[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 116 (Friday, June 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50627-50628]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13158]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[COCO0106240032; COC-080958]


Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting 
for the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) 
and subject to valid existing rights, the Secretary of the Interior 
proposes to withdraw 4,792.54 acres of public lands from settlement, 
sale, location, or entry under the general land laws, including 
location and entry under the United States mining laws, and from 
leasing under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, and reserve them 
for any

[[Page 50628]]

term up to an indefinite period as part of the Arapaho National 
Wildlife Refuge (NWR) located in Jackson County, Colorado. Publication 
of this notice temporarily segregates the lands for up to 2 years and 
announces to the public an opportunity to comment and request a public 
meeting on the proposed withdrawal.

DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received by 
September 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: All comments and meeting requests should be sent to the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office, Attn: Arapaho 
NWR Withdrawal, P.O. Box 151029, Lakewood, CO 80215; faxed to (303) 
239-3933; or sent by email to [email protected]. The BLM 
will not consider comments expressed via telephone calls.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Jardine, Realty Specialist, 
BLM Colorado State Office, telephone: (970) 385-1224, email at 
[email protected]; or you may contact the BLM office at the address 
noted above. 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: The applicant is the FWS, and its petition/
application requests that the Secretary of the Interior withdraw the 
following described public lands from settlement, sale, location or 
entry under the general 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, to protect 
refuge resources and reserve them for wildlife refuge purposes for any 
term up to an indefinite term in accordance with the provisions of the 
Game Range Act, 16 U.S.C. 668dd(a)(6) and section 204 of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA).

Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado

T. 7 N., R. 79 W.,
    Sec. 4, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, that portion lying southwest of a 
diagonal line extending from the northwest corner to the southeast 
corner;
    Sec. 6, lot 1, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, and E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 7, E\1/2\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, and E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 14, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, that portion lying southwest of a 
diagonal line extending from the northwest comer to the southeast 
corner;
    Sec. 15, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, that portion lying southwest of a 
diagonal line extending from the northwest corner to the southeast 
corner;
    Sec. 17, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\ and NE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 19, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\.
T. 8 N., R. 79 W.,
    Sec. 3, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 4, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\ and N\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 5, lot 4;
    Sec. 6, lot 7, that portion lying southeast of a diagonal line 
extending from the northeast corner to the southwest corner, the 
exact boundary being the existing fence marking the Arapaho National 
Wildlife Refuge;
    Sec. 7, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NE\1/
4\SE\1/4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 8, E\1/2\NW\1/4\ and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 9, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 17;
    Sec. 18, NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, 
and SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 19, lots 2 and 3, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, S1/2NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/
4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and N1/2SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 20, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, and NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 21, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, that portion lying northwest of a 
diagonal line extending from the northeast corner to the southwest 
corner, the exact boundary being the existing fence marking the 
Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge;
    Sec. 30, E\1/2\NE\1/4\ and E\1/2\SE\1/4\, those portions lying 
east of the east right-of-way boundary of State Highway 125;
    Sec. 31, E\1/2\NE\1/4\, that portion lying east of the east 
right-of-way boundary of State Highway 125, and E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 33. W\1/2\NW\1/4\ and NW\1/4\SW\1/4\.
T. 9 N., R. 79 W.
    Sec. 32, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\SE\1/4\, and that portion of E\1/
2\SW\1/4\ lying east of the east right-of-way boundary of State 
Highway 125;
    Sec. 33, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\.
T. 7 N., R. 80 W.,
    Sec. 10, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 11, N\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 13, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\ and W\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 14, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    sec. 15, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\.
T. 8 N., R. 80 W.,
    Sec. 11, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, 
those portions lying southeast of a diagonal line extending from the 
northeast corner of the SW\1/4\NE\1/4\ to the southwest corner of 
the SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, the exact boundary being the existing fence 
marking the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge.
    Sec. 12, S\1/2\NE\1/4\;
    Sec. 15, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ and SE\1/4\NW\1/4\.

    The areas described aggregate 4,792.54 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 right-of-way, interagency agreement, or cooperative 
agreement would not provide adequate protection of the wildlife refuge.
    No additional water rights are needed to fulfill the purpose of 
this new withdrawal.
    There are no suitable alternative sites since these lands are 
located within the Arapaho NWR.
    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 
Colorado State Director at the address listed above no later than 
September 12, 2024. 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 June 14, 2026 the lands described above will be 
segregated from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the general 
land laws, including location and entry under the United States mining 
laws, and 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.
    This application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set-forth in 43 CFR part 2300.

(Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1714)

Douglas J. Vilsack,
Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-13158 Filed 6-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-15-P