Notice2024-09540
Notice of Intent To Amend the Worland Resource Management Plan and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment; Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Non-Competitive Direct Sale of 1.0 Acre of Public Lands in Washakie County, Wyoming
Primary source
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Published
May 2, 2024
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 prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for the non-competitive direct sale of public lands in Washakie County, Wyoming, 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 announcing a comment period on the proposed realty action offering a one-acre parcel of public lands by direct sale to TAG Western Properties, LLC for not less than the fair market value of $1,020.00.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 86 (Thursday, May 2, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 86 (Thursday, May 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35855-35857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09540]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_WY_FRN_MO4500169700.WYW106272479, WYW-165445]
Notice of Intent To Amend the Worland Resource Management Plan
and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment; Notice of Realty
Action: Proposed Non-Competitive Direct Sale of 1.0 Acre of Public
Lands in Washakie County, Wyoming
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of realty action.
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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 prepare a Resource Management Plan
(RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for
the non-competitive direct sale of public lands in Washakie County,
Wyoming, 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 announcing a comment period on
the proposed realty action offering a one-acre parcel of public lands
by direct sale to TAG Western Properties, LLC for not less than the
fair market value of $1,020.00.
DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, identification of
relevant information and studies, classification of the land for
disposal, and the proposed direct sale by June 17, 2024. To afford the
BLM the opportunity to consider issues raised by commenters in the
Draft RMP/EA, please ensure your comments are received prior to the
close of the 45-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 the proposed RMP amendment and non-competitive direct sale
of public land in the Washakie County, Wyoming, by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2023383/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2023383/510</a>
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eeaca2a3b1b9b7b1b9819c828f808ab1b9b7a38f8782ae8c8283c0898198"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d99b9594868e80868eb6abb5b8b7bd868e8094b8b0b599bbb5b4f7beb6af">[email protected]</span></a>
<bullet> Mail: Field Manager, BLM, Worland Field Office, 101 South
23rd Street, Worland, WY 82401
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at the
website above and at the Worland Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Craft, Realty Specialist,
telephone (307) 347-5233; address Worland Field Office, 101 South 23rd
Street, Worland, WY 82401; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#086b3f3d6b7a696e7c486a6465266f677e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="accf9b99cfdecdcad8eccec0c182cbc3da">[email protected]</span></a>. Contact Ms. Craft 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. 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
Wyoming State Director intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an
associated EA for the non-competitive direct sale of public land in
Washakie County, Wyoming; announces the
[[Page 35856]]
beginning of the scoping process; and seeks public input on issues and
planning criteria. The RMP amendment is being considered to allow the
BLM to evaluate the disposal of public lands to TAG Western Properties,
LLC. The direct sale would be consistent with provisions of section 203
of FLPMA and BLM land-sale regulations at 43 CFR 2710. Publication of
this notice in the Federal Register segregates the subject land from
all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the
general mining laws, and from the mineral leasing and geothermal
leasing laws, except for the sale provisions of FLPMA. The planning
area is in Washakie County, Wyoming, and encompasses 1.0 acre of public
land.
The scope of this land use planning process does not include
addressing the evaluation or designation of areas of critical
environmental concern (ACECs), and the BLM is not considering ACEC
nominations as part of this process.
Purpose and Need
The need of the proposed action is to resolve inadvertent,
unauthorized development of public lands consisting of a metal shop and
cabin constructed by a previous landowner, currently owned and operated
by the proponent as an essential component of the adjoining ranch
operations. The purpose for the proposed action is to convey lands from
Federal ownership that are difficult and uneconomical to manage and are
not suitable for management by another Federal department or agency
(FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1713(a)(1)). The BLM proposes to amend the 2015
Worland RMP in conformance with section 203 of FLPMA, which requires
that land made available for disposal under the sale authority be
clearly identified in the relevant land use plan.
Preliminary Alternatives
The RMP identifies tracts of public land suitable for disposal;
however, the subject land is not currently listed as available for
disposal. The BLM will analyze the suitability of the 1.0 acre for
disposal per the criteria listed in FLPMA Section 203(a). The RMP
amendment would allow for the land to be sold if it is found suitable
for disposal.
The BLM is considering a direct sale of the following described
land:
Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming
Township 45 North, Range 87 West,
Sec. 30, Parcel A.
The area described contains 1.0 acre, according to the official
plat of survey of said land on file with the BLM.
The conveyance document, if issued, will contain the following
terms, covenants, conditions, and reservations:
1. A right-of-way thereon for ditches or canals constructed by the
authority of the United States pursuant to the Act of August 30, 1890,
(43 U.S.C. 945);
2. All the mineral deposits in the land so patented pursuant to the
Act of October 21, 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1719), including, without
limitation, substances subject to disposition under the general mining
laws, the general mineral leasing laws, the Materials Act, and the
Geothermal Steam Act, and to it, its permittees, licensees, lessees,
and mining claimants, the right to prospect for, mine, and remove the
minerals owned by the United States under applicable law and such
regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe. This
reservation includes necessary access and exit rights and the right to
conduct all necessary and incidental activities including, without
limitation, all drilling, underground, open pit or surface mining
operations, storage, and transportation facilities deemed reasonably
necessary.
Unless otherwise provided by separate agreement with the surface
owner, mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and lessees of the
United States shall reclaim disturbed areas to the extent prescribed by
regulations issued by the Secretary of the Interior.
All causes of action brought to enforce the rights of the surface
owner under the regulations above referred to shall be instituted
against mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and lessees of the
United States; and the United States shall not be liable for the acts
or omissions of its mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and
lessees.
3. An appropriate indemnification clause protecting the United
States from claims arising out of the patentee's use, occupancy, or
operations on the patented land.
The conveyance document, if issued, will be subject to all valid
existing rights.
The No Action Alternative would not amend the 2015 Worland RMP to
allow for the disposal of the tract if found to be suitable per the
criteria listed in the FLPMA section 203(a). The tract would be
retained in federal ownership and the BLM would proceed with a formal
trespass action. Revenues to local taxing districts would not change.
Additional actions would be considered by the BLM on a case-by-case
basis.
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
area 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 wildlife as
a preliminary issue for this planning effort's analysis. The planning
criteria are available for public review and comment at the ePlanning
website (see ADDRESSES).
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 RMP Amendment and EA.
The BLM does not intend to hold any public meetings, in-person or
virtual, during the public scoping period. Should the BLM later
determine to hold public meetings, the specific date(s) and location(s)
of any meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through
announcements in the Northern Wyoming News.
Sale Notifications
The segregation will terminate upon issuance of a conveyance
document or on May 2, 2026, whichever occurs first. The BLM is no
longer accepting land-use applications affecting the subject public
land, except applications to amend previously filed right-of-way
applications or existing authorizations to increase grant terms in
accordance with 43 CFR 2807.15 and 43 CFR 2886.15.
The notification of the proposed RMP amendment and EA and, if
applicable, unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will
begin a 30-day protest period subject to BLM Manual Section 2711.1 step
4(d) on the land-sale decision. The BLM Wyoming State Director will
review all protests and may sustain, vacate, or modify the RMP
amendment and land sale, in whole or in part. In the absence of any
protests and upon reaching a FONSI, the BLM will select the approved
RMP amendment alternative and prepare a decision record which will
document the final determination of the Department of the Interior for
the land sale.
In addition to publication of this notice in the Federal Register,
the BLM will publish this notice in the Northern Wyoming News once a
week for three consecutive weeks.
[[Page 35857]]
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan
to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified.
Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines will be
involved in this planning effort: outdoor recreation, archaeology,
wildlife, lands and realty, minerals and geology, soils, vegetation,
sociology, and economics.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan
amendment and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance
with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not
already included in the proposed plan amendment 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 Manual
Section 1780, and other Departmental policies. 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 RMP
amendment and non-competitive direct sale of public land in Washakie
County, Wyoming, 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 in the development of the environmental analysis
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, 43 CFR 1610.2, and 43 CFR part 2710)
Andrew Archuleta,
State Director, BLM Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 2024-09540 Filed 5-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-26-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 2, 2024.
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