[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76852-76854]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30226]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNML00000 L16100000.DS0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplement to the Tri-County Draft 
Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las 
Cruces District Office, Las Cruces, New Mexico, intends to prepare a 
Supplement to the Tri-County Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and by this notice is 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues specific to oil and gas development and 
lands with wilderness characteristics. When completed, the Tri-County 
RMP will replace the White Sands RMP (1986) and portions of the Mimbres 
RMP (1993).

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the 
Supplemental Draft RMP/EIS. Comments on issues specifically addressing 
oil and gas development and lands with wilderness characteristics may 
be submitted in writing until January 21, 2014. The date(s) and 
location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days 
in advance through local media, newspapers and the BLM Web site at: 
http://www.blm.gov/nm/tricountyrmp
    In order to be included in the Supplemental 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. We will provide 
additional opportunities for public participation upon publication of 
the Supplemental Draft RMP/EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Supplemental Draft RMP/EIS by any of the following 
methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nm/tricountyrmp.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 575-525-4412.
     Mail: BLM, Las Cruces District Office, Attention: Tri-
County Comments, 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: Jennifer Montoya, RMP/EIS Team Lead, 
at 575-525-4300 or by email at [email protected]. Please 
contact Ms. Montoya if you wish 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

[[Page 76853]]

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 
New Mexico Las Cruces District Office intends to prepare a Supplement 
to the Draft RMP/EIS for the Tri-County Planning Area; announces the 
beginning of the scoping process; and seeks public input on issues and 
planning criteria. The planning area is located in Sierra, Otero, and 
Do[ntilde]a Ana Counties, New Mexico, and encompasses about 9.3 million 
acres of land which includes 2.82 million Federal surface acres and 
3.98 million acres of Federal mineral estate (subsurface) managed by 
the BLM Las Cruces District Office. The scope of the Supplemental Draft 
RMP/EIS is limited to oil and gas development and lands with wilderness 
characteristics. Other issues involved in managing this planning area 
have previously been addressed in the Tri-County Draft RMP/EIS 
published in April 2013. 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 Supplemental Draft RMP/EIS have 
been identified by BLM personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; 
and other stakeholders. The issues include: Oil and gas development 
within the Tri-County Planning Area, directional drilling and hydraulic 
fracturing applications, air quality impacts, impacts to water quality 
and quantity, habitat fragmentation, and determining how lands with 
wilderness characteristics will be managed.
    The Supplemental Draft RMP/EIS will make allocations for fluid 
minerals as either open to oil and gas leasing, closed to leasing, or 
open to leasing with major or moderate constraints, as required by BLM 
land use planning policy; and will develop objectives, stipulations, 
and best management practices in areas open to leasing. The 
Supplemental Draft RMP/EIS will also determine the potential for fluid 
mineral leasing in the planning area, and will analyze likely 
development scenarios and varying mitigation methods and levels for 
areas with moderate or high potential for fluid minerals. The Tri-
County Supplemental Draft RMP/EIS will consider a reasonable range of 
alternatives in fluid mineral leasing and may contain re-evaluations of 
lands with wilderness characteristics inventory and management 
decisions in accordance with regulations at 43 CFR part 1610 and 40 CFR 
part 1500. The preliminary planning criteria that have been identified 
state that the Tri-County Supplemental Draft RMP/EIS process will:
    1. Comply with NEPA, FLPMA, the Transfer Act, and all other 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies;
    2. Contain decisions that only apply to public land and the mineral 
estate managed by the BLM;
    3. Follow the BLM Land Use Planning Handbook H-1601-1 and the BLM 
NEPA Handbook H-1790-1;
    4. Include broad-based public participation;
    5. Consider reasonable alternatives in accordance with regulations 
at 43 CFR part 1610 and 40 CFR part 1500;
    6. Consider the identification and management of lands with 
wilderness characteristics;
    7. Include coordination with State, local, and tribal governments 
to ensure that the BLM considers provisions of pertinent plans, seeks 
to resolve any inconsistencies among State, local and tribal plans, and 
provides ample opportunities for State, local and tribal governments to 
comment on the development of the Supplemental Draft;
    8. Use Geographic Information Systems and incorporate geospatial 
data to the extent practicable and Federal Geographic Data Committee 
standards and other applicable BLM data standards will be followed;
    9. Rely on available inventories of the lands and resources as well 
as data gathered during the planning process;
    10. Incorporate and observe the principles of multiple-use and 
sustained yield;
    11. Recognize valid existing rights;
    12. Use analysis in the RMP Amendment/EIS for Fluid Minerals 
Leasing and Development in Sierra and Otero Counties EIS (BLM 2003) to 
the extent possible and practicable.
    Parties interested in leasing and developing Federal coal in the 
planning area should provide coal resource data for their area(s) of 
interest. Specifically, information is requested on the location, 
quality, and quantity of Federal coal with development potential, and 
on surface resource values related to the 20 coal unsuitability 
criteria described in 43 CFR part 3461. This information will be used 
for any necessary updating of coal screening determinations in the 
planning area. The coal screening process is described in 43 CFR 
3420.1-4. Proprietary data marked as confidential may be submitted in 
response to this call for coal information. Submit all proprietary 
information submissions to the address listed above. The BLM will treat 
submissions marked as ``Confidential'' in accordance with applicable 
laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of such information.
    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 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 to be 
addressed in the plan, 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 Supplement to 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 the 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 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

[[Page 76854]]

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, 
wilderness, range management, outdoor recreation, archaeology, 
paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, hydrology, 
soils, sociology and economics.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7, 40 CFR 1502.9, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Aden L. Seidlitz,
Associate State Director, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2013-30226 Filed 12-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-FB-P