[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3757-3758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00929]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[L16100000.DP0000 LX.SS.E0900000]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the North Dakota Field Office

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
draft resource management plan (RMP) and draft environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for the North Dakota Field Office and by this notice 
announces the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP/EIS. This 
notice also announces the comment period on the BLM's proposed area of 
critical environmental concern (ACEC) within the RMP area.

DATES: This notice announces the opening of a 90-day comment period for 
the Draft RMP/EIS beginning with the date of the Environmental 
Protection Agency's (EPA) publication of its Notice of Availability 
(NOA) of the Draft RMP/EIS in the Federal Register. The EPA usually 
publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
    To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the 
Proposed RMP/Final EIS, please ensure that the BLM receives your 
comments prior to the close of the 90-day public comment period or 15 
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
    In addition, this notice also announces the opening of a concurrent 
60-day comment period for the ACEC proposed in the Draft RMP.
    The BLM will hold a total of three public meetings. One meeting 
will be held virtually and two meetings will be held in-person. In-
person meeting locations will be announced along with details of all 
meetings once they are known. In compliance with Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention public health guidelines, the BLM may need to 
hold public meetings in virtual format if county-level transmission of 
COVID-19 is ``high'' at the time of the public meetings. In that case, 
the BLM will hold three virtual public meetings.
    In all cases, the dates and locations of meetings will be announced 
at least 15 days in advance through local media, social media, 
newspapers, and the ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES section).

ADDRESSES: The Draft RMP/EIS is available for review on the BLM 
ePlanning project website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510. The ePlanning website also includes background 
information on the North Dakota RMP revision.
    Written comments related to the North Dakota Draft RMP/EIS may be 
submitted by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1505069/510.
     Mail: North Dakota Field Office, Attention: North Dakota 
RMP/EIS, 99 23rd Ave. West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND 58601.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at the 
ePlanning project website and at the North Dakota Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristine Braun, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator for the Eastern Montana/Dakotas District, 
telephone (701) 227-7725; address North Dakota Field Office, 99 23rd 
Ave. West, Suite A, Dickinson, ND 58601; email [email protected]. 
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 
Mrs. Braun. 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: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Montana/Dakotas State Director has prepared a Draft RMP/EIS, provides 
information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft 
RMP/EIS, and announces the comment period on the BLM's proposed ACEC. 
The planning area includes the entire state of North Dakota and 
encompasses approximately 58,500 acres of BLM-managed public land and 
4.1 million acres of BLM-managed mineral estate.

Purpose and Need for the Planning Effort

    The need for the North Dakota RMP revision is to address changes in 
resource conditions, shifting demands for resource uses, new 
technologies, new program and resource guidance and policies, and new 
scientific information since the development of the 1988 RMP. The 
purpose of this RMP revision is to develop management direction to 
guide future land management for BLM-managed lands and minerals in 
North Dakota. The BLM has identified four specific purposes to describe 
BLM's distinctive role in the North Dakota landscape: (1) Provide 
recreational opportunities and improve access to BLM-managed lands; (2) 
Contribute to the conservation and recovery of threatened and 
endangered and special status species; (3) Manage mineral and energy 
development on BLM-managed lands; and (4) Manage for other social and 
scientific values.

Alternatives Including the Preferred Alternative

    The BLM has analyzed four alternatives in detail, including the no 
action alternative. Alternative A is the No Action Alternative, which 
is a continuation of current management direction in the existing 1988 
North Dakota RMP and associated amendments.
    Alternative B emphasizes sustaining the ecological integrity of 
habitats for all priority plant, wildlife, and fish species, while 
allowing appropriate development scenarios for allowable uses, 
including opportunities for mineral and energy development. Where 
Federal oil and gas is available for leasing, major stipulations would 
apply to most areas. Alternative B would designate one special 
recreation management area (SRMA), two backcountry conservation areas 
(BCAs), and one ACEC, and would find three eligible Wild and Scenic 
River segments suitable for designation.
    Alternative B.1 is a sub-alternative to Alternative B that provides 
the same management opportunities and protections as found under 
Alternative B for all resources except for coal. Alternative B.1 
further restricts Federal coal leasing to only those areas within 
existing Federal mine permit boundaries.
    Alternative C is similar to Alternative B but provides for more 
flexibility in management of natural and cultural resources while 
providing modest development of resource uses. Alternative C provides 
opportunities for Federal mineral and energy

[[Page 3758]]

development with fewer restrictions than Alternative B, but more than 
Alternative A, in terms of major stipulations and areas determined 
unacceptable for Federal coal leasing. Alternative C provides for the 
same number of designated areas (one SRMA, two BCAs, one ACEC), but 
with reduced sizes and/or less restrictive management actions.
    The BLM further considered six additional alternatives but 
dismissed these alternatives from detailed analysis as explained in the 
Draft RMP/EIS.
    The State Director has identified Alternative B as the preferred 
alternative. Alternative B was found to best meet the State Director's 
planning guidance and, therefore, selected as the preferred alternative 
because it best meets the purpose and need, while aligning with 
Department of the Interior priorities.

ACECs

    Consistent with land use planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.7-
2(b), the BLM is announcing the opening of a concurrent comment period 
on the ACEC proposed for designation in the preferred alternative. 
Comments may be submitted using any of the methods listed in the 
ADDRESSES section.
    There is one proposed ACEC included in the preferred alternative: 
Mud Buttes (960 acres) located in Bowman County, North Dakota.
     Alternatives B and C: no surface occupancy for fluid 
minerals, unacceptable for coal leasing, closed to mineral material 
disposal, casual collection of invertebrate or plant fossils 
prohibited.
     Alternative B: right-of-way exclusion area, closed to 
nonenergy solid leasable minerals, and recommended for withdrawal from 
locatable mineral entry.
     Alternative C: right-of-way avoidance area, no surface 
disturbance allowed for nonenergy solid leasable mineral development.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes, 
including a 30-day public protest period and a 60-day Governor's 
consistency review on the Proposed RMP. The Proposed RMP/Final EIS is 
anticipated to be available for public protest in the summer of 2023, 
with an approved RMP and Record of Decision in the fall of 2023.
    The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a 
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 
13175, BLM Manual 1780, and Departmental policies. Tribal concerns, 
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to 
cultural resources, will be given due consideration.
    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, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 
1610.7-2.)

Sonya Germann,
Montana/Dakotas State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-00929 Filed 1-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P