80 FR 50867 - Notice of Availability of the Moab Master Leasing Plan and Draft Resource Management Plan Amendments/Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Moab and Monticello Field Offices, UT

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 162 (August 21, 2015)

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Moab Master Leasing Plan (MLP) and Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Moab and Monticello Field Offices in the Canyon Country District. The MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS would amend the Resource Management Plans for the Moab and Monticello Field Offices. This notice announces a 90-day comment period.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 162 (Friday, August 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50867-50868]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20784]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[[15X L1109AF LLUTY01000 L16100000.DS0000.LXSS030J0000 24 1A]


Notice of Availability of the Moab Master Leasing Plan and Draft 
Resource Management Plan Amendments/Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Moab and Monticello Field Offices, UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the 
Moab Master Leasing Plan (MLP) and Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
Amendments/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Moab and 
Monticello Field Offices in the Canyon Country District. The MLP/Draft 
RMP Amendments/Draft EIS would amend the Resource Management Plans for 
the Moab and Monticello Field Offices. This notice announces a 90-day 
comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS within 90 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
its Notice of Availability of the MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS in 
the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings 
and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance 
through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/
Draft EIS by either of these methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/21jd.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 435-259-2106.
     Mail: BLM, Canyon Country District Office, 82 East 
Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532, Attention: Brent Northrup.

Reference copies and compact discs of the MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/
Draft EIS are available at the following locations:

 Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, 440 West 200 
South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah
 Bureau of Land Management, Moab Field Office, 82 East Dogwood, 
Moab, Utah
 Bureau of Land Management, Monticello Field Office, 365 North 
Main, Monticello, Utah

The MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS and accompanying background 
documents are available on the MLP Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/21jd.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brent Northrup, Project Manager, BLM 
Moab Field Office, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532, telephone 435-259-
2151 or email [email protected]. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above 
individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours 
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question for the above 
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The planning area covers about 785,000 acres 
of public lands in east-central Utah, Grand and San Juan Counties. The 
area is located south of Interstate 70 and adjoins the town of Moab and 
Arches National Park. The western boundary is the Green River and the 
northeastern boundary of Canyonlands National Park. To the south of 
Moab, the planning area includes the Indian Creek/Lockhart Basin/Hatch 
Point area between Canyonlands National Park and Highway 191. The 
planning area encompasses a mix of land uses including a wide variety 
of recreation uses oil, gas, and potash development.
    The BLM is preparing a MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS in 
accordance with the BLM Washington Office (WO) Instruction Memorandum 
(IM) No. 2010-117: Oil and Gas Leasing Reform--Land Use Planning and 
Lease Parcel Reviews (May 17, 2010) and the BLM Handbook H-1624-1: 
Planning for Fluid Mineral Resources (January 28,

[[Page 50868]]

2013). Although the IM and the Handbook pertain to oil and gas leasing 
decisions, the BLM determined that the MLP concepts are also applicable 
to potash leasing decisions. Therefore, the MLP process provides 
additional planning and analysis for areas prior to new leasing of oil 
and gas and potash. The MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS analyzes 
likely mineral development scenarios and land use plan alternatives 
with varying mitigation levels for leasing.
    The MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS includes a range of 
management alternatives designed to address management challenges and 
issues raised during scoping concerning mineral leasing decisions. The 
four alternatives are:
    (1) Alternative A is the No Action alternative and represents the 
continuation of existing mineral leasing management (oil, gas, and 
potash). Alternative A allows for oil, gas, and potash leasing and 
development to occur on the same tracts of land where it is consistent 
with current leasing decisions.
    (2) Alternative B provides for mineral leasing and development 
outside of areas that are protected for high scenic quality (including 
public lands visible from Arches and Canyonlands National Parks), high 
use recreation areas, and other sensitive resources with stipulations 
that minimize surface disturbance and associated potential resource 
impacts. Mineral leasing decisions are divided into two options 
specified as Alternative B1 and Alternative B2. In Alternative B1, 
surface impacts would be minimized by separating new leasing of the two 
commodities (oil/gas and potash), limiting the density of mineral 
development, and locating potash processing facilities in areas 
identified with the least amount of sensitive resources. Potash leasing 
would involve a phased approach and would be prioritized within 
identified areas. Alternative B2 provides for only oil and gas leasing; 
no new potash leasing would occur. Alternative B2 would also minimize 
surface impacts by limiting the density of oil and gas development.
    (3) Alternative C provides for only oil and gas leasing; no potash 
leasing would occur. This alternative affords the greatest protection 
to areas with high scenic quality, recreational uses, special 
designations, BLM lands adjacent to Arches and Canyonlands National 
Parks, and other sensitive resources.
    (4) Alternative D is the BLM's preferred alternative and provides 
for both oil leasing and potash leasing. Mineral development would be 
precluded in many areas with high scenic quality, in some high use 
recreation areas, specifically designated areas, and in other areas 
with sensitive resources. Outside of these areas, surface impacts would 
be minimized by separating leasing of the two commodities (oil/gas and 
potash), locating potash processing facilities in areas with the least 
amount of sensitive resources, and limiting the density of mineral 
development. Potash leasing would involve a phased approach and would 
be prioritized within identified areas. Alternative D provides 
operational flexibility from mineral leasing and development through 
some specific exceptions and closes BLM lands adjacent to Arches and 
Canyonlands National Parks to mineral leasing and development.
    The preferred alternative has been identified as described in 40 
CFR 1502.14(e). However, identification of a preferred alternative does 
not represent the final agency decision. The MLP/Proposed RMP 
Amendments/Final EIS will reflect changes or adjustments based on 
information received during public comment, new information, or changes 
in BLM policies or priorities. The MLP/Proposed RMP Amendments/Final 
EIS may include portions of any analyzed alternatives. For this reason, 
the BLM encourages comments on all alternatives and management actions 
described in the MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS.
    You may submit comments on the MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS 
in writing to the BLM at any public meeting, or you may submit them to 
the BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. 
All comments must be received by the end of the comment period. 
Comments submitted must include the commenter's name and street 
address. Whenever possible, please include reference to either the page 
or section in the MLP/Draft RMP Amendments/Draft EIS to which the 
comment applies. Please note that public comments and information 
submitted including names, street addresses, and email addresses of 
persons who submit comments will be available for public review and 
disclosure at the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. 
to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    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. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and 
from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials 
of organizations or businesses, are available for public inspection in 
their entirety.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10 and 43 CFR 1610.2.

    Approved: August 17, 2015.
Jenna Whitlock,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-20784 Filed 8-20-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P