[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 117 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33385-33386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16164]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CO-078-98-1310-00]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) on Oil and Gas Leasing in the Glenwood Springs 
Resource Area

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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[[Page 33386]]

SUMMARY: Pursuant to sec. 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations in CFR 
1610.5-5, BLM proposes to amend the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for 
its Glenwood Springs Resource Area (GSRA). As described in a Notice of 
Intent published on April 21, 1997 (62 FR 19349), BLM has prepared a 
supplemental EIS on the impacts of oil and gas development in the GSRA. 
On March 17, 1998, an additional Notice of Intent (63 FR 13068) 
expressed BLM's intent to include lands in the Naval Oil Shale Reserves 
(NOSR) in the SEIS and the RMP amendment. That SEIS is now available 
for review and comment.
    Copies of the SEIS will be available at the following BLM offices: 
the Glenwood Springs Resource Area Office, 50629 Highway 6 & 24, 
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, 81602; the Grand Junction District Office, 
2815 H Road, Grand Junction, Colorado, 81506; and the Colorado State 
Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado, 80215.

DATES: Comments will be accepted until September 17, 1998. A public 
meeting on the SEIS will be held on July 7, 1998, from 3:00 to 8:00 PM 
in the Valley Senior Center, 540 Parachute Avenue, Parachute, Colorado, 
81635.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Area Manager, Glenwood 
Springs Resource Area, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 1009, 
Glenwood Springs, CO 81602, ATTN: Oil and Gas SEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Moore,(970) 947-2824

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare a supplemental 
EIS on oil and gas leasing and development in the GSRA was published on 
April 21, 1997 (62 FR 19349). The EIS process indicated that some 
changes in the leasing decisions are necessary and that an RMP 
amendment will be required. After publication of that notice, the 
Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1998 (November 18, 1997) 
transferred management authority for the Naval Oil Shale Reserves 
(NOSR) from the Department of Energy to BLM. In addition to 
transferring management authority to BLM, the Act directs BLM to lease 
approximately 6,000 acres in the NOSR for oil and gas development by 
November 18, 1998. On March 17, 1998, BLM published an additional 
Notice of Intent (63 FR 13068) expressing its intent to include lands 
in the Naval Oil Shale Reserves (NOSR) in the oil and gas leasing SEIS 
and RMP amendment.
    Among the issues identified and evaluated in the SEIS are: the 
effects on visual quality of gas development in highly visible terrain; 
the impact on riparian areas; the effects on wildlife and wildlife 
habitat; and the potential success of reclamation efforts in the arid 
environment.
    Three alternatives were evaluated:
    The Continuation of Current Management Alternative, which would 
continue leasing and mitigation decisions adopted in a 1991 RMP 
amendment and extend them to the NOSR area to be leased;
    The Maximum Protection Alternative, which would attempt to maximize 
mitigation measures regardless of the impact on gas production; and
    The Proposed Action, which describes the GSRA's attempt to provide 
multiple resource management of oil and gas development.
Larry J. Porter,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 98-16164 Filed 6-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P