SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The applicant is the BLM and its petition/application requests the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw the following-described public lands from appropriation under the public land laws, including location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the mineral leasing and mineral materials disposal laws, subject to valid existing rights, to protect the Zortman-Landusky Mine area and to facilitate reclamation and stabilization for a 20-year term.

Principal Meridian, Montana

T. 25 N., R. 24 E.,

sec. 1, lots 14 and 15;

sec. 11, lot 9;

sec. 12, lots 11, 12, 13, 17, and 25;

sec. 13, NE 1/4 NE 1/4 ;

sec. 14, lot 3;

sec. 21, NE 1/4 NE 1/4 ;

sec. 22, SE 1/4 SW 1/4 SW 1/4 , S 1/2 SE 1/4 SW 1/4 , NE 1/4 SE 1/4 , E 1/2 SE 1/4 SE 1/4 , NW 1/4 SE 1/4 SE 1/4 , E 1/2 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 SE 1/4 , and NW 1/4 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 SE 1/4 ;

sec. 23, E 1/2 NE 1/4 .

T. 25 N., R. 25 E.,

sec. 6, lots 13 thru 16, lot 18, NE 1/4 SW 1/4 , and SE 1/4 ;

sec. 16, lot 2, N 1/2 NW 1/4 SW 1/4 , N 1/2 SE 1/4 NW 1/4 SW 1/4 , S 1/2 SW 1/4 SW 1/4 SW 1/4 , S 1/2 SE 1/4 SW 1/4 SW 1/4 , NE 1/4 SE 1/4 SW 1/4 , S 1/2 SE 1/4 SW 1/4 , and SW 1/4 SE 1/4 ;

sec. 17, NE 1/4 NE 1/4 , SW 1/4 NE 1/4 NW 1/4 SE 1/4 , S 1/2 NW 1/4 NW 1/4 SE 1/4 , SW 1/4 NW 1/4 SE 1/4 , W 1/2 SE 1/4 NW 1/4 SE 1/4 , W 1/2 NE 1/4 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 , W 1/2 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 , SE 1/4 SW 1/4 SE 1/4 , and S 1/2 SE 1/4 SE 1/4 .

The areas described aggregate 912.33 acres.

( printed page 34290)

The BLM petition/application has been approved by the Secretary of the Interior and therefore it constitutes a withdrawal proposal of the Secretary of the Interior (43 CFR 2310.1-3(e)).

The use of a right-of-way, interagency agreement, or cooperative agreement would not provide adequate protection of the Federal investment in the mine reclamation work located on the lands.

No additional water rights will be needed to fulfill the purpose of this new withdrawal.

There are no suitable alternative sites to facilitate mining reclamation since the location of the mines and necessary reclamation materials are fixed.

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.

For a period until June 6, 2024 including location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the mineral leasing and mineral materials disposal laws, subject to valid existing rights, unless the application is denied or canceled, or the withdrawal is approved prior to that date. The BLM is preparing an environmental assessment evaluating the environmental consequences of a similar withdrawal of 2,688.13 acres proposed to protect the Zortman-Landusky Mine reclamation site, announced in the Federal Register on October 7, 2020 (85 FR 63289), and is including evaluation of the withdrawal proposed here in that analysis. Information regarding both proposed withdrawals, including environmental and other reviews, will be available at the Montana/Dakotas State Office and on the BLM's ePlanning site at https://eplanning.blm.gov/​eplanning-ui/​project/​2003949/​510.

Licenses, permits, cooperative agreements, or discretionary land use authorizations of a temporary nature that will not significantly impact the values to be protected by the withdrawal may be allowed with the approval of the authorized officer of the BLM during the temporary segregation period.

The application will be processed in accordance with the regulations set-forth in 43 CFR 2300.

87 FR 34289