70360 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices

Douglas County Regional 10(a)(1)(B)

Permit, and no action. The draft EA

analyzes the onsite, offsite, and

cumulative impacts of the proposed

project and all associated development

and construction activities and

mitigation activities on the Preble’s,

other threatened or endangered species,

vegetation, wildlife, wetlands, geology/

soils, land use, water resources, air and

water quality, or cultural resources.

None of the proposed impacts occur

within the riparian corridor. All of the

proposed impacts are in upland areas

outside of the 100-year floodplain. The

Applicant, using the Service’s definition

of Preble’s habitat, has determined that

the proposed project would impact

approximately 0.294 acres of potential

Preble’s habitat. The mitigation for the

identified impacts may provide a net

benefit to the Preble’s and other wildlife

by improving riparian habitat through

planting of additional shrub vegetation.

The Preble’s is the only known

federally listed species that occurs on

site and has the potential to be directly

affected by the proposed project. The

Applicant has agreed to implement the

following measures to minimize and

mitigate impacts that may result from

incidental take of Preble’s:

In order to compensate for the loss of

Preble’s habitat, a 0.59-acre area in the

northeast corner of the property will be

preserved and enhanced at a ratio of 2.0

to 1 by planting shrubs.

This notice is provided pursuant to

section 10(c) of the Endangered Species

Act. The Service will evaluate the

permit application, the EA/HCP, and

comments submitted therein to

determine whether the application

meets the requirements of section 10(a)

of the Endangered Species Act. If it is

determined that those requirements are

met, a permit will be issued for the

incidental take of Preble’s. The final

permit decision will be made no sooner

than December 22, 2000.

Dated: November 15, 2000.

Elliott Sutta,

Acting Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 00–29830 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AK–023–00–1310-MQ–029L–241A]

Establishment of the National

Petroleum Reserve—Alaska Research

and Monitoring Advisory Team

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Establishment of the

National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska

Research and Monitoring Advisory

Team

SUMMARY: This notice is published in

accordance with section 9(a) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act of

1972 (Pub. L. 92–463). Following

consultation with the General Services

Administration, notice is hereby given

that the Secretary of the Interior has

established the National Petroleum

Reserve—Alaska Research and

Monitoring Advisory Team. The

purpose of the Team will be to advise

and assist the Manager of the Bureau of

Land Management’s Northern Field

Office on issues pertaining to the

adequacy and appropriateness of

mitigative stipulations established in

the Northeast National Petroleum

Reserve—Alaska Integrated Activity

Plan/Environmental Impact Statement,

Record of Decision of 1998.

The Team will be comprised of 11

members from the Bureau of Land

Management; Minerals Management

Service; Department of Energy, Office of

Fossil Energy; U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Service; U.S. Geological Survey—

Biological Resources Division; Alaska

Department of Fish and Game; North

Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife

Management; oil and gas, or related,

industry; nationally or regionally

recognized environmental or resource

conservation organization; academicians

employed in natural resource

management or the natural sciences;

and the public at large.

The duties of the Team will include

identification of research and

monitoring needs; recommendations on

priorities for these needs;

recommendations on standards and

guidance as to what constitutes

acceptable, valid studies; review of

proposals for studies or actions to meet

identified needs; review and evaluation

of results and interpretations of ongoing

and recently completed studies;

synthesis of information gained; review

of the BLM’s mitigation plan for

effectiveness and appropriateness;

recommendations to the BLM on

mitigation plan improvement; and

evaluation of the adequacy of

compliance with stipulations,

determination of the reasons for

observed inadequacies, and

recommendations for change to the

BLM.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

David A. Yokel, Bureau of Land

Management, Northern Field Office,

1150 University Avenue, Fairbanks,

Alaska 99709, (907) 474–2314.

Certification Statement: I hereby

certify that the National Petroleum

Reserve—Alaska Research and

Monitoring Advisory Team is in the

public interest in connection with the

Secretary of the Interior’s

responsibilities to manage the National

Petroleum Reserve—Alaska,

administered by the Bureau of Land

Management.

Dated: November 6, 2000.

Bruce Babbitt,

Secretary of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 00–29922 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV–056–1430–ES; N–60868]

Notice of Realty Action: Segregation

Terminated, Lease/Conveyance for

Recreation and Public Purposes

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Segregation terminated,

recreation and public purpose lease/

conveyance.

SUMMARY: The following described

public land in Las Vegas, Clark County,

Nevada was segregated for exchange

purposes on September 10, 1991 under

serial number N–54981; on September

9, 1993 under serial number N–57773;

on October 19, 1995 under serial

number N–60073; on July 23, 1997

under serial number N–61855; and on

July 23, 1997 under serial number N–

66364. These exchange segregations will

be terminated on November 22, 2001.

The land has been examined and found

suitable for lease/conveyance for

recreational or public purposes under

the provisions of the Recreation and

Public Purposes Act, as amended (43

U.S.C. 869 et seq.). Clark County School

District proposes to use the land for a

high school.

Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada

T. 22 S., R. 61 E.,

Sec. 34, S1⁄2NW1⁄4SW1⁄4,

N1⁄2N1⁄2SW1⁄4SW1⁄4, SW1⁄4NE1⁄4SW1⁄4,

N1⁄2NW1⁄4SE1⁄4SW1⁄4.

Containing 45.0 acres, more or less, located

at Bermuda Road and W. Maryland Parkway.

The land is not required for any

federal purpose. The lease/conveyance

is consistent with current Bureau

planning for this area and would be in

the public interest. The lease/patents,

when issued, will be subject to the

provisions of the Recreation and Public

Purposes Act and applicable regulations

of the Secretary of the Interior, and will

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices 70361

contain the following reservations to the

United States:

1. A right-of-way thereon for ditches

or canals constructed by the authority of

the United States, Act of August 30,

1890 (43 U.S.C. 945).

2. All minerals shall be reserved to

the United States, together with the

right to prospect for, mine and remove

such deposits from the same under

applicable law and such regulations as

the Secretary of the Interior may

prescribe and will be subject to:

1. Easements in accordance with the

Clark County Transportation Plan.

2. Those rights for water pipeline

purposes which have been granted to

Las Vegas Valley Water District by

Permit No. N–61268 under the Act of

October 21, 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761).

3. Those rights for highway purposes

which have been granted to Nevada

Department of Transportation by Permit

Nev–031066 under the Act of November

9, 1921 (42 Stat. 0216).

Detailed information concerning this

action is available for review at the

office of the Bureau of Land

Management, Las Vegas Field Office,

4765 Vegas Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada.

On November 22, 2000, the above

described land will be segregated from

all other forms of appropriation under

the public land laws, including the

general mining laws, except for lease/

conveyance under the Recreation and

Public Purposes Act, leasing under the

mineral leasing laws, and disposal

under the mineral material disposal

laws.

On or before January 8, 2001,

interested parties may submit comments

regarding the proposed lease/

conveyance for classification of the

lands to the Las Vegas Field Manager,

Las Vegas Field Office, 4765 Vegas

Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89108.

Classification Comments

Interested parties may submit

comments involving the suitability of

the land for a high school. Comments on

the classification are restricted to

whether the land is physically suited for

the proposal, whether the use will

maximize the future use or uses of the

land, whether the use is consistent with

local planning and zoning, or if the use

is consistent with State and Federal

programs.

Application Comments

Interested parties may submit

comments regarding the specific use

proposed in the application and plan of

development, whether the BLM

followed proper administrative

procedures in reaching the decision, or

any other factor not directly related to

the suitability of the land for a high

school. Any adverse comments will be

reviewed by the State Director. In the

absence of any adverse comments, the

classification of the land described in

this Notice will become effective on

January 22, 2001. The lands will not be

offered for lease/conveyance until after

the classification becomes effective.

Dated: November 14, 2000.

Rex Wells,

Assistant Field Manager, Division of Lands,

Las Vegas, NV.

[FR Doc. 00–29797 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–HC–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement on

Exploratory Drilling Activities in

Federal Waters Offshore Santa Barbara

County, California

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare

an Environmental Impact Statement and

announcement of public scoping

meetings.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the

Minerals Management Service (MMS) is

preparing an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to identify and assess

potential impacts and mitigation

measures associated with multiple

projects. The projects include the

sequential drilling of 5–8 delineation

wells from a single mobile offshore

drilling unit on existing leases in

Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

waters in the Santa Maria Basin and

western Santa Barbara Channel.

Previously, 28 exploration wells have

been drilled in the area where activities

are proposed. The purpose of the

proposed drilling is to further delineate

oil and gas resources on leases or units

that have previous commercial

discoveries of oil and gas. Delineation

wells are a type of exploration well.

Notice is hereby given that the public

scoping process has been initiated to

prepare an EIS that will address the

impacts of and alternatives to the

proposal. The purpose of the scoping

process is to solicit public comment

regarding the full spectrum of issues

and concerns, including a suitable range

of alternatives, and the nature and

extent of potential environmental

impacts and appropriate mitigation

measures that should be addressed in

the EIS process. It is anticipated that a

draft EIS will be available in Summer

2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions

concerning the draft EIS should be

directed to Mr. Maurice Hill, Office of

Environmental Evaluation, Pacific OCS

Region, Minerals Management Service,

770 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo,

California 93010–6064; phone

805.389.7815.

Background

Pursuant to the OCS Lands Act, as

amended, and the implementing

regulations at 30 Code of Federal

Regulations, § 250.203 (Exploration

Plan), the MMS reviews Exploration

Plans (EP’s) and revisions to those EP’s

to decide whether those plans or

revisions should be approved; should be

modified to be consistent with the

provisions of the lease, the OCS Lands

Act, and the implementing regulations;

or should be disapproved. To meet the

agency’s responsibilities under the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA), MMS is preparing an EIS that

will provide an assessment of the

environmental effects of drilling 5–8

delineation wells offshore the Santa

Barbara County coast in Federal waters.

Proposed Action

In accordance with 30 Code of Federal

Regulations (CFR), § 250.110(a)(1)

(Suspension of Production or Other

Operations), the MMS approved the

lease operator’s requests for suspension

of production or operations and

established milestones for the operators

to submit revisions to their existing EP’s

by September 2001. All of the leases on

which drilling could occur have EP’s

that have been previously approved by

the MMS and granted consistency by

the California Coastal Commission

(CCC) according to 15 CFR 930.79. The

approved EP’s identify proposed well

locations that have received CCC

consistency concurrence but, to date,

have not been drilled. Because a number

of years have elapsed since these

approvals, the MMS has established

milestones for the operators of the leases

to update their previously approved

EP’s through revisions. The EIS will

address all the proposed delineation

drilling activities on several leases. The

multi-project activities will be subject to

existing laws, regulations, and other

requirements. The activities include

sequential drilling of 5–8 delineation

wells by a single mobile offshore

drilling unit. The operators need the

information from these wells to identify

oil and gas characteristics, reservoir

characteristics, and reservoir extent in