[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 179 (Friday, September 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47928-47930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22919]
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[[Page 47929]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Oil and Gas Leasing Analysis; Los Padres National Forest, Los
Angeles, Kern, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura
Counties, California; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement
The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS) and the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) are conducting an analysis to identify lands
within Los Padres National Forest that should or should not be made
available for oil and gas leasing. The analysis will be documented in
an environmental impact statement (EIS). The Forest Service is the
Federal lead agency. The Bureau of Land Management is participating in
the analysis as a cooperating agency.
The purpose of the EIS is to implement the authority and
responsibility granted to the FS by the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas
Leasing Reform Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-203) and to meet the regulatory
requirements of 36 CFR 228 Subpart E. This Act gives the FS authority
to approve or disapprove the leasing of National Forest System lands
for development of oil and gas resources. The Act also authorizes the
FS to identify appropriate stipulations to be applied to a lease to
protect the surface resources. The BLM issues the leases and
administers operations connected with the extraction of the mineral
resources. The FS approves all surface disturbing activities and
administers all surface operations.
The FS and BLM, Federal agencies with separate responsibilities for
administration of oil and gas leasing on lands within Los Padres
National Forest, propose the following specific actions:
(1) The Forest Supervisor will decide, within Los Padres National
Forest, which National Forest System (NFS) lands and non-Federal lands
with Federal mineral ownership (split-estate lands) are
administratively available for oil and gas leasing and under what
conditions. A significant part of the leasing decision is to determine
stipulations to become part of any lands offered for lease. There are
numerous possible varieties and combinations of these lease
stipulations but each can be placed into one of the following
categories: no lease; no surface occupancy; timing limitations;
controlled surface use; and, lease with standard BLM lease terms.
(2) The Forest Supervisor will decide which specific NFS lands the
BLM is authorized to offer for lease, subject to the FS ensuring that
correct stipulations will be attached to leases issued by the BLM.
(3) The FS proposes to amend Los Padres National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan to incorporate the leasing decision in place
of guidelines for oil and gas leasing contained in the Forest Plan.
(4) The BLM conducts public offerings to lease the specific lands
authorized by the Forest Service.
The decisions made as a result of this analysis will not result in
on-the-ground activities. Ground disturbing projects such as
exploration, drilling or field development would require further
environmental analysis and separate site specific decisions prior to
approval.
Since the Forest Plan was completed prior to the passage of the
Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987, the current
Forest Plan did not determine the availability of NFS lands for oil and
gas leasing. The Plan directs that later analyses and decisions to
lease, or not lease, specific lands would be documented in an EIS.
The area involved in this leasing analysis includes all Federal
lands within the boundary of Los Padres National Forest except for
lands which have been legislatively withdrawn from mineral entry--
wilderness, the Santa Ynez municipal watershed and the Big Sur coastal
zone. The study area encompasses approximately 743,000 acres or 42
percent of the total area within the Forest boundary.
Possible oil and gas exploration and development that could result
from leasing Federal lands within Los Padres National Forest could
affect the lands and resources of the Forest in several ways. The FS
and BLM have identified the following as tentative issues and resources
to be addressed during the analysis process: wildlife and wildlife
habitat; threatened, endangered and sensitive animals and plants; soils
and water; riparian, wetlands and floodplains; and, visual and
recreation resources. In addition, the possible effects of leasing on
opportunities to explore for and develop oil and gas resources within
the analysis area and possible effects on local communities and
socioeconomic values will be analyzed.
The range of alternatives for this analysis is being developed. The
following alternatives are proposed at this time. This list will be
changed/supplemented as needed as a result of scoping.
(1) No leasing.
(2) Current Forest Plan direction.
(3) Emphasize biodiversity and watershed protection.
(4) Emphasize visual and recreational resources.
(5) Balanced resources emphasis.
(6) Emphasize oil and gas development.
Federal, State and local agencies, organizations, and individuals
who may be interested in or affected by the decision will be invited to
participate in the scoping process. Scoping will include mailings,
media announcements, and public meetings. The scoping process will
identify potential issues, identify those issues to be analyzed in
depth, and eliminate insignificant issues. Scoping will also determine
the extent of the analysis necessary for an informed decision including
identification of alternatives.
The FS will hold public meetings at the following locations:
Frazier Park, CA--Saturday, Sept. 30, 1995, 10:00 A.M., Chuchupate
Ranger Station, Lockwood Valley Road.
King City, CA--Monday, Oct. 2, 1995, 7:30 P.M., Orradre Building,
Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division Street.
Arroyo Grande, CA--Tuesday, Oct. 3, 1995, 7:30 P.M., South County
Regional Center, 800 West Branch Street.
Goleta, CA--Wednesday, Oct. 4, 1995, 7:30 P.M., Goleta Community
Center, 5679 Hollister Avenue.
Ventura, CA--Thursday, Oct. 5, 1995, 7:30 P.M., De Anza Middle
School, 2060 Cameron.
David W. Dahl, Forest Supervisor, Los Padres National Forest,
Goleta, California, is the responsible official.
Written comments and suggestions concerning the analysis should be
sent to Los Padres National Forest, Att'n: Oil & Gas EIS, 6144 Calle
Real, Goleta, CA 93117, by October 20, 1995.
The environmental analysis is expected to take about 18 months to
complete. The draft environmental impact statement should be available
for public review in August, 1996. The final environmental impact
statement is scheduled to be completed by April, 1997.
The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will
be 60 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes
the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The FS believes, at this early stage, it is important to give
reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an
[[Page 47930]]
agency to the reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee
Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also,
environmental objections that could be raised at the draft
environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised until
after completion of the final environmental impact statement may be
waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the 60-day comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when it can meaningful consider them and respond to
them in the final environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Questions about the proposed action and environmental impact
statement should be directed to Al Hess, Oil and Gas EIS Project
Leader, Los Padres National Forest, phone (805) 681-2794.
Dated: September 6, 1995.
David W. Dahl,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 95-22919 Filed 9-14-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M