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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92716-92717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27443]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_AK_FRN_MO4500181119]

Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved 
Resource Management Plan for the Central Yukon Resource Management 
Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Alaska

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) for the Central Yukon planning area of Alaska, located in Central 
and Northern Alaska. The State Director, Alaska, signed the ROD on 
November 12, 2024, which constitutes the decision of the BLM and makes 
the Approved RMP effective immediately.

DATES: The State Director, Alaska, signed the ROD/Approved RMP on 
November 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: The ROD/Approved RMP is available online at the BLM National 
Environmental Policy Act Register at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/35315/510. Printed copies of the ROD/Approved RMP 
will also be available for public inspection within weeks of 
publication of this notice at the following locations:
    BLM Fairbanks District Office, 222 University Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 
99709, telephone: (907) 474-2200.
    BLM Alaska Public Information Center, James M. Fitzgerald Federal 
Building, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99513, telephone: (907) 
271-5960.
    Alaska Resources Library & Information Services, 3211 Providence 
Drive, Suite 111, Anchorage, AK 99508, telephone: (907) 272-7547.
    Printed copies can be provided upon request by contacting the BLM 
Alaska Public Information Center listed above.
    A copy of the Protest Resolution Report is available at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melinda Bolton, BLM Alaska State 
Office; telephone: (907) 271-3342, email: [email protected]. Individuals 
in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have 
a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting Ms. Bolton. 
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services 
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Approved RMP replaces the Utility 
Corridor RMP (1991), the original Central Yukon RMP (1986), and 
portions of the Southwest Management Framework Plan (1981), and 
provides RMP-level decisions for unplanned lands west of Fairbanks. The 
Approved RMP provides a consolidated direction under one RMP to address 
land and resource use and development on BLM-managed public lands 
within the planning area.
    The Approved RMP and ROD set forth a comprehensive framework for 
future public land management actions in the Central Yukon region of 
Alaska. The planning area consists of about 55.7 million acres of land, 
including approximately 13.3 million acres of public lands administered 
by the BLM Central Yukon Field Office.
    The Approved RMP will guide management of these public lands for 
the next 15 to 20 years for the benefit of current and future 
generations as part of the BLM's multiple-use mission. This planning 
effort is updating management decisions for public land uses and 
resources, including subsistence resources, mineral exploration and 
development, and recreation.
    The Central Yukon Proposed RMP/Final EIS evaluated six alternatives 
for managing the planning area. Alternatives B, C1, C2 (preferred 
alternative from the Draft RMP/EIS), and D were developed using input 
from the public, Tribes, stakeholders, and cooperating agencies. 
Alternative E is the BLM's Approved RMP. This alternative was developed 
after considering public comments on the Draft RMP/EIS and provided in 
the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act section 810 
hearings, internal BLM discussions, government-to-government 
consultation, and cooperating agency input.

[[Page 92717]]

    The Approved RMP does not recommend full revocation of the Alaska 
Native Claims Settlement Act 17(d)(1) Public Land Orders (PLOs) but 
does recommend revoking the withdrawals in part for the limited purpose 
of allotment selection by Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans under 
Section 1119 of the Dingell Act. The Approved RMP also designates 21 
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) or Research Natural 
Areas, encompassing approximately 3,601,000 acres (see Appendix M of 
the Approved RMP).
    The BLM provided the Proposed RMP/Final EIS for a 30-day public 
protest period starting on April 26, 2024, and received six letters 
containing valid protest issues. The Assistant Director addressed the 
protests and issued a Protest Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES); no 
changes to the Central Yukon Proposed RMP/Final EIS were necessary.
    The BLM provided the Proposed RMP/Final EIS to the Governor of 
Alaska for a 60-day Governor's consistency review on April 26, 2024. 
The Governor's Office identified concerns and potential inconsistencies 
between the Proposed RMP/Final EIS and State and local plans, policies, 
and programs. The BLM considered the concerns and potential 
inconsistencies and responded on August 13, 2024. While the BLM 
determined that the Proposed RMP/Final EIS was consistent with the 
State's land use plans, policies, and programs, it did add the three 
State plans to the Approved RMP, Appendix C. The additions were made in 
the interest of open discussion, were minor, and did not represent a 
change requiring the BLM to provide the public with an opportunity to 
comment as discussed in 43 CFR 1610.2(f)(5) and 1610.5-1. On September 
13, 2024, the Governor of Alaska appealed the State Director's decision 
not to accept the State's recommendations to the BLM Director. After 
careful review and consideration, the BLM Director determined that the 
Alaska State Director properly considered all applicable State and 
local plans, policies, and programs in the Central Yukon planning 
effort, and that no changes are necessary to provide for a reasonable 
balance between the national interest and the State's interest. The 
Director's response to the State of Alaska's Appeal was transmitted to 
State Officials on November 12, 2024, prior to approval of the ROD. 
Consistent with the BLM regulations at 43 CFR 1610.3-2 the Director's 
Response will also be published in the Federal Register.

(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3120(a); 40 CFR 1506.6(b))

Steven Cohn,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2024-27443 Filed 11-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-10-P
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