[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 117 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33385-33386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16164]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CO-078-98-1310-00]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (SEIS) on Oil and Gas Leasing in the Glenwood Springs
Resource Area
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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[[Page 33386]]
SUMMARY: Pursuant to sec. 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations in CFR
1610.5-5, BLM proposes to amend the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for
its Glenwood Springs Resource Area (GSRA). As described in a Notice of
Intent published on April 21, 1997 (62 FR 19349), BLM has prepared a
supplemental EIS on the impacts of oil and gas development in the GSRA.
On March 17, 1998, an additional Notice of Intent (63 FR 13068)
expressed BLM's intent to include lands in the Naval Oil Shale Reserves
(NOSR) in the SEIS and the RMP amendment. That SEIS is now available
for review and comment.
Copies of the SEIS will be available at the following BLM offices:
the Glenwood Springs Resource Area Office, 50629 Highway 6 & 24,
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, 81602; the Grand Junction District Office,
2815 H Road, Grand Junction, Colorado, 81506; and the Colorado State
Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado, 80215.
DATES: Comments will be accepted until September 17, 1998. A public
meeting on the SEIS will be held on July 7, 1998, from 3:00 to 8:00 PM
in the Valley Senior Center, 540 Parachute Avenue, Parachute, Colorado,
81635.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Area Manager, Glenwood
Springs Resource Area, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 1009,
Glenwood Springs, CO 81602, ATTN: Oil and Gas SEIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Moore,(970) 947-2824
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare a supplemental
EIS on oil and gas leasing and development in the GSRA was published on
April 21, 1997 (62 FR 19349). The EIS process indicated that some
changes in the leasing decisions are necessary and that an RMP
amendment will be required. After publication of that notice, the
Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1998 (November 18, 1997)
transferred management authority for the Naval Oil Shale Reserves
(NOSR) from the Department of Energy to BLM. In addition to
transferring management authority to BLM, the Act directs BLM to lease
approximately 6,000 acres in the NOSR for oil and gas development by
November 18, 1998. On March 17, 1998, BLM published an additional
Notice of Intent (63 FR 13068) expressing its intent to include lands
in the Naval Oil Shale Reserves (NOSR) in the oil and gas leasing SEIS
and RMP amendment.
Among the issues identified and evaluated in the SEIS are: the
effects on visual quality of gas development in highly visible terrain;
the impact on riparian areas; the effects on wildlife and wildlife
habitat; and the potential success of reclamation efforts in the arid
environment.
Three alternatives were evaluated:
The Continuation of Current Management Alternative, which would
continue leasing and mitigation decisions adopted in a 1991 RMP
amendment and extend them to the NOSR area to be leased;
The Maximum Protection Alternative, which would attempt to maximize
mitigation measures regardless of the impact on gas production; and
The Proposed Action, which describes the GSRA's attempt to provide
multiple resource management of oil and gas development.
Larry J. Porter,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 98-16164 Filed 6-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P
