[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8056-8057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-3505]



=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[MT-060-05-1610-00]


Availability of the Draft Sweet Grass Hills Resource Management 
Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement; Liberty and Toole 
Counties, MT

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Sweet Grass Hills Resource 
Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The draft Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
addresses future management options for land tenure adjustment, off-
road vehicle use, oil and gas leasing, and locatable mineral 
development for lands and minerals administered by the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) in the Sweet Grass Hills in Toole and Liberty 
Counties, Montana, and amends the West HiLine Resource Management Plan 
(1988 and 1992). This includes approximately 7,717 surface acres, 
19,765 acres of all mineral estate, and 1,644 acres of only oil and gas 
estate. These lands are administered by the BLM through the Great Falls 
Resource Area. The draft preferred alternative and three other 
alternatives have been developed to provide management options for the 
Sweet Grass Hills.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Copies of the draft Amendment/EIS will be 
available from the Lewistown District Office, P.O. Box 1160, Lewistown, 
MT 59457-1160, (406) 538-7461. Public reading copies will be available 
for review at the following BLM locations: Office of External Affairs, 
Main Interior Building, Room 5600, 18th and C Streets, NW., Washington, 
DC 20240; External Affairs Office, Montana State Office, P.O. Box 
36800, 222 North 32nd Street, Billings, MT 59107; Lewistown District 
Office, Airport Road, P.O. Box 1160, Lewistown, MT 59457-1160; and 
Great Falls Resource Area, 812 14th St. N., Great Falls, MT 59401.
    Written comments on the draft Amendment/EIS will be accepted for 90 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
the Notice of Filing of the Draft in the Federal Register. Comments can 
also be presented at four public meetings to be held at: Shelby, MT, 
Shelby High School Auditorium, February 27, 1995, 7 p.m.; Browning, MT, 
Browning High School Annex, February 28, 1995, 7 p.m.; Chester, MT, 
Chester High School Auditorium, March 1, 1995, 7 p.m.; and, Rocky Boy, 
MT, Community Hall, March 2, 1995, 10 a.m.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the document should be addressed to 
Richard Hopkins, Area Manager, Great Falls Resource Area, 812 14th St. 
N., Great Falls, MT 59401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tad Day, Team Lead, Great Falls 
Resource Area, 812 14th St. N., Great Falls, MT 59401, (406) 727-0503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In August 1993, the BLM segregated the 
Federal mineral estate in the Sweet Grass Hills for a two-year period 
which closed the area to the location of new mining claims until August 
1995. The BLM also began amending the West HiLine Resource Management 
Plan to reevaluate current management decisions for the Sweet Grass 
Hills. The amendment to the West HiLine Resource Management Plan will 
provide specific direction concerning locatable mineral development and 
will recommend whether some or all of the area should be closed to 
mining claim location. If the final amendment and record of decision 
recommends closure, the BLM would begin processing a 20-year term 
withdrawal.

    [[Page 8057]] Dated: February 7, 1995.
Gary Slagel,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-3505 Filed 2-9-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P