Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 67 / Friday, April 6, 2012 / Notices 20841 

Selected Alternative 

The Draft CCP/EA identified and 

evaluated three alternatives for 

managing the refuge over the next 15 

years. After considering the comments 

we received and based on the 

professional judgment of the planning 

team, we selected Alternative B for 

implementation. 

Implementing Alternative B will be 

the most effective management action 

for meeting the purposes of the refuge. 

Monitoring and surveying will be 

conducted systematically after assessing 

which species should be targeted, based 

on their population status and the staff’s 

ability to indicate health of important 

habitat. Restoration efforts, the fire 

program, and forest management will 

reflect best management practices 

determined after examination of 

historical regimes, soil types and 

elevation, and the current hydrological 

system. Management actions will be 

monitored for effectiveness and adapted 

to changing conditions, knowledge, and 

technology. A Habitat Management Plan 

will be developed for future habitat 

projects and to evaluate previous 

actions. 

This alternative identifies Holmes 

Island as a proposed Wilderness Study 

Area. We will maintain its wilderness 

character and within 10 years of the 

date of the CCP, will prepare a 

wilderness study report and additional 

NEPA documentation on whether 

Holmes Island should be formally 

designated by Congress as a unit of the 

National Wilderness Preservation 

System. 

Public use programs will be updated 

to educate visitors about the reasons for 

management actions, and to provide 

quality experiences for refuge visitors. 

The Complex headquarters in Lacombe, 

Louisiana, will provide additional 

information about the refuge. Options 

and opportunities will be explored to 

expand visitor contact areas on the 

refuge. In an increasingly developing 

region, Alternative B will strive to 

achieve a balanced program of wildlifedependent recreational activities and 

protection of wildlife resources. 

This alternative also proposes to add 

six positions to current staffing 

dedicated primarily to the refuge in 

order to continue to protect resources, 

provide visitor services, and attain 

facility and equipment maintenance 

goals. 

Authority 

This notice is published under the 

authority of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 

1997, Public Law 105–57. 

Dated: September 27, 2011. 

Mark J. Musaus, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8292 Filed 4–5–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLUTG01100–12–L13100000–EJ0000] 

Notice of Availability of the Greater 

Natural Buttes Final Environmental 

Impact Statement, Uintah County, UT 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: Under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976, and associated regulations, 

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

has prepared a Final Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) that evaluates, 

analyzes, and discloses to the public 

anticipated impacts of the Greater 

Natural Buttes proposal to develop 

natural gas in Uintah County, Utah. This 

notice announces a 30-day availability 

period prior to preparation of a Record 

of Decision (ROD). 

DATES: The Final EIS will be available 

for 30 calendar days following the date 

on which the Environmental Protection 

Agency publishes its Notice of 

Availability in the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS have 

been sent to affected Federal, state, and 

local government agencies and to other 

stakeholders. Copies of the Final EIS are 

available for public inspection at the 

BLM Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 

East, Vernal, Utah, and on the Internet 

at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/ 

vernal/planning/nepa_.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information contact Stephanie 

Howard, Environmental Coordinator; 

telephone 435–781–4400; address 170 

South 500 East, Vernal, Utah, 84078; 

email 

BLM_UT_Vernal_Comments@blm.gov. 

Persons who use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to contact the 

above individual during normal 

business hours. The FIRS is available 24 

hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 

message or question with the above 

individual. You will receive a reply 

during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Greater Natural Buttes Project Area 

encompasses approximately 162,911 

acres in the townships listed below in 

Uintah County, Utah: 

Salt Lake Meridian 

T. 8 S., R. 20–23 E. 

T. 9 S., R. 20–24 E. 

T. 10 S., R. 20–23 E. 

T. 11 S., R. 21–22 E. 

Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Onshore LP 

(KMG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of 

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, 

proposed this project to develop their 

existing oil and gas leases by drilling 

3,675 wells from 3,041 new well pads 

over a period of 10 years. The proposed 

action would result in approximately 

12,685 acres of additional disturbance 

(about 7.8 percent of the total project 

area). The total estimated surface 

disturbance under this alternative 

would be 25,125 acres, or about 15.4 

percent of the project area. BLM’s 

purpose and need for the project is to 

respond to KMG’s proposal while 

minimizing environmental impacts. 

In response to a proposal submitted 

by KMG (Alternative A) the BLM 

published in the October 5, 2007, 

Federal Register a Notice of Intent to 

prepare an EIS. The scoping comments 

received in response to this Notice were 

used during preparation of the Draft EIS 

to help identify impacts expected as a 

result of the proposed action and to 

develop Alternatives B and C. 

A 45-day public comment period for 

the Draft EIS was held from July 16, 

2010, through August 30 2010, as 

announced through the Federal 

Register. The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) expressed concerns with 

the air quality analysis in the Draft EIS, 

so a Supplement to the Draft EIS was 

prepared by the BLM in close 

coordination with the EPA to address 

those concerns. A 45-day public 

comment period was then held from 

June 10, 2011, through July 25, 2011, for 

the Supplement to the Draft EIS, as 

announced through the Federal 

Register. An updated inventory of lands 

with wilderness characteristics was 

completed for the project area and lands 

with wilderness characteristics were 

identified. This information was 

analyzed in the draft EIS. 

The BLM prepared the Final EIS in 

coordination with the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs and Uintah County, who 

participated as formal cooperating 

agencies during the EIS process. The 

BLM also closely coordinated with the 

United States Fish and Wildlife Service 

and the EPA to ensure their concerns 

were adequately addressed. The Final 

EIS describes the changes made between 

the Draft EIS and Final EIS, and 

includes responses to the comments 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

20842 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 67 / Friday, April 6, 2012 / Notices 

received during the public comment 

period. 

Under the Resource Protection 

Alternative (the Agency Preferred 

Alternative), up to 3,675 new gas wells 

would be drilled from 1,484 new well 

pads over a period of 10 years, resulting 

in approximately 8,147 acres of 

additional disturbance (about 5.0 

percent of the total project area). The 

total estimated surface disturbance 

under this alternative would be 20,615 

acres, or about 12.7 percent of the 

project area. In coordination with the 

EPA, a Water Monitoring Plan was 

developed to address water quality 

impacts, and extensive applicantcommitted measures, including an 

adaptive management strategy, were 

developed or refined to minimize air 

quality impacts. 

This Final EIS is not a decision 

document. Following conclusion of the 

30-day availability period, a ROD will 

be signed to disclose the BLM’s final 

decision and any project Conditions of 

Approval. Availability of the ROD will 

be announced through local media, the 

BLM Vernal Web site, and the BLM’s 

Utah Environmental Notification 

Bulletin Board. 

Shelley J. Smith, 

Acting Assoc. State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8247 Filed 4–5–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLNM940000. L1420000.BJ0000] 

Notice of Filing of Plats of Survey, New 

Mexico 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of filing of Plats of 

Survey. 

SUMMARY: The plats of survey described 

below are scheduled to be officially 

filed in the New Mexico State Office, 

Bureau of Land Management, Santa Fe, 

New Mexico, thirty (30) calendar days 

from the date of this publication. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

New Mexico Principal Meridian, New 

Mexico (NM) 

The plat, in five sheets, representing 

the dependent resurvey and survey, in 

Township 18 South, Range 12 West, of 

the New Mexico Principal Meridian, 

accepted March 8, 2012, for Group 1104 

NM. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 5, in Township 18 South, 

Range 12 West, of the New Mexico 

Principal Meridian NM, accepted March 

15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 6, in Township 18 South, 

Range 12 West, of the New Mexico 

Principal Meridian NM, accepted March 

15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 4, in Township 18 South, 

Range 12 West, of the New Mexico 

Principal Meridian NM, accepted March 

15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 3, in Township 18 South, 

Range 12 West, of the New Mexico 

Principal Meridian NM, accepted March 

15, 2012. 

The plat, in ten sheets, representing 

the dependent resurvey and survey, in 

Township 17 South, Range 12 West, of 

the New Mexico Principal Meridian, 

accepted March 8, 2012, for Group 1104 

NM. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section3, in Township 17 South, 

Range 12 West, of the New Mexico 

Principal Meridian NM, accepted March 

15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 4, in Township 17 South, 

Range 12 West, of the New Mexico 

Principal Meridian NM, accepted March 

15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 9, in Township 17 South, 

Range 12 West, of the New Mexico 

Principal Meridian NM, accepted March 

15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 15, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 10, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 16, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 20, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 21, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 22, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 23, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 27, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 28, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 29, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 30, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 31, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 32, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 33, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

The supplemental plat, creating new 

lots in section 35, in Township 17 

South, Range 12 West, of the New 

Mexico Principal Meridian NM, 

accepted March 15, 2012. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

These plats will be available for 

inspection in the New Mexico State 

Office, Bureau of Land Management, 

301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, New 

Mexico. Copies may be obtained from 

this office upon payment. Contact 

Marcella Montoya at 505–954–2097, or 

by email at 

Marcella_Montoya@nm.blm.gov, for 

assistance. Persons who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

to contact the above individual during 

normal business hours. 

These plats are scheduled for official 

filing 30 days from the notice of 

publication in the Federal Register, as 

provided for in the BLM Manual Section 

2097—Opening Orders. Notice from this 

office will be provided as to the date of 

said publication. If a protest against a 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES