[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58976-58977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23803]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ES-020-09-1610-DO-015M]


Notice of Intent to Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the 
Jackson Field Office, Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States and 
Associated Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management--Eastern States (BLM-ES), 
Jackson Field Office, Jackson, Mississippi, intends to prepare a 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) with an associated Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Southeastern United States and, by this notice, 
is announcing public scoping meetings. The RMP will bring all BLM land 
in the Southeastern United States under a land use plan

DATES: The BLM will announce public scoping meetings to identify 
relevant issues through local news media, newsletters, and the BLM web 
site http://www.blm.gov/es/st/en/fo/Jackson_Home_Page.html at least 
15 days prior to the first meeting. We will provide formal 
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft 
RMP/EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods: Web 
Site: http://www.blm.gov/es/st/en/fo/Jackson_Home_Page.html
     E-mail: [email protected]
     Fax: (601) 977-5440
     Mail: Jackson Field Office, BLM, Attn: Gary Taylor, 411 
Briarwood Drive, Suite 404, Jackson, Mississippi 39206.


[[Page 58977]]


Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Jackson 
Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Gary Taylor, telephone 
(601) 977-5413; or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Field Office, Jackson, Mississippi, intends to prepare a RMP with an 
associated EIS for the BLM resources located in the Southeastern United 
States and intends to hold public scoping meetings that will be 
announced at a later date with public notice prior to those meetings.
    The planning area is located in the States of: Florida, Georgia, 
South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, 
Arkansas, and Louisiana. This planning activity encompasses 
approximately 2,000,000 acres of public lands and resources. The plan 
will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth by the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act (FLPMA), and BLM management policies. The BLM will work 
collaboratively with interested parties to identify the management 
decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs 
and concerns. Coal resources exist in the State of Kentucky. This 
notice serves as a call for coal reserve information.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis and 
EIS alternatives. These issues also guide the planning process. You may 
submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing to the BLM 
at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the BLM using 
one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To be most 
helpful, you should submit formal scoping comments within 30 days after 
the last public meeting. The minutes and list of attendees for each 
scoping meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days 
after the meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he 
or she expressed. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. 
If you wish to withhold your name and/or address from public review or 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. The BLM will 
honor such requests to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, are available for public inspection in their entirety. 
Preliminary issues and management concerns have been identified by BLM 
personnel, other agencies, and in meetings with individuals and user 
groups. They represent the BLM's knowledge to date regarding the 
existing issues and concerns with current land management. The major 
issues that will be addressed in this planning effort include: future 
management of the Federal resources in the southeast; protection of 
resources such as wetlands, sensitive species habitat and historic 
properties while allowing oil and gas development and mining; and 
management of surface lands within the planning area. Because of the 
scattered public land ownership pattern and small size of most parcels, 
land tenure adjustments have the potential to provide greater 
efficiencies in management and reduce workloads and costs. Some of the 
lands may be suitable for disposal under a variety of authorities. Some 
may be retained in public ownership and possibly transferred to other 
agencies.
    After public comments as to what issues the plan should address are 
gathered, they will be placed in one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the plan as to why we placed 
an issue in category two or three. In addition to these major issues, a 
number of management questions and concerns will be addressed in the 
plan. The public is encouraged to help identify these questions and 
concerns during the scoping phase.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines 
will be involved in the planning process: minerals and geology, outdoor 
recreation, archaeology, paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, lands 
and realty, hydrology, soils, sociology and economics.

    Dated: October 2, 2008.
 Juan Palma,
 State Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-23803 Filed 10-7-08; 8:45 am]
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