[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 34 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9594-9595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3714]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLAZ910000.L14300000.ET0000. LXSIURAM0000 241A; AZA 035138]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Northern Arizona Proposed
Withdrawal Environmental Impact Statement and Revisions to the
Withdrawal Application, Arizona
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Northern
Arizona Proposed Withdrawal and with this notice is announcing the
opening of the comment period.
DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Northern Arizona Proposed Withdrawal Draft EIS
within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM
will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Northern Arizona
Proposed Withdrawal Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
E-mail: [email protected].
Mail: Northern Arizona Proposed Withdrawal Project, ATTN:
Scott Florence, District Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Arizona
Strip District Office, 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah
84790-6714.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Horyza, Project Manager,
telephone 602-417-9446; address Bureau of Land Management, Arizona
State Office, One N Central Ave., Suite 800, Phoenix Arizona 85004; e-
mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 21, 2009, the Department of the
Interior published notice of the Secretary of the Interior's
(Secretary) proposal to withdraw (proposed withdrawal) approximately 1
million acres of National Forest System lands and public lands in
northern Arizona from location and entry under the Mining Law of 1872,
(30 U.S.C. 22-54) (Mining Law), subject to valid existing rights. The
purpose of the withdrawal, if determined to be appropriate, would be to
protect the Grand Canyon watershed from adverse effects of locatable
hardrock mineral exploration and mining.
Under section 204 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
(FLPMA), publication of the Federal Register notice of the proposed
withdrawal had the effect of segregating the lands involved for up to 2
years from the location and entry of new mining claims, subject to
valid existing rights, during which time the BLM will complete an
analysis of the proposed withdrawal. The notice temporarily segregated
the following described lands:
Gila and Salt River Meridian
Tps. 28 to 31 N., R. 1 E.,
Tps. 40 and 41 N., R. 1 E.,
Tps. 28 to 30 N., R. 2 E.,
Tps. 27 to 30 N., Rs. 3 to 6 E.,
Tps. 37 to 40 N., R. 3 E.,
Tps. 36 and 37 N., Rs. 4 and 5 E.,
T. 38 N., Rs. 3 to 5 E.,
T. 37 N., R. 6 E.,
Tps. 38 and 39 N., R. 6 E.,
Tps. 39 and 40 N., R. 7 E.,
T. 31 N., R. 1 W.,
Tps. 38 to 41 N., R. 1 W.,
Tps. 38 to 40 N., R. 2 W.,
Tps. 36 to 40 N., R. 3 W.,
Tps. 35 to 40 N., Rs. 4 and 5 W.,
Tps. 35 to 39 N., Rs. 6 and 7 W.
For more detailed information, refer to the map dated September 17,
2010, posted on the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/mining/timeout.html. This map is also on file at the Arizona Strip
District Office at the address below and can be viewed there upon
request.
The Northern Arizona Proposed Withdrawal Draft EIS, now available
for public review, has been prepared in accordance with NEPA.
Copies of the Northern Arizona Proposed Withdrawal Draft EIS are
available in the BLM Arizona Strip District Office, 345 East Riverside
Dr., St. George, Utah 84790.
Copies can also be found at:
BLM Arizona State Office at One N. Central, Suite 800, Phoenix, Arizona
85004;
BLM Phoenix District, 21605 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85027;
BLM Utah State Office, 440 W. 200 S, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah
84145;
USFS Tonto National Forest, 2324 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, Arizona
85006;
USFS Kaibab National Forest, 800 S. 6th St., Williams, Arizona 86046;
USFS Kaibab National Forest, 430 S. Main St., Fredonia, Arizona 86022;
and
USFS Coconino National Forest, 1824 S. Thompson St., Flagstaff, Arizona
86001.
In addition, the EIS can be viewed at libraries in the following
locations:
Wiliams Public Library, 113 1st Street, Williams, Arizona 86046; and
Fredonia Public Library, 118 N. Main St., Fredonia, Arizona 86022.
You may also access the document on the Internet at:
http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/mining/timeout.html
The Proposed Action analyzed in the Draft EIS is the withdrawal of
1,010,776 acres near Grand Canyon National Park from location and entry
under the Mining Law for a period of 20 years, subject to valid
existing rights. The lands included in the proposed action include
those managed by the BLM and managed by the U.S. Forest Service and are
located within portions of the Grand Canyon watershed. These lands
contain significant environmental and cultural resources, including the
nearby iconic Grand Canyon National Park, as well as substantial
uranium deposits. The importance of the management of these resources
has generated much public and Congressional interest. Public scoping
for this project began on August 26, 2009 (74 FR 43152-43153), with
publication of a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, and closed
on October 30, 2009. During that time 83,525 comment letters were
received. Important issues identified during scoping include:
Change in geologic conditions and availability of uranium
resources;
Dewatering of perched aquifers and changes in water
availability in deep
[[Page 9595]]
aquifers;
Contamination of both ground and surface water;
Effects to endangered, threatened, and special status
plants and animal
species;
Visual intrusions to Grand Canyon National Park visitors;
Noise disruptions to Grand Canyon National Park visitors;
Effects to cultural resources and Traditional Cultural
Properties;
Potential public health effects due to exposure to
uranium; and
Effects to the local, regional, or national economy.
The Draft EIS considers these issues in its analysis of four
alternatives. Alternative A is the No Action Alternative, under which
no lands would be withdrawn and mineral exploration and mining would
continue throughout the proposed withdrawal area in accordance with
existing regulations and land use plans. Alternative B, which is the
Proposed Action, is a Secretarial withdrawal for 20 years, subject to
valid existing rights, of approximately 1,010,776 acres in three
parcels from location and entry under the Mining Law, but not the
mineral leasing, geothermal leasing, mineral materials, or public land
laws. Two of the three parcels are north of the Grand Canyon National
Park on BLM-managed Arizona Strip lands and the North Kaibab Ranger
District of the Kaibab National Forest, and the remaining parcel is
south of the Grand Canyon on the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab
National Forest. Alternative C is a Secretarial withdrawal of
approximately 652,986 acres from the Mining Law for 20 years, subject
to valid existing rights. This alternative would withdraw the largest
contiguous area identified on resource location maps with
concentrations of cultural, hydrologic, recreational, visual, and
biological resources which could be adversely affected by additional
locatable mineral exploration and mining. Alternative D is a
Secretarial withdrawal of 300,681 acres from the Mining Law for 20
years, subject to valid existing rights. This alternative would
withdraw the contiguous area identified on resource location maps where
there is the highest concentration of overlapping cultural, hydrologic,
recreational, visual, and biological resources, which could be
adversely affected by additional locatable mineral exploration and
mining.
The Draft EIS analyzes the potential effects of the alternatives on
resources within, and in the vicinity of, the potential withdrawal
areas as well as within, and in the vicinity of, the Grand Canyon
National Park. Analyses have been conducted for potential effects to
air quality, geology and minerals, ground and surface water resources,
soil resources, vegetation resources, fish and wildlife in general,
special status plant and animal species including those listed as
threatened or endangered, visual resources, soundscapes, cultural
resources, American Indian resources, wilderness, recreation, social,
and economic conditions.
Thirteen agencies and two American Indian Tribes have entered into
Cooperating Agency agreements with the BLM, including the U.S. Forest
Service, Kaibab National Forest; the National Park Service, Grand
Canyon National Park; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S.
Geological Survey; the Arizona Game and Fish Department; the Arizona
Geological Survey; the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral
Resources; the Arizona State Lands Department; the Hualapai Tribe; the
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians; Coconino County, Arizona; Mohave County,
Arizona; Kane County, Utah; San Juan County, Utah; and Washington
County, Utah.
Please note that public comments and information submitted,
including names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of persons who
submit comments, will be available for public review and disclosure at
the Arizona Strip District Office address given above during regular
business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except
holidays.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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 1506.6 and 1506.10.
James G. Kenna,
Arizona State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-3714 Filed 2-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P