[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 208 (Friday, October 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62138-62139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21570]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO-923; COC-68632]


Notice of Proposed Withdrawal; Scheduled Public Meeting; Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture has filed an application 
requesting the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw approximately 
14,919 acres of National Forest System lands in Douglas, Teller, Park, 
and Jefferson Counties, Colorado. This notice segregates the lands from 
location and entry under the U.S. Mining Laws for up to 2 years. This 
notice also establishes the time and place of the public meeting.

DATES: Comments on this proposed action must be received on or before 
January 26, 2006.
    The public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on December 15, 2005 at 
the USDA Forest Service Workcenter, State Highway 126, Buffalo Creek, 
Colorado 80425.
    Requests to be heard at the public meeting should be received by 
close of business on December 8, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments and/or requests to be heard should be submitted to 
the State Director, Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM), 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215, or David 
Crumley, USDA, Forest Service, 2040 Kachina Drive, Pueblo, Colorado 
81008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris E. Chelius, BLM, 303-239-3706, 
in Denver, or David Crumley, USDA Forest Service, 719-553-1591 in 
Pueblo.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Department of Agriculture, 
acting through the Forest Service, filed an application with the Bureau 
of Land Management to withdraw the following identified lands from 
location and entry under the mining laws, subject to valid existing 
rights. The outer limit of the area requested is a line drawn in such a 
manner that each point of it is \1/4\-mile (U.S. Foot) each side from 
the middle of the main channels of the South Platte and the North Fork 
of the South Platte Rivers comprising a \1/2\-mile wide corridor 
aggregating a length of approximately 71.4 miles. The lands proposed to 
be withdrawn are described in the following three segments:

Sixth Principal Meridian

Pike--San Isabel National Forest

Segment 1: Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir to Cheesman Lake

    Beginning at a point on the South Platte River at the outlet in 
the Elevenmile Reservoir Dam in sec. 20, T. 13 S., R. 72 W., thence 
northeasterly along the middle of the main channel of the South 
Platte River approximately 25.9 miles, ending at a point where the 
South Platte River exits the east boundary of sec. 22. T. 10 S., R. 
71 W.

Segment 2: Cheesman Dam to the High Water Line of the Strontia Springs 
Reservoir

    Beginning on the South Platte River from the stream gage below 
Cheesman Dam in sec.

[[Page 62139]]

6, T. 10 S., R. 70 W., thence northeasterly along the middle of the 
main channel of the South Platte River approximately 22.6 miles, 
ending at the high water line of the Strontia Springs Reservoir, in 
sec. 30, T. 7 S., R. 69 W.

Segment 3: North Fork South Platte River

    Beginning on the North Fork of the South Platte River from 
Insmont (upper end of Berger property) in the NW\1/4\SE\1/4\ of sec. 
33, T. 7 S., R. 72 W., thence easterly along the middle of the main 
channel of the North Fork of the South Platte River approximately 
22.9 miles to the confluence with the main stem of the South Platte 
River in sec. 25, T. 7 S., R. 69 W.
    Excepting nonfederal owned surface and mineral estate, and 
subject to valid existing rights, the provisions of existing 
withdrawals, and other segregations of record. A land list 
describing by Township, Range and Section, the Federal lands and 
interests crossed by the above-described segments and subject to 
this Notice of Proposed Withdrawal is available from the BLM at the 
address listed above.
    The areas described aggregate approximately 14,919.26 acres in 
Jefferson, Teller, Park, and Douglas Counties.

    The purpose of this proposed withdrawal is to protect important 
wild and scenic values which have been determined to meet the 
requirements for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System.
    As proposed, the withdrawal would be for a period of 20 years or 
until Congress determines these segments should or should not be 
included in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
    The use of a right-of-way or cooperative agreement instead of a 
withdrawal would not provide adequate protection for this area due to 
the broad scope and nondiscretionary nature of the general mining laws.
    There are no alternative sites because the area of interest is 
determined by the location of the rivers.
    Water will not be needed to fulfill the purpose of the requested 
withdrawal.
    For a period of 90 days from the date of publication of this 
notice, all persons who wish to submit comments, suggestions, or 
objections in connection with this proposal may present their views in 
writing to the Colorado State Director, BLM, or David Crumley, USDA 
Forest Service, at the above addresses. However, those persons desiring 
to be heard at the public meeting must submit their requests by 
December 8, 2005. A list of scheduled speakers will be established. 
Unscheduled speakers will be heard if time allows.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, and 
records relating to the proposed withdrawal will be available for 
public review at the BLM Colorado State Office in Lakewood and the USDA 
Forest Service Office in Pueblo during regular business hours.
    Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name or address from public review or from disclosure 
under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently 
at the beginning of your comments. Such requests will be honored to the 
extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses 
and from representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, 
will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.
    The application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set forth in 43 CFR 2300.
    For a period of 2 years from the date of publication of this notice 
in the Federal Register, the above described lands will be segregated 
from location and entry under the mining laws as specified above unless 
the application is denied or cancelled, or the withdrawal is approved, 
prior to that date. During this period, the lands will continue to be 
managed by the USDA Forest Service.

(Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3-1)

    Dated: October 7, 2005.
John D. Beck,
Acting Chief, Branch of Lands and Realty.
[FR Doc. 05-21570 Filed 10-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P