[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17909-17910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9908]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[ES-030-06-1310-01]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Planning Analysis/Environmental 
Assessment for the Leasing of Federal Minerals

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Milwaukee District Office, Eastern States, in cooperation 
with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Pittsburgh District, will 
prepare a Planning Analysis/Environmental Assessment (PA/EA) to assist 
in the decision-making process related to the leasing of Federal oil 
and gas resources administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
at the COE Mosquito Creek Lake (MCL) Project, Trumbull County, Ohio. In 
addition to those Federal oil and gas resources found within the COE 
administrative boundary, 32.46 acres of Federal oil and gas rights are 
located under one non-COE tract located in the southwestern corner 
adjacent to the MCL Project. This tract is owned by the Lakeview Local 
School District.
    This notice is issued pursuant to Title 43 CFR 1610.8(b) and 
1610.2(c). The PA/EA will follow the procedures set forth in 43 CFR 
1610.5-5.
    The public is invited to review and provide comments on issues, 
concerns and related agency resource objectives as outlined in this 
notice, or identify additional issues or concerns, if appropriate.

DATES: Comments relating to issues, concerns, and agency resource 
objectives will be accepted through May 23, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests to be included on the mailing list for 
this project should be sent to: Bureau of Land Management, Milwaukee 
District, P.O. Box 631, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0631.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Terry Saarela, PA/EA Team Leader, 
Milwaukee District, (414) 297-4437.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Mosquito Creek Lake is located on Mosquito 
Creek in Trumbull County, northeastern Ohio about 4.5 miles north-
northeast of the City of Warren and 14 miles north-northwest of the 
City of Youngstown. The majority of the COE administered property is 
either leased or licensed to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources 
(ODNR) and managed for parks/recreation and wildlife purposes (of the 
11,180.62 acres owned in fee, 5,635 acres are leased to the ODNR 
Division of Parks and Recreation and 5,370 acres are licensed to the 
ODNR Division of Wildife).
    There are public-use sites scattered around the lake.
    The PA/EA will aid in making decisions related to the leasing of 
the Federal oil and gas resources in the vicinity of the MCL Project. 
Decisions relating to Federal oil and gas leasing will be made within 
the context of existing land use planning documents developed by the 
COE and the ODNR. Existing management decisions will not be changed or 
modified by the PA/EA.
    The leasing of the Federal oil and gas resources and subsequent 
development will be carried out in accordance with Federal and State 
laws, regulations, and orders. The PA/EA will assess the impacts of 
foreseeable Federal oil and gas development on these lands. Most oil 
and gas drilling would occur on the southern two-thirds of the MCL 
Project and vicinity, because this area has the highest development 
potential. BLM's preliminary estimate indicates that approximately 84 
wells could be drilled to develop the Federal oil and gas resources. 
Drilling would occur over a 9 to 12 year period with 7 to 9 wells 
drilled per year. The primary drilling target would be the Clinton 
sandstone. Natural gas with some oil and brine would be produced.
    Mosquito Creek Lake, developed areas, sensitive biological 
habitats, and other special uses greatly reduce the available surface 
for locating oil and gas operations within the MCL Project and school 
district property boundaries. This would require the use of directional 
drilling technology to develop Federal oil and gas beneath areas where 
the surface cannot be occupied. Therefore, most of the surface 
disturbance associated with drilling wells to develop the Federal 
leases would be shifted to private land adjacent to the MCL Project and 
school district property. However, surface locations for some vertical 
and directional wells would be on the MCL Project, and one surface 
location might be on the school district property.
    The BLM, COE and ODNR have identified the following preliminary 
issues in relation to oil and gas development: (1) Potential impacts to 
the aesthetic qualities for residents and users; (2) Potential impacts 
to surface and ground water quality in the watersheds of Mosquito Creek 
Lake; (3) Potential impacts to wetlands and associated resources; (4) 
Potential impacts to historic, archaeological and traditional cultural 
properties; (5) Potential impacts to Special Status Species and 
habitat; (6) Potential impacts to cooperative (ODNR and local farmers) 
farming leasees; (7) Potential impacts to outdoor recreation 
opportunities; (8) Effect of fluctuating pool elevation of Mosquito 
Creek Lake on location of oil and gas operations; (9) Safety concerns 
for recreational users and residents; and (10) Potential impact to 
current and future uses of Lakeview Local School District property. Two 
issues were identified as being beyond the scope of the document. These 
included: (1) Oil and gas leasing and subsequent operations may affect 
property values in the Mosquito Creek

[[Page 17910]]

Lake area; and (2) traffic associated with oil and gas operations may 
impact road conditions in the Mosquito Creek Lake vicinity. These 
issues will be addressed in the analysis process, but no decisions 
resulting from the PA/EA will be specific to these two issues.
    Resource objectives were developed to address specific issues or 
concerns. Management actions developed through the planning process 
will strive to meet the outlined resource objectives. The specific 
objectives, as they relate to oil and gas leasing and development, are:

--Maintain or minimize the impacts to the aesthetic values present at 
the Mosquito Creek Lake area.
--Sustain and/or improve current safety levels for recreational users 
and residents.
--Maintain or enhance wetland values in the Mosquito Creek Lake 
watersheds.
--Maintain existing surface and ground water quality in the Mosquito 
Creek Lake watersheds.
--Maintain or enhance the historical, archaeological, and traditional 
cultural resource values.
--Maintain and enhance special status species populations and suitable 
habitat.
--Minimize impact to farm cooperative leasees and associated forage 
area.
--Maintain current outdoor recreational opportunities and facilities 
and minimize impacts to future opportunities and facilities.
--Maintain the assigned visual resource management class as determined 
through the planning process.
--Maintain the integrity of the reservoir pool zones.
--Maintain and/or enhance current and future uses of the Lakeview Local 
School District property.

    Additional issues and resource objectives may be identified as a 
result of public input.
    The PA/EA will be developed by an interdisciplinary team (IDT) 
composed of specialists in air quality, archaeology, forestry, 
geographic information systems, hazardous and solid waste, minerals, 
paleontology, recreation, socio-economics, soils, visual resources, 
water resources, and wildlife and special status species. Additional 
technical support will be provided by other specialists as needed.
    Public participation will be an important part of the PA/EA 
process. It is intended that all interested or affected parties be 
involved. The IDT will seek input by direct mailings, media coverage, 
person to person contacts, and coordination with local, State, and 
other Federal agencies throughout the process. Written and oral 
comments will be accepted at an open house and public meeting to be 
held in the multi purpose room of the Cortland Elementary School, 264 
Park Avenue in Cortland, Ohio on May 8, 1996. An informal open house 
will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Resource specialists will be 
available to discuss specific areas of interest with the public. A 
formal meeting will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with 
registration beginning at 6:30 p.m. Agency personnel will accept oral 
or written comments on the preliminary issues and resource objectives.
    Complete records of all phases of the planning process will be 
available for public review at the Milwaukee District Office. The 
draft, proposed, and the final PA/EA will be available upon request.

    Dated: April 17, 1996.
James W. Dryden,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-9908 Filed 4-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GJ-P