[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2425-2426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00316]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLAKF02000.16100000.DP0000.LXSS094L0000]
Notice of Availability of a Supplement to the Eastern Interior
Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for
Leasing of Hardrock Minerals in the White Mountains National Recreation
Area, AK
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as
[[Page 2426]]
amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing the
availability of a Supplement to the Draft Resource Management Plan
(RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Eastern Interior
Planning Area (Alaska) and the extension of the comment period for the
Draft RMP/EIS. The purpose of the Supplement is to analyze and obtain
public comment on opening part of the White Mountains National
Recreation Area to hardrock mineral leasing.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft RMP/EIS and Supplement thereto within 90
days after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its
notice of availability of the Supplement in the Federal Register. The
BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public
participation activities at least 15 days in advance through public
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Eastern Interior
Draft RMP/EIS and Supplement by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/planning.html.
Fax: 907-474-2282.
Mail: Eastern Interior Field Office, Attention--Eastern
Interior Draft RMP/EIS, Bureau of Land Management, 1150 University
Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709.
Copies of the Supplement to the Eastern Interior Draft RMP/EIS are
available at the Fairbanks District Office at the above address; at the
Alaska State Office, Public Information Center, Bureau of Land
Management, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513; and on the
following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/planning.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeanie Cole, 907-474-2340 or
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Supplement to the Eastern Interior Draft
RMP/EIS amends Alternative D to address hardrock mineral leasing in the
White Mountains National Recreation Area (NRA). Section 1312 of the
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), 16 U.S.C.
460mm-4, withdrew the lands within the White Mountains NRA from
location, entry, and patent under the Mining Law of 1872, but allows
the Secretary to ``permit the removal of the nonleasable minerals''
from these lands, provided the Secretary makes a finding that such
disposition would not have significant adverse effects on the
administration of the NRA. The BLM has interpreted section 1312 as
allowing for the disposal of previously locatable minerals within the
NRA by lease, as described in its regulations at 43 CFR part 3500 and
3580, subpart 3585.
The White Mountains RMP issued in 1986 recommended opening about 44
percent of the NRA to hardrock mineral leasing. This decision was never
implemented.
The BLM published a Notice of Availability for the Eastern Interior
Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal Register on February 24, 2012 (77 FR
11154). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its Notice
of Availability of the Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal Register on March
2, 2012 (77 FR 12835), beginning a 150-day public comment period. This
notice announces the extension of the comment period for the Draft RMP/
EIS for 90 days after EPA publishes its notice of availability of the
Supplement in the Federal Register. The Draft RMP/EIS considered
hardrock mineral leasing in the White Mountains NRA as an alternative
considered but not analyzed in detail.
In the Draft RMP/EIS, the BLM previously described that the
provisions under ANILCA for hardrock mineral leasing in the White
Mountains NRA (implemented by 43 CFR 3585) applied only to removal of
hardrock minerals from unperfected mining claims that existed before
November 16, 1978. Since there are no longer any mining claims of
record within the NRA, it was thought that no one could meet the
requirements to lease hardrock minerals. This understanding was
incorrect, as the BLM, through its regulations at 43 CFR part 3500 and
subpart 3580, has interpreted Section 1312 of ANILCA as allowing for
the disposal of hardrock minerals by lease even in the absence of an
underlying unperfected mining claim subject to certain findings by the
Secretary.
In order to analyze in detail and obtain public comment on an
alternative involving hardrock mineral leasing in the White Mountains
NRA, the BLM has issued a Supplement to the Eastern Interior Draft RMP/
EIS. The Supplement amends Alternative D to include hardrock mineral
leasing. This alternative would recommend making approximately 160,000
acres in the White Mountains NRA available for hardrock mineral
leasing. The Supplement describes the additions to Alternative D,
assumptions for analysis, and the environmental effects associated with
hardrock mineral leasing. A decision on whether or not to recommend
opening the NRA to hardrock mineral leasing as a feature of the agency
preferred alternative in the Proposed RMP/Final EIS will be made after
reviewing and considering public comments on the Draft RMP/EIS and the
Supplement.
Pursuant to section 810 of ANILCA, the BLM evaluated the effects of
the alternative presented in the Supplement on subsistence activities
and determined that there may be a significant restriction on
subsistence uses. The BLM will hold public hearings related to section
810 of ANILCA in conjunction with public meetings on the Supplement, in
the affected region. The BLM will announce notice of specific dates and
locations for public meetings and ANILCA hearings, through public
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.
Public comments and information submitted including names, street
addresses, and email addresses of persons who submit comments will be
available for public review and disclosure at the above address during
regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 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. 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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 1506.10, and 43 CFR 1610.2.
Ted A. Murphy,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-00316 Filed 1-10-13; 8:45 am]
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