[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 71 (Thursday, April 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18974-18975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9061]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM-010-1430-EU/1430-HN; NM 101522]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for a Proposed Land Exchange with the Pueblo of San Felipe; 
Albuquerque Field Office, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Albuquerque Field Office 
has completed a Draft EIS. This document describes and analyzes three 
alternatives for a land exchange involving public land south of County 
Road 252 A (formerly State Road 22) and east of the Tejon Grant and 
private lands of equal value, yet to be identified, within high 
priority acquisition areas (as identified in the Rio Puerco and the 
Taos Resource Management Plans [RMPs]). The alternatives are: (A) 
Proposed Action (exchange approximately 9,460 acres of public lands 
with restrictive covenants), (B) Exchange of the proposed action 
acreage plus an additional 1,447 acres of public lands with restrictive 
covenants, and (C) No Action Alternative (the exchange proposal would 
be rejected).
    The following described public lands were analyzed for disposal 
through exchange to the San Felipe Pueblo by the United States:

New Mexico Principal Meridian

T. 13 N., R. 6 E.,

[[Page 18975]]

    Sec. 1, lots 8 to 12 and 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 1to 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 to 10, inclusive, W\1/2\;
    Sec. 23, lot 5;
    Sec. 26, lots 3 to 5 and 10 to 14;
    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, 10, inclusive, W\1/2\.
T. 13 N., R. 7 E.,
    Sec. 6, lot 13;
    Sec. 7, lots 8 to 10 and 13.
    Sec. 18, lots 1 to 3, inclusive, 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.

    In this proposed exchange, the United States would acquire an equal 
value of lands, yet to be identified, within or adjacent to the BLM 
Wilderness Study Areas (WSA), Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 
(ACEC), Special Management Areas and/or other BLM high priority 
acquisition areas.

DATES: Written comments must be postmarked no later than June 5, 2001. 
A public scoping meeting will be held at the Office of the Bureau of 
Land Management, 435 Montano NE., Albuquerque, New Mexico from 4:00 
p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on May 10, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: the Albuquerque Field 
Manager, BLM, Albuquerque Field Office, 435 Montano NE., Albuquerque, 
New Mexico 87107. The public scoping meeting will be held in the main 
conference room at the Albuquerque Field Office at the above address.
    Copies are available for review at the Albuquerque Field Office and 
at the following address on the Internet: www.nm.blm.gov. Additional 
copies are available at the following BLM New Mexico offices: New 
Mexico State Office, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe and; Taos Field Office, 
226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debby Lucero, BLM Albuquerque Field 
Office, at the above address or telephone (505) 761-8787, fax (505) 
761-8911.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following issues have been addressed in 
the environmental analysis: (1) Ecological Sites/Vegetation, (2) 
Threatened, Endangered and Other Special Status Species, (3) Water 
Resources, (4) Wildlife, (5) Geology/Paleontology, (6) Minerals, (7) 
Land Uses, (8) Wilderness, (9) Recreation, (10) Visual Resources, (11) 
Hazardous Materials, (12) Cultural Resources, (13) American Indian 
Uses, (14) Rangeland Management and, (15) Socio-economic Conditions.
    All of the federal lands in the Albuquerque Field Office are 
identified in a lower class retention zone that may be disposed of only 
for lands in a higher class retention zone.
    The lands to be acquired by the BLM through this exchange are in 
high class retention areas, supporting their acquisition through 
exchange of lower class retention lands to the Pueblo.

S.W. Anderson,
Acting Albuquerque Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 01-9061 Filed 4-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-AG-P