[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 9, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13308-13309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04967]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[L14400000/LLAZ920000/ET0000/AZA-38142]


Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for a Public 
Meeting, Arizona

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and subject 
to valid existing rights, the Secretary of the Interior proposes to 
withdraw 2,365.89 acres of public lands in Maricopa County, Arizona, 
from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including 
location and entry under the United States mining laws, and from 
leasing under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws for up to 5 years 
while a land management evaluation (LME) is completed. Publication of 
this notice temporarily segregates the lands for up to 2 years and 
announces to the public an opportunity to comment and request a public 
meeting on the proposed withdrawal.

DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received by 
June 7, 2022.

ADDRESSES: All comments and meeting requests should be sent to the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona State Office, 1 North Central 
Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004; faxed to (602) 417-9452; or sent 
by email to [email protected]. The BLM will not 
consider comments via telephone calls.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Ouellett, Realty Specialist, 
BLM Arizona State Office, telephone: (602) 417-9561, email at 
[email protected]; or you may contact the BLM office at the address 
noted earlier. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, 
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. 
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services 
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM and the Department of the Air Force 
(USAF) are engaged in an evaluation of the Barry M. Goldwater Range 
expansion identified as the Gila Bend Addition, pending processing of 
the USAF's application for withdrawal of public land for defense 
purposes under the Engle Act (85 FR 21876, April 20, 2020). The BLM has 
filed a petition/application requesting the Secretary of the Interior 
withdraw the following described public lands from all forms of 
appropriation under the public land laws, including location and entry 
under the United States mining laws, and from leasing under the mineral 
and geothermal leasing laws for up to 5 years, subject to valid 
existing rights. The BLM's application does not request reservation of 
the lands for the USAF for defense purposes. This notice invites 
members of the public, Federal, State, local and Tribal governments, 
and other stakeholders to provide the BLM with information relevant to 
address potential impacts to existing multiple uses and resources from 
such short-term withdrawal, including but not limited to impacts to 
mineral and geothermal resources.

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona

T.6 S., R.4 W.,
    Sec. 19, lots 3 and 4, E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 31, lots 1 and 2, E\1/2\NW\1/4\.
T.7 S., R.4 W.,
    Sec. 5, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 6, lots 3 thru 7, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 7;
    Sec. 8;
    Sec. 9, S\1/2\.

The areas described aggregate 2,365.89 acres.

    This petition/application has been approved for publication by the 
Deputy Secretary of the Interior and therefore constitutes a withdrawal 
proposal of the Secretary of the Interior (43 CFR 2310.1-3(e)).
    The use of a right-of-way, interagency agreement, or cooperative 
agreement would not adequately constrain non-discretionary uses that 
may result in disturbance of the lands embraced within the Gila Bend 
Addition.
    No additional water rights will fulfill the purpose of this new 
withdrawal.
    There are no suitable alternative sites since these lands are 
identical to the USAF's BMGR Gila Bend Addition expansion application 
lands.
    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.
    Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public meeting is

[[Page 13309]]

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 
Arizona State Director no later than June 7, 2022. 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 a local 
newspaper at least 30 days before the scheduled date of the meeting.
    For a period until March 11, 2024, the lands described earlier will 
be segregated from all forms of appropriation under the public land 
laws, including location and entry under the United States mining laws, 
and from leasing under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, unless 
the application is denied or canceled, or the withdrawal is approved 
prior to that date.
    This application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set-forth in 43 CFR part 2300.

(Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1714(b)(1) and 43 CFR 2300)

Raymond Suazo,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-04967 Filed 3-8-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P