[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57509-57510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20251]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLAKF00000.L51010000.ER0000.LVRWL22L0980.22X]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Ambler Mining District Industrial Access 
Road, Fairbanks, Alaska

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (FLPMA), as amended, and the Alaska National Interest Lands 
Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA), as amended, the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to consider the effects of Federal authorizations to 
construct and operate a 200+mile long industrial access road in the 
southern Brooks Range foothills of Alaska, terminating at the Ambler 
Mining District. By this notice BLM is announcing the beginning of the 
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public-scoping process for the 
Supplemental EIS. The BLM requests that the public submit comments 
concerning the scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, and 
identification of relevant information, and studies by November 4, 
2022. To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the 
Draft Supplemental EIS, please

[[Page 57510]]

ensure your comments are received prior to the close of the 45-day 
scoping period.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Proposed Ambler 
Mining District Industrial Access Road by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/57323/510.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (907) 271-5479.
     Mail: Ambler Road Scoping Comments, 222 West 7th Avenue, 
Stop #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/57323/510 and at the BLM 
Alaska Public Room, Fairbanks District Office, 222 University Avenue, 
Fairbanks, Alaska 99709; and at the BLM Alaska Public Information 
Center, Alaska State Office, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 
99513.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy Huber, Planning and 
Environmental Specialist, telephone 907-271-3137; address 222 W 7th 
Ave. Stop #13, Anchorage, AK 99513; email [email protected]. Contact Ms. 
Huber to have your name added to our mailing list. 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. Huber. 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 Proposed Ambler Mining District 
Industrial Access Road was originally analyzed in the March 2020 Final 
EIS and authorized in a Record of Decision (ROD) issued in July 2020. 
Litigation commenced with suits from multiple parties in August and 
October 2020. In February 2022, the Department of the Interior 
requested the U.S. District Court for Alaska grant voluntary remand, 
stating that additional legal analysis had revealed deficiencies in the 
BLM's analysis of subsistence impacts under ANILCA Section 810 and 
consultation with tribes pursuant to Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The Court granted that request in May 
2022, returning the matter to BLM to correct the identified 
deficiencies. The BLM will prepare a Supplemental EIS to help address 
the identified deficiencies, and to ensure compliance with applicable 
law, including NEPA, FLPMA, NHPA, and ANILCA. The BLM's Supplemental 
EIS analysis will focus on more thoroughly assessing the impacts and 
resources related to the identified deficiencies to facilitate 
integrating its NEPA analysis with its ongoing ANILCA Section 810 and 
NHPA Section 106 processes. BLM is providing this opportunity for 
scoping to help determine which additional impacts and resources should 
be more thoroughly assessed.
    If the BLM holds any public meetings, in-person or virtual, during 
this 45-day scoping period, specific date(s) and location(s) of 
meetings will be announced in advance on the project page at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/57323/510. The BLM is seeking 
public comments on issues, concerns, potential impacts, alternatives, 
and mitigation measures that should be considered in the analysis. 
Additional opportunities for public participation, including at least a 
45-day public comment period, will be provided upon publication of the 
Draft Supplemental EIS.
    The input of Alaska Native Tribes and Corporations is of critical 
importance to this Supplemental EIS. Therefore, the BLM will continue 
to consult with potentially affected Federally recognized Tribes on a 
government-to-government basis, and with affected Alaska Native 
Corporations in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and Public Law 
108-199, Div. H, sec. 161, 118 Stat. 452, as amended by Public Law 108-
447, Div. H, sec. 518, 118 Stat. 3267, as well as other Department and 
Bureau policies. The BLM will hold individual consultation meetings 
upon request.
    The BLM will also use and coordinate the NEPA process to help 
fulfill its obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act, 
including as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). New information about 
historic and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by 
the proposed action will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating 
impacts to such resources.
    It is important that commenters provide their comments at such 
times and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's 
preparation of the Supplemental EIS. Therefore, comments should be 
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly 
articulate the commenter's concerns and contentions. Comments received 
in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of 
those who comment, will be part of the public record for this proposed 
action. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered.
    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.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6)

Erika Reed,
Acting Alaska State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-20251 Filed 9-19-22; 8:45 am]
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