Environmental statements; notice of intent: Glenwood Springs Resource Area; Resource Management Plan; oil and gas development,

[Federal Register: March 17, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 51)]

[Notices]

[Page 13068-13069]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr17mr98-96]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO-078-98-1430-00]

Resource Management Plan Amendment and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Oil and Gas Development

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations in CFR 1610.5-5, BLM intends to amend the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for its Glenwood Springs Resource Area (GSRA). As described in a Notice of Intent published on April 21, 1997 (62 FR 19349), BLM is preparing a supplemental EIS on the impacts of oil and gas development in the GSRA. That EIS process has indicated that some changes in the leasing decisions are necessary and that an RMP amendment will be required. Further, as anticipated in that original Notice of Intent, the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1998 (November 18, 1997) transferred management authority for Naval Oil Shale Reserves (NOSR) 1 and 3 from the Department of Energy to BLM. The Act directs BLM to lease certain lands in the NOSRs for oil and gas development by November 18, 1998. Those lands will be included in the supplemental EIS, and the RMP will be amended to reflect decisions made on leasing of the NOSR lands as well as leasing decisions on other BLM lands in the GSRA.

DATES: Comments will be accepted until April 16, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Area Manager, Glenwood Springs Resource Area, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 1009, Glenwood Springs, CO 81602, ATTN: Oil and Gas EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Moore, (970) 947-2824.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare a supplemental EIS on oil and gas leasing and development in the GSRA was published on April 21, 1997 (62 FR 19349). That EIS process has indicated that some changes in the leasing decisions are necessary and that an RMP amendment will be required. Further, as anticipated in that original notice, the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1998 (November 18, 1997) transferred management authority for the NOSRs from the Department of Energy to BLM. In addition to transferring management authority to BLM, the Act directs BLM to lease approximately 6,000 acres in the NOSRs for oil and gas development by November 18, 1998. Prior to the transfer, the Department of Energy had already begun development of this oil and gas production area. Oil and gas leases for the production area will be sold at auction next fall.

The general character of the NOSR lands that are to be offered for lease is similar to the surrounding BLM lands which are being evaluated in the supplemental EIS. Additionally, many of the issues concerning oil and gas development of those lands are the same as those being considered in the supplemental EIS. It has been decided, therefore, to include the NOSR lands in the supplemental EIS, and the RMP will be amended to reflect decisions made on leasing of the NOSR lands as well as other BLM lands in the GSRA.

Anticipating the change in management authority for the NOSRs, the GSRA has been collecting environmental and resource data on the production area and has already initiated preliminary evaluation of impacts.

Consideration of the wildlife, visual, soils, riparian, socioeconomic and other issues being evaluated in the supplemental EIS will now formally include the NOSR production area. A draft of the supplemental EIS is planned for late May, 1998.

Formal scoping for the supplemental EIS will be re-opened for the next 30 days. Comments concerning the potential impacts of oil and gas development in the NOSR production area as well as impacts of development

[[Page 13069]]

in the rest of the GSRA are welcome. Additional scoping measures will include a press release describing the addition of the NOSR production area to the EIS, an informational mailing to interested citizens and ongoing consultation with interested organizations. Michael S. Mottice, Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 98-6808Filed3-16-98; 8:45 am]

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