Bureau of Land Management December 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces an extension of the public comment period on the Bay Draft Resource Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS). The original notice, issued September 29, 2006, provided for a comment period to end on January 5, 2007. The BLM is extending the comment period until February 5, 2007.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policies, the BLM announces the availability of the ROD and approved Ukiah Resource Management Plan for lands and resources administered by its Ukiah Field Office. The California State Director has signed the ROD, making the RMP effective immediately.

43 CFR Subpart 8364Closure and Restrictions, 8364.1 (a) states: ``To protect persons, property, and public lands and resources, the authorized officer may issue an order to close or restrict use of designated public lands.'' In coordination with several livestock grazing permittees and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, all BLM- administered roads within the Cherry and Frenchie Fires of 2006 will be closed to all motorized vehicle travel (e.g., all-terrain vehicles, pickup trucks, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, snowmobiles, etc.), including existing roads and two-tracks within the perimeter. This action is necessary for the protection of watershed resources and highly erosive soils to allow adequate time to allow for the rehabilitation of the burned area. No motorized vehicle travel into these areas will be allowed, including motorized travel for purposes of retrieval of big game, unless specifically authorized (in writing) by the authorized officer (BLM Four Rivers Field Office Manager). The following acts are exempt from this action: (1) Access within the area by other means (e.g., foot or horseback); (2) persons with a BLM permit or contract specifically authorizing motor vehicle use; (3) owners or lessees of land in the closed area with written authorization; (4) any BLM employee or livestock grazing permittee providing maintenance to a structure or facility; and (5) any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty. Extension of the closure order may occur if it is determined that the rehabilitation of the burned area has not been successful. Once rehabilitation of the burned area is determined to be successful, motorized vehicle access will resume in accordance with the 1988 Cascade Resource Management Plan (RMP) Record of Decision (ROD), opening the area to off-road vehicle use, providing no resource damage occurs. Roads and fire lines will be appropriately signed to inform the public of the closure. This closure will affect the following areas:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2006 a Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Project. The NOA contained incorrect information. The ADDRESSES section contained an incorrect Web address as to where the document would be available electronically. The DATES section contained unclear and incorrect information. The correct information is provided below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM-Eastern States, Springfield, Virginia, 30 calendar days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Front Range Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

Section 5 paragraph 3 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) of December 2004 (16 U.S.C. 6804(a)(3)) requires that the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture publish a notice in the Federal Register when the ``America the Beautifulthe National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass'' is first established and available for purchase. The new pass program was created in response to requirements of the REA. The new pass replaces the Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and the Golden Access Passports, as well as the National Parks Pass, which currently support recreation opportunities on public lands managed by the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Sales of the new pass are scheduled to begin in January 2007. The new pass will be sold at Federal recreation sites that charge entrance and standard amenity fees. The pass will also be available through links on government Web sites including creation.gov and through select third-party vendors.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is publishing this notice under Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The BLM is giving notice that the Secretary of the Interior is extending the call for nominations for positions to the Sonoran Desert National Monument Advisory Council (SDNMAC). This notice request the public to submit nominations for membership on the SDNMAC. Any individual or organization may nominate one or more persons to serve on the SDNMAC. Individuals may nominate themselves for SDNMAC membership.

This order revokes two public land orders insofar as they affect 118.60 acres of public lands withdrawn from surface entry, mining, and mineral leasing and reserved for use by the Department of the Air Force for military purposes at Fort Yukon. The lands are no longer needed for the purpose for which they were withdrawn.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS) for the Yuma Field Office (YFO), Arizona, and by this notice is announcing the opening of the public review and comment period.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to The Kuskokwim Corporation, Successor in Interest to Kipchaughpuk Limited. The lands are in the vicinity of the Native village of Crooked Creek, Alaska, and are located in:

The Powder River Regional Coal Team (RCT) has scheduled a public meeting for January 18, 2007, to review current and proposed activities in the Powder River Coal Region and to review pending coal lease applications (LBA).

In accordance with Title IV of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (Pub. L. 97-451), GLNA LLC timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease UTU76510 for lands in Grand County, Utah, and it was accompanied by all required rentals and royalties accruing from July 1, 2006, the date of termination.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Dakotas Resource Advisory Council will meet as indicated below.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (1976) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (1972), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) will meet in Pinedale, Wyoming, for business meetings. Group meetings are open to the public.

Under the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(1), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from Windsor Beaver Creek LLC for competitive oil and gas lease WYW147371 for land in Sheridan County, Wyoming. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

In accordance with Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carrizo Plain National Monument Advisory Committee will meet as indicated below:

The Bureau of Land Management proposes to withdraw 16.45 acres of public land from surface entry and mining for a period of 20 years to protect the Farmington Administrative Site. The land was previously withdrawn by Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6616, which expired July 10, 2006.

In accordance with 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3425.4, the Bureau of Land Management, Miles City Field Office, Miles City, Montana, hereby gives notice that an Environmental Assessment (EA) is available and a public hearing will be held to lease Federal coal. The EA analyzes and discloses direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of issuing competitively a Federal coal lease for 1,207.5 acres in the Bighorn County, Montana. The purpose of the public hearing is to solicit comments from the public on (1) The proposal to issue a Federal coal lease; (2) the proposed competitive lease sale; (3) the Fair Market Value (FMV) of the Federal coal; and (4) Maximum Economic Recovery (MER) of the Federal coal included in the tracts.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Alaska State Office, is preparing a supplemental Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (IAP/EIS) for the Northeast portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).

This order extends Public Land Order No. 6630 for an additional 20-year period. This extension is necessary to allow the National Park Service to continue to manage the land as part of the Voyageurs National Park.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Atlantic Rim Natural Gas Development Project FEIS. The FEIS analyzes the environmental consequences of a proposed natural gas development and production operations on the 270,080 acre Atlantic Rim project area. The area is located within the administrative jurisdiction of the BLM Rawlins Field Office, and runs in an arc between Rawlins and Baggs in:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has determined land located in Santa Fe County, New Mexico is suitable for classification for conveyance to Santa Fe County, under authority of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.) and 43 CFR subpart 2743.