[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 92 (Friday, May 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 22003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10030]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Superior National Forest; Minnesota; Application for Withdrawal
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of cancellation of preparation of an environmental
impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Superior National Forest is issuing this notice to advise
the public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will no longer
be prepared for the Application for Withdrawal Project. The notice of
intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on
January 13, 2017 (82 FR 4282). An environmental asessment (EA) will be
prepared in lieu of an EIS. At this time, a Forest Plan Amendment is
not being prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning this notice
should be directed to Matthew Judd, Superior National Forest Minerals
Project Coordinator, via mail at 8901 Grand Ave. Pl., Duluth, MN 55808,
telephone at (218) 626-4300, or email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service (USFS) submitted an application on January 5, 2017 to
the Secretary of the Interior proposing to withdraw lands from
disposition under United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws
(subject to valid existing rights) for a period of 20 years.
All the National Forest System (NFS) lands identified in this
application are described in Appendix A and displayed on a map in
Appendix B of the withdrawal application. This application is available
upon request at the Superior National Forest office at 8901 Grand Ave.
Place, Duluth, MN 55808 or online at http://go.usa.gov/xnfQh.
The areas described contain approximately 234,328 acres of NFS
lands that overlay Federally-owned minerals in Cook, Lake, and Saint
Louis Counties, Minnesota located adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe
Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Mining Protection Area (MPA). The Forest Service will prepare an EA in
lieu of an EIS because no significant environmental impacts are
anticipated with the proposed action.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The USFS is the lead agency in preparation of the EA. The USFS has
designated the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) as a cooperating agency. The BLM will independently evaluate and
review the EA and any other documents needed for the Secretary of
Interior to make a decision on the proposed withdrawal.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Public scoping was conducted following the original publication of
the notice of intent to prepare an EIS, and included three public
listening sessions held in Duluth, Minnesota on March 16, 2017, St.
Paul, Minnesota on July 17, 2017, and Virgina, Minnesota on July 25,
2017. Over 80,000 comment letters submitted during scoping represented
the full range of public sentiment, from strong support to strong
opposition. The Forest Service is using the information received in
public comments along with a review of environmental, social and
economic information to prepare the EA. The BLM is responsible for
ensuring the analysis and documentation address Department of the
Interior regulations. The BLM will determine if there is a Finding of
No Significant Impact. The USFS expects to complete the EA in late 2018
before the mineral segregation expires in January 2019. The Secretary
of Interior is the authorized official to approve a proposal for
withdrawal.
Dated: March 28, 2018.
Glenn P. Casamassa,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-10030 Filed 5-10-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P