports. After resolution of
protests, the BLM will issue a Record of
Decision and approved RMP.
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.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10,
43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 1610.5)
Sonya Germann,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024–17402 Filed 8–8–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–20–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NM_FRN_MO4500178348]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the BLM Rio Puerco Field Office, New
Mexico
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Rio Puerco
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\09AUN1.SGM
09AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 154 (Friday, August 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65391-65392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17402]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_MT_FRN_MO4500180327]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan
and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the North Dakota Resource
Management Plan Revision
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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) has prepared a
proposed resource management plan (RMP) and final environmental impact
statement (EIS) for the North Dakota Resource Management Plan Revision
and by this notice is announcing the start of a 30-day protest period
of the proposed RMP.
DATES: This notice announces a 30-day protest period to the BLM on the
proposed RMP beginning with the date following the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) publication of its Notice of Availability
(NOA) of the proposed RMP/final EIS in the Federal Register. The EPA
usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays. Protests must be postmarked or
electronically submitted on the BLM's ePlanning site during the 30-day
protest period.
ADDRESSES: The proposed RMP and final EIS and other pertinent documents
are available on the BLM ePlanning project website at
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510 and at the North
Dakota Field Office; address 99 23rd Avenue West, Suite A, Dickinson,
ND 58601.
Instructions for filing a protest with the BLM for the North Dakota
Resource Management Plan Revision can be found at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest
and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2.
All protests must be submitted in writing through one of the
following methods:
Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510
Regular and Overnight Mail: BLM Director, Attention: Protest
Coordinator (HQ210), Denver Federal Center, Building 40 (Door W-4),
Lakewood, CO 80215
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristine Braun, telephone 701-227-
7725; address 99 23rd Avenue West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND 58601; 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 Ms. Kristine Braun. 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: The North Dakota proposed RMP provides a
comprehensive land use plan that guides management on approximately
58,500 acres of BLM-managed public
[[Page 65392]]
lands and 4.1 million acres of BLM-administered mineral estate in North
Dakota. The planning area is currently managed under the 1988 North
Dakota RMP, as amended. This planning effort would update management
guidance and create a new North Dakota RMP.
The proposed RMP/final EIS evaluates five alternatives in detail.
Alternative A is the No Action Alternative, which is the continuation
of current management under the existing 1988 North Dakota RMP, as
amended.
Alternative B (Preferred Alternative from the draft RMP/EIS)
emphasizes sustaining the ecological integrity of habitats for all
priority plant, wildlife, and fish species, while allowing appropriate
development scenarios for resource uses. Under Alternative B, the BLM
would close low oil and gas development potential areas and State-
designated drinking water source protection areas to future Federal oil
and gas leasing and would not allow future leasing for Federal coal
outside of a 4-mile development area from existing mine permit
boundaries. Where oil and gas are available for leasing, no surface
occupancy, controlled surface use, or timing limitation stipulations
would apply to most areas. Alternative B provides opportunities for
recreation and improved access by designating one special recreation
management area (SRMA) and two backcountry conservation areas (BCAs).
It would manage for other social and scientific values by designating
one area of critical environmental concern (ACEC). Alternative B would
recommend three eligible wild and scenic rivers as suitable for
designation.
Alternative B.1 is a sub-alternative to Alternative B that provides
the same management opportunities and protections as found under
Alternative B for all resources except coal. Under this alternative,
future leasing of Federal coal would be further restricted by
designating the area outside the approved permit boundaries at each
coal mine (as of September 9, 2022) as unavailable for coal leasing.
Alternative C does not close any areas to future Federal oil and
gas leasing, but more acres would be subject to no surface occupancy
lease stipulations than Alternative A. Under Alternative C, fewer acres
of Federal coal would be made unavailable for leasing than Alternative
B, but more than Alternative A. Alternative C provides opportunities
for recreation and improved access by also designating one SRMA and two
BCAs, but with reduced size and/or management restrictions.
Alternative D is the proposed RMP and includes management direction
from Alternatives A, B, and C. Alternative D carries forward many of
the key allocations from Alternative B (the Preferred Alternative in
the draft RMP/draft EIS) for oil, gas, and coal as well as the
management direction establishing the SRMA, two BCAs, and designation
of one ACEC. Alternative D would close low oil and gas development
potential areas and State-designated drinking water source protection
areas to future Federal oil and gas leasing and would make Federal coal
minerals outside a 4-mile development area from existing mine permit
boundaries unavailable for consideration for future leasing.
Alternative D, however, adjusts fluid mineral lease stipulations for
some wildlife habitat and would change some right-of-way exclusion
areas to avoidance areas where the functionality of the habitat can be
maintained by applying special stipulations and design features.
Alternative D also adjusts the application of Coal Screen 4 to look for
clusters of surface owner opposition in determining lands as
unavailable for future consideration for leasing. Alternative D would
not recommend any river as suitable for inclusion in the National Wild
and Scenic River System due to segments being small, fragmented, and
impractical to manage. Alternative D would also reduce some visual
resource management classifications and would include approximately 100
acres as potentially available for disposal to allow for flexibility
for transfer, exchange, or direct sale of a handful of small, scattered
parcels without public access ranging in size from 0.1 -1.0 acres.
The North Dakota draft RMP/draft EIS public comment period began on
January 20, 2023, was extended 30-days, and ended on May 22, 2023. The
BLM held two in-person public meetings in Bowman and Dickinson, North
Dakota, during the public comment period. The BLM considered and
incorporated in the proposed RMP, as appropriate, comments received
from the public, cooperating agencies, and internal BLM review.
Protest of the Proposed RMP
The BLM planning regulations state that any person who participated
in the preparation of the RMP and has an interest that will or might be
adversely affected by approval of the proposed RMP may protest its
approval to the BLM Director. Protest on the proposed RMP constitutes
the final opportunity for administrative review of the proposed land
use planning decisions prior to the BLM adopting an approved RMP.
Instructions for filing a protest regarding the proposed RMP with the
BLM Director may be found online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest and at 43
CFR 1610.5-2. All protests must be in writing and mailed to the
appropriate address or submitted electronically through the BLM
ePlanning project website as set forth in the ADDRESSES section.
Protests submitted by any other means will be invalid. The BLM Director
will render a written decision on each protest. The Director's decision
shall be the final decision of the Department of the Interior.
Responses to valid protest issues will be compiled and documented in a
Protest Resolution Report made available following the protest
resolution online at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports. After resolution of
protests, the BLM will issue a Record of Decision and approved RMP.
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.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR
1610.5)
Sonya Germann,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-17402 Filed 8-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-20-P
