Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 117 /Thursday, June 18, 1998 / Notices 33385

and no-action alternatives. The

proposed action alternative is issuance

of the incidental take permit and

implementation of the habitat

conservation plan as submitted by RMC

Lonestar. Two other alternatives were

considered, but were not advanced for

detailed analysis because they were

neither technically nor economically

feasible.

Under the no-action alternative, the

Service would not issue an incidental

take permit to RMC Lonestar and a

habitat conservation plan would not be

implemented. No maintenance activities

would be performed on the ponds, and

the incidental take associated with those

activities would be avoided. Therefore,

no permit would be needed. This

alternative is not being used because

RMC Lonestar is under a legal obligation

to carry out these maintenance activities

by the County and the Regional Water

Quality Control Board. These objectives

are in place to protect water quality in

the streams below the quarry areas. If

the ponds were allowed to fill with

sediment, the protection to water

quality provided by the ponds would be

lost and increased sedimentation of

downstream areas would result.

California red-legged frogs inhabiting

downstream habitat would likely be

adversely affected. For these reasons,

this alternative was rejected.

This notice is provided pursuant to

section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered

Species Act and Service regulations for

implementing the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (40

CFR 1506.6). The Service will evaluate

the application, associated documents,

and comments submitted thereon to

determine whether the application

meets the requirements of law. If the

Service determines that the

requirements are met, a permit will be

issued for the incidental take of the

listed species. A final decision on

permit issuance will be made no sooner

than 30 days from the date of this

notice.

Dated: June 11, 1998.

David L. McMullen,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 98–16267 Filed 6–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO–420–1050–01 24 1A]

Notice of New Information Collection

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

announces its intention to request

approval from the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) to collect certain

information from Alaska natives, groups

of Alaska natives, or associations or

corporations of Alaska natives who

want to graze reindeer on public lands

in Alaska that are vacant and

unappropriated. This information

allows BLM to determine whether or not

applicants are qualified to receive a

reindeer grazing permit. BLM also

collects information from permittees to

determine whether or not they are using

their permits according to the terms and

conditions.

DATES: BLM must receive comments on

the proposed information collection by

August 17, 1998 to assure consideration

of them.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments to: Director

(630), Bureau of Land Management,

1849 C St., NW, Mail Stop 401LS,

Washington, DC 20240. Send comments

via Internet to:

WoComment@wo.blm.gov. Please

include ‘‘Attn: 1004-NEW’’ and your

name and return address in the Internet

message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Frances Watson, (202) 452–5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

accordance with 5 CFR 1320.12(a), BLM

is required to provide a 60-day notice in

the Federal Register concerning a

collection of information from 10 or

more people who are not Federal

employees on (a) whether a proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of agency

functions, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate

of the burden of the proposed collection

of information, including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used;

(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility,

and clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of collecting the information on

those who are to respond, including

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological techniques or other

forms of information technology. BLM

will receive and analyze any comments

sent in response to this notice and

include them with its request for

approval from OMB.

BLM conducts the reindeer grazing

program under the authority of the Act

of September 1, 1937, which authorizes

the Secretary of the Interior to manage

the reindeer industry in Alaska to

maintain a self-sustaining industry for

natives of Alaska. The Act also

authorizes the Secretary to issue permits

to those natives for grazing reindeer on

public lands.

BLM uses the information on the

Grazing Permit Application to

determine an individual or group’s

qualifications to receive a grazing lease

or permit. The information requested on

the form includes: the applicant’s name

and address; a legal description of the

land applied for; whether or not the

applicant is an Alaska native, citizen of

the United States, or a qualified

corporation; whether or not the

applicant has examined the land and

whether there are any improvements on

the land, in which case a list of the

owners; whether or not the applicant

has previously used the land; how many

acres of adjoining land, if any, the

applicant controls; whether or not the

applicant can furnish a statement of

financial responsibility; and the types

and numbers of livestock the applicant

intends to graze on the land.

The Reindeer Grazing Permit requires

permittees to file a report describing his

or her grazing operations for the

preceding year. The report is filed

annually with BLM before April 1.

There is an average of six applicants

annually for grazing permits, and six

permittees file annual reports with

BLM. The estimated time for collecting

the information, filling out and filing

each permit application is 1 hour, for a

total of 6 burden hours. The estimated

time for collecting the information and

providing it for the annual report is 15

minutes, for a total of 1.5 burden hours.

The total number of respondents for this

collection is therefore six respondents

and 7.5 burden hours annually.

Dated: June 11, 1998.

Carole Smith,

Bureau of Land Management, Information

Collection Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–16220 Filed 6–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–84–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO–078–98–1310–00]

Notice of Availability of the Draft

Supplemental Environmental Impact

Statement (SEIS) on Oil and Gas

Leasing in the Glenwood Springs

Resource Area

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of availability.
33386 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 117 /Thursday, June 18, 1998 / Notices

SUMMARY: Pursuant to sec. 202 of the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act of 1976 and Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) regulations in CFR

1610.5–5, BLM proposes to amend the

Resource Management Plan (RMP) for

its Glenwood Springs Resource Area

(GSRA). As described in a Notice of

Intent published on April 21, 1997 (62

FR 19349), BLM has prepared a

supplemental EIS on the impacts of oil

and gas development in the GSRA. On

March 17, 1998, an additional Notice of

Intent (63 FR 13068) expressed BLM’s

intent to include lands in the Naval Oil

Shale Reserves (NOSR) in the SEIS and

the RMP amendment. That SEIS is now

available for review and comment.

Copies of the SEIS will be available at

the following BLM offices: the

Glenwood Springs Resource Area

Office, 50629 Highway 6 & 24,

Glenwood Springs, Colorado, 81602; the

Grand Junction District Office, 2815 H

Road, Grand Junction, Colorado, 81506;

and the Colorado State Office, 2850

Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado,

80215.

DATES: Comments will be accepted until

September 17, 1998. A public meeting

on the SEIS will be held on July 7, 1998,

from 3:00 to 8:00 PM in the Valley

Senior Center, 540 Parachute Avenue,

Parachute, Colorado, 81635.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

the Area Manager, Glenwood Springs

Resource Area, Bureau of Land

Management, P.O. Box 1009, Glenwood

Springs, CO 81602, ATTN: Oil and Gas

SEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Steve Moore,(970) 947–2824

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice

of Intent to prepare a supplemental EIS

on oil and gas leasing and development

in the GSRA was published on April 21,

1997 (62 FR 19349). The EIS process

indicated that some changes in the

leasing decisions are necessary and that

an RMP amendment will be required.

After publication of that notice, the

Department of Defense Authorization

Act of 1998 (November 18, 1997)

transferred management authority for

the Naval Oil Shale Reserves (NOSR)

from the Department of Energy to BLM.

In addition to transferring management

authority to BLM, the Act directs BLM

to lease approximately 6,000 acres in

the NOSR for oil and gas development

by November 18, 1998. On March 17,

1998, BLM published an additional

Notice of Intent (63 FR 13068)

expressing its intent to include lands in

the Naval Oil Shale Reserves (NOSR) in

the oil and gas leasing SEIS and RMP

amendment.

Among the issues identified and

evaluated in the SEIS are: the effects on

visual quality of gas development in

highly visible terrain; the impact on

riparian areas; the effects on wildlife

and wildlife habitat; and the potential

success of reclamation efforts in the arid

environment.

Three alternatives were evaluated:

The Continuation of Current

Management Alternative, which would

continue leasing and mitigation

decisions adopted in a 1991 RMP

amendment and extend them to the

NOSR area to be leased;

The Maximum Protection Alternative,

which would attempt to maximize

mitigation measures regardless of the

impact on gas production; and

The Proposed Action, which

describes the GSRA’s attempt to provide

multiple resource management of oil

and gas development.

Larry J. Porter,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 98–16164 Filed 6–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO–018–1430–00]

Notice of Availability, Wolford

Mountain Reservoir, Amended Record

of Decision

AGENCY: Craig District Office,

Kremmling Resource Area.

ACTION: Notice of Availability, Wolford

Mountain Reservoir, Amended Record

of Decision.

SUMMARY: In accordance with Section

102(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act, the Craig District prepared a

Final Environmental Impact Statement

(FEIS) and issued a Record of Decision

(ROD), February 8, 1991, for the Muddy

Creek Reservoir project, now referred to

as the Wolford Mountain Reservoir

project. The FEIS analyzed the impacts

of storing water to the 7,500 foot

elevation level. The ROD stated that

60,000 acre-feet of water would be

stored up to the 7,485 elevation level.

During construction, the Probable

Maximum Flood Event was

recalculated. This permitted the

spillway to be redesigned to allow

storage of an additional 6,000 acre-feet

of water at a maximum elevation of

7,489 feet, an increase of four feet in

elevation. The new pool elevation

remains below the 7,500 foot elevation

level analyzed in the FEIS. No

additional ‘‘in basin’’ impacts were

identified. ‘‘Out of basin’’ impacts are

mitigated by using the additional 6,000

acre-feet of storage as a ‘‘fish pool’’ from

which the Colorado River Water

Conservation District will make releases

for the benefit of endangered fish

species downstream in the Colorado

River.

DATES: This notice announces the

beginning of the 30 day review period.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Amended

Record of Decision should be sent to

Linda M. Gross, Kremmling Area

Manager, BLM, PO Box 68, Kremmling,

CO 80459.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To obtain additional information or to

receive a copy of the Amended Record

of Decision, contact Jim Perry at (970)

724–3437.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Those

individuals, organizations, and agencies

with known interest in the proposal

have been sent a copy of the Amended

Record of Decision.

Mark T. Morse,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 98–16149 Filed 6–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY–060–1620–01; WYW141435]

Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

on a lease application received from

Antelope Coal Company for Federal coal

in the decertified Powder River Federal

Coal Production Region, Wyoming, and

Notice of Scoping on a modification to

the lease application.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) received a

competitive coal lease application

(WYW141435) from Antelope Coal

Company (ACC) on February 14, 1997,

for a tract containing approximately

177.5 million tons of Federal coal and

including approximately 1,471 acres in

an area adjacent to the company’s

Antelope Mine. ACC is a subsidiary of

Kennecott Energy and Coal Company.

The Antelope Mine is located in

northern Converse County, Wyoming;

the lease application area is located in

Campbell and Converse Counties,

Wyoming. The tract, which is referred to

as the Horse Creek LBA Tract, was

applied for as a maintenance tract leaseby-application (LBA) under the

provisions of 43 Code of Federal