[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61116-61117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29257]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NM-010-00-1430-HN/NM-101521 and NM-101522/G010-G0-0251]


Notice of Exchange Proposal/Notice of Intent To Prepare Two 
Environmental Impact Statements for the Proposed Santo Domingo and San 
Felipe Land Exchanges

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of exchange proposal; notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM)

[[Page 61117]]

is considering two proposals to exchange lands pursuant to Section 206 
of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716), 
as amended by the Federal Land Exchange Facilitation Act of August 20, 
1988. This also serves as a Notice of Intent to prepare two 
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS's). The proposals are two separate 
land exchanges involving the BLM, the Pueblo of San Felipe and the 
Pueblo of Santo Domingo. These proposals supersede the three-way 
exchange proposal between the BLM, the State of New Mexico, and the two 
pueblos.
    Under Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, the BLM Albuquerque Field Office will be directing the EIS 
preparation by a third-party contractor. The proposal is to exchange 
approximately 7,376.34 acres of federal surface and subsurface to the 
Santo Domingo Pueblo and approximately 9,459.03 acres to the San Felipe 
Pueblo. The lands are contiguous and located east of San Felipe and 
south of the Santo Domingo Reservations. The San Felipe and Santo 
Domingo Pueblos would then acquire, or cause to be acquired, BLM high-
priority acquisition lands adding up to the fair market value of the 
federal lands. An escrow account may be used to purchase private or 
other lands of equal value, from a list of lands to be acquired for the 
BLM.
    The lands to be acquired by the pueblos will be selected from the 
BLM's high-priority acquisition zones and may be within and adjacent to 
Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 
(ACECs), riparian areas and/or other Special Management Areas (SMAs) 
for the benefit of the BLM.
    The following described public lands are being considered for 
disposal to the San Felipe Pueblo by the United States:

New Mexico Principal Meridian

T. 13 N., R. 6 E.,
    Sec. 1, lots 8 to 12, inclusive, and lot 14;
    Sec. 3, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\N\1/2\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\, and 
W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 7, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 8, E\1/2\;
    Secs. 9 and 10;
    Sec. 14, N\1/2\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 15;
    Sec. 16, S\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 17, S\1/2\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 21, lots 10 to 13, inclusive, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, and NE\1/
4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 22, N\1/2\ and N\1/2\S\1/2\;
    Sec. 23, W\1/2\W\1/2\;
    Sec. 25, NW\1/4\ and W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 26, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 27, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, E\1/
2\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 28, lots 1 to 9, inclusive, E\1/2\;
    Sec. 34, E\1/2\;
    Sec. 35, N\1/2\ and W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 36, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\ and W\1/2\SW\1/4\.
T. 14 N., R. 6 E.,
    Sec. 22, lots 2, 3, 4, and lots 7 to 10, inclusive, W\1/2\;
    Sec. 23, lot 5, N\1/2\, SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 26, lots 3, 4, 5, and lots 10 to 14, inclusive, NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 27, N\1/2\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, NE\1/
4\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SW\1/4\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\S\1/
2\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 34, N\1/2\;
    Sec. 35, lots 3, 4, 9 and 10, W\1/2\.
T. 13 N., R. 7 E.,
    Sec. 6, lot 13;
    Sec. 7, lots 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13;
    Sec. 18, lots 1, 2, 3, W\1/2\NW\1/4\, and NW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 31, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, W\1/2\W\1/2\.

    The areas described aggregate 9,459.03 acres.

    The following described public lands are being considered for 
disposal to the Santo Domingo Pueblo by the United States:

New Mexico Principal Meridian

T. 13 N., R. 6 E.,
    Sec. 1, lots 5, 6, 7, and 13.
T. 14 N., R. 6 E.,
    Sec. 9, lots 9, 10, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 10, lots 10 to 13, inclusive, S\1/2\S\1/2\;
    Sec. 11, lots 9, 10 and 11;
    Sec. 13, lots 5 to 8, inclusive, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 14, lot 2, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, and S\1/
2\;
    Sec. 15;
    Sec. 22, lots 1, 5, and 6;
    Sec. 23, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, N\1/2\ and SE\1/4\;
    Secs. 24 and 25;
    Sec. 26, lots 1, 2, 6 to 9, inclusive, and lots 15, and 16, 
NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 35, lots 1, 2, 5 to 8, inclusive, and lot 11.
T. 13 N., R. 7 E.,
    Sec. 6, lots 5 to 12, inclusive;
    Sec. 7, lots 5, 6, 7, and 11.
T. 14 N., R. 7 E.,
    Sec. 17, lots 10 and 11;
    Sec. 18, lots 5 to 8, inclusive, SW\1/4\ and S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 19;
    Sec. 20, lots 1 to 4, inclusive;
    Sec. 29, lots 1 and 2;
    Sec. 30, lots 1 to 5, inclusive, N\1/2\N\1/2\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\ 
and W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 31, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, W\1/2\W\1/2\.

    The areas described aggregate 7,376.34 acres.

    In this proposed exchange, the United States would acquire an equal 
value of lands, yet to be identified, within or adjacent to BLM WSAs, 
ACECs, SMAs and/or other BLM high-priority acquisition areas.
    The No Action Alternative will be analyzed in each EIS and will 
consider the effects of not completing the exchange.
    The following resources and/or their uses are likely to be issues 
of concern in these EIS's:

American Indian Traditional Cultural Properties
Availability of Land for Public Use
Mineral Ownership and Availability
Access to Private Lands
Grazing Permits
Water Resources
Rights-of-Way and Utility Corridors

DATES: Interested parties may submit comments concerning the proposed 
exchange and transfer of public lands to the Field Manager, Albuquerque 
Field Office, at the above address. To be considered in the 
environmental analysis of the proposed exchange, comments must be in 
writing to the Field Manager and be postmarked or delivered by December 
27, 1999.
    An open house/public scoping meeting will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 
p.m. on December 2, 1999, at the BLM Albuquerque Field Office, 435 
Montano Rd. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107.
    The scoping process will consist of a news release announcing the 
start of the EIS process and a public scoping meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A detailed map or legal description 
and information concerning the proposed exchange may be obtained from 
Debby Lucero, Realty Specialist, Albuquerque Field Office, 435 Montano 
Rd. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107, (505) 761-8787.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Subject to valid existing rights, the public 
lands identified above were previously segregated from appropriation 
under the public land and mineral laws for a period of 5 years 
beginning March 20, 1996.

    Dated: November 3, 1999.
Francis M. O'Neill,
Acting Assistant Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 99-29257 Filed 11-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-AG-P