[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 9 (Monday, January 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2685-2686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00527]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Navajo Nation Integrated Weed Management Plan 
Within Coconino, Navajo, and Apache Counties, Arizona; McKinley, San 
Juan, McGill, and Cibola Counties, NM; and San Juan County, UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) as lead Agency, with the Navajo Nation, National Park 
Service, and Arizona Department of Transportation serving as 
cooperating agencies, intends to prepare an EIS for a proposed weed 
management plan for the Navajo Indian Reservation. This notice also 
announces the beginning of the public scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues.

[[Page 2686]]


DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS may be submitted in writing 
until February 28, 2013. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping 
meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local 
media, including the Navajo Times, Arizona Daily Sun, Farmington Daily 
Times, Gallup Independent, and the Navajo Hopi Observer.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, email or hand carry comments to Renee Benally, 
Natural Resource Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Western Navajo 
Agency, Branch of Natural Resources, PO Box 127, Tuba City, Arizona 
86045; telephone: (928)283-2210; email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Renee Benally, Natural Resource 
Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Western Navajo Agency, Branch of 
Natural Resources, PO Box 127, Tuba City, Arizona 86045; telephone: 
(928)283-2210; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BIA is proposing to develop a ten-year 
integrated weed management plan for the Navajo Indian Reservation. The 
Navajo Indian Reservation lands are infested with noxious and/or 
invasive weeds that have social and economic impacts on the Navajo 
Nation. The BIA, in partnership with cooperating agencies, intends to 
develop an integrated weed management plan to prevent, control, reduce, 
and eliminate the detrimental impacts of weed infestations throughout 
the reservation. The proposed action would authorize new treatments of 
noxious and invasive weed infestations throughout the Navajo Indian 
Reservation. The number of infestations and amount of acreage treated 
will be determined by the annual funding allocations for project 
implementation. The various methods of noxious/invasive weed control 
that will be considered during development of alternatives for the 
integrated weed management plan include, but will not be limited to, 
mechanical, cultural, biological and herbicidal treatments, and other 
methods that may be identified during the public scoping process.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS. 
At present, the BIA has identified the following preliminary issues: 
Surface and ground water quality; environmental justice considerations; 
cultural and historic resources; biological resources; public health; 
and socioeconomics.
    The BIA will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to 
satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3). Native American tribal consultations will be conducted in 
accordance with the Department of the Interior's consultation policy, 
and tribal concerns will be given due consideration, including impacts 
on Indian trust assets. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with 
other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the BIA's 
decision on this project are invited to participate in the scoping 
process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the BIA to 
participate as a cooperating agency.
    Directions for Submitting Public Comments: Please include your 
name, return address and the caption ``Navajo Nation Integrated Weed 
Management Plan EIS Comments'' at the head of your letter or in the 
subject line of your email message.
    Availability of Comments: Comments, including names and addresses 
of respondents, will be available for public review at the BIA address 
shown in the ADDRESSES section of this notice during regular business 
hours, Monday through Friday, except 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: This notice is published in accordance with sections 
1503.1 and 1506.6 of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations 
(40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) implementing the procedural 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Department of the Interior 
National Environmental Policy Act Implementation Policy (43 CFR part 
46), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant 
Secretary-Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

    Dated: December 19, 2012.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-00527 Filed 1-11-13; 8:45 am]
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