[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 144 (Friday, July 26, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45266-45268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17981]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNM004410.L16100000.DO0000.LXSSG0690000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the 
Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas Planning Area and an Associated 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCIES:  Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Oklahoma Field Office, Tulsa, Oklahoma, intends to prepare a Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) with an associated Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas planning area. This notice 
announces the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues. The RMP will replace the existing 
Oklahoma RMP (1994), the Kansas RMP (1991), and the Texas RMP (1996), 
and the associated EIS for the RMP will also analyze Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) management decisions for lands and minerals managed by 
the BIA in the three states.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP 
with an associated EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing 
until August 26, 2013]. The dates and locations of any scoping meetings 
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media,

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newspapers, and the BLM Web site at http://www.blm.gov/nm/oktrmp. In 
order to be included in the Draft EIS, all comments must be received 
prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the 
last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will provide 
additional opportunities for public participation upon publication of 
the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Oklahoma/Kansas/Texas RMP by any of the following 
methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nm/oktrmp.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 918-621-4130; Attention: Laurence Levesque.
     Mail: Oklahoma Field Office, BLM, 7906 East 33rd Street, 
Suite 101, Tulsa, OK 74145; Attention: RMP Comments.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Oklahoma 
Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurence Levesque, Planning and 
Environmental Specialist; telephone 918-621-4136; address 7906 East 
33rd Street, Suite 101, Tulsa, OK 74145; email [email protected]. 
Contact Mr. Levesque to have your name added to our mailing list. 
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: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Oklahoma Field Office, Tulsa, Oklahoma, intends to prepare an RMP with 
an associated EIS for the Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas planning area 
RMP; announces the beginning of the scoping process; and seeks public 
input on issues and planning criteria. The EIS for the RMP will also 
analyze decisions for Indian mineral interests administered by the BIA 
Eastern Oklahoma and Southern Plains Regional Offices. The BLM will be 
the lead agency in the RMP development effort, and the BIA will 
participate as a cooperating agency and sign a separate Record of 
Decision for management decisions for Indian mineral interests 
administered by the BIA Eastern Oklahoma and Southern Plains Regional 
Offices.
    The planning area encompasses about 100,000 acres of public land; 
5,863,000 acres of Federal mineral interests; and 670,000 acres of 
Indian mineral interests. The BLM and the BIA will work collaboratively 
with interested parties to identify the management decisions that are 
best suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns. 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 
the BLM and BIA personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; and 
other stakeholders. The issues include:
    1. How should the BLM and the BIA facilitate energy development, 
both renewable and non-renewable, while allowing for multiple uses and 
appropriate protection of public lands and resources?
    2. What management actions, best management practices, and 
mitigation measures are necessary to protect or enhance resources, such 
as, visual, air quality, groundwater, watersheds and riparian areas, 
recreational areas, vegetation, soils, cultural sites, special 
designations, wildlife and special status species habitat, and 
rangeland health?
    3. Where are helium resources located and how can these reserves, 
as well as the Federal Helium Plant, be best managed for the public?
    4. How should the BLM address long-term grassland pasture 
facilities for wild horses and burros transferred from western 
rangelands?
    5. Which public lands should be identified for retention, proposed 
for withdrawal, disposal, or acquisition to facilitate more efficient 
land management?
    6. Which public lands should be identified as open, limited, or 
closed to motorized vehicle travel to meet resource and recreational 
demands?
    Preliminary planning criteria include:
    1. The RMP will be in compliance with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other 
applicable laws and regulations.
    2. Land use decisions in the RMP will apply to the surface and 
subsurface estate managed by the BLM and the BIA. The BLM will not make 
any recommendations or decisions that affect Federal mineral estate 
beyond its explicit authority under applicable laws and regulations.
    3. Public participation and collaboration will be an integral part 
of the planning process.
    4. The BLM and the BIA will work cooperatively and collaboratively 
with cooperating agencies and all other interested groups, agencies, 
and individuals.
    5. The RMP will incorporate, where applicable, management decisions 
brought forward from existing planning documents.
    6. Identification of any lands for further consideration for coal 
leasing will be limited to any areas with development potential.
    7. Final title analysis has not yet been conducted for all Federal 
mineral ownership. Although the BLM will plan for these tracts, it will 
not lease, transfer or otherwise authorize any action(s) prior to 
verification of title for the properties.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or by using one of the 
methods listed in the ``ADDRESSES'' section above. To be most helpful, 
you should submit comments by the close of the 30-day scoping period or 
within 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. 
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. The BLM will evaluate identified issues and will place 
them into 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 Draft RMP/EIS 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. 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 NEPA public participation requirements to assist 
the agency in satisfying the public involvement requirements under 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 
470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about historic 
and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by the 
proposed action will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating 
impacts to such

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resources in the context of both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate 
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by 
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis 
as a cooperating agency.
    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, 
archaeology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, hydrology, 
soils, livestock grazing, recreation, sociology, and economics.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7; 43 CFR 1610.2

Jesse J. Juen,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-17981 Filed 7-25-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-FB-P