Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 45 / Friday, March 7, 1997 / Notices 10577

resident to be able to participate in

special hunts. The harvest information

is needed in order to evaluate

subsistence harvest success; the

effectiveness of season lengths, harvest

quotas, and harvest restrictions; hunting

patterns and practices; and hunter use.

Once harvest success information is

evaluated, the Federal Subsistence

Board utilizes this information, along

with other information, to set future

seasons and harvest limits for Federal

subsistence resource users. These

seasons and harvest limits are set in

order to meet the needs of subsistence

hunters without adversely impacting the

health of existing wildlife populations.

The Federal Subsistence Hunt

Application and Permit also provides a

mechanism to allow Federal subsistence

users the opportunity to participate in

special hunts that are not available to

the general public but are mandated by

Title VIII of ANILCA. Both reports

provide for the collection of the

necessary information; however, the

Designated Hunter report is unique in

that it allows the reporting of the

harvest of multiple animals by a single

hunter who is acting for others. The

Designated Hunter Application and

Permit also serves as a special permit

allowing qualified subsistence users to

harvest fish or wildlife for others.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals or households.

Estimated Completion Time: .25

hours (15 minutes each).

Annual Responses: 4,500 (Federal

Subsistence Hunt Application and

Permit; 7,000 (Designated Hunter Permit

Application and Report).

Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,875.

Dated: February 28, 1997.

Phyllis H. Cook,

Information Collection Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–5583 Filed 3–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ–040–7122–00–5514; AZA 28789]

Availabiltiy of the Record of Decision

(ROD) for the Morenci Land Exchange

Final Environmental Impact Statement,

Case Number AZA 28789, Safford Field

Office, Greenlee County, AZ

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the

Record of Decision (ROD) for the

Morenci Land Exchange Final

Environmental Impact Statement, Case

Number AZA 28789, Safford Field

Office, Greenlee County, Arizona.

SUMMARY: The Safford Field Office,

United States Department of the

Interior, Bureau of Land Management

has prepared a Record of Decision for

the Morenci Land Exchange Final

Environmental Impact Statement. The

Record of Decision was signed by the

Arizona BLM State director on February

7, 1997, and approves a land exchange

between the United States Department

of the Interior, Bureau of Land

Management, Safford Field Office and

Phelps Dodge Morenci, Inc.

The approved exchange involves

trading 3,604.79 acres of Bureau of Land

Management administered public land

located in Greenlee County, Arizona for

1,040.00 acres of private lands owned

by Phelps Dodge Morenci, Inc., located

in Graham, Greenlee, Cochise and Pima

Counties. The public and private lands

involved in this trade have been

appraised, by methods approved by the

Federal Government, and are

substantially equal in dollar value. The

appraised value of the offered lands and

the selected lands are within 3 percent

of each other.

Approval of the land exchange will

bring lands with important resource and

public land management values into

public ownership, and transfer BLM

managed public lands to private

ownership. Resource values of the

private lands, transferred to Federal

ownership, include an important

riparian area as well as critical,

occupied, and potential habitat for

threatened and endangered species. The

public lands, transferred to Phelps

Dodge Morenci, Inc., ownership, are

expected to be used for mining purposes

that will enable Phelps Dodge to expand

and continue operation of some features

of the Morenci copper mine.

This ROD was prepared to comply

with the Council on Environmental

Quality’s regulations (40 CFR Part 1500–

1508) for implementing the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 43

U.S.C. at 1701.

DATES: February 21, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Safford Field Office, 711

14th Avenue, Safford, Arizona 85546.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Phelps

Dodge Morenci, Inc., will acquire title to

26 parcels (3,604.79 acres) of public

lands located in Greenlee County,

adjacent to the existing Morenci mine.

Fourteen of these parcels are less than

1 acre in size and are surrounded by

private land. The remaining 11 parcels

range in size from 5 acres to about 2,560

acres. The value of these lands has been

appraised, using a federally-approved

methodology, at $450,598.75.

The Bureau of Land Management will

acquire title to 4 parcels of private land

(1,040.00 acres) located in Greenlee,

Graham, Cochise, and Pima Counties.

These properties consist of: the 280 acre

Eagle Creek parcel located in Greenlee/

Graham Counties; the 360 acre Stewart

Trust property located in Cochise

County; the 320 acre Peterson parcel

located in Cochise County; and 80 acres

of the 240 acre Clyne parcel located in

Pima County. The value of these lands

has been appraised, using a federal

approved methodology, at $464,000.00.

Since the appraised value of the

selected (public) lands is $13,401.25

less than the appraised value of the

offered (private) lands, the Bureau of

Land Management must either pay

Phelps Dodge Morenci, Inc., the

difference or receive a waiver of

payment. The Bureau of Land

Management has requested a waiver,

and Phelps Dodge Morenci, Inc., has

agreed to waive the balancing payment

of $13,401.25 pursuant to 43 CFR

2201.6.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Scott Evans, Project Manager, or Mike

McQueen, Environmental Coordinator,

at the Bureau of Land Management,

Safford Field Office, 711 14th Avenue,

Safford, Arizona 85546; telephone

number (520) 428–4040. Internet

address sevans@az.blm.gov or

mmcqueen@az.blm.gov.

Dated: February 21, 1997.

Frank L. Rowley,

Acting Field Office Manger.

[FR Doc. 97–4976 Filed 3–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–32–M

[AZ–040–7122–00–5514; AZA 28789]

Notice of Decision of Exchange of

Lands in Greenlee, Graham, Cochise

and Pima Counties, AZ

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that on

February 7, 1997 Denise Meridith,

Arizona State Director, Bureau of Land

Management, approved the proposed

land exchange between the Safford

Field Office and Phelps Dodge Morenci,

Inc. The Record of Decision describes

the selected alternative and other

alternatives considered.

The Record of Decision is available

for public review at the Safford Field

Office, 711 14th Avenue, Safford,

Arizona 85546. Copies can also be

obtained by calling Scott Evans, Project

Manager, or Mike McQueen,

Environmental Coordinator, at (520)

428–4040.