[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38912-38913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18407]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY-080-1610-00]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan
and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Newcastle Field Office
Administrative Area, Wyoming
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Proposed Newcastle Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The proposed RMP describes the
proposed future management direction for approximately 291,168 acres of
BLM-administered public land surface and 1,407,698 acres of BLM-
administered Federal mineral estate in the Wyoming portion of the
Newcastle Field Office administrative area.
If you are interested in being involved in future activity planning
and implementation of management decisions addressed in the proposed
RMP, please contact the Newcastle Field Office at the address below.
The Proposed Newcastle Resource Management Plan and FEIS document
is a complete reprinting of the material presented in the draft EIS
document. It contains updated and revised chapter narratives, maps,
tables, and appendices. Therefore, it should not be necessary to refer
to the draft EIS in reviewing this proposed RMP and FEIS.
The Proposed Newcastle Resource Management Plan is a comprehensive
land use plan for the management of the BLM-administered public lands
in the Newcastle Field Office administrative area. The proposed RMP is
a refinement of the preferred alternative presented in the draft EIS.
Comments from the public, review and corrections by BLM staff, and new
information developed since the distribution of the draft EIS have
prompted some changes in the Preferred Alternative. The environmental
effects of the proposed RMP are not substantively different from those
of the Preferred Alternative. The proposed RMP focuses on the
resolution of key resource management issues that were identified with
public involvement early in the planning process. These issues include:
(1) split estate land management; (2) special management area
designations; and (3) resource accessibility and manageability.
The draft EIS for the Newcastle RMP was made available for public
review and comment in April 1998. Comments received on the draft EIS
were considered in preparing the Proposed Newcastle RMP and FEIS.
The following are changes made to the draft EIS in preparing the
FEIS as a result of the public comments received, correcting errors,
and updating information.
--Three planning criteria have been added: biological diversity,
leasable minerals potential, and wild and scenic rivers. None of these
additional criteria caused any changes in the Preferred Alternative.
--The ``Socioeconomic'' section in Chapter 3 has been updated and
revised using current data.
[[Page 38913]]
--Map 3-18, ``Elk Hunt Areas'' and Map 3-24, ``Elk and Antelope Herd
Unit Boundaries'' have been updated to reflect current information.
--Map 3-19, ``Threatened or Endangered Species Habitat,'' from the
draft was eliminated because the information was incomplete and
misleading.
--Information pertaining to big game population objectives was updated
with current data.
--An Appendix N, ``Fire Management Implementation Plan for the BLM-
Administered Public Lands in the State of Wyoming'' was added.
--Two appendices were updated with more current information: (1)
Appendix H, ``A Detailed Discussion of Oil and Gas Activities and
Processes in the Newcastle Resource Area,'' and (2) Appendix I,
``Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario for Oil and Gas.''
All or part of the Proposed Newcastle Resource Management Plan and
FEIS may be protested by parties who participated in the planning
process and who have an interest which is or may be adversely affected
by the adoption of the plan. A protest may raise only those issues
which were submitted for the record during the planning process and by
only those parties who raised those issues.
DATES: Protests on the Proposed Newcastle RMP and FEIS must be
postmarked no later than 30 days following the date that the
Environmental Protection Agency Notice of Availability (NOA) is
published in the Federal Register. That NOA is expected to be published
on July 16, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Protests on the Proposed Newcastle RMP and FEIS should be
sent to: Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Attention: Brenda
Williams, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Hill, Newcastle Field Manager,
Bureau of Land Management, 1101 Washington Blvd., Newcastle, Wyoming
82701, Phone: 307-746-4453.
Dated: July 14, 1999.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 99-18407 Filed 7-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310 22-P
