[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41032-41033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19660]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ES-020-01-1610-DU]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Planning Analysis for 
Arkansas and Louisiana

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft

[[Page 41033]]

Planning Analysis and Environmental Assessment (PA/EA) for public 
domain lands in Arkansas and Louisiana. The PA/EA describes and 
analyzes alternatives for future management of approximately 575 acres 
in Arkansas and 378 acres in Louisiana. These public lands are isolated 
tracts in seven counties in Arkansas and four parishes in Louisiana. 
The affected counties in Arkansas are: Baxter, Cleburne, Crawford, 
Fulton, Pike, Searcy and Van Buren. The affected parishes in Louisiana 
are: Desoto, Natchitoches, Rapides and St. Martin. Split-estate 
minerals are not included in this PA/EA. These documents were prepared 
to fulfill the requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA).

DATES: Written comments on the Draft PA/EA must be submitted or 
postmarked no later than September 5, 2001. Comments may also be 
presented at a public meeting to be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 
23, 2001 at the Civic Center Gymnasium in Marshall, Arkansas. Copies of 
the draft PA/EA may be obtained from the Jackson Field Office, 411 
Briarwood Drive, Suite 404, Jackson, MS 39206. Copies will be available 
for review at the public library in the seat of government in each 
county or parish with lands included in the PA/EA. Also, the document 
may be reviewed on the Internet at www.es.blm.gov/jfo/pages/lupj.html.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Attn: PA/EA Team, 
Bureau of Land Management, Jackson Field Office, 411 Briarwood Drive, 
Suite 404, Jackson, MS 39206.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Duane Winters, phone (601) 977-5400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The issues addressed in the Draft PA/EA are: 
(1) Land Ownership Adjustments and (2) Special Management Areas. All of 
the BLM-administered public domain tracts in Arkansas and Louisiana are 
small and isolated, and, therefore, might be considered suitable for 
disposal. On the other hand, these tracts may have resources of value 
that should be retained in public ownership and managed by BLM or other 
agencies. These resources would include sites eligible for listing on 
the National Register of Historic Places, endangered species, 
threatened habitats, minerals, or potential for recreational use. The 
Draft PA/EA presents alternatives with different answers to the 
following questions: What tracts should be retained in public 
ownership? What tracts should BLM dispose through sale, exchange, or 
other means? What tracts should be identified for special management to 
protect or enhance specific resources? And how should the resources be 
managed? The alternatives being considered can be summarized as: (1) No 
Action or Custodial Management, (2) Disposal, and (3) Management 
through Partnerships. Under the Custodial Management alternative, the 
BLM would retain the tracts, but would not pro-actively manage them. 
There would be no actions taken to manage habitats or other resources. 
When presented to BLM, applications for use would be evaluated on a 
case-by-case basis. Because this alternative would essentially be a 
continuation of the current management approach, it is also referred to 
as the No Action alternative. With the Disposal alternative, BLM would 
pursue transfer of the tracts out of Federal ownership through various 
means including sale, exchange or conveyance under the Recreation and 
Public Purposes Act. In a sale or exchange, priority would be given to 
transferring the tracts to adjacent land owners. Disposal of tracts 
with high resource values would be allowed, but only with restrictive 
easements to protect the resources. In the Partnership alternative, 
resource management objectives are developed for each tract. These 
objectives include the desired conditions, such as type of habitat and 
recreational opportunity. BLM would actively seek partners, and with 
their cooperation, develop site specific implementation plans to 
identify needed management actions. Transfer to other Federal agencies, 
or conveyance under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act would be 
allowed, but only for uses primarily directed to attaining the 
management objectives. In the Draft PA/EA the preferred alternative for 
three of the tracts in Arkansas is (2) Disposal. The preferred 
alternative for all other tracts in Arkansas and all four tracts in 
Louisiana is (3) Management Through Partnerships.

    Dated: July 19, 2001.
Gayle F. Gordon,
State Director, Eastern States.
[FR Doc. 01-19660 Filed 8-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GJ-P