[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1596-1597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-98]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM-030-04-1610-DT]


Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan 
Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Federal Fluid 
Minerals Leasing and Development in Sierra and Otero Counties, NM

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
(FLPMA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Proposed 
Resource Management Plan Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(RMPA/FEIS) for Federal Fluid Minerals Leasing and Development in 
Sierra and Otero Counties, New Mexico. The planning area encompasses 
approximately 1.8 million surface acres and 5 million subsurface acres 
of public lands managed by the Las Cruces Field Office, located in 
Sierra and Otero Counties in southern New Mexico. The BLM has and will 
continue to work closely with all interested parties to identify 
management decisions that are best suited to the needs of the public. 
Final decisions will supersede the oil and gas decisions identified in 
the White Sands Resource Area RMP (1986) and provide direction for 
management of these fluid minerals resources on the public lands for 
approximately 20 years.
    The BLM does have the authority to protect unique and sensitive 
areas through land management restrictions, for example, one such tool 
could be an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) designation. 
While this Fluid Minerals Resource Management Plan Amendment addressed 
only oil and gas leasing, the BLM is required to consider updating and 
revising RMPs if there is new data of significance to the RMP that 
needs to be addressed pursuant to the National Environmental Policy 
Act. Such data to consider has surfaced in Dona Ana, Otero, and Sierra 
Counties that may require BLM to consider a revision to the existing 
RMPs in those three counties starting in 2004 which includes looking at 
all public land issues including nominations for ACECs.

DATES: The Proposed RMPA/FEIS for Federal Fluid Minerals Leasing and 
Development in Sierra and Otero Counties, New Mexico will be available 
for a 30-day protest period in accordance with the BLM's land-use 
planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2). Protests must be filed within 
30 days of the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its 
notice of availability of the FEIS.

ADDRESSES: Written protests must be submitted to Director, Bureau of 
Land Management, Attention: Ms. Brenda Williams, Protests Coordinator, 
WO-210, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035.
    Alternatively, and to expedite delivery, you may send your protest 
using an express delivery service to Director, Bureau of Land 
Management, Attention: Ms. Brenda Williams, Protests Coordinator, WO-
210, 1620 L Street NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.
    E-mail and faxed protests will not be accepted as valid protests 
unless the protesting party also provides the original letter by either 
regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest 
period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the e-mail or 
faxed protest as an advance copy, and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide

[[Page 1597]]

the BLM with such advance notification, please direct faxed protests to 
the attention of the BLM Protests Coordinator at (202) 452-5112, and e-
mails to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Phillips, BLM Las Cruces Field 
Office, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005 or by telephone 
(505) 525-4377; Fax (505) 525-4412.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This land-use plan amendment focuses on the 
principle of multiple-use management and sustained yield as prescribed 
by Section 202 of FLPMA. The Proposed RMPA/FEIS considers and analyzes 
three alternatives. These alternatives have been developed based on 
extensive public input following scoping (July 1999), review of the 
summary of the Analysis of the Management Situation (July 2000), review 
and comment on the Draft RMPA/EIS (October 2001-June 2002), and 
numerous meetings with local governments, interested groups, local 
citizens, and the New Mexico Resource Advisory Council. Alternative A 
(as modified by public comment on the Draft RMP/EIS) is the proposed 
plan and provides for the exploration and development of certain public 
lands while providing for protection of the other resources, as well as 
continuing to allow for other uses of the public lands. The BLM 
Planning Regulations, 43 CFR 1610.5-2, state that any person who 
participated in the planning process and has an interest, which may be 
adversely affected, may protest. A protest may raise only those issues, 
which were submitted for the record during the planning process. Any 
protests must be filed within 30 days of the date the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability of the FEIS. 
Specific dates of the protest period will be announced through the 
local news media, letters or postcards, and the BLM Web site (see the 
Internet address below). To be considered timely, your protest must be 
postmarked no later than the last day of the protest period. Though not 
a requirement, we suggest that you send your protest by certified mail, 
return receipt requested. You are also encouraged, but not required, to 
forward a copy of your protest to the Las Cruces Field Manager at 1800 
Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005. To be considered complete, your 
protest must contain (at a minimum) the following information:
    (1) Name, mailing address, telephone number and the affected 
interest of the person filing the protest(s).
    (2) A statement of the issue or issues being protested.
    (3) A statement of the part or parts of the proposed plan being 
protested. To the extent possible, reference specific pages, 
paragraphs, and sections of the document.
    (4) A copy of all your documents addressing the issue or issues, 
which were discussed with the BLM for the record.
    (5) A concise statement explaining why the proposed decision is 
believed to be incorrect. This is a critical part of your protest. 
Document all relevant facts, as much as possible. Disagreement, by 
itself, with a proposed decision or with how the data are used, or 
unsupported allegations of violations of regulation, law, legal 
precedents, or other guidance, will not meet the requirement of the 
regulations.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Las 
Cruces Field Office in Las Cruces, New Mexico during regular business 
hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays). 
Interested persons may also review the Proposed RMPA/FEIS on the 
Internet at http://www.nm.blm.gov. A hard copy or a CD-ROM of the 
document may be requested from the BLM Las Cruces Field Office at the 
address and phone number above. After resolution of any protests an 
Approved RMPA/Record of Decision will be prepared and is expected to be 
available in early-to-mid 2004.

John W. Whitney,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 04-98 Filed 1-8-04; 8:45 am]
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