[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29982-29983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13962]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


Environmental Impact Statement; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement / Oil and 
Gas Management Plan, (DEIS/O&GMP), Lake Meredith National Recreation 
Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Texas.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service announces the 
availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Oil and Gas 
Management Plan (DEIS/O&GMP) for Lake Meredith National Recreation Area 
and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Texas.

DATES: Comments on the document must be received within 60 days 
following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publication of a 
Notice of Availability on the DEIS/O&BMP in the Federal Register. If 
any public meetings are held concerning the DEIS/O&GMP, they will be 
announced at a later date.
    Comments: Written comments on the DEIS/O&GMP should be sent to the 
Superintendent, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates 
Flint Quarries National Monument, P.O. Box 1460, Fritch, Texas 79036 or 
submitted via the Internet to: [email protected]. Internet comments 
should be sent with a return receipt requested, as an ASCII file 
avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption, and 
include ``Attn: (any identifying names or codes)'' and name and return 
address. If a confirmation that the comment has been received is not 
returned, contact the NPS Office of Minerals/Oil and Gas Support, 
telephone 505-988-6095. Comments may also be delivered to NPS park 
headquarters at 419 E. Broadway, in Fritch, Texas. All comments, 
including names and addresses of respondents, will be made available 
for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents 
may request that the NPS withhold their name and home address from the 
record, which will be honored to the extent allowable by law. In order 
to withhold a name and/or address, it must be stated prominently at the 
beginning of the written comment. Anonymous comments will not be 
considered. 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. All comments received on the 
DEIS/O&GMP will become part of the public record.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DEIS/O&GMP are available from the 
Superintendent, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates 
Flint Quarries National Monument, P.O. Box 1460, Fritch, Texas 79036, 
telephone 806-857-3151. The DEIS/O&GMP is also available on the parks' 
websites at: http://www.nps.gov/lamr and http://www.nps.gov/alfl/. 
Public reading copies of the DEIS/O&GMP are available for public review 
at the following locations:

Office of the Superintendent, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area 
and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, 419 E. Broadway, Fritch, 
TX 79036, Telephone: 806-857-3151
Office of Minerals/Oil and Gas Support, Intermountain Support Office--
Santa Fe, National Park Service, 1100 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 
87501, Telephone: 505-988-6095
Planning and Environmental Quality, Intermountain Support Office--
Denver National Park Service, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO 
80228, Telephone: 303-969-2851
Office of Public Affairs, National Park Service, 18th and C Streets NW, 
Washington, DC 20240, Telephone: 202-208-6843

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When the parks were created, surface 
ownership within the two areas was acquired by the U.S. Government. 
Private entities or the State of Texas retained the subsurface mineral 
interests on these lands. Thus, the federal government does not own any 
of the subsurface oil and gas rights in the parks, yet the National 
Park Service is required by its laws, policies and regulations to 
protect these parks from any actions, including oil and gas operations, 
that may

[[Page 29983]]

adversely impact or impair park resources and values.
    The DEIS/O&GMP analyzes three alternatives that could be 
implemented over the next 15-20 years for managing existing and 
anticipated oil and gas operations associated with the exercise of 
nonfederal oil and gas interests underlying the parks, and existing 
transpark oil and gas pipelines and activities in their associated 
rights-of-way. This planning effort will assist the park staff protect 
park resources, visitor use and experience, and human health and 
safety, and prevent impairment to park resources and values, while 
still recognizing all rights associated with outstanding nonfederal oil 
and gas interests.
    Alternative A, No Action/Current Management, is required by the 
National Environmental Policy Act and describes the continued 
management of oil and gas operations in the parks under current legal 
and policy requirements. Alternative B emphasizes the development of a 
programmatic oil and gas management plan that would guide nonfederal 
oil and gas operations in the parks. Special Management Areas (SMAs) 
would be formally designated in the parks where resources and values 
would be particularly susceptible to adverse impacts from oil and gas 
operations, and operating stipulations specific to each SMA would be 
applied. Alternative B is the preferred alternative, and the 
environmentally preferred alternative. Alternative C emphasizes 
avoiding new surface disturbance and its associated impacts throughout 
the parks. New drilling and production operations would be confined to 
the original footprint of 121 current production sites and could not be 
located in SMAs where the No Surface Use operating stipulation would be 
proposed under Alternative B.
    Impacts are analyzed on the following topics: nonfederal oil and 
gas development, adjacent landowners and uses, air quality, geologic 
resources, paleontological resources, floodplains and water resources, 
vegetation, wetlands, fish and wildlife, threatened and endangered 
species, cultural resources, and visitor use and experience.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Lake Meredith National 
Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, at the 
above address and telephone number.

    Dated: May 1, 2001.
Jack Nickels,
Acting Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 01-13962 Filed 6-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P