04-27082. Notice of Meeting of the Pinedale Anticline Working Group's SocioEconomic Task Group

AGENCY:

Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (1976) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (1972), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) SocioEconomic Task Group (subcommittee) will meet in Pinedale, Wyoming, for a business meeting. Task Group meetings are open to the public.

DATES:

The next PAWG SocioEconomic Task Group meeting is scheduled for January 11, 2005, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. A second meeting will occur on January 25, 2005, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES:

The January 11 PAWG SocioEconomic Task Group meeting will be held in the Sublette County School Board meeting room at 146 E. Hennick St., Pinedale, WY. The January 25 meeting will be held in the Lovatt room of the Pinedale Library at 155 S. Tyler Ave., Pinedale, WY.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roy Allen, BLM/SocioEconomic TG Liaison, Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Rd., Cheyenne, WY, 82009, or PO Box 1828, Cheyenne, WY 82003; 307-775-6031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) was authorized and established with release of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Project on July 27, 2000. The PAWG advises the BLM on the development and implementation of monitoring plans and adaptive management decisions as development of the Pinedale Anticline Natural Gas Field (PAPA) proceeds for the life of the field.

After the ROD was issued, Interior determined that a Federal Advisory Committees Act (FACA) charter was required for this group. The charter was signed by Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, on August 15, 2002, and renewed on August 13, 2004. An announcement of committee initiation and call for nominations was published in the Federal Register on February 21, 2003, (68 FR 8522). PAWG members were appointed by Secretary Norton on May 4, 2004.

At their second business meeting, the PAWG established seven resource-or activity-specific Task Groups, including one for SocioEconomics. Public participation on the Task Groups was solicited through the media, letters, and word-of-mouth. The agenda for this meeting will include information gathering and discussion related to developing a socioeconomic monitoring plan to assess the impacts of development in the Pinedale Anticline gas field, and identifying who will do and who will pay for the monitoring. Task Group recommendations are due to the PAWG in February, 2005. At a minimum, public comments will be heard just prior to adjournment of the meeting.

Dated: December 2, 2004.

Priscilla E. Mecham,

Field Office Manager.