79422 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 244 / Tuesday, December 19, 2000 / Notices

The proposed action, which crosses

federal lands in the States of California,

Arizona and New Mexico, includes an

amendment to the California Desert

Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan which,

if approved, will allow an exception to

construct portions of this project along

existing highways instead of within

designated utility corridors on federal

lands in Riverside, Imperial and San

Diego Counties, California.

The proposed Project would consist of

five links or points-of-presence (POP)

connecting: (1) Lamesa to El Paso,

Texas; (2) El Paso to Tucson, Arizona;

(3) Tucson to Blythe, California; (4)

Blythe to San Diego, California; and (5)

San Diego to Los Angeles, California.

The purpose being to construct, operate

and maintain a buried fiber optic

telecommunications system, including

signal regeneration or optical

amplification stations located every 40–

50 miles, between Texas and California.

Copies are available for public review

at Bureau of Land Management offices

in: Las Cruces, New Mexico; Safford,

Tucson, Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona;

and Palm Springs, El Centro, and

Riverside, California. In addition copies

will be available at the Environmental

Office of Camp Pendleton as well as the

Descanso Ranger District of the

Cleveland National Forest. Furthermore,

public reading copies may be

downloaded from the following website:

http://www.ca.blm.gov/cdd/

att_nexgen_ea.html.

DATES: Written comments on this

document must be submitted or

postmarked no later than February 20,

2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on this

document should be addressed to:

Stephen Johnson, Special Projects

Manager, BLM California Desert District,

6221 Box Springs Blvd., Riverside, CA

92507.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Johnson, Special Projects

Manager, at the above address or by

phone at (909) 697–5233.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

project configuration, as proposed and

including measures to avoid, minimize,

or mitigate impacts on the environment,

is being considered along with a ‘‘No

Project’’ and ‘‘Utility Corridor’’

alternative. The BLM has been asked to

issue rights-of-way for portions of this

fiber optic system that cross public

lands.

The California portion of this Project,

which as proposed includes an

exception to the CDCA Plan to

construction portions along existing

roads instead of within designated

utility corridors, begins at the Point of

Presence (POP) in Blythe, California,

and would travel in a southwesterly

direction along Highway 78 and Old

Highway 80 through the following city

jurisdictions: Blythe, Brawley, El

Centro, El Cajon, La Mesa, and San

Diego. From San Diego north to Los

Angeles the route would primarily

parallel the coast traversing the U.S.

Marine Corps Camp Pendleton. In

addition, the route would pass through

large portions of unincorporated areas

in Riverside, Imperial and San Diego

Counties, and besides public lands

administered by the BLM, it would also

cross the Descanso Ranger District of

Cleveland National Forest, the USMC’s

Camp Pendleton, as well as the La Posta

and Campo Indian Reservations. It

would require an urban build through

San Diego and Los Angeles, terminating

at the POP in Los Angeles, California.

The fiber optic telecommunications

system project entails the design and

construction of a six-duct conduit

system and ancillary facilities to

accommodate digital broadband Internet

Protocol. Ancillary facilities would

include: regeneration stations and

Optical Amplification (Op Amp)

Stations spaced an average of 50 miles;

buried splice boxes placed at 2,500-foot

intervals; and marker poles placed 500

feet apart. The Project, as described in

the EA, should contribute small to no

additional impact to the environment

and would operate entirely within

previously disturbed and routinely

maintained road rights-of-way.

Dated: December 12, 2000.

Alan Stein,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–32205 Filed 12–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT–020–1610–DH CBMP]

Notice of Intent To Amend the Powder

River and Billings Resource

Management Plans (RMPs) and

Conduct Scoping Meetings, Montana

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Miles City and Billings Field Offices,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: BLM will prepare an Oil and

Gas Resource Management Plan (RMP)

Amendment and Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) jointly with the State of

Montana (State). The planning area for

the BLM will be the BLM-administered

oil and gas estate within the Powder

River and Billings RMP areas. The

planning area for the State will be

potential coal bed methane

development areas around the state. The

RMP Amendment will be based on the

existing statutory requirements and will

meet the requirements of the Federal

Land Policy and Management Act

(FLPMA) of 1976. The RMP

Amendment will guide BLM’s oil and

gas decisions within the Powder River

and Billings RMP areas and help the

State evaluate effects of further oil and

gas permit applications. The Draft EIS

and RMP Amendment is scheduled for

completion by September 2001. The

Final EIS and Proposed RMP

Amendment is scheduled for March

2002.

The public is asked to help BLM and

the State identify issues, concerns and

alternatives. Draft Planning Criteria to

help guide the effort have also been

developed for public comment.

DATES: Any issues, concerns, or

alternatives should be submitted to BLM

on or before January 17, 2001. Public

scoping meetings are scheduled as

follows:

1. January 4, 2001, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00

p.m., Billings, Montana

2. January 9, 2001, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00

p.m., Broadus, Montana

3. January 9, 2001, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00

p.m., Ashland, Montana

4. January 10, 2001, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00

p.m., Miles City, Montana

5. January 11, 2001, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00

p.m., Helena, Montana

ADDRESSES: All submissions should be

sent to the following address: BLM,

Mary Bloom, BLM Project Leader, 111

Garryowen Road, Miles City, Montana,

59301.

The public scoping meetings will be

held at the following locations:

1. Billings—Lewis and Clark Room in

the Student Union Building of the

Montana State University-Billings

2. Broadus—Community Center at the

Powder River County Fairgrounds

3. Ashland—Multi-purpose Room of the

Ashland Public Elementary School

on Highway 212

4. Miles City—Room 106 of Miles

Community College

5. Helena—Director’s Conference Room

#111, Metcalf Building, 1520 East

Sixth Avenue

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Bloom, BLM Project Leader, (406)

233–3649.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM

and the State of Montana are co-leads

for the effort. The BLM’s planning area

is BLM-administered oil and gas in the

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 244 / Tuesday, December 19, 2000 / Notices 79423

Powder River and Billings RMP areas.

The Powder River RMP area consists of

Treasure, Rosebud, Powder River,

Carter, and portions of Custer and Big

Horn counties. The Billings RMP area

consists of Wheatland, Golden Valley,

Musselshell, Sweet Grass, Stillwater,

Yellowstone, Carbon, and a portion of

Big Horn counties. The State of Montana

will evaluate the effects of further

permit applications in BLM’s planning

area and other areas around the state

including portions of Blaine, Park and

Gallatin counties. BLM and the state

have drafted a Memorandum of

Understanding to conduct a joint EIS.

The joint EIS will analyze impacts to

resources as a result of oil and gas,

including coal bed methane,

development.

The Powder River and Billings RMPs,

as amended by BLM’s 1994 ‘‘Oil and

Gas Amendment of the Billings, Powder

River and South Dakota RMPs’’ support

limited conventional oil and gas

development and coal bed methane

exploration and production. Numerous

conventional oil and gas wells are

located on state and federal minerals in

the planning area. An October 18, 2000

meeting of the Coal Bed Methane

Coordination Group indicates that

industry projects drilling approximately

10,000 coal bed methane wells in the

Montana portion of the Powder River

Basin over the next 10 years, in addition

to an unspecified number of

conventional oil and gas wells. In order

to analyze an increased interest in oil

and gas activity, an EIS and RMP

amendment is being prepared.

The public is asked to assist the BLM

and the State with identification of

issues related to oil and gas

development, including coal bed

methane. Examples of potential issues

(problems, concerns) are: Water (surface

and ground), socioeconomics, soils,

water, Air, vegetation and wildlife.

Alternatives will be developed to

present a range of feasible management

actions. The ‘‘No Action Alternative’’

will be included in accordance with 40

CFR 1502.14(d) and represent the

continuation of current management.

Development of this RMP

Amendment will require involvement of

professionals from these disciplines: Air

quality, cultural resources, economics,

hazardous materials, hydrology, lands,

realty, minerals, geology, paleontology,

recreation, sociology, soils, vegetation,

and wildlife.

Planning criteria help guide the

development of the Amendment and

EIS by focusing efforts where they are

needed, providing direction for the

plan, and identifying legal, policy, or

regulatory constraints that direct or

limit BLM’s ability to resolve issues.

After taking into consideration the

public’s comments on the criteria, they

will be finalized to help guide the plan.

The public will be provided the

opportunity to review and comment on

issues identified by BLM and the State,

identify new issues, and comment on

the Draft Planning Criteria. A mailing

list is being developed and will be used

to communicate with and solicit

comments from local, state and federal

agencies, Native American tribes, the

Eastern Montana Resource Advisory

Council, and the public at large that

may be affected by the plan. As the

planning process proceeds, these

publics will be encouraged to

participate.

Public information will be available at

scoping meetings to be held at Broadus,

Miles City, Ashland, Billings and

Helena, Montana from January 4

through January 11, 2001. See DATES

and ADDRESSES sections for specific

meeting information.

The BLM and the State are seeking

information from individuals,

organizations, and agencies that may be

affected by the plan. Specifically, we

request any issues, concerns or

alternatives that should be addressed in

the plan amendment.

This notice meets the requirements of

40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2(c).

Dated: December 5, 2000.

Fred O’Ferrall,

Assistant Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–31447 Filed 12–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–$$–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

(MTM 90527; IDI 33690)

Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and

Opportunity for Public Meeting;

Montana and Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Forest Service, has filed an

application to withdraw 2,548.42 acres

of National Forest System land to

preserve the unique resources of Lemhi

Pass National Historic Landmark. This

notice closes the land for up to 2 years

from location and entry under the

United States mining laws. The land

will remain open to all activities

currently consistent with applicable

Forest plans and those related to

exercise of valid existing rights.

DATES: Comments and requests for a

public meeting must be received by

March 19, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting

requests should be sent to the Forest

Supervisor, Beaverhead-Deerlodge

National Forest, 420 Barrett Street,

Dillon, Montana 59725–3572.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Katie Bump, Project Coordinator,

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest,

420 Barrett Street, Dillon, Montana

59725–3572.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

November 28, 2000, the Forest Service

filed an application to withdraw the

following-described National Forest

System land from location and entry

under the United States mining laws,

but not the mineral leasing laws, subject

to valid existing rights:

Principal Meridian, Montana

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

(462.16 acres)

T. 10 S., R. 15 W.,

Sec. 9, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, and E1⁄2E1⁄2;

Sec. 16, lots 1 and 2, and E1⁄2NE1⁄4.

Boise Meridian

Salmon-Challis National Forest (1,043.13

acres)

T. 19 N., R. 25 E.,

Sec. 10, S1⁄2SE1⁄4;

Sec. 11, lot 4, S1⁄2SW1⁄4, and SW1⁄4SE1⁄4;

Sec. 14, lots 1 to 5, inclusive, lots 7 and

8, NW1⁄4, and W1⁄2E1⁄2;

Sec. 15, NE1⁄4 and N1⁄2SE1⁄4.

The area described contains approximately

2,548.42 acres in Beaverhead County,

Montana, and Lemhi County, Idaho.

In addition, any non-federal lands

within the boundary described above, if

acquired by the United States, would

become subject to the terms and

conditions of this withdrawal.

For a period of 90 days from the date

of publication of this notice, all persons

who wish to submit comments,

suggestions, or objections in connection

with the proposed withdrawal may

present their views in writing to the

Forest Supervisor, BeaverheadDeerlodge National Forest, at the

address indicated above.

Notice is hereby given that an

opportunity for a public meeting is

afforded in connection with the

proposed withdrawal. All interested

persons who desire a public meeting for

the purpose of being heard on the

proposed withdrawal must submit a

written request to the Forest Supervisor

at the address indicated above within 90

days from the date of publication of this

notice. Upon determination by the

authorized officer that a public meeting