Notice2023-14519
Notice of Intent To Prepare Resource Management Plans for the Newcastle Field Office, Wyoming, and Nebraska Planning Area and an Associated Environmental Impact Statement
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Published
July 11, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State Director intends to revise the Newcastle Field Office (NFO) and Nebraska Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and prepare an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues, providing the planning criteria for public review, and issuing a call for nominations for areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs). The RMP revision would replace the existing Newcastle and Nebraska RMPs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 131 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44151-44153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14519]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_WY_FRN_MO4500169700]
Notice of Intent To Prepare Resource Management Plans for the
Newcastle Field Office, Wyoming, and Nebraska Planning Area and an
Associated Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Wyoming State Director intends to revise the Newcastle Field Office
(NFO) and Nebraska Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and prepare an
associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is
announcing the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public
comments and identify issues, providing the planning criteria for
public review, and issuing a call for nominations for areas of critical
environmental concern (ACECs). The RMP revision would replace the
existing Newcastle and Nebraska RMPs.
DATES: The BLM requests the public submit comments concerning the scope
of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant
information, studies, and ACEC nominations by August 10, 2023. To
afford the BLM the opportunity to consider issues and ACEC nominations
raised by commenters to the Draft RMPs/EIS, please ensure your comments
are received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days
after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to Newcastle and Nebraska RMPs and nominations of new ACECs by
any of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013064/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013064/510</a>
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ecaea0a1b3bbb5b3a2899b8f8d9f988089b3a2898e9e8d9f878db3bea1bcac8e8081c28b839a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="347678796b636d6b7a51435755474058516b7a51564655475f556b667964745658591a535b42">[email protected]</span></a>
<bullet> Fax: (307) 261-7639
<bullet> Mail: BLM, High Plains District Office, 2987 Prospector Drive,
Casper, WY 82604
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013064/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013064/510</a> and at the
Newcastle Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen T. Lacko, Project Manager,
telephone (307) 261-7536; address BLM High Plains District Office, 2987
Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#80ebf4ece1e3ebefc0e2ecedaee7eff6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="375c435b56545c5877555b5a19505841">[email protected]</span></a>. Contact Ms.
Lacko to have your name added to our mailing list. 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 Ms. Lacko. 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
intends to prepare two RMPs and an associated EIS for the Newcastle
Field Office and Nebraska planning areas, announces the beginning of
the scoping process, seeks public input on issues and planning
criteria, and invites the public to nominate ACECs. The planning areas
are located in Crook,
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Weston, and Niobrara counties in Wyoming and all counties in Nebraska,
encompassing approximately 287,900 acres of surface lands and 1,738,900
acres of Federal mineral estate in Wyoming and approximately 5,100
acres of surface lands and 223,900 acres of Federal mineral estate in
Nebraska.
Purpose and Need for the RMPs
The purpose of the Newcastle and Nebraska RMPs/EIS are to provide a
comprehensive framework to guide management of BLM-administered surface
land in the planning areas. The RMPs/EIS will incorporate new data,
address land use issues and conflicts, and specify where and under what
circumstances activities would be allowed on BLM-administered surface
lands. The objectives, land use allocations, and management decisions
will be based on the principles of multiple use and sustained yield,
except where a tract of such public land has been dedicated to specific
uses according to another provision of law. All management direction
must meet the objectives of the BLM's multiple use management mandate
and responsibilities under FLPMA Section 202(c) and (e) and is subject
to valid existing rights.
The NFO has determined updates are needed for the two RMPs it
relies on to manage the public land and Federal mineral estate in the
planning areas. Assessments of these plans showed they require updating
to address new information and changes to resources and resource uses
within the planning area since the BLM approved the NFO RMP in 2000 and
completed the Nebraska RMP in 1992. The revised RMPs will replace the
existing Newcastle RMP/Record of Decision (ROD) and Nebraska RMP/ROD.
Preliminary Alternatives
The BLM has identified the four following preliminary alternatives
for analysis in the EIS. Generally, these alternatives include:
<bullet> Alternative A--No Action: Continue existing management
under the existing Newcastle and Nebraska RMPs.
<bullet> Alternative B--Resource Protection Emphasis: Emphasizes
conservation, including ACEC designations.
<bullet> Alternative C--Maximizes Resource Use: Emphasizes resource
use and includes the fewest protected areas and restrictions to
resource uses.
<bullet> Alternative D--Balances Resource Protection and Use:
Multiple use focus with prescriptive actions to allow protections with
more flexibility. Balances conservation and resource use.
The BLM welcomes comments on all preliminary alternatives as well
as suggestions for additional alternatives.
Planning Criteria
The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the
groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues
and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning
areas have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement
conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local
agencies; Tribes; and stakeholders. The BLM has identified the
following preliminary issues for this planning effort's analysis:
Minerals and energy development, vegetation management, fish and
wildlife habitat, air quality, recreation, livestock grazing, lands and
realty authorizations, land tenure adjustments, recreation, and special
management areas, including ACEC nominations.
The planning criteria are available for public review and comment
at the ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES). Preliminary planning criteria
identified include:
<bullet> The plans will be completed in compliance with FLPMA and
all other applicable laws.
<bullet> The plans will recognize valid existing rights.
<bullet> The planning process will include an EIS that will comply
with NEPA.
<bullet> The plans will establish new guidance and identify
existing guidance upon which the BLM will rely in managing public lands
within the NFO and Nebraska.
<bullet> The planning process will include early coordination and
Endangered Species Act consultation meetings with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service during the development of the plans.
<bullet> The plans will recognize the States' responsibility for
managing wildlife populations, including uses such as hunting and
fishing, within the planning areas.
<bullet> The planning process would involve Indian Tribal
governments and Tribal leaders and would provide strategies for the
protection of recognized traditional and cultural uses.
<bullet> Decisions in the plans will strive to be consistent with
the existing plans and policies of adjacent local, State, Tribal, and
Federal agencies as long as those plans and policies are consistent
with the purposes, policies, and programs of Federal law and
regulations applicable to the public lands.
Summary of Expected Impacts
The EIS will analyze impacts in the Newcastle and Nebraska planning
areas using three alternatives and a no action alternative. There are
no known significant impacts identified at this stage of the planning
effort.
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 90-day comment period on the Draft RMPs/EIS and a
concurrent 30-day public protest period and a 60-day Governor's
consistency review on the Proposed RMPs. The Draft RMPs/EIS are
anticipated to be available for public review in December 2023 and the
Proposed RMPs/Final EIS are anticipated to be available for public
protest in September 2024, with Approved RMPs and a Record of Decision
in December 2024.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and
analysis of the Draft RMPs/EIS. A series of public meetings will be
held in the planning areas. The BLM held a series of early engagement
public meetings in May, 2023, and will hold one virtual public meeting
during the scoping period. The specific date of the virtual scoping
meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local
media, BLM Wyoming social media, ePlanning project page (see
ADDRESSES), and the BLM website (see ADDRESSES).
ACECs
The following ACEC is currently designated in the planning areas:
Whoopup Canyon ACEC in Wyoming, consisting of approximately 1,440
acres. Whoopup Canyon ACEC has rare and sensitive archaeological
resources of religious and cultural concern to Native Americans for
unique petroglyphs that date from the end of the Pleistocene era and
overlap in time with the oldest Paleoindian sites in North America. The
BLM will reevaluate existing the designated ACEC in the Draft RMPs/EIS
to determine if relevant and important values still exist and analyze
whether to retain its designation. During preplanning and early
engagement, the BLM identified the Little Missouri Antelope Trap as an
ACEC for consideration of designation, consisting of 9,500 acres, due
to its rare and sensitive archaeological resources and religious and
cultural values to Native American Tribes. The BLM may also propose an
expansion to the existing
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Whoopup Canyon ACEC, consisting of an additional 240 acres.
This notice invites the public to nominate additional areas for
ACEC consideration. To assist the BLM in evaluating nominations for
consideration in the Draft RMPs/EIS, please provide supporting
descriptive materials, maps, and evidence of the relevance and
importance of resources or hazards by the close of the public comment
period in order to facilitate timely evaluation (see DATES and
ADDRESSES). The BLM has identified the anticipated issues related to
the consideration of ACECs in the planning criteria.
Cooperating Agencies
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; Wyoming State Governor's Office; Wyoming Game and Fish
Department; Wyoming Department of Agriculture; Wyoming Office of State
Lands and Investments; Wyoming Department of Transportation; Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality; Wyoming Cultural Resources;
Wyoming State Engineers Office; Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and
Trails; Wyoming State Forestry; Wyoming State Geological Survey;
Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office; Crook County Commissioner;
Crook County Conservation District; Weston County Commissioner; Weston
County Conservation District; Niobrara County Commissioner; Niobrara
Conservation District; and Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation
Commission.
Responsible Official
The Wyoming State Director is the deciding official for this
planning effort.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The nature of the decision to be made will be the State Director's
selection of land use planning decisions for managing BLM-administered
lands under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield in a
manner that best addresses the purpose and need.
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plans
to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified.
Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines will be
involved in this planning effort: Air Resources, Geology and Minerals,
Petroleum Engineer, GIS Specialist, Soils, Water Resources, Vegetation
(including Special Status Species), Wildlife (including Special Status
Species), Cultural Resources, Paleontological Resources, Special
Designations, Visual Resources, Wildland Fire Management, Renewable
Energy, Travel Management & Recreation, Lands and Realty, Livestock
Grazing, Tribal Interests, Public Safety, Socioeconomics, and
Environmental Justice.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plans
and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance with 40 CFR
1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not already
included in the proposed plans or alternatives. Mitigation may include
avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction or elimination over
time, and compensation, and may be considered at multiple scales,
including the landscape scale.
The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning
processes for this planning effort to help support compliance with
applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered Species Act (16
U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
(54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including public
involvement requirements of Section 106. The information about historic
and cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the
area potentially affected by the proposed plan will assist the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM MS 1780,
and other Departmental policies. The BLM will send invitations to
potentially affected Tribal Nations prior to consultation meetings. The
BLM will provide additional opportunities for government-to-government
consultation during the NEPA process. Tribal concerns, including
impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural
resources, will be given due consideration. Federal, State, and local
agencies, along with Indian Tribal Nations and other stakeholders that
may be interested in or affected by the proposed plans that the BLM is
evaluating, are invited to participate in the scoping process and, if
eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to participate as a
cooperating agency.
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 1501.9 and 43 CFR 1610.2)
Andrew S. Archuleta,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-14519 Filed 7-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-26-P
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