[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 86 (Thursday, May 5, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10774]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 5, 1994]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WY-060-93-4410-02]
Newcastle Resource Area, WY
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Comment period extension for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Newcastle Resource Management Plan for the BLM
Administered Public Lands in the Wyoming Portion of the Newcastle
Resource Area.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is extending the public
comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
the Newcastle Resource Management Plan (RMP). Comments will be accepted
until June 10, 1994.
The draft EIS for the Newcastle RMP describes and analysis four
alternative RMPs, including the BLM's preferred alternative, for
managing the Wyoming portion of the Newcastle Resource Area. The
planning area is located in Crook, Weston, and Niobrara Counties, in
northeastern Wyoming. When completed, the Newcastle RMP will provide
the management direction for future land and resource management
actions on approximately 291,000 acres of public land surface and
approximately 1,700,000 acres of Federal mineral estate administered by
the BLM within this portion of the Newcastle Resource Area.
The draft EIS focuses on resolving three key issues that were
identified with public involvement early in the planning process. These
issues are: (1) Retention or disposal of public lands; (2) surface
disturbance; and (3) special management areas designations.
There is one designated area of environmental concern (ACEC) within
the Newcastle RMP planning area, the Whoopup Canyon ACEC. The preferred
alternative recommends that the Whoopup Canyon ACEC designation be
retained and that the area of the ACEC be expanded in size. The
potential for new ACEC designations was also explored. One potential
new ACEC was identified and is proposed in the preferred alternative.
This involves the BLM administered public land surface in the Lance
Creek Fossil Area.
During development of the draft EIS, the BLM conducted a Wild and
Scenic Rivers review of BLM administered public lands that lie along
waterways within the planning area. There were no BLM administered
public lands in the planning areas that were found to meet the Wild and
Scenic Rivers eligibility criteria to be given further consideration
for inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
The coal screening process (including application of the coal
unsuitability criteria under 43 CFR part 3461) was not conducted for
the planing effort. Any interest in coal exploration or leasing will be
handled on a case by case basis. If an application for a coal lease is
received sometime in the future, an appropriation land use
environmental analysis will be conducted (which will include conducting
the coal screening process), to determine whether or not the coal areas
applied for are acceptable for development and leasing consideration.
The RMP will be amended by necessary. To date, there has been no
interest expressed to the BLM for leasing and development of BLM-
administered coal in the planning area.
Wilderness management and wild horse management were not addressed
in the planning effort. There are no wilderness areas or wilderness
study areas on BLM-administered public lands in the planning area. In
addition, there have been no other areas with wilderness
characteristics identified on public lands in the planning area. There
are no known wild horse or wild horse herd management areas in the
planning area.
When approved, the Newcastle RMP will guide BLM's management of the
public lands in the Newcastle Resource Area.
DATES: Written comments will be accepted until June 10, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Newcastle RMP draft EIS are available from the
BLM Newcastle Resource Area Office at 1101 Washington Boulevard,
Newcastle, Wyoming 82701, or the BLM Casper District Office at 1701
East ``E'' Street, Casper Wyoming 82601. Comments should be sent to the
Newcastle Area Manager at the Newcastle Resource Area Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Floyd Ewing, Newcastle Area Manager, or Gary Lebsack, Newcastle RMP
Team Leader, at the above address or telephone 307-746-4453.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Newcastle Resource Area is responsible
for managing the BLM administered public lands in Crook, Niobrara, and
Weston countries in Wyoming, and all BLM administered public lands in
Nebraska. Management of the BLM administered public lands in Nebraska
is covered under the Nebraska Resource Management Plan completed in
1992.
Within the Nescastle RMP planning areas, there are varied and
intermingled land surface ownerships and overlapping mineral
ownerships. Therefore, the administrative jurisdictions for land use
planning and for managing the land surface and minerals are also
varied, intermingled, and sometimes overlapping. For this reason, it is
important to understand that the Newcastle RMP draft EIS does not
address management of lands or minerals within the planning areas that
are privately owned or owned by the State of Wyoming of local
Governments (about 1,000 acres). If also does not address those
Federally owned minerals within the planning area that are under
Federal land surface managed by other Federal agencies (about 420,000
acres).
The draft EIS for the Newcastle RMP presents four alternatives,
multiple use RMPs for managing the BLM administered public lands in the
planning area, Alternative A (continuation of present management) and
three other alternatives that suggest different combinations and
emphases for managing the various resource and land uses on the BLM
administered public lands, on the basis of needs, opportunities, and
public demand. The four alternative plans focus on allocating public
lands and resources among their valid uses and prescribing general
management actions that would be taken. The preferred alternative is a
combination of parts of Alternatives A, B, and C and represents what
BLM believes is the best balance between the public land and resource
uses and environmental protection in the planning area. The various
impacts that would be expected from implementing each of the
alternative is also presented in the draft EIS.
Dated: April 29, 1994.
David J. Walter,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 94-10774 Filed 5-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-M