Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 34 / Thursday, February 20, 1997 / Notices 7795

Obyan Beach Resort Associates; (2)

impacts are minimized during

construction, and (3) incidental take is

mitigated by the establishment of a

wildlife mitigation bank and other

measures specified in the Habitat

Conservation Plan. This mitigation bank

would be established in perpetuity for

the protection of the endangered

nightingale reed-warbler and other

wildlife species. Alternative 2 entails

developing the project as originally

permitted by the local government. The

impacts to nightingale reed-warblers on

site would be greater under this

alternative and a wildlife mitigation

bank would not be established. Under

Alternative 1, the no action alternative,

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

would not issue an incidental take

permit. The area leased would then be

likely to revert back to the

Commonwealth government. None of

the existing nightingale reed-warblers

would be lost, at least immediately.

After the land reverted back to the

Commonwealth, it would then be

available for other uses. These uses

could have greater impacts to

nightingale reed-warblers as a result of

subdivision and the subsequent habitat

fragmentation. Under the no action

alternative, the mitigation sites would

not be preserved as a wildlife mitigation

bank.

This notice is provided pursuant to

section 10(a) of the Endangered Species

Act and the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 regulations (40 CFR

1506.6). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service will evaluate the application,

associated documents, and comments

submitted thereon to determine whether

the application meets the requirements

of the National Environmental Policy

Act regulations and section 10(a) of the

Endangered Species Act. If it is

determined that the requirements are

met, a permit will be issued for the

incidental take of the listed species. The

final permit decision will be made no

sooner than 30 days from the date of

this notice.

Dated: February 12, 1997.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–4141 Filed 2–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

Bureau of Land Management

[WY–985–0222–66]

Cave Gulch-Bullfrog-Waltman Natural

Gas Development Project in Natrona

County, Wyoming; Availability of the

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS)

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) announces the

availability of the Cave Gulch-BullfrogWaltman Natural Gas Development

Project Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (DEIS) which analyzes the

environmental consequences of the oil

and gas operators proposal to continue

to drill wells on their leased acreages

within the Cave Gulch-BullfrogWaltman oil and gas project area. This

development area is located in Natrona

County and generally located within

Townships 36 and 37 North; Ranges 86

and 87 West, 6th Principal Meridian.

The area is accessed by U.S. Highway

20/26 west of Casper, Wyoming; and,

north of Waltman, Wyoming via county

road 104. Access to the interior of the

Cave Gulch-Bullfrog-Waltman project

area is provided by a road system

developed to service prior and on-going

drilling and production activities.

DATES: Comments on the DEIS will be

accepted for 45 days following the date

the Environmental Protection Agency

publishes their Notice of Availability in

the Federal Register. The EPA notice is

expected on or about February 14, 1997.

In addition, a public meeting will be

held Tuesday, March 11, 1997. The

meeting will be located at the University

of Wyoming, Natrona County

Cooperative Extension Building, 2011

Fairgrounds Road, Casper, Wyoming.

The meeting will be in two parts

beginning with an open house from 3

p.m.–5 p.m. followed by a public

meeting from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Comments

on the DEIS will be entertained during

the open house and the public meeting.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DEIS

should be sent to Ms. Kate Padilla,

Team Leader for the Cave GulchBullfrog-Waltman Natural Gas

Development Project EIS, Bureau of

Land Management, Casper District

Office, 1701 East ‘‘E’’ Street, Casper,

Wyoming 82601.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS

analyzes a proposed action, two (2)

development alternatives, and the no

action alternative. The proposal

presented by the operators is to

continue to drill additional wells on

their leased acreage within this natural

gas development area. The current oil

and gas operators are Chevron U.S.A.,

Barrett Resources Corporation, Prima

Oil & Gas Company, Goldmark

Engineering, Inc., W.A. Moncrief, Jr.,

Marathon Oil Company, and John P.

Lockridge, Inc. The land ownership

pattern of the Cave Gulch-BullfrogWaltman project area is 66 percent

Private, 29 percent Federal (BLM), and

5 percent State of Wyoming. The

mineral ownership is as follows, 20

percent Private, 77 percent Federal

(BLM), and 3 percent State of Wyoming.

Over the next 10 years, the operators

propose to drill up to 160 additional

wells where approximately 40 wells are

currently active to obtain maximum

recovery of natural gas from existing

Federal, State, and private oil and gas

leases. The area was divided into four

segments by the operators to allow for

better definition of the Proposed Action

with regard to well spacing and density,

based on BLM’s February 1996,

preliminary geologic report. The two

development alternatives analyze wells

based on areas defined in the BLM’s

June 1996, final geologic report.

The DEIS describes the physical,

biological, cultural, historic, and socioeconomic resources in and surrounding

the project area. The focus of the impact

analysis was based upon resource issues

and concerns identified during public

scoping. Potential impacts of concern

from development were primarily

concerned with raptor breeding and

nesting, sensitive soils, and economics.

Dated: February 5, 1997.

Alan L. Kesterke,

Associate State Director.

[FR Doc. 97–4097 Filed 2–19–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P

[UT–056–1430–01–24–1A]

Mountain Valley Management

Framework Plan; Piute Co., UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to amend plan.

SUMMARY: This Notice of Intent is to

advise the public that the Bureau of

Land Management (BLM) intends to

consider a proposal which would

require amending an existing planning

document.

DATES: The comment period for this

proposed plan amendment will

commence with publication of this

notice. Comments must be submitted

within the thirty day period

commencing with the publication of

this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dave Henderson, Sevier River Resource

Area Manager, 150 East 900 North,

Richfield, Utah 84701. Existing