[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 131 (Monday, July 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38893-38895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10785]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AK-910-02-1410-PG]


Notice of Availability of Proposed East Alaska Resource 
Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) has prepared a proposed Resource Management Plan/
Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) for the East Alaska 
Planning Area.

DATES: The BLM Planning Regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any 
person who participated in the planning process, and has an interest 
which is or may be adversely affected, may protest BLM's approval or 
amendment of a RMP. You must file a protest within 30 days of the date 
that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. Instructions for filing of 
protests are described in the Dear Reader letter of the Proposed East 
Alaska RMP/Final EIS and in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 
this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Rogers, BLM Glennallen Field 
Office, P.O. Box 147 Glennallen, AK 99588, (907) 822-3217, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The East Alaska RMP planning area covers 7.1

[[Page 38894]]

million acres of BLM-administered lands. The Proposed East Alaska RMP/
Final EIS focuses on the principles of multiple use and sustained yield 
as prescribed by Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (FLPMA). The Proposed East Alaska RMP/Final EIS considers 
and analyzes four alternatives, including a No Action and a Preferred 
Alternative. The alternatives provide for an array of variable levels 
of commodity production and resource protection and restoration. The 
alternatives were developed based on extensive public scoping and 
involvement.
    There are seven main issues addressed through this planning 
process.
    Issue 1, Travel Management, addresses management of access, roads, 
and the use of off-highway vehicles (OHV) for various purposes, 
including recreation, commercial uses, subsistence activities, and the 
general enjoyment of public lands while protecting natural and cultural 
resources.
    Issue 2, Recreation, examines how recreation should be managed to 
provide a diversity of experiences on BLM-managed lands. The document 
analyzes what measures are necessary to ensure that a diversity of 
recreational opportunities is maintained and what level of commercial 
recreational use is appropriate to maintain a diversity of recreational 
opportunities.
    Issue 3, Special Resource Values, focuses on those unique, special 
values located within the planning area that were identified by 
resource specialists and the public, and includes discussions on 
wildlife, fisheries, soil, water, air, vegetation, and consideration of 
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) to protect special 
resource values.
    Issue 4, Lands and Realty, addresses the need to determine the 
appropriate mix of lands and realty actions needed to provide a balance 
between land use and resource protection. Special attention is paid to 
the Slana settlement area, and the establishment of conditions that 
would make the area available for disposal while considering the 
effects of disposal on the social and environmental conditions of the 
area.
    Issue 5, Vegetation Management, examines management to provide for 
forest health, personal and commercial wood products, fish and wildlife 
habitat, and the role of fire.
    Issue 6, Leasable and Locatable Minerals, addresses the need to 
determine which areas should be made available for mineral exploration 
and development.
    Issue 7, Subsistence/Social and Economic Conditions, examines the 
need to maintain and protect subsistence opportunities and resources, 
as well as how the management actions, guidelines, and allowable uses 
described under the other issues will affect subsistence opportunities 
and resources. This discussion also addresses social and economic 
effects.
    The public involvement and collaboration process included 30 public 
scoping meetings, 17 alternative development meetings, 7 public 
meetings on the Draft, and meetings with Native and Village 
Corporations. The State of Alaska is participating in the planning 
effort as an informal cooperator.
    Public Land Order 5150 withdrew land within the planning area to 
establish the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Utility Corridor. The BLM's 
preferred alternative is to maintain most of this corridor in Federal 
ownership, with the exception of 82,500 acres north of Paxson. These 
82,500 acres provide less than ten percent of the average annual 
subsistence harvest taken off of Federal lands.
    Alternative B of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS proposes the revocation 
of Public Land Order 5150. This revocation would allow the conveyance 
of these lands to the State of Alaska. This possibility raised much 
controversy with the local community and Native groups as it would 
eliminate 63% of the land area available for federal subsistence 
hunting in Game Management Unit 13. Approximately 80% of the harvest in 
Unit 13 is taken from lands within PLO 5150 because of its location 
within the migration corridor of the Nelchina Caribou Herd and the ease 
with which it can be accessed from the Richardson Highway. The Alaska 
National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) section 810 analysis, 
included as an appendix in the Proposed RMP/Final EIS, concludes that 
Alternative B has the clear potential to significantly restrict 
subsistence uses. Seven subsistence hearings were held throughout the 
planning area to gather public testimony on the impacts of Alternative 
B on subsistence. BLM hosted a special session of the Southcentral 
Subsistence Advisory Committee to facilitate the committee hearing 
testimony and submitting formal comment on the issue before the 
deadline for public comment.
    The Draft RMP/EIS considered four ACECs. A significant percentage 
of the total comments submitted during the 90-day comment period 
pertained to ACECs. The Proposed RMP/Final EIS identifies one ACEC for 
designation, the Bering Glacier Research Natural Area (RNA) which 
contains 827,000 acres of land. This area encompasses the Bering 
Glacier and the surrounding glacially influenced landscape. Measures to 
protect unique ecological values associated with the glacier and 
glacier forelands include: (1) OHVs limited to designated trails; (2) 
new road and airstrip construction would be permitted only if 
consistent with the protection of the values identified; (3) 
withdrawals prohibiting mineral entry or leasing would be maintained in 
the western two-thirds of the area; (4) no FLPMA 302 leases or permits 
unless associated with research activities; (5) visitor use limits 
developed for Special Recreation Permits; and (6) no heli-recreation 
activities would be permitted.
    All comments received on the plan were systematically analyzed and 
evaluated. Appendix J of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS outlines all 
substantive comments received and BLM's responses to those comments. 
Comments on the Draft RMP/EIS received from the public and internal BLM 
review comments were incorporated into the proposed plan. Public 
comments resulted in several changes to the preferred alternative and 
in the addition of clarifying text. A summary of these changes is 
included at the beginning of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS.
    The Proposed Plan will help BLM meet its mandate of multiple use 
and sustained yield and recommends the designation of four new Special 
Recreation Management Areas (SMRAs) and one Research Natural Area 
(RNA). Restrictions on uses or activities within the SRMAs and RNA will 
be limited to those necessary to prevent degradation of the relevant 
and important values for which an area is designated.
    Copies of the Proposed East Alaska RMP/Final EIS have been sent to 
affected Federal, State, and Local Government agencies and to 
interested parties. Copies of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS are available 
for public inspection at the BLM Glennallen Field Office located at 
Mile 186.5 Glenn Highway, Glennallen, Alaska during normal business 
hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays. 
Copies of the Proposed RMP/Final EIS have been sent to individuals, 
agencies, and groups as requested or as required by regulation or 
policy. Interested persons may also review the proposed RMP/Final EIS 
on the Internet at www.ak.blm.gov/gdo/landplan/index.html or at one of 
the following locations in and around the planning area:


[[Page 38895]]


BLM Anchorage Field Office, Anchorage.
BLM Northern District Office, Fairbanks.
BLM Alaska State Office, Public Room, Anchorage.
Chugach National Forest Service, Cordova.
Copper Valley Community Library, Glennallen.
Delta Junction Community Library, Delta Junction.
Denali Borough Office, Healy.
Kenny Lake Community Library, Kenny Lake.
Loussac Library, Anchorage.
Mat-Su Borough Office, Palmer.
National Park Service, Wrangell-St. Elias, Copper Center.
National Park Service, Denali, McKinley Village.
Noel Wien Library, Fairbanks.
North Pole Library, North Pole.
Valdez Public Library, Valdez.
Yakutat Borough Office, Yakutat.

    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed Plan/Final EIS may be found at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. 
A protest may only raise those issues which were submitted for the 
record during the planning process. 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, BLM will 
consider the e-mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will 
receive full consideration. If you wish to provide BLM with such 
advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of 
the BLM protest coordinator at 202-452-5112, and e-mails to [email protected].
    Please direct the follow-up letter to the appropriate address 
provided below.
    The protest must contain:
    a. The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the 
person filing the protest.
    b. A statement of the part or parts of the plan and the issue or 
issues being protested.
    c. A copy of all documents addressing the issue(s) that the 
protesting party submitted during the planning process or a statement 
of the date they were discussed for the record.
    d. A concise statement explaining why the protestor believes the 
State Director's decision is wrong.
    All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following 
addresses:
    Regular Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 
66538, Washington, DC 20035.
    Overnight Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L 
Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.
    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 protest. Such requests will be 
honored to the extent allowed by 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.
    The Director will promptly render a decision on the protest. The 
decision will be in writing and will be sent to the protesting party by 
certified mail, return receipt requested. The decision of the Director 
is the final decision of the Department of the Interior.

    Dated: April 6, 2006.
Henri Bisson,
Alaska State Director.
 [FR Doc. E6-10785 Filed 7-7-06; 8:45 am]
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