[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92716-92717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27443]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_AK_FRN_MO4500181119]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved
Resource Management Plan for the Central Yukon Resource Management
Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Alaska
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan
(RMP) for the Central Yukon planning area of Alaska, located in Central
and Northern Alaska. The State Director, Alaska, signed the ROD on
November 12, 2024, which constitutes the decision of the BLM and makes
the Approved RMP effective immediately.
DATES: The State Director, Alaska, signed the ROD/Approved RMP on
November 12, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The ROD/Approved RMP is available online at the BLM National
Environmental Policy Act Register at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/35315/510. Printed copies of the ROD/Approved RMP
will also be available for public inspection within weeks of
publication of this notice at the following locations:
BLM Fairbanks District Office, 222 University Avenue, Fairbanks, AK
99709, telephone: (907) 474-2200.
BLM Alaska Public Information Center, James M. Fitzgerald Federal
Building, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99513, telephone: (907)
271-5960.
Alaska Resources Library & Information Services, 3211 Providence
Drive, Suite 111, Anchorage, AK 99508, telephone: (907) 272-7547.
Printed copies can be provided upon request by contacting the BLM
Alaska Public Information Center listed above.
A copy of the Protest Resolution Report is available at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melinda Bolton, BLM Alaska State
Office; telephone: (907) 271-3342, 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 Ms. Bolton.
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 Approved RMP replaces the Utility
Corridor RMP (1991), the original Central Yukon RMP (1986), and
portions of the Southwest Management Framework Plan (1981), and
provides RMP-level decisions for unplanned lands west of Fairbanks. The
Approved RMP provides a consolidated direction under one RMP to address
land and resource use and development on BLM-managed public lands
within the planning area.
The Approved RMP and ROD set forth a comprehensive framework for
future public land management actions in the Central Yukon region of
Alaska. The planning area consists of about 55.7 million acres of land,
including approximately 13.3 million acres of public lands administered
by the BLM Central Yukon Field Office.
The Approved RMP will guide management of these public lands for
the next 15 to 20 years for the benefit of current and future
generations as part of the BLM's multiple-use mission. This planning
effort is updating management decisions for public land uses and
resources, including subsistence resources, mineral exploration and
development, and recreation.
The Central Yukon Proposed RMP/Final EIS evaluated six alternatives
for managing the planning area. Alternatives B, C1, C2 (preferred
alternative from the Draft RMP/EIS), and D were developed using input
from the public, Tribes, stakeholders, and cooperating agencies.
Alternative E is the BLM's Approved RMP. This alternative was developed
after considering public comments on the Draft RMP/EIS and provided in
the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act section 810
hearings, internal BLM discussions, government-to-government
consultation, and cooperating agency input.
[[Page 92717]]
The Approved RMP does not recommend full revocation of the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act 17(d)(1) Public Land Orders (PLOs) but
does recommend revoking the withdrawals in part for the limited purpose
of allotment selection by Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans under
Section 1119 of the Dingell Act. The Approved RMP also designates 21
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) or Research Natural
Areas, encompassing approximately 3,601,000 acres (see Appendix M of
the Approved RMP).
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP/Final EIS for a 30-day public
protest period starting on April 26, 2024, and received six letters
containing valid protest issues. The Assistant Director addressed the
protests and issued a Protest Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES); no
changes to the Central Yukon Proposed RMP/Final EIS were necessary.
The BLM provided the Proposed RMP/Final EIS to the Governor of
Alaska for a 60-day Governor's consistency review on April 26, 2024.
The Governor's Office identified concerns and potential inconsistencies
between the Proposed RMP/Final EIS and State and local plans, policies,
and programs. The BLM considered the concerns and potential
inconsistencies and responded on August 13, 2024. While the BLM
determined that the Proposed RMP/Final EIS was consistent with the
State's land use plans, policies, and programs, it did add the three
State plans to the Approved RMP, Appendix C. The additions were made in
the interest of open discussion, were minor, and did not represent a
change requiring the BLM to provide the public with an opportunity to
comment as discussed in 43 CFR 1610.2(f)(5) and 1610.5-1. On September
13, 2024, the Governor of Alaska appealed the State Director's decision
not to accept the State's recommendations to the BLM Director. After
careful review and consideration, the BLM Director determined that the
Alaska State Director properly considered all applicable State and
local plans, policies, and programs in the Central Yukon planning
effort, and that no changes are necessary to provide for a reasonable
balance between the national interest and the State's interest. The
Director's response to the State of Alaska's Appeal was transmitted to
State Officials on November 12, 2024, prior to approval of the ROD.
Consistent with the BLM regulations at 43 CFR 1610.3-2 the Director's
Response will also be published in the Federal Register.
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3120(a); 40 CFR 1506.6(b))
Steven Cohn,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2024-27443 Filed 11-21-24; 8:45 am]
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