MINUTES

Alaska Resource Advisory Council Meeting

Anchorage Federal Building, Denali Room

February 5-6, 2004

**[Thursday, February 5, 2004]{.underline}**

**Council members present:** **BLM representatives present:**

Charlie Boddy Henri Bisson State Director

Tom Crafford June Bailey, Anchorage Field Office

Phil Driver Ramone McCoy, Glennallen Field Office

Randy Frank Bob Schneider, Northern Field Office

Gary Gustafson Jerry Brossia, Joint Pipeline Office

Teresa Imm Gary Reimer, Conveyances

Sandra Key Debbie Hollen, Resources

Suzanne McCarthy Jim Ducker, Resources

Susan Olsen John Payne, Resources

Jim Posey (via teleconference) Linda Ricketts, Information Resources

Larry Taylor Craig Frichtl, Cadastral Survey

David van den Berg, Chair Dennis Walworth, Cadastral Survey

Evie Witten Teresa McPherson, RAC recorder

**Council member absent:**

Keith Tryck

**Chair David van den Berg called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.**

After introductions, the chair explained council member Paul Roehl had
resigned due to commitments at his new job. The council reviewed and
accepted the meeting agenda.

The council approved minutes of the November 13-14, 2003, RAC meeting as
written.

**State Director's Update**

-   **Northwest NPR-A**: a lease sale is scheduled for early June. The
    Record of Decision defers leasing in the Colville Special Area until
    the South NPR-A plan. Some cultural protections were put back in
    since the draft. The plan is a balanced document that supports
    exploration and provides appropriate protections.

-   **Northeast NPR-A**: BLM recently met with Nuiqsut officials to
    discuss the amendment and address concerns. A separate meeting in
    Barrow was well attended. BLM may exclude nine townships in the
    Teshekpuk Lake area from exploration due to sensitive bird habitat,
    but lease the lake itself with appropriate protections. Bisson
    discussed the range of alternatives and assured council members
    BLM's decision would strike a reasonable balance.

-   **Recordable disclaimers**: BLM Alaska has issued the first
    disclaimer to the State; others are in the works. Utah BLM is
    currently processing the first recordable disclaimer for an R.S.
    2477 route.

**Jerry Brossia: TransAlaska Pipeline System Reconfiguration**

Owner companies want to reconfigure the pipeline system to increase
automation and minimize costs. The reconfiguration plan calls for
centralized maintenance/spill response centers and remote pipeline
operation from one control center.

Concerns include workforce reduction, Native hire issues, reliability of
equipment and demolition of facilities. The Joint Pipeline Office will
oversee an environmental assessment and conduct field inspections.
Implementation is expected in 2004 and 2005.

**BREAK**

**Field Manager Updates**

[Bob Schneider, Northern Field Office]{.underline}

-   NPR-A: environmental assessments for ConocoPhillips and TOTAL winter
    operations were completed in early Dec. A total of 4-5 wells are
    planned for the 2003-2004 winter season. Tundra travel was approved
    Dec. 12.

-   Arctic Interagency Visitor Center (Coldfoot): Exhibits have been
    installed. The official opening is set for July 1.

-   Kobuk-Seward Peninsula RMP: The RMP will address planning issues for
    13 million acres in northwest Alaska. Scoping meetings will begin in
    late March. Issues include management of the Western Arctic caribou
    herd, conflicts between subsistence and sports hunting in the
    Squirrel River area, and fire management.

-   Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race (Feb 2004): BLM permits 30 miles of race
    course in the Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River corridor. This year
    BLM required race officials to post a performance bond (certificate
    of deposit) to cover potential cleanup costs.

Henri Bisson commended Schneider for his work on North Slope issues.
Bisson said Schneider's frequent visits to the area have had a positive
effect on BLM's relationship with local residents.

As the RAC's liaisons on this plan, Charlie Boddy said it would be
helpful if he and Teresa Imm attended the next Northeast NPR-A meeting
on the Slope. Bisson concurred. Schneider said the meeting might be held
in Nuiqsut in conjunction with the next NPR-A Subsistence Advisory Panel
meeting.

[Ramone McCoy, Glennallen Field Office]{.underline}

-   Gulkana River planning: The draft EA was released in Dec. BLM has 17
    renewal applications for commercial use on the river. Since the
    State owns portions of the river between high water marks, BLM and
    DNR are working together to monitor conditions based on
    recommendations from a 1999 river survey.

-   East Alaska RMP: BLM is currently analyzing comments from 30 scoping
    meetings in communities and villages throughout the Copper Basin.
    BLM will offer proposals and alternatives for the plan at a second
    round of public meetings in April and May.

-   BLM will hold a Bering Glacier workshop in Anchorage in late Feb. to
    review status of current research and discuss the upcoming field
    season. Bisson noted the Bering Glacier site is a world-class
    research camp and might make an interesting field tour.

[June Bailey, Anchorage Field Office]{.underline}

-   Ring of Fire RMP: Major issues identified during scoping include
    access, OHV use and designation, mineral resources, coal bed natural
    gas, commercial recreation, and interagency coordination. The draft
    RMP/EIS is expected March 2005, with final plan that Sept.

-   Subsurface estate: this is emerging as an issue in Ring of Fire
    scoping, specifically, coal bed natural gas. BLM is prohibited from
    leasing subsurface estate within the boundaries of incorporated
    towns or cities, like Palmer or Wasilla. The Ring of Fire plan will
    propose a range of alternatives for addressing coal bed leasing
    under existing BLM regulations.

-   AFO has begun pre-planning for The Bay RMP, which covers both the
    Bristol Bay and Goodnews Bay areas.

Charlie Boddy said he would take Paul Roehl's seat as liaison on the
Ring of Fire plan. Sandra Key suggested BLM tap The Nature Conservancy's
databases for the Ring of Fire planning area.

**Jim Ducker: Alpine Satellite Draft EIS**

The draft EIS was released in early Jan. BLM will hold a series of
public meetings soon to discuss the draft. BLM will then begin
formulating a preferred alternative. BLM will consider the State's
proposed road to Nuiqsut in the cumulative impact analysis. The final
EIS, which will include BLM's preferred alternative, is due out in early
July.

Bisson commended Ducker for his skills in coordinating with agencies
during the Alpine process. Bisson said Ducker and Susan Childs were
among BLM's hardest-working project managers.

**LUNCH**

**The meeting resumed with public comment at 1 pm.**

[Bill Wielechowski, Anchorage Northeast Community Council]{.underline}

-   President of Northeast Community Council, the largest community
    council in Anchorage.

-   Concerned about the proposed 31-mile-long fence the military wants
    to erect on the northeast side of Anchorage. Placing this fence only
    12 feet from residential property lines would impact property
    values. Other potential impacts to wildlife and public access.

-   Asks that the BLM become involved in the military's public process
    and take an active role to help ensure a sound decision.

-   A win-win solution would be for the military to enclose only the
    actual training range.

Henri Bisson explained the lands involved are withdrawn for military
purposes, and while they are used as such, BLM has no legal authority to
intervene. Fort Richardson officials have asked BLM for input regarding
the proposal, and BLM will do so. But while we may offer suggestions for
mitigation, what the military proposes to do with the training area is
consistent with the purposes of the withdrawal.

Gary Gustafson suggested individual RAC members participate in the
military's public involvement process, rather than the RAC as an
advisory body.

[Pamela Miller]{.underline}

-   The Alpine satellite proposal is the first within NPR-A. The
    document is a massive, complicated EIS that will set precedent for
    what happens elsewhere in NPR-A. Thirty days is not an adequate
    comment period, given the gravity of this decision.

-   The range of alternatives doesn't address buffer zones, and the
    cumulative impact analysis doesn't adequately address proposed
    roads. Concerned about habitat fragmentation roads would cause. It's
    important to take the time to deal with these issues adequately.

-   Northeast NPR-A: concerned about lack of binding stips; required
    operating procedures leave a lot to the operator's discretion.

-   S. 1466 (Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act): concerned about
    major changes to ANCSA and ANILCA. Agrees it's time to complete land
    transfer, but concerned that the bill creates new opportunities for
    land selection by both the State and Native corporations. Concerned
    about giving DOI enormous discretion, and about impacts to refuges
    and conservation system units.

**END OF PUBLIC COMMENTS**

**Accelerated Land Transfer Program**

BLM's Gary Reimer and Craig Frichtl discussed recent rural outreach
efforts.

Reimer explained that State Representative Mary Kapsner, who chairs the
Bush caucus, invited BLM to Juneau to meet with rural legislators in
early February. While there, they also met with minority and majority
members. Legislators were very supportive of BLM's goal to complete land
transfer by the year 2009. Bush caucus members emphasized the need for a
fair and fast settlement of Native allotments. Minority and majority
members were interested in resolving overselection issues.

BLM also went to Bethel at the invitation of the Association of Village
Council Presidents. Half of all Native allotments are in the Calista
region. Frichtl explained BLM held 24 meetings in 16 area villages to
accelerate the Native allotment process. These face-to-face meetings are
very productive in setting priorities for getting to final entitlement.
This year BLM will contract out \$6 million in "638" agreements (Indian
Self-Determination Act contracting) for survey work. An additional \$2
million in contracts will be let for state work, mostly on the North
Slope.

Henri Bisson said a D.C. hearing was scheduled the following week on S.
1466. Senator Murkowski's staff revised the bill in response to comments
from an earlier hearing in Anchorage.

**Spatial Data Management System**

BLM's Linda Ricketts and Dennis Walworth explained a new web-based
system developed by BLM to collect, manage and distribute public land
information. The system gives the public access to Alaska land
information and other geographically referenced data. Ricketts explained
that BLM will continue to populate the database as new data is
available.

Ricketts and Walworth provided an online demonstration to show council
members how to use the system to locate an easement in a given area as
an example of the system's functional uses.

One council member suggested adding Native and Regional corporation
boundaries. Council members expressed enthusiasm for the web-based
system and its uses.

**RAC Planning Liaison Reports**

-   South NPR-A: BLM will start pre-planning work this fall and scoping
    in FY 2005.

-   East Alaska: Susan Olsen said she had maps for her subgroup to study
    following the RAC meeting. She said they would also discuss a
    process for their involvement in this planning effort.

-   Ring of Fire: Charlie Boddy said coal bed natural gas would be the
    subgroup's focus. He wants to meet with Field Manager June Bailey
    soon to discuss the RMP.

-   Kobuk/Seward Peninsula: no report

-   Fire Plan Amendment: no report

The RAC discussed the role of liaisons and the need for making contact
with appropriate BLM planning leads at the start of plans, rather than
late in the process. The council noted that email was limiting, and
suggested more subgroup meetings in conjunction with regular RAC
meetings.

Henri Bisson said BLM managers and planning staff were available to the
RAC, and would contact council members at important milestones in the
planning process. He said BLM would take a more proactive role in
engaging the RAC in land use planning.

Teresa Imm said she attended one of the North Slope planning meetings,
and wondered if attendees would receive meeting notes or other followup.
Bisson said staff would check to see if there was followup
correspondence.

**BREAK**

**Proposed Hut-to-Hut System, Chugach National Forest**

Gary Gustafson explained he invited Kevin Lynch and John Wolfe of the
Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts Association to talk about a proposed
hut system at Ptarmigan Lake in the Chugach National Forest.

Lynch and Wolfe talked about the need for multi-party hut-to-hut
systems, and explained the proposed Chugach hut system would be the
first of its kind in Alaska. Standard public use cabins are typically
reserved by a single party; multi-party huts house many guests and
sometimes an on-site volunteer hutkeeper. Multi-party huts foster a
sense of shared stewardship among hut users.

Lynch and Wolfe gave a short slide show of hut systems in use in other
states and countries, and volunteer groups managing the hut systems.

Council members asked questions about funding issues, vandalism, and how
the hut systems are managed. The presenters explained that most hut
systems are kept to an existing footprint, but hut systems can also
clean up "dirty" footprints by providing well-marked established trails.
Vandalism is rarely an issue, given the remote locations. Funding is
always a challenge. Hut-to-hut systems are fee-based, and often run by
volunteer organizations.

**Meeting recessed at 4:10 p.m.**

**[Friday, February 6, 2004]{.underline}**

Council members not present: Sandra Key and Keith Tryck.

The chair called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.

**John Payne: North Slope Science Initiative**

Payne gave a PowerPoint presentation on the North Slope Science
Initiative (NSSI), a science-based program that integrates inventory,
monitoring and research activities on the North Slope. BLM recently
hosted several workshops to enlist agency and stakeholder participation.

Payne and the council discussed how the NSSI and the former Northeast
NPR-A Research and Monitoring Team (RMT) would interface. Payne noted
the RMT was specific to Northeast NPR-A, while the new science
initiative would be broader in scope to encompass research activities
across the North Slope.

Payne outlined the proposed structure of the NSSI and major milestones
in getting the new strategy in place. He stressed the need for agency
support and participation, as well as non-government stakeholders
through annual workshops, focus groups, and an interactive web site.

BLM and the RAC discussed the role of the NSSI oversight group. Bisson
said changes in the way agencies conduct government-to-government
consultation could affect how the NSSI oversight group operates.

**RAC Standards and Guidelines**

The chair briefed new RAC members on the council's work in helping BLM
prepare standards and guidelines for land management decisions. Since
Alaska BLM is exempt from the grazing regulations which required
standards and guidelines, Henri Bisson decided to adopt the standards as
supplementary planning guidance. So the RAC worked with BLM to repackage
the standards as planning guidance.

The chair said he felt the document retains the intent of the earlier
standards, and was comfortable with approving the document as presented.

Bisson said if the RAC accepted the revised document, he would issue an
instruction memorandum to make the document supplemental planning
guidance immediately. This would mean managers and staff would consult
this document when preparing NEPA documents to ensure compliance.

The RAC unanimously approved the document and thanked Debbie Hollen and
her staff for their work.

**RAC Subgroup Reports**

[RMT subgroup]{.underline}

Gustafson said he, Sandra Key, Evie Witten, Teresa Imm and Jim Posey met
and teleconferenced to draw up a recommendation for the RAC, which he
handed out. He said it was critical that reconstituting the RMT under
the RAC be a temporary arrangement only, not to exceed one year. Some
council members wondered if one year was realistic.

Henri Bisson said he would charter the group if the arrangement exceeded
one year. He also expressed concerns about the narrow focus of the RMT,
and added that the only research the former RMT funded was outside
NPR-A. He also noted that the Northwest plan did not call for a research
and monitoring group. Bisson said he believes in the need for research
and monitoring programs and the North Slope Science Initiative would
provide a framework for these activities.

David van den Berg was concerned about the lack of a legal requirement
to have research and monitoring programs, which otherwise would be at
the discretion of managers. Bisson said as BLM moves through the public
process for the Northeast amendment, public comments would affect how
the amendment addresses this issue.

Gustafson asked if Bisson was in conceptual agreement with the need for
the RMT. Bisson said yes, although he would like to see the scope
broadened. Susan Olsen asked if BLM could put this in writing for
assurance. Bisson said he could and assured the RAC that if the FACA
arrangement exceeded one year, he would recharter the group.

**RAC Officer Selection**

The chair opened the floor for nominations for chair and vice chair. Tom
Crafford was nominated for chair and Charlie Boddy vice chair. There
were no other nominations, so the RAC approved Crafford and Boddy as
officers for 2004.

The RAC expressed appreciation for David van den Berg's work as chair in
2003.

**BREAK**

[OHV subgroup]{.underline}

Susan Olsen said her subgroup had obtained pre-planning documents and
maps from all three field offices. She said her subgroup would meet
after the RAC meeting adjourned to look at the maps and talk about a
process. Olsen requested that the RAC be notified prior to scoping
meetings when NFO starts the Kobuk-Seward Peninsula RMP.

[Public Use Recreation Cabin Subgroup]{.underline}

Gary Gustafson said his subgroup met and came up with a written proposal
that lists areas that warrant study for possible public use cabins. The
subgroup recommended that BLM evaluate the need for additional public
use cabins during land use planning, and that BLM seek out public
partnership opportunities to manage cabins and plan adequately for
maintenance.

Bisson said the recreation program had taken some serious funding hits,
and while BLM can use fee demo dollars for operations and maintenance
once constructed, construction funding remains uncertain.

Gustafson asked that Bisson encourage field managers to consider the
need for additional cabins, and provide followup discussion at the next
RAC meeting.

**2004 RAC Nominations**

Henri Bisson encouraged RAC members whose terms are up to seek
renomination if their schedules allow. The Federal Register notice
calling for nominations will be published in early March, and would kick
off a 45-day nomination period. BLM asked the RAC's help in soliciting
potential candidates for RAC vacancies.

**RAC Chairs' Conference, May 11-13**

Tom Crafford will attend the RAC chair's conference in Phoenix in May.
The RAC was encouraged to think about issues or topics they would like
Crafford to address at the conference, and bring those to the RAC's
April meeting.

**July Field Tour, July 29-31**

June Bailey said lodging was very tight at Unalakleet the last week of
July. One of the town's two lodges is completely booked and the other
lodge has limited rooms. The RAC discussed camping and was agreeable to
making it a wilderness trip. Bailey said she would provide itinerary
details for the RAC to discuss at the April council meeting.

The next meeting of the RAC is April 29-30 in Fairbanks.

**Adjourn 11:10 a.m.**