Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices 65441

Under various alternatives, BLM

would recommend that Congress

designate the Colville River a wild,

scenic, or recreation river under the

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. BLM is also

proposing that it work with nearby

Colville River land owners, including

the State and Arctic Slope Regional

Corporation, to create a Bird

Conservation Area under the Partners in

Flight Program. Finally, in some

alternatives BLM is proposing a plan, or

plans, to guide future studies of caribou

and waterfowl populations in the

Teshekpuk Lake area.

Section 810 of the Alaska National

Lands Conservation Act requires BLM to

evaluate the effects of the alternative

plans presented in this IAP/EIS on

subsistence activities in the planning

area, and to hold public hearings if it

finds that any alternative might

significantly restrict subsistence

activities. Appendix D of the document

indicates that alternatives D and E may

significantly restrict subsistence

activities, therefore, BLM is holding the

public hearings whose dates are given

below.

DATES: Written comments on the draft

IAP/EIS must be submitted or

postmarked no later than February 10,

1998. Oral and/or written comments

may also be presented at seven public

hearings to be held:

January 12, 1998, 7:30 pm, Atqasuk

Community Hall, Atqasuk, Alaska

January 13, 1998, 7:30 pm, North Slope

Assembly Chambers, Barrow, Alaska

January 14, 1998, 7:30 pm, Kisik

Community Center, Nuiqsit, Alaska

January 15, 1998, 7:30 pm, Anaktuvuk

Pass Community Hall, Anaktuvuk

Pass, Alaska

January 21, 1998, 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm,

Marston Theater, Loussac Library,

Anchorage, Alaska

January 22, 1998, 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm,

Carlson Center, Conference Room,

Fairbanks, Alaska

January 26, 1998, 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm,

Washington Capital Hilton, Federal

Room, 16th and K Street NW,

Washington, DC

Any changes to the hearing schedule

will be accompanied by appropriate

public notice.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

document should be addressed to: NPRA Planning Team, Bureau of Land

Management, Alaska State Office (930),

222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage,

Alaska 99513–7599. Comments can also

be sent to the NPR-A home page (http;/

/aurora.ak.blm.gov/npra/).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gene Terland (907–271–3344;

gterland@ak.blm.gov) or Jim Ducker

(907–271–3369; jducker@ak.blm.gov).

They can be reached by mail at the

Bureau of Land Management (930),

Alaska State Office, 222 West 7th

Avenue, Anchorage Alaska 99513–7599.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority

for developing this document is derived

from the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act, the Naval Petroleum

Reserves Production Act of 1976 and the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA).

The BLM leased tracts in the NPR-A

in 1982 and 1983 (all now expired), but

halted a lease sale in 1984 when no

acceptable bids were made. Recently,

interest in a lease sale has increased as

oil and gas infrastructure moved west.

Soon a development at the Alpine Field,

in the Colville River delta, will bring a

pipeline to within 10 miles of the

eastern boundary of the planning area.

None of the federal lands in the

planning area are currently available to

oil and gas leasing because existing

NEPA documentation is dated and

inadequate to meet current standards.

Should BLM undertake a leasing

program, this IAP/EIS will form the

basic NEPA documentation to authorize

leasing, and it will determine those

lands that are available and those that

are unavailable for leasing.

Public participation has occurred

throughout the period since the Notice

of Intent to Prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement was published on

February 13, 1997. In addition to

holding scoping meetings in Nuiqsit,

Atqasuk, Barrow, Fairbanks and

Anchorage several publicly attended

workshops have addressed important

issues within the planning area. The

planning area provides particularly

important habitat for caribou, waterfowl

and other species and many of the local

residents of the area rely on harvesting

these resources for subsistence

purposes. Ensuring adequate protection

of these resources has been one of the

driving forces behind workshops to seek

input from a variety of public sources

with expertise in related fields.

Additional information from these

workshops has also been helpful in

developing this draft document.

The BLM has worked very closely

with the North Slope Borough and the

State of Alaska in developing this draft

IAP/EIS. Representatives of both

organizations have directly participated

in meetings that led to the development

of the alternatives presented here,

although BLM is solely responsible for

the form the alternatives took. The

Mineral Management Service of the

Department of the Interior has also

assisted BLM in developing the

document.

Copies of the draft IAP/EIS will be

available for pubic review at the

following locations: Tuzzy Public

Library, Barrow, AK; City of Nuiqsut,

Nuiqsut, AK; City of Atqasuk, Atqasuk,

AK; City of Anaktuvuk, Pass,

Anaktuvuk Pass, AK; and City of

Wainwright, Wainwright, AK.

Tom Allen,

State Director.

[FR Doc. 97–31771 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM–030–1990–00]

Record of Decision, Phelps Dodge

Little Rock Mine Project,

Environmental Impact Statement,

Grant County, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The BLM Las Cruces District

Office has prepared a Record of

Decision (ROD) for the Phelps Dodge

Little Rock Mine Project Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS). The ROD was

signed by the District Manager

approving the proposed mine project

and incorporating environmental

protection measures in the EIS.

The EIS analyzed the impacts of the

re-establishment of the Little Rock

Mine. The Little Rock Mine is an openpit copper mine located approximately

7 miles south of Silver City, New

Mexico. The Proposed Action includes

the construction, operation, and

reclamation of the proposed mine pit,

including the diversion of stream water

in California Gulch, and the creation of

a pit lake after mining operations have

ceased. Approximately 100 million tons

of leachable ore could be removed from

the proposed pit. Up to 160,000 tons of

ore per day would be mined and

processed over a 2- to 4-year period.

The proposed project will also require

the construction of a haul road that will

allow transportation of ore from the

mine site to the processing facilities

located at the Tyrone Mine facility.

Overburden or other inert,

nonmineralized materials will be

stockpiled for potential use in

reclamation. Project construction will

employ the existing workforce at

Tyrone.

ADDRESSES: Linda S. C. Rundell, District

Manager, BLM, Las Cruces District
65442 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices

Office, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New

Mexico, 88005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Juan

S. Padilla, Team Coordinator at (505)

525–4376.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Parties

adversely affected by the ROD have 30

days from the date of publication of this

notice to file a Notice of Appeal (43 CFR

part 4) in the office which issued this

decision. The Notice of Appeal should

be addressed to the BLM Las Cruces

District Manager (see ADDRESSES section

above). A petition for a stay of the

decision must be filed in accordance

with the above cited regulations.

Copies of the ROD can be obtained

from the Las Cruces District Office at

1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New

Mexico 88005, and the BLM New

Mexico State Office, 1474 Rodeo Road,

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, or by

calling (505) 525–4376 , and requesting

a copy of the document. Additionally, a

copy of the ROD will be mailed to

individuals, agencies, or companies on

the mailing list. Reading copies are

available at public and university

libraries in Las Cruces, Silver City,

Deming, Lordsburg, Socorro, and Santa

Fe, New Mexico.

Dated: December 4, 1997.

Linda S.C. Rundell,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–32254 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–VC–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ID–990–1020–01]

Resource Advisory Council Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Resource Advisory Council

meeting location and time.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act and the Federal Advisory

Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), 5

U.S.C., the Department of the Interior,

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

council meeting of the Upper Snake

River Districts Resource Advisory

Council will be held as indicated below.

The agenda includes a discussion on

implementation of the healthy

rangeland standard and guidelines,

briefing on the Draft Dairy Syncline EIS

and to prepare comments for the Upper

Columbia Basin—EIS. All meetings are

open to the public. The public may

present written comments to the

council. Each formal council meeting

will have a time allocated for hearing

public comments. The public comment

period for the council meeting is listed

below. Depending on the number of

persons wishing to comment, and time

available, the time for individual oral

comments may be limited. Individuals

who plan to attend and need further

information about the meetings, or need

special assistance such as sign language

interpretation or other reasonable

accommodations, should contact Debra

Kovar at the Shoshone Resource Area

Office, P. O. Box 2–B, Shoshone, ID,

83352, (208) 886–7201.

DATE AND TIME: Date is January 22, 1998,

starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Pocatello

Resource Area Office at 1111 N 8th

Avenue, Pocatello, Idaho. Public

comments will be received from 1:00

p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the council is to advise the

Secretary of the Interior, through the

BLM, on a variety of planning and

management issues associated with the

management of the public lands.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact

Debra Kovar, Shoshone Resource Area

Office, P. O. Box 2-B, Shoshone, ID

83352, (208) 886–7201.

Dated: December 5, 1997.

Tom Dyer,

Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–32534 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ070–1990–00–241A; AZA 23217–A]

Arizona: Reconveyed Mineral Estate

Opened to Entry (Mohave County)

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The mineral estate in the

following-described land was

reconveyed to the U.S. in an exchange

under the provisions of sec. 206 of the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act of 1976, on October 10, 1988. This

order will open the lands to entry under

the mining laws and the mineral leasing

laws.

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona

T. 14 N., R. 19 W.,

Sec. 7, lots 1 to 4 inclusive, E1⁄2, E1⁄2W1⁄2.

Containing 636.52 acres.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At 9 a.m.

on January 12, 1998 the land will be

opened to entry under the mining laws

and the mineral leasing laws, subject to

valid existing rights and requirements of

applicable laws. Opening this land to

mineral entry is in conformance with

the Yuma District Resource

Management Plan, as amended and

approved February 1987. Appropriation

of the above-described land under the

mining laws or mineral leasing laws

prior to the date and time of restoration

is unauthorized. Any such attempted

appropriation, including attempted

adverse possession under 30 U.S.C. 38

shall vest no rights against the United

States. Acts required to establish a

location and to initiate a right of

possession are governed by state law

where not in conflict with Federal laws.

The Bureau of Land Management will

not intervene in disputes between rival

locators over possessory rights since

Congress has provided for such

determinations in local courts. All

applications and offers received prior to

9 a.m. on January 12, 1998 will be

considered as simultaneously filed as of

that time and date. Those applications

and offers received thereafter shall be

considered in the order of filing. A

drawing will be held in accordance with

43 CFR 1821.2–3 if necessary.

The above-described land will remain

closed to all other forms of

appropriation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dave Taylor, Lake Havasu Field Office,

2610 Sweetwater Avenue, Lake Havasu

City, Arizona 86406–9071, (520) 505–

1200.

Dated: December 2, 1997.

Mary Jo Yoas,

Supervisor, Lands and Minerals Operations.

[FR Doc. 97–32495 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–32–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Inventory Completion for

Native American Human Remains from

Kern County, CA in the Possession of

California State University-Bakersfield,

Bakersfield, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice.

Notice is hereby given in accordance

with provisions of the Native American

Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

(NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003 (d), of the

completion of an inventory of human

remains and associated funerary objects

in the possession of California State

University-Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA.

A detailed assessment of the human

remains was made by California State

University-Bakersfield professional staff