[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35641-35642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14030]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNML0000 L16100000.DP0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the Mimbres Resource 
Management Plan and Associated Environmental Assessment for Possible 
Disposal of Public Land in Do[ntilde]a Ana County, Las Cruces, New 
Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las Cruces District 
Office, New Mexico, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
Amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze 
the possible disposal by direct sale at fair market value of 339.89 
acres of BLM-administered public land in Do[ntilde]a Ana County in 
southwestern New Mexico.

DATES: This notice initiates the 30-day public scoping period to 
identify relevant issues. The scoping period will also be announced 
through local news media and on the BLM Web site (http://www.blm.gov/nm/las cruces). The BLM will accept scoping comments for 30 days from 
the date of the publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 575-525-4412, Attention: Kendrah Penn.
     Mail or personal delivery: Kendrah Penn, RMPA/EA Team 
Leader, BLM Las Cruces District Office, 1800 Marquess Street, Las 
Cruces, NM 88005.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Las 
Cruces District Office at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kendrah Penn, Realty Specialist, at 
the above address, by telephone at 575-525-4382, or by email at 
[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 Village of Hatch, New Mexico, has 
proposed to acquire 339.89 acres of BLM-administered land located 
adjacent to its industrial park. The land would be used as part of the 
industrial park and would give the Village of Hatch the ability to 
enhance its economic opportunities and provide for community expansion.
    This document provides notice that the BLM Las Cruces District 
Office, Las Cruces, New Mexico, intends to prepare an RMP Amendment 
with an associated EA for the Mimbres Planning Area and announces the 
beginning of the scoping process and seeks public input on issues and 
planning criteria.
    The BLM is currently considering disposal of public land in 
Do[ntilde]a Ana County, New Mexico. The public land proposed for 
disposal is currently identified for retention in Federal ownership in 
the 1993 Mimbres RMP. Therefore, the RMP must be amended to identify 
the public land as suitable for exchange and/or sale. The RMP Amendment 
will allow for direct sale of the land if all the criteria outlined by 
FLPMA is met and that is the alternative chosen by the BLM New Mexico 
State Director. The public land is a portion of and within the 
following area:

New Mexico Principal Meridian, New Mexico

T. 19 S., R. 4 W.,
    Sec. 28, lots 1 to 3, lots 6 to 8, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/
2\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, W\1/
2\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\E\1/2\W\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, W\1/2\W\1/
2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, W\1/2\NE\1/4\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, and NW\1/
4\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\.

    The area described contains 339.89 acres. Any area described as a 
half (\1/2\)

[[Page 35642]]

of a half (\1/2\) or a half (\1/2\) of a half (\1/2\) of a half (\1/2\) 
is based on the proper subdivision of section as per the Manual of 
Survey Instructions.

    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 planning process. Preliminary 
issues for the planning area have been identified by BLM personnel, 
other agencies, and in meetings with individuals and user groups. These 
issues are:
    1. Should public land be disposed of in order to promote economic 
opportunities and community expansion for the Village of Hatch, New 
Mexico?
    2. What potential impacts would this proposed action have on the 
ability of the BLM to manage surrounding parcels of land?
    3. What effects would this proposed action have on existing uses in 
the area?
    4. What important public obectives will be served?
    Proposed planning criteria include the following:
    1. The RMP Amendment/EA process will be in compliance with the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Environmental 
Policy Act, and applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
    2. The land use plan amendment process will be governed by the 
planning regulations at 43 CFR part 1610 and the BLM Land Use Planning 
Handbook H-1601-1.
    3. Lands affected by the proposed plan amendment only apply to 
public surface and mineral estate managed by the BLM. No decisions will 
be made relative to non-BLM-administered land or non-Federal minerals.
    4. Public participation will be an integral part of the planning 
process.
    5. The plan amendment will recognize all valid existing rights.
    6. The RMP Amendment/EA will strive to be consistent with existing 
non-Federal plans and policies, provided the decisions in the existing 
plans are consistent with the purposes, policies, and programs of 
Federal laws, and regulations applicable to public lands. The RMP 
Amendment will consider present and potential uses of public land.
    7. The RMP Amendment will consider impacts of uses on adjacent or 
nearby non-Federal lands and on non-Federal land surface over 
federally-owned minerals.
    The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be addressed in the plan 
amendment and will place them into one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the plan amendment as to why 
an issue was placed in category two or three. The public is also 
encouraged to help identify any management questions and concerns that 
should be addressed in the plan amendment.
    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.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
amendment 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, water and air.
    The public may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in 
writing directly to the BLM using one of the methods listed in the 
ADDRESSES section above. Comments should be submitted within 30 days 
from the date of the publication of this notice.
    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 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Bill Childress,
District Manager, Las Cruces.
[FR Doc. 2013-14030 Filed 6-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-FB-P