Federal Register, Volume 63 Issue 242 (Thursday, December 17, 1998)

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 242 (Thursday, December 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 69645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33421]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[MT920-1310-00]


Dillon Oil and Gas Management Framework Plan (MFP) Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS)/Amendment.

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Amend Oil and Gas Leasing Decisions in 
Madison and Beaverhead Counties of Montana for the Dillon Management 
Framework Plan.

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SUMMARY: The BLM Dillon Field Office hereby gives notice of its intent 
to prepare a Management Framework Plan Amendment and Environmental 
Impact Statement. The purposes of this amendment are to analyze the 
environmental impacts associated with leasing and development of oil 
and gas resources and ensure compliance with BLM planning guidance for 
leasing federal minerals. The MFP amendment and associated EIS will 
provide analysis to enable fluid mineral leasing allocation decisions 
on approximately 902,528 acres of public land and 1,305,504 acres of 
subsurface mineral estate administered by the BLM. The BLM Dillon Field 
Office administers most of this area; however, 59,287 acres of public 
domain land located immediately south of the Big Hole River in the 
extreme northern portion of Beaverhead County are under the 
jurisdiction of the BLM Butte Field Office. The other issues covered in 
the existing MFP will continue to be valid and may be referenced in 
preparing the proposed amendment.

DATES: A public scoping brochure will be prepared and sent to the 
public and interested parties after this notice in the Federal 
Register. This is anticipated to happen shortly after the beginning of 
1999. Local newspapers will issue press releases on this brochure and 
initiate a 30-day public comment period on the proposed amendment, 
issues, and planning criteria. A Draft MFP EIS/Amendment should be 
available for public review during early spring of 2000.

ADDRESSES: Bureau of Land Management, Dillon Field Office, 1005 Selway 
Drive, Dillon, Montana 59725-9431.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management, Attention: 
Scott Powers, Field Manager, 1005 Selway Drive, Dillon, Montana 59725-
9431, Phone: (406) 683-2337.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following are anticipated issues and 
concerns for the MFP EIS/Amendment:
    1. The action of leasing (pre-lease) fluid minerals versus the 
process of permitting fluid mineral operations (post-lease) are not 
well understood.
    2. Concerns about degradation of water quality from construction 
activity, disposal of produced water, and surface discharge from spills 
or accidents.
    3. Geophysical exploration operations as a result of oil and gas 
leasing activity.
    4. Not leasing or providing adequate protection for areas that have 
special wildlife concerns or habitat.
    5. Sensitive species that may become listed as threatened and 
endangered.
    6. Fisheries (specifically the West Slope Cutthroat Trout).
    7. Consistency of stipulations with leasing stipulations on 
adjoining National Forest System lands.
    The following planning criteria and assumptions to this plan will 
be as follows:
    1. The current MFP cannot be protested.
    2. The EIS/Amendment will stand alone, but may tier off or 
incorporate by reference other documents.
    3. Scope of analysis will be consistent with the level of analysis 
in approved plans and standards which were developed due to the Conner 
vs Burford, 848 F.2d 1441 (9th Cir. 1988).
    4. Area of analysis will be Federal mineral estate, excluding 
Forest System, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service lands in Madison and Beaverhead Counties within the BLM Dillon 
Field Office and the small portion administered by the BLM Butte Field 
Office in Beaverhead County.
    5. Data acquisition will consist primarily of extrapolation and 
compilation of existing data and appropriate literature search.
    6. Existing geological and fluid minerals data will be used to 
develop occurrence potentials and reasonably foreseeable development 
scenarios. These scenarios will be used to analyze the effects of 
various oil and gas leasing alternatives.
    7. Narrative and format will be based on existing approved plans.
    8. Automated mapping techniques will be used.
    9. Special fluid leasing stipulations with a standard structure, 
wording, and usage will be developed and will be consistent with the 
Forest Service whenever possible.
    10. Continuing management guidance will be expanded to reflect 
recent resource regulations and guidelines pertaining to oil and gas 
leasing.
    11. A list of sensitive species will be identified and addressed in 
the document.
    12. To the extent practicable, this document will be consistent 
with oil and gas leasing analysis for adjoining Forest Service lands 
and leases.

    Dated: December 10, 1998.
Thomas P. Lonnie,
Deputy State Director, Division of Resources.
[FR Doc. 98-33421 Filed 12-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DN-P