[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 125 (Thursday, June 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39116-39118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14032]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[L14400000.LLAZ920000.ET0000.223.AZA-38445]


Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Notice of Public Meetings, 
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

[[Page 39117]]

valid existing rights, the Secretary of the Interior proposes to 
withdraw 21,200 acres of 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, and 800 acres of Federal surface estate public 
lands from appropriation under the public land laws, located in La Paz 
and Yuma Counties, Arizona, for up to 5 years while a land management 
evaluation is completed. Publication of this notice temporarily 
segregates the lands for a period ending on April 4, 2024, initiates a 
90-day public comment period and announces that the BLM will hold 
public meetings on the proposed withdrawal.

DATES: Comments must be received by September 28, 2022. In addition, 
the BLM will host virtual public meetings addressing the requested 
withdrawal and the associated environmental review process. The dates 
and instructions for the public meetings are listed in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Section.

ADDRESSES: All comments and meeting requests should be sent to the 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 Tele Braille) 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 Army 
(Army) are engaged in an evaluation of the Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) 
expansion, identified as the Highway 95 Addition, pending processing of 
the Army's application for withdrawal of public land for defense 
purposes under the Engle Act of February 28, 1958, (43 U.S.C. 155-158). 
The BLM's application does not request reservation of the lands for the 
Army for defense purposes. This notice invites members of the public; 
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 a withdrawal, including 
but not limited to impacts to mineral and geothermal resources. 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:

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona

(Surface and Subsurface)

T. 1 N., R. 19 W.,
    Sec. 4, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way of 
U.S. Route 95;
    Secs. 5 and 8;
    Sec. 9, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way of 
U.S. Route 95;
    Secs. 17 and 20;
    Secs. 21 and 28, those portions lying westerly of the westerly 
right-of-way of U.S. Route 95;
    Sec. 29;
    Sec. 33, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way 
of U.S. Route 95.
T. 2 N., R. 19 W.,
    Sec. 33, S\1/2\SW\1/4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\, that part lying 
westerly of the westerly right-of-way of U.S. Route 95.
T. 1 S., R. 19 W.,
    Secs. 4 thru 9 and Secs. 16 thru 21;
    Sec. 28, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way 
of U.S. Route 95;
    Secs. 29 thru 32;
    Sec. 33, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way 
of U.S. Route 95.
T. 2 S., R. 19 W.,
    Sec. 4, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way of 
U.S. Route 95;
    Secs. 5 thru 7;
    Sec. 8, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way of 
U.S. Route 95, excepting NE\1/4\SW\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, W\1/2\SE\1/
4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, and NW\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way of 
U.S. Route 95;
    Sec. 17, that part lying westerly of the westerly right-of-way 
of U.S. Route 95, excepting S\1/2\ SW \1/4\;
    Sec. 18;
    Sec. 19, lots 1 thru 4, NW\1/4\ NE\1/4\, and E\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 30, lot 1.

    The areas described aggregate approximately 21,200 acres.

    Additionally, the BLM's petition/application is requesting the 
Secretary of the Interior to withdraw the following described Federal 
surface estate public lands from all forms of appropriation under the 
public land laws for up to 5 years, subject to valid existing rights:

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona

    (Surface Only; Subsurface Excepted--Non-Federal Ownership)
T. 1 N., R. 19 W.,
    Sec. 32.
T. 2 N., R. 19 W.,
    Sec. 32, S\1/2\SW\1/4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\.

    The areas described aggregate approximately 800 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 rights-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 Highway 95 
Addition.
    No additional water rights are needed to fulfill the purpose of 
this new withdrawal.
    There are no suitable alternative sites since these lands are 
identical to the Army's YPG Highway 95 Addition application lands.
    The BLM is preparing an environmental assessment under the National 
Environmental Policy Act to evaluate the proposed withdrawal. 
Information regarding the proposed withdrawal, including environmental 
and other reviews, will be available at the BLM Arizona State Office 
and at https://go.usa.gov/xtJKC.
    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 for public meetings in connection with the 
proposed withdrawal. In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic 
in the United States, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention recommendations for social distancing and avoidance of large 
public gatherings, the BLM will not hold in-person public meetings for 
this action. The BLM will host the public meetings online and by 
telephone. There will be online public meetings scheduled for September 
20, 2022 at 3 p.m. and September 21, 2022, at 5 p.m. Mountain Standard 
Time. The BLM will publish the instructions on how to access the online 
meetings in the Yuma Sun (Yuma), Bajo El Sol (Yuma), and Desert 
Messenger (Quartzsite) newspapers at a minimum of 15 days prior to the

[[Page 39118]]

meeting and on the website: https://go.usa.gov/xtJKC.
    For a period until April 4, 2024, the 21,200 acres of Federal 
surface and subsurface estate public lands specified above 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, subject to 
valid existing rights, and the 800 acres of Federal surface estate 
public lands specified above will be segregated from appropriation 
under the public land laws, subject to valid existing rights, unless 
the application is denied or canceled, or the withdrawal is approved 
prior to that date. Licenses, permits, cooperative agreements, or 
discretionary land-use authorizations of a temporary nature may be 
allowed with the approval of an authorized officer of the BLM during 
the segregation period.
    This application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set-forth in 43 CFR 2300.

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

Raymond Suazo,
Arizona State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-14032 Filed 6-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P