[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2983-2984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1245]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Lake 
Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National 
Monument, Texas

AGENCY:  National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

ACTION:  Notice of Intent to prepare an Oil and Gas Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement for Lake Meredith National Recreation 
Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument.

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SUMMARY:  In accordance with Section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service is 
preparing an Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement 
for Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries 
National Monument, Hutchinson, Moore and Potter Counties, Texas, and is 
initiating the scoping process for this document. This statement will 
be approved by the Intermountain Regional Director, National Park 
Service. The Bureau of Reclamation and Canadian River Municipal Water 
Authority are cooperating agencies.
    The Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement is 
needed to address the issues of how the National Park Service can 
protect its resources and values, ensure public safety, and minimize 
conflicts with visitors and park management while recognizing the 
rights of private mineral owners to develop their oil and gas 
resources. In the Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental Impact 
Statement and its accompanying public involvement process, the National 
Park Service will formulate and evaluate the environmental impacts of a 
reasonable range of alternatives that will provide protection for 
resources and values at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and 
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument while allowing for 
exploration and development of the private mineral estate. Distinct 
management issues include identifying which park resources and values 
are most sensitive to oil and gas exploration and development 
disturbance, defining impact mitigation requirements to protect such 
resources and values, establishing reasonable performance standards and 
providing pertinent information to oil and gas owners and operators 
that will facilitate operations planning.

Public Information and Comments

    A public scoping newsletter will be mailed in January 2000, to 
invite public participation in the scoping process and to describe the 
planning process. The general public and affected or interested parties 
are encouraged to provide comments and suggestions, and to identify 
issues and other reasonable alternatives that should be addressed in 
the Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement.
    An Open House meeting will be held on February 9, 2000, at park 
headquarters in Fritch, Texas. The public and affected or interested 
parties may request additional meetings in other Texas cities. These 
requests should be made no later than January 28, 2000, to EIS Team 
Leader Linda Dansby or Paul Eubank at Lake Meredith National Recreation 
Area/Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, at the addresses or 
telephone numbers provided below.
    If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by mailing 
them to the post office addresses provided below by March 14, 2000. Our 
practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of 
respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. 
Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address 
from the decisionmaking record, which we will honor to the extent 
allowable by law. There may also be circumstances in which we would 
withhold from the decisionmaking record a respondent's identify, as 
allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, 
you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. 
However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  If you would like to submit comments, 
be placed on the mailing list, or request a meeting in your city, 
please contact Linda Dansby, EIS Team Leader, P.O. Box 728, Santa Fe, 
New Mexico 87504, 505/988-6095; or Paul Eubank, Lake Meredith National 
Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument at 806-
857-3151, or P.O. Box 1460, Fritch, Texas 79036.


[[Page 2984]]


    Dated: January 12, 2000.
John C. Benjamin,
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries 
National Monument.
[FR Doc. 00-1245 Filed 1-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M