[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 86 (Thursday, May 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35855-35857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09540]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_WY_FRN_MO4500169700.WYW106272479, WYW-165445]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Worland Resource Management Plan 
and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment; Notice of Realty 
Action: Proposed Non-Competitive Direct Sale of 1.0 Acre of Public 
Lands in Washakie County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of realty action.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Wyoming State Director intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for 
the non-competitive direct sale of public lands in Washakie County, 
Wyoming, and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping 
period to solicit public comments and identify issues; providing the 
planning criteria for public review; and announcing a comment period on 
the proposed realty action offering a one-acre parcel of public lands 
by direct sale to TAG Western Properties, LLC for not less than the 
fair market value of $1,020.00.

DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the 
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, identification of 
relevant information and studies, classification of the land for 
disposal, and the proposed direct sale by June 17, 2024. To afford the 
BLM the opportunity to consider issues raised by commenters in the 
Draft RMP/EA, please ensure your comments are received prior to the 
close of the 45-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public 
meeting, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the proposed RMP amendment and non-competitive direct sale 
of public land in the Washakie County, Wyoming, by any of the following 
methods:

     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2023383/510
     Email: [email protected]
     Mail: Field Manager, BLM, Worland Field Office, 101 South 
23rd Street, Worland, WY 82401

Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at the 
website above and at the Worland Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Craft, Realty Specialist, 
telephone (307) 347-5233; address Worland Field Office, 101 South 23rd 
Street, Worland, WY 82401; email [email protected]. Contact Ms. Craft 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. 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 
Wyoming State Director intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an 
associated EA for the non-competitive direct sale of public land in 
Washakie County, Wyoming; announces the

[[Page 35856]]

beginning of the scoping process; and seeks public input on issues and 
planning criteria. The RMP amendment is being considered to allow the 
BLM to evaluate the disposal of public lands to TAG Western Properties, 
LLC. The direct sale would be consistent with provisions of section 203 
of FLPMA and BLM land-sale regulations at 43 CFR 2710. Publication of 
this notice in the Federal Register segregates the subject land from 
all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the 
general mining laws, and from the mineral leasing and geothermal 
leasing laws, except for the sale provisions of FLPMA. The planning 
area is in Washakie County, Wyoming, and encompasses 1.0 acre of public 
land.
    The scope of this land use planning process does not include 
addressing the evaluation or designation of areas of critical 
environmental concern (ACECs), and the BLM is not considering ACEC 
nominations as part of this process.

Purpose and Need

    The need of the proposed action is to resolve inadvertent, 
unauthorized development of public lands consisting of a metal shop and 
cabin constructed by a previous landowner, currently owned and operated 
by the proponent as an essential component of the adjoining ranch 
operations. The purpose for the proposed action is to convey lands from 
Federal ownership that are difficult and uneconomical to manage and are 
not suitable for management by another Federal department or agency 
(FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1713(a)(1)). The BLM proposes to amend the 2015 
Worland RMP in conformance with section 203 of FLPMA, which requires 
that land made available for disposal under the sale authority be 
clearly identified in the relevant land use plan.

Preliminary Alternatives

    The RMP identifies tracts of public land suitable for disposal; 
however, the subject land is not currently listed as available for 
disposal. The BLM will analyze the suitability of the 1.0 acre for 
disposal per the criteria listed in FLPMA Section 203(a). The RMP 
amendment would allow for the land to be sold if it is found suitable 
for disposal.
    The BLM is considering a direct sale of the following described 
land:

Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming

Township 45 North, Range 87 West,
    Sec. 30, Parcel A.

    The area described contains 1.0 acre, according to the official 
plat of survey of said land on file with the BLM.
    The conveyance document, if issued, will contain the following 
terms, covenants, conditions, and reservations:
    1. A right-of-way thereon for ditches or canals constructed by the 
authority of the United States pursuant to the Act of August 30, 1890, 
(43 U.S.C. 945);
    2. All the mineral deposits in the land so patented pursuant to the 
Act of October 21, 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1719), including, without 
limitation, substances subject to disposition under the general mining 
laws, the general mineral leasing laws, the Materials Act, and the 
Geothermal Steam Act, and to it, its permittees, licensees, lessees, 
and mining claimants, the right to prospect for, mine, and remove the 
minerals owned by the United States under applicable law and such 
regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe. This 
reservation includes necessary access and exit rights and the right to 
conduct all necessary and incidental activities including, without 
limitation, all drilling, underground, open pit or surface mining 
operations, storage, and transportation facilities deemed reasonably 
necessary.
    Unless otherwise provided by separate agreement with the surface 
owner, mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and lessees of the 
United States shall reclaim disturbed areas to the extent prescribed by 
regulations issued by the Secretary of the Interior.
    All causes of action brought to enforce the rights of the surface 
owner under the regulations above referred to shall be instituted 
against mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and lessees of the 
United States; and the United States shall not be liable for the acts 
or omissions of its mining claimants, permittees, licensees, and 
lessees.
    3. An appropriate indemnification clause protecting the United 
States from claims arising out of the patentee's use, occupancy, or 
operations on the patented land.
    The conveyance document, if issued, will be subject to all valid 
existing rights.
    The No Action Alternative would not amend the 2015 Worland RMP to 
allow for the disposal of the tract if found to be suitable per the 
criteria listed in the FLPMA section 203(a). The tract would be 
retained in federal ownership and the BLM would proceed with a formal 
trespass action. Revenues to local taxing districts would not change. 
Additional actions would be considered by the BLM on a case-by-case 
basis.
    The BLM welcomes comments on all preliminary alternatives as well 
as suggestions for additional alternatives.

Planning Criteria

    The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the 
groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues 
and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning 
area have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement 
conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local 
agencies; Tribes; and stakeholders. The BLM has identified wildlife as 
a preliminary issue for this planning effort's analysis. The planning 
criteria are available for public review and comment at the ePlanning 
website (see ADDRESSES).

Public Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public 
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and 
analysis of the RMP Amendment and EA.
    The BLM does not intend to hold any public meetings, in-person or 
virtual, during the public scoping period. Should the BLM later 
determine to hold public meetings, the specific date(s) and location(s) 
of any meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through 
announcements in the Northern Wyoming News.

Sale Notifications

    The segregation will terminate upon issuance of a conveyance 
document or on May 2, 2026, whichever occurs first. The BLM is no 
longer accepting land-use applications affecting the subject public 
land, except applications to amend previously filed right-of-way 
applications or existing authorizations to increase grant terms in 
accordance with 43 CFR 2807.15 and 43 CFR 2886.15.
    The notification of the proposed RMP amendment and EA and, if 
applicable, unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will 
begin a 30-day protest period subject to BLM Manual Section 2711.1 step 
4(d) on the land-sale decision. The BLM Wyoming State Director will 
review all protests and may sustain, vacate, or modify the RMP 
amendment and land sale, in whole or in part. In the absence of any 
protests and upon reaching a FONSI, the BLM will select the approved 
RMP amendment alternative and prepare a decision record which will 
document the final determination of the Department of the Interior for 
the land sale.
    In addition to publication of this notice in the Federal Register, 
the BLM will publish this notice in the Northern Wyoming News once a 
week for three consecutive weeks.

[[Page 35857]]

Interdisciplinary Team

    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified. 
Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines will be 
involved in this planning effort: outdoor recreation, archaeology, 
wildlife, lands and realty, minerals and geology, soils, vegetation, 
sociology, and economics.

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan 
amendment and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance 
with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not 
already included in the proposed plan amendment or alternatives. 
Mitigation may include avoidance, minimization, rectification, 
reduction or elimination over time, and compensation, and may be 
considered at multiple scales, including the landscape scale.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning 
processes for this planning effort to help support compliance with 
applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered Species Act (16 
U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including public 
involvement requirements of Section 106. The information about historic 
and cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the 
area potentially affected by the proposed plan will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual 
Section 1780, and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns, 
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to 
cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Federal, State, 
and local agencies, along with Indian Tribal Nations and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed RMP 
amendment and non-competitive direct sale of public land in Washakie 
County, Wyoming, that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate 
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by 
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis 
as a cooperating agency.
    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 1501.9, 43 CFR 1610.2, and 43 CFR part 2710)

Andrew Archuleta,
State Director, BLM Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 2024-09540 Filed 5-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-26-P