41074 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 147 / Thursday, July 31, 1997 / Notices

Exemptions from this closure may be

approved by the Authorized Officer.

Exemptions may be approved for

federal, state, and local government

personnel on official duty, emergency

service personnel including medical,

search and rescue, and other licensed or

permitted individuals.

The authority for this closure is 43

CFR 8364–1.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Paula

Perletti, Outdoor Recreation Planner,

Shoshone Resource Area, P.O. Box 2–B,

Shoshone Idaho 83352, telephone (208)

886–2206.

Dated: July 7, 1997.

Bill A. Baker,

Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–20087 Filed 7–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT–030–1020]

Notice of Public Involvement and

Scoping Opportunities for the Grand

Staircase-Escalante National

Monument Management Plan and

Associated Environmental Impact

Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: The Utah Bureau of Land

Management, Grand Staircase-Escalante

National Monument (GSENM) is seeking

public, agency and tribal involvement in

the preparation of the GSENM

Management Plan, through a series of

public planning workshops/scoping

meetings.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Land

Management Act (FLMPA), National

Environmental Policy Act, Presidential

Proclamation 6920 and Part 43, Section

1600 of Code of Federal Regulations, the

Bureau of Land Management Grand

Staircase-Escalante National Monument

is seeking public involvement through

various means including the hosting of

a series of planning workshops in order

to inform the public of Monument

values and to understand public views,

concerns and ideas regarding

possibilities for management and the

future of the GSENM.

ADDRESSES: Questions or concerns

regarding the planning workshops/

scoping meetings and schedules should

be addressed to Pete Wilkins, Planning

Coordinator, Grand Staircase-Escalante

National Monument Planning Office,

Bureau of Land Management, 337 South

Main Street, Suite 010, Cedar City, Utah

84720.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pete

Wilkins, Planning Coordinator at the

above address or by phone at (801) 865–

5100, E-Mail at p1wilkin@ut.blm.gov.,

or fax to (801) 865–5170.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Grand

Staircase-Escalante National Monument

was established on September 18, 1996

by Presidential Proclamation 6920. As

stated in the Proclamation, a

management plan would be prepared

pursuant to existing authorities, mainly

FLPMA and the National Environmental

Policy Act. In accordance with these

authorities, the Bureau of Land

Management is seeking the comments,

concerns and views of all individuals,

groups, organizations, agencies and

American Indian Tribal Governments

that may have an interest in the

GSENM. As such, the GSENM, is

announcing a series of planning

workshops/scoping meetings through

out Utah and other western states as

well as in Washington D.C.

The purpose of these meetings is to

inform the public of some of the

important values within the Monument

as well as some of directives and

guidelines that were established within

Proclamation 6920. These workshops

are also designed to gather ideas,

concerns and opportunities regarding

possible management of the GSENM.

Additionally, these workshops will help

the monument staff identify appropriate

issues and alternatives to be addressed

within the associated GSENM

Management Plan/Environmental

Impact Statement.

The schedule and location of these

Workshop Events is as follows:

All workshops will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Big Water, UT, Big Water Town Hall,

August 12, 1997

Escalante, UT, Community Center,

August 14, 1997

Orderville, UT, Valley High School

Little Theater, August 19, 1997

Kanab, UT, Kanab High School, August

21, 1997

Cedar City, UT, SUU Sharwan Smith

Center, August 26, 1997

Tropic, UT, Bryce Valley High School

Auditorium, August 27, 1997

Panguitch, UT, Panguitch High School,

August 28, 1997

Salt Lake City, UT, Division of Natural

Resources Auditorium, 1594 W.

North Temple, September 2, 1997

Las Vegas, NV, Cashman Field Center,

850 Las Vegas Blvd. N. @

Washington Ave., September 4,

1997

Flagstaff, AZ, Woodlands Plaza Hotel,

1175 W. Route 66, September 16,

1997

Lakewood, CO, Sheraton West, 360

Union Blvd., September 30, 1997

Santa Fe, NM, Santa Fe Community

College, 6401 South Richards Ave,

October 2, 1997

San Francisco, CA, San Francisco

Marriott, 55 Fourth Street, October

9, 1997

Moab, UT, Moab Valley Inn, 711 S.

Main, October 14, 1997

Washington, D.C., Location to be

announced, October 16, 1997

Dated: July 7, 1997.

A. J. Meredith,

Monument Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–20228 Filed 7–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Amended Notice

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

and the County of Kem, State of

California have extended the comment

period for the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement/Environmental

Impact Report for the Soledad Mountain

Project, a proposed gold mining

operation on public and private lands in

Kem County, California.

DATES: Comments on the Draft

Environmental Impact Report/

Environmental Impact Statement must

be postmarked no later than August 11,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be addressed to Bureau of Land

Management, Ridgecrest Resource Area,

300 S. Richmond Road, Ridgecrest,

California, 93555, Attention: Ahmed

Mohsen, EIS Coordinator.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ahmed Mohsen—EIS Coordinator (760)

384–5421.

PUBLIC MEETINGS: Public meetings were

held on: Tues. June 24, 1997 and Wed.

June 25, 1997.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the Draft EIR/EIS is to

present BLM and Kem County’s

comparative analysis of the impacts of

the Proposed Action and Alternatives

on the physical, biological, social and

economic resources of the area. The

Proposed Action is a mining proposal to

extract minerals from the subsurface,

process the ore using chemical leaching

methods and place the waste rock

adjacent to the processing and mining

areas. Alternatives to the Proposed

Action include variations on the

duration of operations and placement of

waste rock. After careful consideration
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 147 / Thursday, July 31, 1997 / Notices 41075

of the impacts of the Proposed Action

and all the alternatives, BLM has

identified a Preferred Action in

response to regulatory requirements,

issues raised, resources present, impact

analysis results and the effectiveness of

mitigation and reclamation measures.

A public scoping process was

initiated by the BLM and Kem County

to identify issues and concerns relating

to the proposed mining operation and

assist the lead agencies in formulating

alternatives to the Proposed Action. The

scoping process was designed to

provide an opportunity for receipt of

verbal and written comments from the

public, organizations and government

agencies. This was achieved through

two public meetings, newspaper

publications, Federal Register notice

and notice of preparation of an EIR/EIS.

Project description, resource inventories

and public meeting proceedings were

made available on the world wide web.

Site can be reached with the following

address: htt:www.ca.blm.gov/

GoldenQueen.

The project area includes

approximately 1,690 acres of which

1,219 acres are privately owned land

and 471 acres are unpatented mining

claims on public lands administered by

the BLM. The proposed surface

disturbance is 930 acres of which 735

acres are on private land and 195 acres

are on public land

A Federal Register notice was

published on June 2, 1997 (Volume 62,

Number 105) Page 29736 to announce

the public meeting dates and comment

period schedules.

Dated: July 25, 1997.

Lee Delaney,

Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–20139 Filed 7–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 1990–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Soledad Mountain Project, CA

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

and the County of Kern, State of

California are extending the comment

period for the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement/Environmental

Impact Report for the Soledad Mountain

Project, a proposed gold mining

operation on public and private lands in

Kern County, California.

DATES: Comments on the Draft

Environmental Impact Report/

Environmental Impact Statement must

be postmarked no later than August 4,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be addressed to Bureau of Land

Management, Ridgecrest Resource Area,

300 S. Richmond Road, Ridgecrest,

California, 93555, Attention: Ahmed

Mohsen—EIS Coordinator.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ahmed Mohsen-EIS Coordinator (760)

385–5421.

PUBLIC MEETINGS: Public meetings were

held on: June 24 and June 25 at

Rosamond and Mojave, California.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the Draft EIR/EIS is to

present BLM and Kern County’s

comparative analysis of the impacts of

the Proposed Action and Alternatives

on the physical, biological, social and

economic resources of the area. The

Proposed Action is a mining proposal to

extract minerals from the subsurface,

process the ore using chemical leaching

methods and place the waste rock

adjacent to the processing and mining

areas. Alternatives to the Proposed

Action include variations on the

duration of operations and placement of

waste rock. After careful consideration

of the impacts of the Proposed Action

and all the alternatives, BLM has

identified a Preferred Action in

response to regulatory requirements,

issued raised, resources present, impact

analysis results and the effectiveness of

mitigation and reclamation measures.

A public scoping process was

initiated by the BLM and Kern County

to identify issues and concerns relating

to the proposed mining operation and

assist the lead agencies in formulating

alternatives to the Proposed Action. The

scoping process was designed to

provide an opportunity for receipt of

verbal and written comments from the

public, organizations and government

agencies. This was achieved through

two public meetings, newspaper

publications, federal register notice and

notice of preparation of an EIR/EIS.

Project description, resource inventories

and public meeting proceedings were

made available on the world wide web.

Site can be reached with the following

address: http:www.ca.blm.gov/

GoldenQueen.

The project area includes

approximately 1,690 acres of which

1,219 acres are privately owned land

and 471 acres are unpatented mining

claims on public lands administered by

the BLM. The proposed surface

disturbance is 930 acres of which 735

acres are on private land and 195 acres

are on public land.

Five alternatives to the Proposed

Action are analyzed in detail: (1) No

Action, (2) Increased Mining and

Processing Rate, (3) Decreased Mining

and Processing Rate, (4) Reduced Project

Size, and (5) Partial Backfilling.

Five alternatives to the Proposed

Action are analyzed in detail: (1) No

Action, (2) Increased Mining and

Processing Rate, (3) Decreased Mining

and Processing Rate, (4) Reduced Project

Size, and (5) Partial Backfilling.

A Federal Register notice was

published on June 2, 1997 (Volume 62,

Number 105) Page 29736 to announce

the public meeting dates and comment

period schedules.

Lee Delaney,

Resource Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–20201 Filed 7–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 1990–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA–010–1220–00]

Meeting of the Bakersfield Resource

Advisory Council

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Meeting of the Bakersfield

Resource Advisory Council.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authorities in

the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Public Law 92–463) and the Federal

Land Policy and Management Act of

1976 (sec. 309), the Bureau of Land

Management Resource Advisory

Council for the Bakersfield District will

meet in Bridgeport, California.

DATES: August 15–16, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Bridgeport Elementary

School, 205 Kingsley Street.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 12

member Bakersfield Resource Advisory

Council is appointed by the Secretary of

the Interior to advise the Bureau of Land

Management on public land issues. The

Council will meet on Friday and

Saturday, August 15–16, 1997,

beginning at 8:00 a.m. both days.

Agenda items include election of

officers, a plan to set priorities for the

expenditure of range improvement

funds, an update on the proposal to

trade federal oil leases for the

Headwaters forest, a discussion of RS–

2477 rights of way, reports on the role

of fire in native plant and deer herd

management, an update on the draft

Environmental Impact Statement for the

Healthy Rangelands initiative, and an

update on the status of proposed

recreation fees for BLM lands. There

will be a field trip Friday afternoon to

Bodie State Historic Park. A public