[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 55 (Friday, March 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15770-15771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06184]



[[Page 15770]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WYW 182138]


Notice of Application for Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public 
Meeting, Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark; 
Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest 
Service (FS) has filed an application with the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) requesting that the Secretary of the Interior withdraw 
approximately 4,513 acres of National Forest System land from mining in 
order to protect and preserve existing heritage resources and American 
Indian spiritual values within the formally designated Medicine Wheel/
Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark (NHL). Publication of this 
notice segregates the public lands for up to 2 years from location and 
entry under the United States mining laws and gives the public an 
opportunity to comment on the application and to request a public 
meeting. The land has been and will remain open to such forms of 
disposition allowed by law on National Forest System land and to 
mineral leasing.

DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received on 
or before June 19, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting requests should be sent to the BLM 
Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gayle Laurent, USDA Forest Service, 
Region 2, Supervisors Office, 2013 Eastside Second Street, Sheridan, 
Wyoming 82801; telephone 307-674-2656; email [email protected]; or 
Janelle Wrigley, BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, 
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009; telephone 307-775-6257; email 
[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. 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 applicant is the USDA Forest Service. 
The application requests the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw, 
subject to valid existing rights, the following described National 
Forest System land from location and entry under the United States 
mining laws, but not from the mineral leasing laws, for a period of 20 
years, to protect and preserve existing heritage resources and American 
Indian spiritual values within the formally designated Medicine Wheel/
Medicine Mountain NHL:

Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming

T. 56 N., R. 91 W.,
    Sec. 19, lot 1.
T. 56 N., R. 92 W.,
    Sec. 8, SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 10, W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 13, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 14, W\1/2\NW\1/4\ and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 15, E\1/2\, NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 16, N\1/2\, SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 17, E\1/2\;
    Sec. 20, NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 21, N\1/2\;
    Sec. 22, N\1/2\ and N\1/2\SE\1/4\, excepting a strip of land 200 
feet on each side of the center line of the Medicine Wheel Road, No. 
104 in the N\1/2\;
    Sec. 23, N\1/2\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and N\1/2\SE\1/4\, excepting a 
strip of land 200 feet on each side of the center line of the 
Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in the N\1/2\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and N\1/
2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 24, lots 1 and 2, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, and W\1/2\, excepting a 
strip of land 200 feet on each side of the center line of the 
Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in the W\1/2\;
    Sec. 25, N\1/2\NW\1/4\, excepting a strip of land 200 feet on 
each side of the center line of the Medicine Wheel Road, No. 104 in 
the N\1/2\NW\1/4\.

    The area described contains approximately 4,513 acres in Big Horn 
County.
    The purpose of the proposed withdrawal is to protect and preserve 
existing heritage resources and American Indian spiritual values within 
the formally designated Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain NHL. The 
original NHL boundary, designated on September 6, 1970, encompassed an 
area 110 acres in size surrounding the central Medicine Wheel feature. 
The area was designated for its archaeological significance, as one of 
the largest and best preserved medicine wheels in the country. The NHL 
received a name and boundary change from the Secretary of the Interior 
in 2011, which increased the site to almost 4,000 acres. The reason for 
the difference in acreage is because the boundary of the NHL could not 
be legally described in the FRN. The BLM supervisory cadastral surveyor 
worked with the FS surveyor to create a withdrawal boundary with a 
legal description that could be described in the FRN.
    The use of a right-of-way, interagency or cooperative agreement 
would not adequately constrain nondiscretionary uses which could result 
in permanent loss of significant values and irreplaceable resources.
    There are no suitable alternative sites as the described lands 
contain the heritage resources and American Indian spiritual values in 
need of protection.
    No water rights would be needed to fulfill the purpose of the 
requested withdrawal.
    Records relating to the application may be examined by contacting 
Janelle Wrigley, BLM Wyoming State Office, at the above address; 
telephone 307-775-6257; email [email protected].
    For the period until June 19, 2014, all persons who wish to submit 
comments, suggestions or objections in connection with the requested 
withdrawal application may present their views in writing to the BLM 
Wyoming State Office at the address noted above. Comments, including 
names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public 
review at the BLM Wyoming State Office at the address above during 
regular business hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 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 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. Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public 
meeting is afforded in connection with the proposed withdrawal. All 
interested persons who desire a public meeting for the purpose of being 
heard on the proposed withdrawal must submit a written request to the 
BLM Wyoming State Director no later than June 19, 2014. If the 
authorized officer determines that a public meeting will be held, a 
notice of the time and place will be published in the Federal Register 
and through local newspapers, at least 30 days before the scheduled 
date of the meeting.
    For a period until June 19, 2016, the lands described in this 
notice will be segregated from location and entry under the United 
States mining laws unless the application is denied or cancelled or the 
withdrawal is approved prior to that date. Licenses, permits, 
cooperative agreements or discretionary

[[Page 15771]]

land use authorizations of a temporary nature which will not 
significantly impact the values to be protected by the withdrawal may 
be allowed with the approval of the authorized officer of the USDA FS 
during the temporary segregative period.
    This application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set forth in 43 CFR 2310.3.

Donald A. Simpson,
Wyoming State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-06184 Filed 3-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-11-P