10578 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 45 / Friday, March 7, 1997 / Notices

The following described public land

has been determined to be suitable for

disposal by exchange pursuant to

Section 206 of the Federal Land Policy

and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.

1716), as amended:

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona

T. 4 S., 28 E.,

Sec. 12, lot 15.

T. 3 S., R., 29 E.,

Sec. 15, all;

Sec. 21, SE1⁄4SW1⁄4, SE1⁄4;

Sec. 22, N1⁄2NE1⁄4, SE1⁄4NE1⁄4, S1⁄2;

Sec. 23, S1⁄2SW1⁄4, SW1⁄4SE1⁄4;

Sec. 26, lots 1, 2, 3 and 5, W1⁄2NE1⁄4,

SE1⁄4NE1⁄4, NW1⁄4, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4;

Sec. 27, lots 1 to 5, inclusive, N1⁄2NE1⁄4,

SE1⁄4NE1⁄4, NW1⁄4NW1⁄4;

Sec. 27, lots 1 to 6, inclusive, lots 10 and

11, N1⁄2NE1⁄4, SW1⁄4NE1⁄4, NE1⁄4NW1⁄4;

Sec. 31, lots 1, 4, 5, and 8, W1⁄2E1⁄2;

Sec. 32, lots 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26;

Sec. 35, lots 9 to 12, inclusive, lots 17 and

18.

T. 4 S., R. 29 E.,

Sec. 1, lots 7 and 8;

Sec. 5, lots 11 and 14;

Sec. 6, lots 2, 11, 21, 24 and 25;

Sec. 7, lots 19, 20, 22, 23, 25 and 26;

Sec. 8, lots 13, 14, 16 and 17;

Sec. 11, lots 8 and 9;

Sec. 12, lots 16 to 19, inclusive;

Sec. 17, lot 15;

Sec. 18, lots 22, 25 and 26;

Sec. 20, lots 3, 9, and 14 to 19, inclusive,

SW1⁄4SW1⁄4.

T. 5 S., R. 29 E.,

Sec. 12, lots 19, 21, 22, 23 and 24.

The areas described aggregate 3,604.79

acres.

In exchange the United States will

acquired the following described land

from Phelps Dodge Morenci, Inc.

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona

T. 19 S., R. 18 E.,

Sec. 9, SE1⁄4NE1⁄4;

Sec. 10, SW1⁄4NW1⁄4, SW1⁄4.

T. 14 S., R. 28 E.,

Sec. 3, E1⁄2SW1⁄4, SW1⁄4SW1⁄4, SE1⁄4;

Sec. 7, E1⁄2E1⁄2, NW1⁄4NE1⁄4, W1⁄2,SE1⁄4;

Sec. 8, S1⁄2SW1⁄4;

Sec. 10, NW1⁄4NW1⁄4.

T. 5 S., R. 29 E.,

Sec. 30, SW1⁄4, W1⁄2SE1⁄4;

Sec. 31, NW1⁄4NE1⁄4.

The areas described aggregate 1,040 acres.

Approval of the land exchange will

bring lands with important resource and

public land management values into

public ownership, and transfer BLMmanaged 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., 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. The public

interest will be well-served by

consummating the exchange. Interested

parties may submit comments

concerning the Decision for the

exchange to the Field Manager, Safford

Field Office, 711 14th Avenue, Safford,

Arizona 85546. Comments must be in

writing to the field Office Manager, and

be postmarked within 45 days from the

publication of this notice in the Federal

Register.

Dated: February 27, 1997.

Frank L. Rowley,

Field Office Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–5523 Filed 3–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–32–M

[NM–060–07–1610–00 (0003)]

Availability of Proposed Roswell

Resource Management Plan/Final

Environmental Impact Statement and

Proposed Carlsbad Resource

Management Plan Amendment/Final

Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) announces the

availability for public review of the

Proposed Roswell Resource

Management Plan (RMP)/Final

Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)

and the Proposed Carlsbad Resource

Management Plan Amendment (RMPA)/

Final Environmental Impact Statement.

The proposed plans are combined in a

single document consisting of two

volumes. A 30-day protest period is

provided according to the BLM’s land

use planning regulations at 43 CFR

1610.5–2.

The Proposed Roswell RMP describes

the future management of all uses on

about 1,490,000 acres of public lands in

the Roswell Resource Area where both

the surface and subsurface estates are in

federal ownership and are administered

by the BLM. The Proposed Roswell RMP

also describes management for an

additional 8.4 million acres of federal

mineral estate where the surface is

managed by other surface management

agencies of the federal or New Mexico

state governments, or is in private

ownership. In these cases, the leasing of

fluid minerals (i.e., oil and gas) is

administered by the BLM. The public

lands covered by the Proposed Roswell

RMP, including the mineral estate, are

administered by the BLM through its

Roswell Resource Area Office. The

Roswell Resource Area encompasses

Chaves County (except for the

‘‘bootheel’’) and all of Lincoln, DeBaca,

Roosevelt, Curry, Quay and Guadalupe

counties in southeastern and eastcentral New Mexico.

The Proposed Carlsbad RMPA

describes the future management for oil

and gas resources and use on about

2,197,000 acres in the Carlsbad

Resource Area where both the surface

and subsurface estates are in federal

ownership and are administered by the

BLM. The Proposed Plan Amendment

also describes management for an

additional 1.9 million acres of federal

mineral estate where the surface is

managed by other surface management

agencies of the federal or New Mexico

State governments, or is in private

ownership. In these cases, the leasing of

fluid minerals (i.e., oil and gas) is

administered by the BLM. The public

lands covered by the Carlsbad RMPA,

including the mineral estate, are

administered by the BLM through its

Carlsbad Resource Area Office. The

Carlsbad Resource Area encompasses

the ‘‘bootheel’’ of Chaves County and all

of Eddy and Lea counties in

southeastern New Mexico.

The Proposed Roswell Resource

Management Plan/Final Environmental

Impact Statement includes the

designation of five areas of critical

environmental concern (ACEC) totalling

64,669 surface acres. Within the

boundaries of the proposed ACECs are

lands that are privately-owned or owned

by the State of New Mexico. The ACEC

designations would pertain only to the

federally-owned land surface and

mineral estate managed by the BLM and

to the BLM-administered federal

mineral estate under state and privatelyowned lands. The non-federal land

surface would not be affected by the

ACEC designations. The Proposed RMP

designates 10 special recreation

management areas (SRMA) totalling

71,725 acres. Under the Proposed Plan,

off-highway vehicle (OHV) use

designations of open, closed or limited

use would be made for the entire

Roswell Resource Area. Under OHV

management, 1,546 acres would be

open; 1,449,878 acres would be limited

to designated roads or trails; and, 38,576

acres would be closed to OHV use.

Existing designations would be retained

for: Outstanding Natural Area

(Mescalero Sands, 6,713 acres), National

Natural Landmark (Mescalero Sands,

3,280 acres; Border Hill, 150 acres;

Mathers, 242 acres; Torgac Cave, 120

acres; and, Fort Stanton Cave, 985

acres), and Research Natural Area

(Mathers, 242 acres).

The Proposed RMP and the Proposed

RMPA are modified versions of the
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 45 / Friday, March 7, 1997 / Notices 10579

Preferred Alternative in the Draft RMP/

EIS and Draft RMPA/EIS. Comments on

the draft plans received from the public

and internal BLM review were

incorporated in the Proposed RMP/FEIS

and the Proposed RMPA/FEIS.

All parts of the Proposed RMP and

Proposed RMPA may be protested by

parties who participated in the planning

process. A protesting party may raise

only those issues which he or she

submitted for the record during the

planning process. Specific protest

procedures are described in the User’s

Guide section of the Proposed RMP/

RMPA/FEIS. Protest procedures also can

be obtained on the Internet at http://

www.nm.blm.gov, or by contacting the

Roswell District Office at the address

listed below under FURTHER

INFORMATION.

DATES: Protests on the Proposed Roswell

RMP/FEIS or the Proposed Carlsbad

RMPA/FEIS must be postmarked no

later than the last day of the protest

period, which is April 5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Protests on the Proposed

Roswell RMP/FEIS or the Proposed

Carlsbad RMPA/FEIS must be filed in

writing to: Director (WO–210), Bureau

of Land Management, Attn: Brenda

Williams, 1849 C Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Stout, Bureau of Land

Management, Roswell District Office,

2909 West Second Street, Roswell, New

Mexico, 88201, telephone 505–627–

0272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Proposed Roswell RMP/FEIS and the

Proposed Carlsbad RMP/FEIS are

published as a single document

composed of two volumes. Volume 1

contains the Proposed Plan and

Proposed Plan Amendment, and

supporting material. Volume 2 contains

public comments and the BLM’s

responses to those comments. The

alternatives considered in the Draft

RMP/EIS and Draft RMPA/EIS, the

environmental effects of those

alternatives, the affected environment

discussion, some appendixes and the

references have not been reprinted in

the Proposed RMP/RMPA/FEIS. It is

necessary, therefore, to use both the

Draft and Final EIS documents for a

complete review of the EIS.

Copies of the Draft RMP/RMPA/EIS

and the Proposed RMP/RMPA/FEIS may

be obtained from the Roswell District

Office, at the address listed above in

FURTHER INFORMATION. Volume 1 of the

Proposed RMP/RMPA/FEIS can be

viewed on, and downloaded from, the

Internet at http://www.nm.blm.gov.

The Proposed Plan is a complete,

comprehensive management proposal

for the public surface and mineral estate

in the Roswell Resource Area. The

Proposed Plan Amendment is a

complete, comprehensive management

proposal for oil and gas resources on

public lands in the Carlsbad Resource

Area. The Proposed Plan and Proposed

Plan Amendment are refinements of the

BLM’s Preferred Alternative presented

in the Draft RMP/RMPA/EIS, which was

made available for public review in

November 1994. Comments from the

public, review by BLM staff, and new

information developed since the

distribution of the draft have prompted

some changes in the Preferred

Alternative. The environmental effects

of the Proposed Plan and Proposed Plan

Amendment are not greatly different

from those of the Preferred Alternative.

The Proposed Plan focuses on the

comprehensive management of the

public lands and the resolution of four

key issues and two management

opportunities, which were identified

with public involvement early in the

planning processes. The issues are: (1)

Oil and Gas Operations; (2) Land Tenure

Adjustment; (3) Access; and, (4) Special

Management Areas. The management

opportunities are: (1) Recreation; and,

(2) Wildlife Habitat Management.

The Proposed Plan Amendment

focuses on comprehensive management

of the oil and gas resources on public

lands and the resolution of the key issue

of Oil and Gas Operations, which was

identified with public involvement

early in the planning processes.

At the end of the 30-day protest

period, the Proposed RMP and the

Proposed RMPA will become final. If

protests are filed, however, approval of

the entire RMP or RMPA, or both, will

be withheld pending resolution of the

protests. The Approved RMP and

Approved RMPA will be published

following approval of the Record of

Decision (ROD) for each plan.

Individuals wanting to comment on one

or both of the plans, but not wanting to

file a protest, may send comments to the

BLM, Roswell District Office, 2909 West

Second Street, Roswell, New Mexico,

88201, within the 30-day protest period.

Comments received will be considered

in the preparation of the RODs.

Copies of the Proposed RMP/RMPA/

FEIS have been distributed to a mailing

list of participants in the planning

process and other interested parties.

Single copies of the Proposed RMP/

RMPA/FEIS may be obtained from the

Roswell District Office at the address

listed above under FURTHER

INFORMATION. Copies may be reviewed at

any BLM office in New Mexico or

Oklahoma; at public libraries in

Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Artesia,

Carlsbad, Clovis, Eunice, Fort Sumner,

Hobbs, Jal, Lovington, Portales, Roswell,

Ruidoso, Santa Rosa, Tatum, and

Tucumcari, New Mexico; in school

libraries in Capitan, Carrizozo, Corona,

and Vaughn, New Mexico; and in

university libraries in Las Cruces,

Carlsbad, Roswell, and Portales, New

Mexico.

In accordance with the provisions of

36 CFR Part 800, parties who are

interested in and who wish to be

involved in future activity planning and

implementation of management actions

that may involve or affect the

archeological and historical resource

aspects addressed in the Proposed Plan

or Proposed Plan Amendment are

requested to identify themselves.

Contact the Roswell District Office at

the address listed above under FURTHER

INFORMATION to be placed on a future

contact list.

Dated: February 24, 1997.

Edwin L. Roberson,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–5513 Filed 3–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–VA–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decrees

Pursuant to the Comprehensive

Environmental Response,

Compensation and Liability Act

Notice is hereby given that three

proposed consent decrees in United

States v. Farmer Oil, et al., Civil Action

No. 95–CV–3231, were lodged on

February 14, 1997, with the United

States District Court for the Northern

District of Georgia. The consent decrees

settle claims against separate defendants

brought under Section 107(a) of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act (‘‘CERCLA’’), 42 U.S.C. 9607(a), for

response costs incurred by the United

States at the Daytona Antifreeze site (the

‘‘Daytona site’’) in Marietta, Georgia.

Under the proposed consent decrees,

defendant Houghton International, Inc.

(‘‘Houghton’’) will pay $133,000 to the

United States in reimbursement of

response costs incurred by the

Environmental Protection Agency

(‘‘EPA’’) in connection with the Daytona

site, while defendants Farmer Oil

Company, Inc. (‘‘Farmer’’) and

American Environmental Contractors,

Inc. (‘‘American’’) will each pay $20,000

in reimbursement. EPA has incurred

costs in excess of $357,000 in

connection with the Daytona site.