[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 206 (Monday, October 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57135-57136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28558]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[AZ-060-7122-00-5542; AZA-28350]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Ray Land Exchange/Plan Amendment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability, Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS)/Plan Amendment.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arizona State Office and 
Tucson Field Office, in response to a land exchange proposal from 
ASARCO Incorporated (Asarco) has prepared a DEIS in compliance with the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the 
Federal Land Exchange Facilitation Act, and the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969. The land exchange DEIS is combined with a plan 
amendment which considers amending the Phoenix and Safford District 
Resource Management Plans (RMPs) under BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 
part 1600) for the purpose of exchanging public lands pursuant to 
Section 206 of FLPMA. Asarco has proposed to exchange 10,976 acres of 
federal lands or minerals in Pinal and Gila counties for 7,304 acres of 
private lands in Pinal and Mohave counties. A plan amendment is 
required for all but 637 acres of the federal lands since prior land 
tenure decisions were to retain these parcels or mineral estate in 
federal ownership.

ADDRESSES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Copies of the Draft EIS may be requested from: Shela McFarlin, Project 
Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office, 222 N. 
Central, Phoenix, AZ 85004, or by telephone (602) 417-9568. Copies are 
available for public review at: BLM Phoenix Field Office, 2015 West 
Deer Valley Rd., Phoenix, AZ. 85027; BLM Tucson Field Office, 12661 
East Broadway, Tucson, AZ. 85748; BLM Kingman Field Office, 2475 
Beverly Avenue, Kingman, AZ. 86401; Public Libraries in Mesa, Kingman 
and Kearny; and the Arizona State University, Hayden Library, Tempe, 
AZ; Public Comments and Meetings: Public meetings will be held in: 
Kearny, Arizona on December 8, 1998 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the 
Constitution Hall (Senior Citizen Center), 912 East Tilbury Drive; in 
Mesa, Arizona on December 9, 1998 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Mesa 
Community College, Kirk Student

[[Page 57136]]

Center, Lower Level Kiva Room; and, in Kingman, Arizona on December 10, 
1998 5:00 to 7:00 pm, City of Kingman Town Hall, Lower Level, Fire 
Dept. Room. Public meetings will consist of a short presentation on the 
project at 5:00 pm followed by a formal hearing for public comments. 
Written comments may be sent additionally to the address below. Public 
comments will be accepted and considered if postmarked by January 28, 
1999. Please note that comments, including names and street addresses 
of respondents are available for public review and may be published as 
part of the Final EIS, or other related documents. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your 
name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the 
Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the 
extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials or organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public inspection in their entirety.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the plan amendment/EIS must be 
submitted to Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Shela McFarlin, Project 
Manager, Arizona State Office (AZ-917), 222 N. Central, Phoenix, 
Arizona 85004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shela McFarlin, at the above address, 
(602) 417-9568.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal (public) lands (in Pinal and Gila 
counties) being analyzed for exchange include federal mineral estate 
(2,780 acres) and federal surface and mineral estate (8,196 acres). 
Most of these parcels surround the Ray Mine and Hayden Complex operated 
by ASARCO Incorporated; or, these consist of future prospects for 
mineral development or support, including 637 acres near Casa Grande. 
The non-federal lands to be offered to the BLM include high resource 
values such as: wilderness inholdings or areas adjacent to the Mt. 
Tipton and Sacramento Valley Wilderness, hydroriparian zone along the 
Gila River, desert tortoise category I and II habitat, and checkerboard 
inholdings within the McCracken Area of Critical Environmental Concern. 
These parcels are located within Mohave (mainly) and Gila counties.

    Dated: October 20, 1998.
Jesse J. Juen,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 98-28558 Filed 10-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-M