[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 92 (Friday, May 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 22003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10030]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Superior National Forest; Minnesota; Application for Withdrawal

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of preparation of an environmental 
impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Superior National Forest is issuing this notice to advise 
the public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will no longer 
be prepared for the Application for Withdrawal Project. The notice of 
intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on 
January 13, 2017 (82 FR 4282). An environmental asessment (EA) will be 
prepared in lieu of an EIS. At this time, a Forest Plan Amendment is 
not being prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning this notice 
should be directed to Matthew Judd, Superior National Forest Minerals 
Project Coordinator, via mail at 8901 Grand Ave. Pl., Duluth, MN 55808, 
telephone at (218) 626-4300, or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service (USFS) submitted an application on January 5, 2017 to 
the Secretary of the Interior proposing to withdraw lands from 
disposition under United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws 
(subject to valid existing rights) for a period of 20 years.
    All the National Forest System (NFS) lands identified in this 
application are described in Appendix A and displayed on a map in 
Appendix B of the withdrawal application. This application is available 
upon request at the Superior National Forest office at 8901 Grand Ave. 
Place, Duluth, MN 55808 or online at http://go.usa.gov/xnfQh.
    The areas described contain approximately 234,328 acres of NFS 
lands that overlay Federally-owned minerals in Cook, Lake, and Saint 
Louis Counties, Minnesota located adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe 
Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness 
Mining Protection Area (MPA). The Forest Service will prepare an EA in 
lieu of an EIS because no significant environmental impacts are 
anticipated with the proposed action.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The USFS is the lead agency in preparation of the EA. The USFS has 
designated the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) as a cooperating agency. The BLM will independently evaluate and 
review the EA and any other documents needed for the Secretary of 
Interior to make a decision on the proposed withdrawal.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Public scoping was conducted following the original publication of 
the notice of intent to prepare an EIS, and included three public 
listening sessions held in Duluth, Minnesota on March 16, 2017, St. 
Paul, Minnesota on July 17, 2017, and Virgina, Minnesota on July 25, 
2017. Over 80,000 comment letters submitted during scoping represented 
the full range of public sentiment, from strong support to strong 
opposition. The Forest Service is using the information received in 
public comments along with a review of environmental, social and 
economic information to prepare the EA. The BLM is responsible for 
ensuring the analysis and documentation address Department of the 
Interior regulations. The BLM will determine if there is a Finding of 
No Significant Impact. The USFS expects to complete the EA in late 2018 
before the mineral segregation expires in January 2019. The Secretary 
of Interior is the authorized official to approve a proposal for 
withdrawal.

    Dated: March 28, 2018.
Glenn P. Casamassa,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-10030 Filed 5-10-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P