Notice2023-00929
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the North Dakota Field Office
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 20, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a draft resource management plan (RMP) and draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the North Dakota Field Office and by this notice announces the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS. This notice also announces the comment period on the BLM's proposed area of critical environmental concern (ACEC) within the RMP area.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 13 (Friday, January 20, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3757-3758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00929]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[L16100000.DP0000 LX.SS.E0900000]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the North Dakota Field Office
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a
draft resource management plan (RMP) and draft environmental impact
statement (EIS) for the North Dakota Field Office and by this notice
announces the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS. This
notice also announces the comment period on the BLM's proposed area of
critical environmental concern (ACEC) within the RMP area.
DATES: This notice announces the opening of a 90-day comment period for
the Draft RMP/EIS beginning with the date of the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) publication of its Notice of Availability
(NOA) of the Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal Register. The EPA usually
publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the
Proposed RMP/Final EIS, please ensure that the BLM receives your
comments prior to the close of the 90-day public comment period or 15
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
In addition, this notice also announces the opening of a concurrent
60-day comment period for the ACEC proposed in the Draft RMP.
The BLM will hold a total of three public meetings. One meeting
will be held virtually and two meetings will be held in-person. In-
person meeting locations will be announced along with details of all
meetings once they are known. In compliance with Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention public health guidelines, the BLM may need to
hold public meetings in virtual format if county-level transmission of
COVID-19 is ``high'' at the time of the public meetings. In that case,
the BLM will hold three virtual public meetings.
In all cases, the dates and locations of meetings will be announced
at least 15 days in advance through local media, social media,
newspapers, and the ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES section).
ADDRESSES: The Draft RMP/EIS is available for review on the BLM
ePlanning project website at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510</a>. The ePlanning website also includes background
information on the North Dakota RMP revision.
Written comments related to the North Dakota Draft RMP/EIS may be
submitted by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510</a>.
<bullet> Mail: North Dakota Field Office, Attention: North Dakota
RMP/EIS, 99 23rd Ave. West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND 58601.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at the
ePlanning project website and at the North Dakota Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristine Braun, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator for the Eastern Montana/Dakotas District,
telephone (701) 227-7725; address North Dakota Field Office, 99 23rd
Ave. West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND 58601; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#761d13140417031836141a1b58111900"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="761d13140417031836141a1b58111900">[email protected]</span></a>.
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services for contacting
Mrs. Braun. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
Montana/Dakotas State Director has prepared a Draft RMP/EIS, provides
information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft
RMP/EIS, and announces the comment period on the BLM's proposed ACEC.
The planning area includes the entire state of North Dakota and
encompasses approximately 58,500 acres of BLM-managed public land and
4.1 million acres of BLM-managed mineral estate.
Purpose and Need for the Planning Effort
The need for the North Dakota RMP revision is to address changes in
resource conditions, shifting demands for resource uses, new
technologies, new program and resource guidance and policies, and new
scientific information since the development of the 1988 RMP. The
purpose of this RMP revision is to develop management direction to
guide future land management for BLM-managed lands and minerals in
North Dakota. The BLM has identified four specific purposes to describe
BLM's distinctive role in the North Dakota landscape: (1) Provide
recreational opportunities and improve access to BLM-managed lands; (2)
Contribute to the conservation and recovery of threatened and
endangered and special status species; (3) Manage mineral and energy
development on BLM-managed lands; and (4) Manage for other social and
scientific values.
Alternatives Including the Preferred Alternative
The BLM has analyzed four alternatives in detail, including the no
action alternative. Alternative A is the No Action Alternative, which
is a continuation of current management direction in the existing 1988
North Dakota RMP and associated amendments.
Alternative B emphasizes sustaining the ecological integrity of
habitats for all priority plant, wildlife, and fish species, while
allowing appropriate development scenarios for allowable uses,
including opportunities for mineral and energy development. Where
Federal oil and gas is available for leasing, major stipulations would
apply to most areas. Alternative B would designate one special
recreation management area (SRMA), two backcountry conservation areas
(BCAs), and one ACEC, and would find three eligible Wild and Scenic
River segments suitable for designation.
Alternative B.1 is a sub-alternative to Alternative B that provides
the same management opportunities and protections as found under
Alternative B for all resources except for coal. Alternative B.1
further restricts Federal coal leasing to only those areas within
existing Federal mine permit boundaries.
Alternative C is similar to Alternative B but provides for more
flexibility in management of natural and cultural resources while
providing modest development of resource uses. Alternative C provides
opportunities for Federal mineral and energy
[[Page 3758]]
development with fewer restrictions than Alternative B, but more than
Alternative A, in terms of major stipulations and areas determined
unacceptable for Federal coal leasing. Alternative C provides for the
same number of designated areas (one SRMA, two BCAs, one ACEC), but
with reduced sizes and/or less restrictive management actions.
The BLM further considered six additional alternatives but
dismissed these alternatives from detailed analysis as explained in the
Draft RMP/EIS.
The State Director has identified Alternative B as the preferred
alternative. Alternative B was found to best meet the State Director's
planning guidance and, therefore, selected as the preferred alternative
because it best meets the purpose and need, while aligning with
Department of the Interior priorities.
ACECs
Consistent with land use planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.7-
2(b), the BLM is announcing the opening of a concurrent comment period
on the ACEC proposed for designation in the preferred alternative.
Comments may be submitted using any of the methods listed in the
ADDRESSES section.
There is one proposed ACEC included in the preferred alternative:
Mud Buttes (960 acres) located in Bowman County, North Dakota.
<bullet> Alternatives B and C: no surface occupancy for fluid
minerals, unacceptable for coal leasing, closed to mineral material
disposal, casual collection of invertebrate or plant fossils
prohibited.
<bullet> Alternative B: right-of-way exclusion area, closed to
nonenergy solid leasable minerals, and recommended for withdrawal from
locatable mineral entry.
<bullet> Alternative C: right-of-way avoidance area, no surface
disturbance allowed for nonenergy solid leasable mineral development.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public
participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes,
including a 30-day public protest period and a 60-day Governor's
consistency review on the Proposed RMP. The Proposed RMP/Final EIS is
anticipated to be available for public protest in the summer of 2023,
with an approved RMP and Record of Decision in the fall of 2023.
The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order
13175, BLM Manual 1780, and Departmental policies. Tribal concerns,
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due consideration.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR
1610.7-2.)
Sonya Germann,
Montana/Dakotas State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-00929 Filed 1-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P
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