[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 146 (Friday, July 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50009-50010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17963]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[16X.LLAKF02000.L16100000.DQ0000.LXSS094L0000]


Notice of Availability of the Eastern Interior Proposed Resource 
Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement, Alaska

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Eastern Interior Planning Area in Alaska, in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended. By this 
notice, the BLM is announcing the plan's availability.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest a Proposed RMP/
Final EIS. A person who meets those regulatory conditions and wishes to 
file a protest, must file the protest within 30 days of the date that 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: The BLM sent copies of the Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/
Final EIS to affected Federal, State, and local government agencies, 
tribal governments, Alaska Native corporations, and other stakeholders. 
Copies of the Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS are available for 
public inspection in both Fairbanks and Anchorage. You can view a copy 
at the BLM Fairbanks District Office, 222 University Avenue, Fairbanks, 
AK 99709, and at the BLM Alaska State Office, Public Information 
Center, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99513. You can also review a 
copy of the Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS on the Internet at 
www.blm.gov/ak/eirmp.
    All protests to the Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS must be 
in writing and mailed to one of the following addresses:
    Regular Mail: BLM Director; Attention: Protest Coordinator, WO-210; 
P.O. Box 71383; Washington, DC 20024-1383.
    Overnight Delivery: BLM Director; Attention: Protest Coordinator, 
WO-210; 20 M Street SE., Room 2134LM; Washington, DC 20003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Jeanie Cole, BLM Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, 907-474-2340, email 
[email protected].ADDRESS: BLM Fairbanks District Office, 222 
University Avenue, Fairbanks AK 99709. 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 Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS 
covers approximately 6.5 million acres of BLM-administered lands in 
interior Alaska. The plan is divided into four subunits: The Fortymile, 
Steese, Upper Black River, and White Mountains subunits. BLM manages 
four areas in the planning area as National Conservation Lands (NCL): 
The Birch Creek, Beaver Creek, and Fortymile Wild and Scenic Rivers and 
the Steese National Conservation Area. In addition to the four NCL 
areas, the planning area includes the White Mountains National 
Recreation Area. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 
1980, as amended (ANILCA), designated and applied special provisions 
for the four NCL areas and the White Mountains National Recreation 
Area.
    The following BLM plans currently guide management decisions for 4 
million acres of the planning area: Fortymile Management Framework Plan 
(1980), Fortymile River Management Plan (1983), Birch Creek River 
Management Plan (1983), Beaver Creek River Management Plan (1983), 
Steese National Conservation Area RMP and Record of Decision (ROD) 
(1986), and White Mountains National Recreation Area RMP and ROD 
(1986). No land use plans currently cover the remaining 2.5 million 
acres of the planning area, including the upper Black River area

[[Page 50010]]

and scattered parcels along the highway system.
    The Eastern Interior RMP will replace the Fortymile Management 
Framework Plan (1980), Steese National Conservation Area RMP (1986), 
and the White Mountains National Recreation Area RMP (1986). The 
Eastern Interior RMP will provide further direction for management of 
the three Wild and Scenic River planning areas.
    Specifically, the three River Management Plans (Fortymile, Birch 
Creek, and Beaver Creek) will be evaluated for consistency with the 
Eastern Interior RMP and may be modified in the future through 
additional public engagement.
    Following release of the Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS, 
the BLM will prepare four RODs: One ROD for each of the four subunits 
within the planning area (Fortymile, Steese, White Mountains, and Upper 
Black River).
    The EPA published a Notice of Availability for the Eastern Interior 
Draft RMP/Draft EIS in the Federal Register on March 2, 2012 (77 FR 
12835), beginning a 150-day public comment period. Later, the 150-day 
comment period was extended pending publication of a supplemental EIS 
for the plan. The EPA published the Notice of Availability of the 
supplemental EIS, Hardrock Mineral Leasing in the White Mountains 
National Recreation Area for the Eastern Interior Draft RMP 
(Supplement), in the Federal Register on January 11, 2013 (78 FR 2397). 
That notice began a 90-day public comment period on the Supplement. The 
comment period for both the Eastern Interior Draft RMP/Draft EIS and 
the Hardrock Mineral Leasing Supplement closed on April 11, 2013.
    On January 2, 2015, the Federal Register published the BLM's Notice 
of Availability of Additional Information on Proposed Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern (ACECs) (80 FR 52). The additional information 
about the proposed Mosquito Flats ACEC described what resource use 
limitations would occur if it were designated in the approved Eastern 
Interior RMP/Final EIS. The January 2, 2015, Federal Register notice 
started a 60-day comment period on the proposed ACECs. That comment 
period closed on March 3, 2015.
    The Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS presents five 
alternatives, including the No Action Alternative. The BLM's 
Alternative E (Proposed RMP) balances the level of protection, use, and 
enhancement of resources and services for the planning area. The BLM 
believes the Proposed RMP represents the best mix and variety of 
actions to resolve issues and management concerns in consideration of 
all resource values and programs. Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7-2, the BLM 
considers areas with potential for designation as ACECs and protective 
management during its planning processes. The Eastern Interior Proposed 
RMP/Final EIS considers the designation of five potential ACECs. 
Boundaries, size, and management direction within potential ACECs vary 
by Alternative. Of the five potential ACECs, Table 1 lists the three 
ACECs the BLM is considering for designation in the Proposed RMP. All 
alternatives considered in the plan will retain the four existing 
Research Natural Areas.

    Table 1--Proposed ACECs Under the Eastern Interior Alternative E
                             (Proposed RMP)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Proposed ACEC name             Acres            Limitations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fortymile ACEC.................         362,000  Limited off-highway
                                                  vehicle (OHV)
                                                  designation; summer
                                                  OHV use only on
                                                  approved routes; limit
                                                  trail density; winter
                                                  motorized use in Dall
                                                  sheep habitat may be
                                                  restricted if
                                                  monitoring indicates
                                                  sheep displacement;
                                                  seasonal limitation on
                                                  uses within one mile
                                                  of ungulate mineral
                                                  licks; closed to
                                                  mineral leasing;
                                                  recommended closed to
                                                  locatable mineral
                                                  location and entry.
Mosquito Flats ACEC............          37,000  Limited OHV
                                                  designation; winter
                                                  motorized use allowed,
                                                  but may be restricted
                                                  if monitoring
                                                  indicates degradation
                                                  of wetlands; summer
                                                  OHV use by permit
                                                  only; closed to
                                                  mineral leasing;
                                                  recommended closed to
                                                  locatable mineral
                                                  location and entry;
                                                  limit permitted uses
                                                  and facility
                                                  development to those
                                                  which would not
                                                  degrade wetlands.
Salmon Fork ACEC...............         623,000  Limited OHV
                                                  designation; maintain
                                                  water quality to
                                                  support nesting bald
                                                  eagles and salmon
                                                  habitat; minimize
                                                  impacts on rare flora;
                                                  closed to mineral
                                                  leasing; recommended
                                                  closed to mineral
                                                  location and entry.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS considers and 
incorporates comments that the BLM received on the Eastern Interior 
Draft RMP/Draft EIS, the Supplement, and the Notice of Availability of 
information about the ACECs from the public and through internal BLM 
and cooperating agency reviews, as appropriate. The addition of 
Alternative E (Proposed RMP) and minor clarifications to text and maps 
in the Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS resulted from these 
comments. Alternative E (Proposed RMP) combines planning decisions from 
different alternatives analyzed in the Eastern Interior Draft RMP/Draft 
EIS, and is qualitatively within the spectrum of alternatives analyzed 
in that Draft RMP/Draft EIS.
    Instructions to file a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS are in the ``Dear 
Reader'' Letter of the Eastern Interior Proposed RMP/Final EIS and at 
43 CFR 1610.5-2. All protests must be in writing and mailed to the 
appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. 
Emailed protests will not be accepted as valid protests unless the 
protesting party also provides the original letter by either regular or 
overnight mail, postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under 
these conditions, the BLM will consider the emailed protest as an 
advance copy and it will receive full consideration. If you wish to 
provide the BLM with such advance notification, please direct emails to 
[email protected].
    Before including your phone number, email address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 
1610.5

Ted Murphy,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-17963 Filed 7-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-JA-P