[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 86 (Thursday, May 5, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10774]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 5, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WY-060-93-4410-02]

 

Newcastle Resource Area, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Comment period extension for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Newcastle Resource Management Plan for the BLM 
Administered Public Lands in the Wyoming Portion of the Newcastle 
Resource Area.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is extending the public 
comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
the Newcastle Resource Management Plan (RMP). Comments will be accepted 
until June 10, 1994.
    The draft EIS for the Newcastle RMP describes and analysis four 
alternative RMPs, including the BLM's preferred alternative, for 
managing the Wyoming portion of the Newcastle Resource Area. The 
planning area is located in Crook, Weston, and Niobrara Counties, in 
northeastern Wyoming. When completed, the Newcastle RMP will provide 
the management direction for future land and resource management 
actions on approximately 291,000 acres of public land surface and 
approximately 1,700,000 acres of Federal mineral estate administered by 
the BLM within this portion of the Newcastle Resource Area.
    The draft EIS focuses on resolving three key issues that were 
identified with public involvement early in the planning process. These 
issues are: (1) Retention or disposal of public lands; (2) surface 
disturbance; and (3) special management areas designations.
    There is one designated area of environmental concern (ACEC) within 
the Newcastle RMP planning area, the Whoopup Canyon ACEC. The preferred 
alternative recommends that the Whoopup Canyon ACEC designation be 
retained and that the area of the ACEC be expanded in size. The 
potential for new ACEC designations was also explored. One potential 
new ACEC was identified and is proposed in the preferred alternative. 
This involves the BLM administered public land surface in the Lance 
Creek Fossil Area.
    During development of the draft EIS, the BLM conducted a Wild and 
Scenic Rivers review of BLM administered public lands that lie along 
waterways within the planning area. There were no BLM administered 
public lands in the planning areas that were found to meet the Wild and 
Scenic Rivers eligibility criteria to be given further consideration 
for inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
    The coal screening process (including application of the coal 
unsuitability criteria under 43 CFR part 3461) was not conducted for 
the planing effort. Any interest in coal exploration or leasing will be 
handled on a case by case basis. If an application for a coal lease is 
received sometime in the future, an appropriation land use 
environmental analysis will be conducted (which will include conducting 
the coal screening process), to determine whether or not the coal areas 
applied for are acceptable for development and leasing consideration. 
The RMP will be amended by necessary. To date, there has been no 
interest expressed to the BLM for leasing and development of BLM-
administered coal in the planning area.
    Wilderness management and wild horse management were not addressed 
in the planning effort. There are no wilderness areas or wilderness 
study areas on BLM-administered public lands in the planning area. In 
addition, there have been no other areas with wilderness 
characteristics identified on public lands in the planning area. There 
are no known wild horse or wild horse herd management areas in the 
planning area.
    When approved, the Newcastle RMP will guide BLM's management of the 
public lands in the Newcastle Resource Area.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until June 10, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Newcastle RMP draft EIS are available from the 
BLM Newcastle Resource Area Office at 1101 Washington Boulevard, 
Newcastle, Wyoming 82701, or the BLM Casper District Office at 1701 
East ``E'' Street, Casper Wyoming 82601. Comments should be sent to the 
Newcastle Area Manager at the Newcastle Resource Area Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Floyd Ewing, Newcastle Area Manager, or Gary Lebsack, Newcastle RMP 
Team Leader, at the above address or telephone 307-746-4453.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Newcastle Resource Area is responsible 
for managing the BLM administered public lands in Crook, Niobrara, and 
Weston countries in Wyoming, and all BLM administered public lands in 
Nebraska. Management of the BLM administered public lands in Nebraska 
is covered under the Nebraska Resource Management Plan completed in 
1992.
    Within the Nescastle RMP planning areas, there are varied and 
intermingled land surface ownerships and overlapping mineral 
ownerships. Therefore, the administrative jurisdictions for land use 
planning and for managing the land surface and minerals are also 
varied, intermingled, and sometimes overlapping. For this reason, it is 
important to understand that the Newcastle RMP draft EIS does not 
address management of lands or minerals within the planning areas that 
are privately owned or owned by the State of Wyoming of local 
Governments (about 1,000 acres). If also does not address those 
Federally owned minerals within the planning area that are under 
Federal land surface managed by other Federal agencies (about 420,000 
acres).
    The draft EIS for the Newcastle RMP presents four alternatives, 
multiple use RMPs for managing the BLM administered public lands in the 
planning area, Alternative A (continuation of present management) and 
three other alternatives that suggest different combinations and 
emphases for managing the various resource and land uses on the BLM 
administered public lands, on the basis of needs, opportunities, and 
public demand. The four alternative plans focus on allocating public 
lands and resources among their valid uses and prescribing general 
management actions that would be taken. The preferred alternative is a 
combination of parts of Alternatives A, B, and C and represents what 
BLM believes is the best balance between the public land and resource 
uses and environmental protection in the planning area. The various 
impacts that would be expected from implementing each of the 
alternative is also presented in the draft EIS.

    Dated: April 29, 1994.
David J. Walter,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 94-10774 Filed 5-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-M