[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 52 (Thursday, March 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15261-15262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05686]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[FF06RBSW00 XXXF5137BC FVRS31100600000/NDM-21192]


Notice of Proposed Withdrawal, Transfer of Administrative 
Jurisdiction, and Opportunity for Public Meeting for the Dash Lake 
Waterfowl Production Area, North Dakota

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: At the request of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
(FWS) and subject to valid existing rights, the Secretary of the 
Interior proposes to withdraw 13.50 acres of public land from 
appropriation under the public land laws, including location and entry 
under the United States mining laws, but not from leasing under the 
mineral and geothermal leasing laws, for 100 years, and transfer 
administrative jurisdiction to FWS to protect and reserve the land for 
management as part of the Dash Lake Waterfowl Production Area in Towner 
County, North Dakota. Publication of this notice temporarily segregates 
the land for up to 2 years from appropriation under the public land 
laws, including location and entry under the United States mining laws, 
subject to valid existing rights, but not from leasing under the 
mineral and geothermal leasing laws, while the application is being 
processed. The notice initiates a 90-day public comment period and 
announces an

[[Page 15262]]

opportunity to request a public meeting on the proposed withdrawal.

DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received by 
June 15, 2022.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be sent to the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) Montana State Office, Attn: MT924, 5001 Southgate Drive, 
Billings, MT 59102; or sent by email to [email protected]. The BLM will not 
consider comments via telephone calls.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debby Sorg, Land Law Examiner, BLM 
Montana State Office, telephone: (406) 896-5045, email: [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 for contacting 
Ms. Sorg. 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 applicant is the FWS, and its petition/
application requests the Secretary of the Interior withdraw the 
following described public land from all forms of appropriation under 
the public land laws, including location and entry under the United 
States mining laws, subject to valid existing rights, but not from 
leasing under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws; transfer 
administrative jurisdiction to FWS; and reserve the land for management 
of a waterfowl production area for a 100-year term.

Fifth Principal Meridian, North Dakota

T. 163 N., R. 65 W.,
    Sec. 5, lot 3.

    The area described contains 13.50 acres.

    The Secretary of the Interior approved the FWS's petition. 
Therefore, the petition/application constitutes a withdrawal proposal 
of the Secretary of the Interior (43 CFR 2310.1-3(e)).
    The use of a rights-of-way, interagency agreement, or cooperative 
agreement would not provide adequate protection of the waterfowl 
production area.
    No additional water rights will be needed to fulfill the purpose of 
this new withdrawal.
    There are no suitable alternative sites since these lands are 
located within the Dash Lake Waterfowl Production Area.
    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 
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 
Montana/Dakotas State Director no later than June 15, 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 18, 2024, the public land 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, subject to valid existing rights, but not 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. The BLM and the FWS are preparing an environmental assessment and 
anticipate reaching a finding of no significant impact. Information 
regarding the proposed withdrawal, including environmental and other 
reviews will be available at the Montana State Office and on BLM's 
ePlanning site at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017980/510.
    This application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set forth in 43 CFR part 2300.

Theresa M. Hanley,
Acting Montana State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-05686 Filed 3-16-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P