[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 35 (Thursday, February 21, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8033-8034]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-4147]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ES-020-1320-EL]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Land Use Analysis/Environmental 
Assessment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management; Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Land Use Analysis/Environmental 
Assessment.

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SUMMARY: A Land Use Analysis/Environmental Assessment (LUA/EA) is being 
prepared to consider leasing Federal coal in response to lease 
application KYES-50213. The 315.13-acre application area in Clay 
County, Kentucky is managed by the Daniel Boone National Forest. The 
LUA/EA will be a cooperative effort among the Bureau of Land 
Management, the Forest Service and the Office of Surface Mining. This 
notice is issued pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2(c).
    The planning effort will follow the procedures set forth in 43 CFR 
part 1600. As provided at 43 CFR 3420, information and data pertaining 
to the coal deposits or other resources, which potentially may be 
affected by development of the coal, are requested. Additionally, the 
public is invited to participate in this planning process, beginning 
with the identification of planning issues and criteria.

DATES: Input will be accepted for 30 days from the date of this 
publication. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you 
wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comments. Such requests 
will be honored to the extent allowed by the law. All submissions from 
organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Bureau of Land Management, 
Jackson Field Office, 411 Briarwood

[[Page 8034]]

Drive, Suite 404, Jackson, MS 39206-3039.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John A. Lewis, Lead for LUA/EA, 
Jackson Field Office at 601-977-5400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The coal lease application was filed by 
southfork Coal Company to supplement their existing private and other 
federal reserves currently under lease. The reserves would be mined by 
underground methods from a portal area on private surface and mineral 
estates. A permit (No. 875-5008) has been issued by the State of 
Kentucky for this 14.47-acre portal area located 0.8 miles from the 
intersection of County Highway 92 and the Whitney/McCreary County line.
    The BLM has responsibility to address coal lease applications on 
federal mineral estate. The Forest Service has the responsibility to 
consider consenting to lease Federal coal underlying Forest Service 
managed surface lands. The Office of Surface Mining provides 
recommendations the Secretary of Interior regarding approval of mining 
plans. An interdisciplinary team from these three agencies will be used 
in the preparation of the LUA/EA. Preliminary issues, subject to change 
as a result of public input, are (1) potential impacts of coal 
exploration and development on the surface and subsurface resources and 
(2) consideration of restrictions on lease rights to protect surface 
resources and uses by the Forest Service.
    Due to the limited scope of this LUA/EA process, a public meeting 
is not scheduled during this scoping stage; however, a public hearing 
will be conducted, in accordance with 43 CFR 3420 and 1600, upon the 
completion of the LUA/EA.

Bruce E. Dawson,
Field Manager, Jackson Field Office.
[FR Doc. 02-4147 Filed 2-20-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GJ-P