Bureau of Land Management October 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given, in accordance with Public Laws 92-463 and 94-579, that the California Desert District Advisory Council (DAC) to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of the Interior, will meet in formal session on Saturday, December 1, 2012, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Cal Works Bldg., 2895 S 4th St, El Centro, CA 92243. There also will be a field trip on Friday, November 30, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on BLM-administered lands. Field trip details will be posted on the DAC Web page, https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/ en/info/rac/dac.html, when finalized. Agenda topics for the Saturday meeting will include a focus on cultural resource management, as well as updates by council members, the BLM California Desert District manager, five field office managers, and council subgroups. Final agenda items will be posted on the DAC Web page listed above.

The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget proposes to extend the duration of Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6963 for an additional 20-year term. PLO No. 6963 withdrew 257.60 acres of public land from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the general land laws, including the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the mineral leasing laws, to protect the natural values of the Florence Sand Dunes (FSD). This notice also amends the land description and acreage in PLO No. 6963 and gives an opportunity to comment on the proposed action and to request a public meeting.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality and the Department of the Interior (DOI) regulations implementing NEPA, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona State Office has prepared Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments and a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Restoration Design Energy Project (RDEP) and by this notice is announcing its availability.

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), together with San Bernardino County, intend to prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which may include an amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan, for the Soda Mountain Solar Project (Project). By this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues related to the EIS/Plan Amendment (PA).

The plats of survey of lands described below are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management California State Office, Sacramento, California, thirty (30) calendar days from the date of this publication.

Notice is hereby given that a temporary closure to motorized travel and human entry is in effect on public lands administered by the Challis Field Office, Idaho Falls District, Bureau of Land Management.

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 (BLM), Arizona Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet in Phoenix, Arizona, as indicated below.

In accordance 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 Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the West Eugene Wetlands and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) invites public comments on, and plans to request approval to continue, the collection of information that enables the BLM to monitor compliance with timber export restrictions. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has assigned control number 1004-0058 to this information collection.

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) Boise District Office, Boise, Idaho, intends to prepare Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Management Framework Plan (MFP) amendments with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Bruneau and Four Rivers Field Offices and by this notice announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.. The amendments would clarify the subset of lands, designated as eligible or potentially eligible for disposal, that meet FLPMA's Section 203 sale criteria. The BLM Boise District Office will also analyze approximately 1,600 acres of public land, currently identified as Category I (retention), for reclassification as suitable for sale under FLPMA Section 203, exchange or Recreation and Public Purpose patent. This reclassification could result in a net benefit to BLM programs and aid in blocking up State and Federal management units. The BLM will apply Section 203 criteria to determine whether the parcels will be considered eligible for disposal through sale or through exchange or Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act conveyance or leases.

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

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project and Approved Plan Amendment to the Rawlins Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Visual Resource Management (VRM), the applicable plan for the project site and the surrounding areas located in the Rawlins Field Office. The Secretary of the Interior signed the ROD on October 9, 2012, which constitutes the final decision of the Department.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Montana State Office, Billings, Montana, on November 14, 2012.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to continue the collection of information from applicants for a land patent under the Color-of-Title Act. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved this information collection activity, and assigned it control number 1004-0029.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Montana State Office, Billings, Montana, on November 14, 2012.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to continue the collection of information from applicants for land for recreation or public purposes. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved this information collection activity, and assigned it control number 1004-0012.

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

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from CEP-M Purchase, LLC, for competitive oil and gas lease WYW159206 for land in Campbell 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.

Under the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from CEP-M Purchase, LLC, for competitive oil and gas lease WYW145583 for land in Campbell 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.

The plats of survey of the described lands were officially filed in the Arizona State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix, Arizona, on dates indicated.

An application was filed on January 24, 2012, by the surface owner, Charles Luckhardt, et al., for the conveyance of the federally owned mineral interests underlying a 1,148.68 acre tract of land in Santa Clara County, California. Publication of this notice temporarily segregates the mineral interests in the land covered by the application from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining laws, for up to 2 years from the date of filing of the application while the application is being processed.

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) Southern Nevada District, the BLM Red Rock/Sloan Field Office, Las Vegas, Nevada, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) to consider new management decisions for permanent fixed anchors for recreational rock climbing within the BLM portions of the La Madre Mountain Wilderness and Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Areas for the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This notice marks the beginning of the scoping process to solicit input on issues and the proposed planning criteria.

The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Alaska State Office, under the authority of 43 CFR 3131.4-1(a), hereby notifies the public that it will hold a National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska oil and gas lease sale bid opening for tracts in the Northeast and Northwest Planning Areas. The United States reserves the right to withdraw any tract from this sale prior to issuance of a written acceptance of a bid.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is scheduled to file the plats of survey of the lands described below thirty (30) calendar days from the date of this publication in the BLM Wyoming State Office, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

This order withdraws approximately 18,760.63 acres of public land from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the mineral leasing laws, for a period of 5 years. This withdrawal will protect the Limestone Hills Training Area in Broadwater County near Townsend, Montana, pending the processing of an Engle Act legislative withdrawal application.