[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2425-2426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00316]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLAKF02000.16100000.DP0000.LXSS094L0000]


Notice of Availability of a Supplement to the Eastern Interior 
Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for 
Leasing of Hardrock Minerals in the White Mountains National Recreation 
Area, AK

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, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as

[[Page 2426]]

amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing the 
availability of a Supplement to the Draft Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Eastern Interior 
Planning Area (Alaska) and the extension of the comment period for the 
Draft RMP/EIS. The purpose of the Supplement is to analyze and obtain 
public comment on opening part of the White Mountains National 
Recreation Area to hardrock mineral leasing.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft RMP/EIS and Supplement thereto within 90 
days after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its 
notice of availability of the Supplement in the Federal Register. The 
BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public 
participation activities at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Eastern Interior 
Draft RMP/EIS and Supplement by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/planning.html.
     Fax: 907-474-2282.
     Mail: Eastern Interior Field Office, Attention--Eastern 
Interior Draft RMP/EIS, Bureau of Land Management, 1150 University 
Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709.

Copies of the Supplement to the Eastern Interior Draft RMP/EIS are 
available at the Fairbanks District Office at the above address; at the 
Alaska State Office, Public Information Center, Bureau of Land 
Management, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513; and on the 
following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/planning.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeanie Cole, 907-474-2340 or 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Supplement to the Eastern Interior Draft 
RMP/EIS amends Alternative D to address hardrock mineral leasing in the 
White Mountains National Recreation Area (NRA). Section 1312 of the 
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), 16 U.S.C. 
460mm-4, withdrew the lands within the White Mountains NRA from 
location, entry, and patent under the Mining Law of 1872, but allows 
the Secretary to ``permit the removal of the nonleasable minerals'' 
from these lands, provided the Secretary makes a finding that such 
disposition would not have significant adverse effects on the 
administration of the NRA. The BLM has interpreted section 1312 as 
allowing for the disposal of previously locatable minerals within the 
NRA by lease, as described in its regulations at 43 CFR part 3500 and 
3580, subpart 3585.
    The White Mountains RMP issued in 1986 recommended opening about 44 
percent of the NRA to hardrock mineral leasing. This decision was never 
implemented.
    The BLM published a Notice of Availability for the Eastern Interior 
Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal Register on February 24, 2012 (77 FR 
11154). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its Notice 
of Availability of the Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal Register on March 
2, 2012 (77 FR 12835), beginning a 150-day public comment period. This 
notice announces the extension of the comment period for the Draft RMP/
EIS for 90 days after EPA publishes its notice of availability of the 
Supplement in the Federal Register. The Draft RMP/EIS considered 
hardrock mineral leasing in the White Mountains NRA as an alternative 
considered but not analyzed in detail.
    In the Draft RMP/EIS, the BLM previously described that the 
provisions under ANILCA for hardrock mineral leasing in the White 
Mountains NRA (implemented by 43 CFR 3585) applied only to removal of 
hardrock minerals from unperfected mining claims that existed before 
November 16, 1978. Since there are no longer any mining claims of 
record within the NRA, it was thought that no one could meet the 
requirements to lease hardrock minerals. This understanding was 
incorrect, as the BLM, through its regulations at 43 CFR part 3500 and 
subpart 3580, has interpreted Section 1312 of ANILCA as allowing for 
the disposal of hardrock minerals by lease even in the absence of an 
underlying unperfected mining claim subject to certain findings by the 
Secretary.
    In order to analyze in detail and obtain public comment on an 
alternative involving hardrock mineral leasing in the White Mountains 
NRA, the BLM has issued a Supplement to the Eastern Interior Draft RMP/
EIS. The Supplement amends Alternative D to include hardrock mineral 
leasing. This alternative would recommend making approximately 160,000 
acres in the White Mountains NRA available for hardrock mineral 
leasing. The Supplement describes the additions to Alternative D, 
assumptions for analysis, and the environmental effects associated with 
hardrock mineral leasing. A decision on whether or not to recommend 
opening the NRA to hardrock mineral leasing as a feature of the agency 
preferred alternative in the Proposed RMP/Final EIS will be made after 
reviewing and considering public comments on the Draft RMP/EIS and the 
Supplement.
    Pursuant to section 810 of ANILCA, the BLM evaluated the effects of 
the alternative presented in the Supplement on subsistence activities 
and determined that there may be a significant restriction on 
subsistence uses. The BLM will hold public hearings related to section 
810 of ANILCA in conjunction with public meetings on the Supplement, in 
the affected region. The BLM will announce notice of specific dates and 
locations for public meetings and ANILCA hearings, through public 
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.
    Public comments and information submitted including names, street 
addresses, and email addresses of persons who submit comments will be 
available for public review and disclosure at the above address during 
regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, 
except federal holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 1506.10, and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Ted A. Murphy,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-00316 Filed 1-10-13; 8:45 am]
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