[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6639-6640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01202]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MNES-058247]


Notice of Application for Withdrawal and Notification of Public 
Meeting; Minnesota

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Forest Service (USFS) has filed an 
application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting that 
the Secretary of the Interior withdraw, for a 20-year term, 
approximately 234,328 acres of National Forest System lands within the 
Rainy River Watershed on the Superior National Forest from disposition 
under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws, subject to 
valid existing rights. Publication of this notice temporarily 
segregates the lands for up to 2 years from the United States mineral 
and geothermal leasing laws while the withdrawal application is being 
processed.

DATES: Comments regarding this withdrawal proposal must be received by 
April 19, 2017. The BLM and the USFS will hold a public meeting in 
connection with the proposed withdrawal on March 16, 2017, from 5 p.m. 
to 7:30 p.m. Central Time (CT) at the Duluth Entertainment and 
Convention Center, 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN 55802. During this 90-
day comment period, the BLM and USFS will hold additional meetings in 
other areas of the State, notices of which will be provided in local 
newspapers or on agency Web sites. The USFS' 90-day scoping period 
associated with preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) was 
announced on January 13, 2017 in the Federal Register. The EIS will 
analyze the impacts of the proposed withdrawal and an amendment to the 
Superior National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Additional 
opportunities for public comment will be provided during the 
preparation of that EIS.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding this withdrawal proposal should be sent 
to the Deputy State Director of Geospatial Services, Bureau of Land 
Management, Eastern States Office, 20 M Street SE., Suite 950, 
Washington, DC 20003; or by facsimile at 202-912-7710. Comments sent by 
email will not be accepted. The March 16, 2017, BLM and USFS public 
meeting location is the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, 350 
Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN 55802.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dominica VanKoten, BLM Eastern States 
Office, 202-912-7756 during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual. The Service 
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or 
question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant is the USFS. The application 
requests the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw National Forest 
System lands in the Superior National Forest from disposition under the 
United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws for a period of 20 
years to protect and preserve the natural resources and waters located 
within the Rainy River Watershed that flow into the Boundary Waters 
Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area 
Wilderness Mining Protection Area (MPA) in northeastern Minnesota. The 
lands will remain open to other forms of use and disposition as may be 
allowed by law on National Forest System lands, including the 
disposition of mineral materials.
    All the National Forest System Lands identified in the townships 
below and any lands acquired by the Federal government within the 
exterior boundaries described below are included in the withdrawal 
application. This area excludes the BWCAW and the Boundary Waters Canoe 
Area Wilderness MPA, as depicted on the map entitled Appendix B: 
Superior National Forest, dated December 5, 2016. This map is available 
from the BLM Eastern States Office at the address listed above, and 
from the USFS Superior National Forest office, 8901

[[Page 6640]]

Grand Ave. Pl, Duluth, Minnesota, 55808.

National Forest System Lands

Superior National Forest

4th Principal Meridian, Minnesota

Tps. 61 and 62 N., Rs. 5 W.
Tps. 60 to 62 N., Rs. 6 W.
Tps. 59 and 61 N., Rs. 7 W.
Tps. 59 to 61 N., Rs. 8 W.
Tps. 58 to 61 N., Rs. 9 W.
Tps. 57 to 62 N., Rs. 10 W.
Tps. 57 to 63 N., Rs. 11 W.
Tp. 59 N., R. 12 W.
Tps. 61 to 63 N., Rs. 12 W.
Tps. 61 to 63 N., Rs. 13 W.
Tp. 63 N., R. 15 W.
Tp. 63 N., R. 16 W.
Tps. 65 to 67 N., Rs. 16 W.
Tp. 64 N., R. 17 W.

    The areas described contain approximately 234,328 acres of 
National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis 
Counties, Minnesota, located adjacent to the BWCAW and the MPA.

    Non-Federal lands within the area proposed for withdrawal total 
approximately 190,321 acres in Cook, Lake and Saint Louis Counties. As 
non-Federal lands, these parcels would not be affected by the temporary 
segregation or proposed withdrawal unless they are subsequently 
acquired by the Federal Government. The temporary segregation and 
proposed withdrawal are subject to valid existing rights, which would 
be unaffected by these actions.
    As stated in the application, the purpose of the requested 
withdrawal is to protect and preserve the natural resources and waters 
within the Rainy River Watershed that flow into the BWCAW and the MPA 
from the effects of mining and mineral exploration. Congress designated 
the BWCAW and established the MPA to protect and preserve the 
ecological richness of the lakes, waterways, and forested wilderness 
along the Canadian border. The protection of the Rainy River Watershed 
would extend the preservation of the BWCAW and MPA as well as Voyageurs 
National Park and Canada's Quetico Provincial Park, which are all 
interconnected through the unique hydrology of this region.
    The application further states that the use of a right-of-way, 
interagency agreement, or cooperative agreement would not adequately 
constrain mineral and geothermal leasing to provide adequate protection 
throughout this pristine natural area.
    According to the application, no alternative sites are feasible 
because the lands subject to the withdrawal application are the lands 
for which protection is sought from the impacts of exploration and 
development under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing 
laws. No water will be needed to fulfill the purpose of the requested 
withdrawal.
    The USFS will serve as the lead agency for the EIS analyzing the 
impacts of the proposed withdrawal. The USFS will designate the BLM as 
a cooperating agency. The BLM will independently evaluate and review 
the draft and final EISs and any other documents needed for the 
Secretary of the Interior to make a decision on the proposed 
withdrawal.
    Records related to the application may be examined by contacting 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
above.
    For a period until April 19, 2017, all persons who wish to submit 
comments, suggestions, or objections in connection with the withdrawal 
application may present their views in writing to the BLM Deputy State 
Director of Geospatial Services at the BLM Eastern States Office 
address noted in the ADDRESSES section above. Comments, including the 
names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public 
review at that address during regular business hours.
    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 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 a public meeting in connection with the 
application for withdrawal will be held at Duluth Entertainment and 
Convention Center, 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, Minnesota 55802 on March 
16, 2017, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CT. The USFS will publish a notice 
of the time and place in a local newspaper at least 30 days before the 
scheduled date of the meeting. During this 90-day comment period, the 
BLM and USFS will hold additional meetings in other areas of the State, 
notices of which will be provided in local newspapers or on agency Web 
sites.
    For a period until January 21, 2017, subject to valid existing 
rights, the National Forest System lands described in this notice will 
be temporarily segregated from the United States mineral and geothermal 
leasing laws, unless the application is denied or canceled or the 
withdrawal is approved prior to that date. All other activities 
currently consistent with the Superior National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan could continue, including public recreation, 
mineral materials disposition and other activities compatible with 
preservation of the character of the area, subject to USFS 
discretionary approval, during the segregation period.
    The application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set forth in 43 CFR 2300.

Karen E. Mouritsen,
State Director, Eastern States Office.
[FR Doc. 2017-01202 Filed 1-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P