Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Alaska, 101042-101043 [2024-29346]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 240 / Friday, December 13, 2024 / Notices
Department manages invasive species
by following IPM principles. IPM is
defined as a sustainable approach to
managing invasive species by a
combination of biological, physical, and
chemical methods that minimizes
economic, health, and environmental
risks (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,
and Rodenticide Act [FIFRA, 7 U.S.C.
136r–1]). IPM is a science-based
decision-making process that guides
bureaus when investigating a pest
situation. Following IPM principles
means acting in a manner that reduces
risks from both the target species and
associated management activities. The
IPM approach determines the most
appropriate and cost-effective
management solution for the specific
situation. IPM reduces risks to people,
resources, and the environment from
pests and from the strategies used to
manage them. Biological control
methods include using predators,
parasites, pathogens, and grazing
animals. Physical methods include
using manual and mechanical methods.
Chemical methods include the
application of pesticides. Any
application of chemicals must be
approved through the respective
bureau’s pesticide use proposal process.
It must also adhere to pesticide label
requirements as approved by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and
all other applicable Federal, Tribal,
Territorial, State, local, and agency
regulations and bureau policies
pertaining to application, handling,
storage, and transportation. The
pesticide use proposal systems at each
bureau function to reduce risks to the
public, bureau resources, and the
environment from pests and pest-related
management strategies. Each time a
pesticide is used within the Federal
boundaries that usage must be reviewed
by a bureau subject matter expert. The
internal review is determined by the
type of pesticide, the site where its use
is proposed, the target species, and
many other criteria.
Actions conducted by other bureaus
within the Department for invasive
species management are similar to the
type of actions that NPS conducts.
Therefore, the impacts of the adopting
bureaus’ actions are anticipated to be
similar to the impacts of NPS actions,
which are not significant, absent the
existence of extraordinary
circumstances. The Department has
determined that the adopting bureaus’
proposed adoption of the CE as
described in this notice is appropriate.
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Consideration of Extraordinary
Circumstances
As NPS does when applying this CE,
Responsible Officials within the
adopting bureaus will evaluate the
proposed actions to determine whether
there are any extraordinary
circumstances, listed at 43 CFR 46.215,
that would preclude reliance on the CE.
The extraordinary circumstances
include, in part, consideration of
impacts on public health and safety;
natural resources and unique geographic
characteristics as historic or cultural
resources; park, recreation, or refuge
lands; wilderness areas; wild or scenic
rivers; national natural landmarks, sole
or principal drinking water aquifers;
prime farmlands; wetlands; floodplains;
national monuments; migratory birds;
and other ecologically significant or
critical areas; unresolved conflicts
concerning alternative uses of available
resources; unique or unknown
environmental risks; precedent for
future decision-making; historic
properties; listed species or critical
habitat; low income or minority
populations; access by Indian religious
practitioners to, and for ceremonial use
of, Indian sacred sites and the physical
integrity of those sites; and contribution
to the introduction, continued
existence, or spread of invasive plants
or non-native invasive species. The
Department’s list of extraordinary
circumstances is used by all bureaus
within the Department. Therefore,
Responsible Officials in the adopting
bureaus intending to rely on this CE will
review whether the proposed action has
the potential to result in significant
effects, as described in the Department’s
extraordinary circumstances. If the
Responsible Official cannot rely on a
categorical exclusion to support a
decision on a particular proposed action
due to extraordinary circumstances, the
Responsible Official will prepare an EA
or EIS, consistent with 40 CFR
1501.4(b)(2) and 43 CFR 46.205(c).
Notice to the Public and Documentation
of Adoption
This notice identifies to the public
that seven Department bureaus are
adopting the NPS’s CE used for invasive
species control and eradication (E.6
Restoration of noncontroversial native
species into suitable habitats within
their historic range and elimination of
exotic species.). The CE will be
available to use by the adopting bureaus
that undertake or fund invasive species
management—the Bureau of Land
Management, the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, the Bureau of Reclamation, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the
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Office of Insular Affairs, the U.S.
Geological Survey, and the Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement, in addition to NPS. The
notice identifies the types of actions to
which the bureaus within the
Department will apply the CE, as well
as the considerations these bureaus will
use in determining whether an action is
within the scope of the CE. This
documentation of the approved
adoption is available at https://
www.doi.gov/oepc/nepa/categoricalexclusions and will also be made
available on each adopting bureau’s web
page for CE adoptions. The adopting
bureaus will add the adopted CE to their
applicable NEPA chapters in part 516 of
the DM.
Authorities
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.).
Stephen G. Tryon,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024–29437 Filed 12–12–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334–20–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_AK_FRN_PO#4820000251
Notice of Availability of the Record of
Decision for the Final Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing
Program, Alaska
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), Alaska State Office,
announces the availability of the Record
of Decision (ROD) for the Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (SEIS) for the Coastal Plain
Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The
signature of the Acting Deputy Secretary
of the Department of the Interior on the
ROD constitutes the final decision of the
Department, thereby completing the
required National Environmental Policy
Act process for implementing an oil and
gas leasing program within the Coastal
Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge.
DATES: The ROD was signed on
December 8, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The ROD is available online
at the BLM National Environmental
Policy Act Register at https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 240 / Friday, December 13, 2024 / Notices
project/2015144/510. Printed copies of
the ROD will also be available for public
inspection upon publication of this
notice at the following locations:
BLM Alaska Public Information
Center, James M. Fitzgerald Federal
Building, 222 West 7th Avenue,
Anchorage, AK 99513, telephone: (907)
271–5960.
Alaska Resources Library &
Information Services, 3211 Providence
Drive, Suite 111, Anchorage, AK 99508,
telephone: (907) 272–7547.
Printed copies can be provided upon
request by contacting the BLM Alaska
Public Information Center listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: At
the BLM: Serena Sweet, Branch Chief of
Planning and Project Management;
telephone: 907–271–4345; email:
ssweet@blm.gov, or Stephanie Kuhns,
Acting District Manager, Arctic District;
telephone: 907–474–2310; email:
skuhns@blm.gov.
At the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS): Bobbie Jo Skibo,
Strategic Conservation and Coastal Plain
Coordinator; telephone: 907–441–1539;
email: bobbiejo_skibo@fws.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. Sweet. 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.
Section
20001 of Public Law 115–97 (https://
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW115publ97/pdf/PLAW-115publ97.pdf)
requires the Secretary of the Interior,
acting through the BLM, to establish and
administer a competitive oil and gas
program for the leasing, development,
production, and transportation of oil
and gas in and from the Coastal Plain
area within the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge. The BLM was directed to
manage the oil and gas leasing program
on the Coastal Plain in a manner similar
to lease sales under the Naval Petroleum
Reserves Production Act of 1976
(including regulations). Section 20001
also requires the BLM to offer two lease
sales by December 22, 2021 and 2024,
respectively, and for each sale to offer
at least 400,000 acres containing those
areas that have the highest potential for
discovery of hydrocarbons.
The ROD approves a program to carry
out this statutory directive. By
determining where and under what
terms and conditions leasing will occur,
the ROD takes into account the
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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requirements of Public Law 115–97 and
other applicable law. To inform this
Decision, the BLM and United States
Fish and Wildlife Service, as joint lead
agencies, prepared the Coastal Plain Oil
and Gas Leasing Program SEIS (Leasing
SEIS). The ROD supersedes the original
Coastal Plain leasing program ROD,
issued in August 2020.
The ROD adopts Alternative D2 from
the November 2024 Leasing SEIS to
govern BLM’s further administration of
the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing
Program. The ROD determines which
lands to make available for leasing
under the Coastal Plain program and the
terms and conditions (i.e., lease
stipulations and required operating
procedures) to be applied to leases and
authorizations for specific oil and gas
activities.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9(c)(5)(ii))
Steven Cohn,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2024–29346 Filed 12–12–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–10–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_MT_FRN_MO4540000223]
Notice of Public Meeting of the
Western Montana Resource Advisory
Council
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972, the U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management’s (BLM) Western
Montana Resource Advisory Council
(RAC) will meet as follows.
DATES: The RAC will meet virtually on
January 14, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mountain Time. The meeting will be
open to the public. Attendees must
register with the individual listed in the
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section of this notice at least 7 business
days prior to the meeting date.
ADDRESSES: The final agenda and virtual
participation instructions will be
confirmed for the public via BLM online
announcement, social media, on the
RAC’s web page at https://
www.blm.gov/get-involved/resourceadvisory-council/near-you/montanadakotas/western-montana-rac, and
through personal contact at least two
weeks prior to the meeting.
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101043
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chelsea Lair, BLM Montana/Dakotas
State Office, 106 N Parkmont, Butte, MT
59701; telephone: (406) 876–0994;
email: clair@blm.gov. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, blind, 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.
Please make requests in advance for
sign language interpreter services,
language translation services, assistive
listening devices, or other reasonable
accommodations. We ask that you
contact the person listed above at least
14 business days prior to the meeting to
give the Department of the Interior
sufficient time to process your request.
All reasonable accommodation requests
are managed on a case-by-case basis.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RAC
provides recommendations to the
Secretary of the Interior concerning the
planning and management of the public
land resources located within the BLM’s
Western Montana District. Agenda
topics will include a discussion about
the Tribal Partnership and Reserved
Treaty Rights Program, updates from
field managers, a public comment
period at 3:30 p.m., and other resource
management issues the RAC may raise.
While the meeting is scheduled to
conclude at 4 p.m., it may end earlier or
later depending on the needs of RAC
members. Therefore, members of the
public interested in a specific agenda
item or discussion should schedule
their arrival accordingly.
Written comments to the RAC can be
emailed in advance to the individual
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this notice.
Depending on the number of persons
wishing to speak and the time available,
the amount of time for oral comments
may be limited. Before including your
address, phone number, email address,
or other personal identifying
information in written comments, 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.
Detailed minutes for RAC meetings
are maintained in the BLM Western
Montana District Office. Minutes will
also be posted to the RAC’s web page at:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 240 (Friday, December 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 101042-101043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29346]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_AK_FRN_PO#4820000251
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Coastal Plain Oil
and Gas Leasing Program, Alaska
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Alaska State Office,
announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the
Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The signature of the Acting
Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior on the ROD
constitutes the final decision of the Department, thereby completing
the required National Environmental Policy Act process for implementing
an oil and gas leasing program within the Coastal Plain of the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge.
DATES: The ROD was signed on December 8, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The ROD is available online at the BLM National
Environmental Policy Act Register at https://eplanning.blm.gov/
eplanning-ui/
[[Page 101043]]
project/2015144/510. Printed copies of the ROD will also be available
for public inspection upon publication of this notice at the following
locations:
BLM Alaska Public Information Center, James M. Fitzgerald Federal
Building, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99513, telephone: (907)
271-5960.
Alaska Resources Library & Information Services, 3211 Providence
Drive, Suite 111, Anchorage, AK 99508, telephone: (907) 272-7547.
Printed copies can be provided upon request by contacting the BLM
Alaska Public Information Center listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: At the BLM: Serena Sweet, Branch Chief
of Planning and Project Management; telephone: 907-271-4345; email:
[email protected], or Stephanie Kuhns, Acting District Manager, Arctic
District; telephone: 907-474-2310; email: [email protected].
At the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS): Bobbie Jo
Skibo, Strategic Conservation and Coastal Plain Coordinator; telephone:
907-441-1539; 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. Sweet. 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: Section 20001 of Public Law 115-97 (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-115publ97/pdf/PLAW-115publ97.pdf)
requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the BLM, to
establish and administer a competitive oil and gas program for the
leasing, development, production, and transportation of oil and gas in
and from the Coastal Plain area within the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge. The BLM was directed to manage the oil and gas leasing program
on the Coastal Plain in a manner similar to lease sales under the Naval
Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 (including regulations).
Section 20001 also requires the BLM to offer two lease sales by
December 22, 2021 and 2024, respectively, and for each sale to offer at
least 400,000 acres containing those areas that have the highest
potential for discovery of hydrocarbons.
The ROD approves a program to carry out this statutory directive.
By determining where and under what terms and conditions leasing will
occur, the ROD takes into account the requirements of Public Law 115-97
and other applicable law. To inform this Decision, the BLM and United
States Fish and Wildlife Service, as joint lead agencies, prepared the
Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program SEIS (Leasing SEIS). The ROD
supersedes the original Coastal Plain leasing program ROD, issued in
August 2020.
The ROD adopts Alternative D2 from the November 2024 Leasing SEIS
to govern BLM's further administration of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas
Leasing Program. The ROD determines which lands to make available for
leasing under the Coastal Plain program and the terms and conditions
(i.e., lease stipulations and required operating procedures) to be
applied to leases and authorizations for specific oil and gas
activities.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9(c)(5)(ii))
Steven Cohn,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2024-29346 Filed 12-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-10-P
