43228 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 149 / Friday, August 3, 2007 / Notices 

discussed in it. For comments of this 

nature, reviewers may choose to refer to 

CEQ regulations at 40 CFR 1503.3. 

Comments received, including the 

names and addresses of those who 

comment, will be considered part of the 

public record of this NEPA review and 

will be available for public inspection 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

FSF 1909.15, Section 21). 

Authorization: National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as 

amended (42 U.S.C. 4321–4346); 

Council on Environmental Quality 

Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508); 

U.S. Department of Agriculture NEPA 

Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1b). 

Dated: July 30, 2007. 

Jeanine A. Derby, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 07–3812 Filed 8–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Manti-La Sal National Forest, Utah, EIS 

for Oil and Gas Leasing 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA, and 

Bureau of Land Management, USDI. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Manti-La Sal National 

Forest gives notice of the intent to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) to document the 

analysis and disclose the environmental 

and human effects of oil and gas leasing 

on lands administered by the Manti-La 

Sal National Forest. The Federal 

Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform 

Act of 1987 (FOOGLRA) requires the 

Forest Service to evaluate National 

Forest System (NFS) lands for potential 

oil and gas leasing. 

As the agency responsible for lease 

issuance and administration, the Bureau 

of Land Management (BLM) will 

participate as a cooperating agency. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis should be received by 

September 10, 2007, to be most helpful. 

The draft environmental impact 

statement is scheduled for completion 

by the spring of 2008, and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

scheduled for completion by the fall of 

2008. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: 

Dale Harber, Oil and Gas Team Leader, 

Manti-La Sal National Forest, 599 West 

Price River Drive, Price, UT 84501; 

phone (435) 636–3548; fax (435) 637–

4940; email comments-intermtn-mantilasal@fs.fed.us. Please include ‘‘Oil and 

Gas Leasing Analysis Project’’ on the 

subject line. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann 

King, Public Affairs Officer, Manti-La 

Sal National Forest, 599 West Price 

River Drive, Price, UT 84501; phone 

(435) 636–3535. 

Fore technical information contact 

Dale Harber, Oil and Gas Team Leader, 

(435) 636–3548. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

FOOGLRA requires the Forest Service 

to evaluate NFS lands for potential oil 

and gas leasing and establishes Forest 

Service consent authority for leasing 

prior to the BLM offering NFS lands for 

lease. A leasing EIS was prepared in the 

early 1990s, with the Record of Decision 

(ROD) signed January 12, 1993, and a 

ROD modifying specific aspects of the 

original ROD signed on January 4, 1994. 

Due to the length of time since the last 

EIS was prepared and the increased 

interest by the industry due to the 

increased demand for oil and gas, high 

prices, and discoveries of oil and gas 

reserves in nearby areas with similar 

geologic conditions, it is now time to 

prepare an updated EIS to continue 

leasing. The BLM Utah State Office has 

received, and continues to receive, 

numerous Expressions of Interest for 

leasing portions of the Manti-La Sal 

Natioal Forest. 

Proposed Action 

The Forest Supervisor of the Manti-La 

Sal National Forest and the Utah State 

Director, Bureau of Land Management, 

propose to conduct that analysis and 

decide which lands to make available 

for oil and gas leasing. The analysis area 

includes all NFS lands administered by 

the Manti-La Sal National Forest. As 

part of the analysis, the Forest Service 

will identify those areas that would be 

available for leasing subject to the terms 

and conditions of the standard oil and 

gas lease form, or the use of lease 

stipulations such as those prohibiting 

surface occupancy. The analysis will 

also: (1) Identify alternatives to the 

proposed action, including that of not 

allowing leasing (no action), (2) project 

the type/amount of post-leasing activity 

that is reasonably foreseeable, and (3) 

analyze the reasonably foreseeable 

impacts of projected post-leasing 

activity [36 CFR 228.102(c)]. 

Possible Alternatives 

All alternatives studied in detail must 

fall within the scope of the purpose and 

need for action and will generally tier to 

and comply with the Manti-La Sal 

Forest Plan. Law requires evaluation of 

a ‘‘no action alternative’’. Under the No 

Action/No Lease alternative, no 

additional oil and gas leasing would 

occur. Alternatives to be evaluated 

would range from the No Action/No 

Lease alternative (most restrictive) to the 

Standard Lease Terms alterative (least 

restrictive) where all lands legally open 

to leasing would be made 

administratively available for leasing 

with only the standard BLM terms and 

conditions contained on BLM Lease 

Form 3100–11. Other alternatives which 

fall somewhere between the No Action/ 

No Lease alternative and Lease with 

Standard Terms alternative would also 

be developed and evaluated, which 

would involve making some lands 

unavailable for leasing and other lands 

available for leasing with stipulations 

for the protection of other resources and 

interests. 

The Forest is expecting that the public 

input will generate either thematic 

concerns or area-specific issues that 

may be addressed by modifying the 

proposed action to create a new 

alternative or alternatives. 

Lead and Cooperating Agencies 

The Forest Service is the lead agency. 

The Bureau of Land Management will 

participate as a cooperating agency. 

Responsible Officials 

Rodney L. Player, Forest Supervisor, 

Manti-La Sal National Forest, 599 West 

Price River Drive, Price, UT 84501. 

Selma Sierra, Utah State Director, 

Bureau of Land Management, 440 West 

200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 

84145. 

Nature of Decision to be Made 

The Forest Supervisor, Manti-La Sal 

National Forest, will decide which 

lands administered by the Manti-La Sal 

National Forest will be administratively 

available for oil and gas leasing, along 

with associated conditions or 

constraints for the protection of nonmineral interests [36 CFR 228.102(d)]. 

The Forest Supervisor will also 

authorize the BLM to offer specific 

lands for lease, subject to the Forest 

Service ensuring that the required 

stipulations are attached to the leases 

[36 CFR 228.102(e)]. 

The BLM is responsible for issuing 

and administration of oil and gas leases 

under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, 

as amended, and Federal Regulations in 

43 CFR 3101.7. The BLM Utah State 

Director must decide whether or not to 

offer for lease specific lands authorized 

for leasing by the Manti-La Sal National 

Forest and with what stipulations. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 149 / Friday, August 3, 2007 / Notices 43229 

Scoping Process 

The first formal opportunity to 

comment on the Manti-La Sal National 

Forest Oil and Gas Leasing Analysis 

Project is during the scoping process (40 

CFR 1501.7), which begins with the 

issuance of this Notice of Intent. The 

Forest Service requests comments on 

the nature and scope of the 

environmental, social, and economic 

issues, and possible alternatives related 

to oil and gas leasing on lands 

administered by the Manti-La Sale 

National Forest. Mail comments to: Dale 

Harber, Oil and Gas Team Leader, 

Manti-La Sal National Forest, 599 West 

Price River Drive, Price, UT 84501. 

A series of public meetings are 

scheduled to describe the proposal and 

to provide an opportunity for public 

input. Meetings are planned in Moab, 

Monticello, Ferron, Ephraim, Price, and 

Provo, Utah, and Delta, Colorado, in late 

August and early September. The 

schedule will be published in the 

newspapers of record for the Manti-La 

Sal National Forest Supervisor’s Office 

and the Ranger Districts as soon as it is 

finalized. Written comments will be 

accepted at this meetings. 

The Forest Service will work with 

tribal governments to address issues that 

would significantly or uniquely affect 

them. 

Preliminary Issues 

Important goals for the project are to 

meet the legal requirements for 

evaluating NFS lands and make the 

required decisions. The intent of the 

applicable laws and regulations (see 

Summary) are to lease appropriate NFS 

lands and provide a reasonable 

opportunity to explore for, discover, and 

produce economic oil and gas reserves 

from available Federal lands, while 

meeting the requirements of 

environmental laws and protection of 

other resources and interests not 

compatible with such activities. Issues 

are anticipated to involve potential 

effects to wildlife, water, vegetation, 

recreation, public safety, roadless 

character, visual resources, cultural and 

paleontological resources, and social 

and economic settings. Specific issues 

will be developed through review of 

public comments and internal review. 

Comment Requested 

This Notice of Intent initiates the 

scoping process which guides the 

development of the EIS. The Forest has 

also received substantial input at public 

meetings held for the Forest Plan 

revision, including issues relative to 

mineral exploration and development. 

Through these efforts the Forest has an 

understanding of the broad range of 

perspectives on the resource issues and 

social values attributed to resource 

activities on the Manti-La Sal National 

Forest. Consequently, site-specific 

comments or concerns are the most 

important types of information needed 

for this EIS. Because the Oil and Gas 

Leasing EIS is a stand-alone document, 

only public comment letters which 

address relevant issues and concerns 

will be considered and formally 

addressed in an appendix in the EIS. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review 

A draft environmental impact 

statement will be prepared for comment. 

The comment period on the draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected to be 45 days from the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes the notice of availability in 

the Federal Register. The Forest Service 

believes, at this early stage, it is 

important to give reviewers notice of 

several court rulings related to public 

participation in the environmental 

review process. First, reviewers of draft 

environmental impact statements must 

structure their participation in the 

environmental review of the proposal so 

that it is meaningful and alerts an 

agency to the reviewer’s position and 

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear 

Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 533 

(1978). Also, environmental objections 

that could be raised at the draft 

environmental impact statement stage 

but that are not raised until after 

completion of the final environmental 

impact statement may be waived or 

dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon 

v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 

1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. 

Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. 

Wis. 1980). Because of these court 

rulings, it is very important that those 

interested in this proposed action 

participate by providing comments 

during the scoping comment period and 

during the comment period following 

the release of the draft EIS so that 

substantive comments and objections 

are made available to the Forest Service 

at a time when it can meaningfully 

consider them and respond to them in 

the final environmental impact 

statement. 

To assist the Forest Service in 

identifying and considering issues and 

concerns on the proposed action, 

comments should be as specific as 

possible. Reviewers may wish to refer to 

the Council on Environmental Quality 

Regulations for implementing the 

procedural provisions of the National 

Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 

1503.3 in addressing their points. 

Comment received, including the 

names and addresses of those who 

comments, will be considered part of 

the public record on this proposal and 

will be available for public inspection. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 

21.) 

Dated: July 26, 2007. 

Rodney L. Player, 

Forest Supervisor, Manti-La Sal National 

Forest. 

[FR Doc. 07–3743 Filed 8–2–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM 

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR 

SEVERELY DISABLED 

Procurement List; Proposed Additions 

and Deletions 

ACTION: Proposed Additions to and 

Deletions from the Procurement List. 

SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing 

to add to the Procurement List products 

and services to be furnished by 

nonprofit agencies employing persons 

who are blind or have other severe 

disabilities, and to delete products 

previously furnished by such agencies. 

Comments Must be Received on or 

Before: September 2, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase 

From People Who Are Blind or Severely 

Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800, 

1421 Jefferson Davis Highway, 

Arlington, Virginia, 22202–3259. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO SUBMIT

COMMENTS CONTACT: Kimberly M. Zeich, 

Telephone: (703) 603–7740, Fax: (703) 

603–0655, or e-mail 

CMTEFedReg@jwod.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice is published pursuant to 41 U.S.C 

47(a)(2) and 41 CFR 51–2.3. Its purpose 

is to provide interested persons an 

opportunity to submit comments on the 

proposed actions. 

Additions 

If the Committee approves the 

proposed additions, the entities of the 

Federal Government identified in this 

notice for each product or service will 

be required to procure the products and 

services listed below from nonprofit 

agencies employing persons who are 

blind or have other severe disabilities. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification 

I certify that the following action will 

not have a significant impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES