18932 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 /Thursday, April 16, 1998 / Notices

Fairfax Drive, Rm 700, Arlington,

Virginia 22203. Phone (703) 358–2104

or Fax (703) 358–2281.

Dated: April 10, 1998.

MaryEllen Amtower,

Acting Chief, Branch of Permits, Office of

Management Authority.

[FR Doc. 98–10051 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Letters of Authorization to Take Marine

Mammals

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of Letters of

Authorization to take marine mammals

incidental to oil and gas industry

activities.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

101(a)(5) of the Marine Mammal

Protection Act of 1972, as amended, and

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(Service) implementing regulations,

notice is hereby given that Letters of

Authorization to take polar bears and

Pacific walrus incidental to oil and gas

industry exploration, development, and

production activities have been issued

to the following companies:

Company Activity Date issued

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. ................................................. Exploration (Liberty) ............................................................. March 16, 1998.

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. ................................................. Exploration (Flaxman Island) ............................................... March 16, 1998.

Exxon Company, U.S.A. ....................................................... Construction (Flaxman Island) ............................................. March 24, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

John W. Bridges, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Marine Mammals Management

Office, 1011 East Tudor Road,

Anchorage, Alaska 99503, (800) 362–

5148 or (907) 786–3810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Letters of

Authorization were issued in

accordance with Service implementing

regulations 50 CFR 18.27 and 50 CFR

18.128.

Dated: March 30, 1998.

Robyn Thorson,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 98–9366 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Garrison Diversion Unit Federal

Advisory Council Meeting

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

meeting of the Garrison Diversion Unit

Federal Advisory Council which was

established under the authority of the

Garrison Diversion Unit Reformulation

Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99–294, May 12,

1986). The meeting is open to the

public.

DATES: The Garrison Diversion Unit

Federal Advisory Council will have a

meeting, on Tuesday, May 5, from 1

through 4:30 p.m. and from 8 a.m. until

noon on Wednesday, May 6.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the North Dakota Game and Fish

Department, 100 N. Bismarck

Expressway, Bismarck, North Dakota.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Grady Towns, Refuges and Wildlife,

North Dakota/South Dakota, at (303)

236–8145, extension 644.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Garrison Diversion Unit Federal

Advisory Council will consider and

discuss subjects such as the Kraft

Slough status and acquisition, the

Dakota Water Resources Act, North

Dakota Wetland Trust, Operation

Maintenance, and Replacement funding

for mitigation and enhancement lands,

Wildlife Development Plan, Lonetree

Update, Arrowwood National Wildlife

Refuge EIS and mitigation effort,

Designation of Kraft Slough as a

National Wildlife Refuge, and the Oakes

Test area.

Dated: April 9, 1998.

Terry Terrell,

Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 98–10074 Filed 4–15–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT–921–08–1320–01; MTM 80697]

Coal Lease Offering

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Coal Lease Offering By

Sealed Bid MTM 80697—Western

Energy Company.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the coal resources in the lands described

below in Rosebud County, Montana,

will be offered for competitive lease by

sealed bid. This offering is being made

as a result of an application filed by

Western Energy Company, in

accordance with the provisions of the

Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (41 Stat.

437; 30 U.S.C. 181–287), as amended.

An Environmental Assessment of the

proposed coal development and related

requirements for consultation, public

involvement, and hearing have been

completed in accordance with 43 CFR

3425. Concerns and issues expressed by

the public during the public scoping

process centered on social, economic,

and cultural impacts to the Northern

Cheyenne and Crow Tribes, hydrologic

impacts to the area, and the need to do

an Environmental Impact Statement as

the appropriate level of environmental

documentation for the development of

the coal resources. Three alternatives

(Preferred, No Action, and Cultural

Resource Avoidance) were developed to

analyze impacts and to address issues

relating to the proposed action. The

Preferred Alternative, including special

stipulations and mitigation measures,

was chosen because it will maximize

the beneficial use of the subject coal

resource and will mitigate impacts to

one historic site and two sites which

have high values as traditional cultural

properties.

The tract will be leased to the

qualified bidder of the highest cash

amount provided that the high bid

meets the fair market value of the coal

resource. The minimum bid for the tract

is $100 per acre, or fraction thereof. No

bid that is less than $100 per acre, or

fraction thereof, will be considered. The

minimum bid is not intended to

represent fair market value. The fair

market value will be determined by the

authorized officer after the sale.

Coal Offered

The coal resource to be offered

consists of all recoverable reserves in

the following-described lands located

approximately 10 miles west of the

town of Colstrip, Montana:

T. 1 N., R. 39 E., P.M.M.

Sec. 2: S1⁄2NW1⁄4, N1⁄2NE1⁄4SE1⁄4

T. 1 N., R. 40 E., P.M.M.

Sec. 6: Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, S1⁄2N1⁄2, S1⁄2

Sec. 8: E1⁄2, N1⁄2NW1⁄4