39884 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 142 / Friday, July 24, 1998 / Notices

Availability of the DEIS was announced

in the Federal Register in May 1997. A

public hearing to present the DEIS was

held on May 21, 1997 in Palau. The

DEIS was subsequently revised to

incorporate the results of additional

studies and to address public and

agency comments on the original DEIS.

After receipt of comments on the

revised DEIS, a Final EIS will be

prepared. The Notice of Availability of

the revised DEIS was announced in the

Federal Register on February 19, 1998.

Comments on the Revised DEIS have

been considered in preparing the Final

EIS.

The Proposed Action calls for

construction of a safe, high-quality, allweather, two-lane paved vehicular road

system on the island of Babeldaob. This

roadway has been configured as a loop

system with a northern spur to serve as

a direct transportation and

communication link between the 10

states on Babeldaob Island.

Additionally, the road would provide

access through, or be near known areas

having potential for agriculture, forestry,

mining and quarrying, industry and

tourism, and water resource and port

development. It would also provide a

land-based transportation corridor to

and from the proposed site of the

Republic of Palau’s new capital in

Melekeok State.

The Final EIS will be used by the

Department of the Interior in reaching a

final decision and developing a final

array of measures to avoid, or mitigate

adverse impacts. The Record of Decision

will be approved at least 30 days after

publication of the Final EIS to allow for

public review and comment on the

Final EIS.

Copies of the Final EIS are also

available for review at the following

locations: Republic of Palau Ministry of

Resources and Development, Palau

Environmental Quality Protection

Board, and the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers Palau Compact Road Field

Office, on the third floor of the WCTC

building in Koror.

Dated: July 17, 1998.

Willie R. Taylor,

Director, Office of Environmental Policy and

Compliance, Department of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 98–19711 Filed 7–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–RK–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Intent to Prepare a

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and

Associated Environmental Impact

Statement

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(Service) is preparing a Comprehensive

Conservation Plan (CCP) and an

Environmental Impact Statement for

Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife

Refuge, Stevens County, Washington.

The Service is furnishing this notice in

compliance with Service CCP policy

and the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) and implementing

regulations for the following purposes:

(1) to advise other agencies and the

public of our intentions; (2) to obtain

suggestions and information on the

preliminary alternatives which have

been drafted for the EIS; and (3) to

announce public open house meetings.

DATES: Submit comments on or before

August 24, 1998. See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for meeting dates and

locations.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and

requests for more information to: Refuge

Manager, Little Pend Oreille National

Wildlife Refuge, 1310 Bear Creek Road,

Colville, Washington 99114.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa

Langelier, Refuge Manager (509) 684–

8384.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Service started the process of

developing a management plan for Little

Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge

(Little Pend Oreille NWR) in 1995. Open

houses and public meetings were held

in 1995, 1996, and 1997. A previous

notice was published in the Federal

Register (61 FR 65591, Dec. 13, 1996).

Persons and organizations involved in

the scoping process include: the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Forest

Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Natural Resource Conservation Service;

Washington Department of Fish and

Wildlife; U.S. Air Force; members of

national, state and local conservation

organizations; timber industry

representatives; grazing permittees;

inholders and neighboring landowners;

and other interested citizens. Comments

and concerns received have been used

to identify issues and draft preliminary

alternatives.

Major issues to be addressed in the

plan include grazing; management of

degraded aquatic and riparian habitats;

overstocked forest habitats; military

training; and various recreational public

uses. The plan will include the

following topics: (a) an assessment of

existing biological, physical, and

cultural resources, and their condition;

(b) identification of the long term goals

and objectives of the refuge, consistent

with the National Wildlife Refuge

System mission; (c) strategies for habitat

management, including actions for

forests, riparian areas, water courses,

reservoirs, wetlands, and old farm

fields; (d) strategies for management of

public access and uses, including

hunting, fishing, wildlife observation

and photography, environmental

education and interpretation, camping,

horseback riding, mountain-bike riding,

and snowmobiling; and (e) strategies for

management of other special uses

including military training and grazing.

Draft management goals are intended

to guide the future management of Little

Pend Oreille NWR. They are: (1)

Conserve, enhance and restore native

forest, riparian, in-stream, and wetland

habitats and associated migratory birds,

other wildlife, fish and plants. (2)

Monitor, protect and recover plants and

animals that are threatened, endangered,

proposed, and candidate species and

species of special concern. (3) Provide

opportunities for wildlife-dependent

recreation, education, and research to

enhance public appreciation,

understanding, and enjoyment of refuge,

wildlife, fish and their habitats.

A range of preliminary alternatives

are being considered in the plan:

(A) The No Action Alternative—Make

no changes to the prevailing practices

and uses at the refuge.

(B) Restore Wildlife Habitat While

Managing Existing public Uses—This

alternative combines an active forest

and riparian restoration program with

minimal change to existing public uses.

(C) Restore Wildlife Habitat While

Emphasizing Priority Uses—This

alternative adopts a greater emphasis on

priority uses identified under the

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement

Act of 1997 (PL 105–57) and eliminates

or reduces non-priority uses. This

alternative also incorporates a strong

forest and riparian restoration program.

(D) Manage the Refuge as an

Ecological Reserve and Reduce Human

Disturbances—This alternative

minimizes human access and use of the

refuge while conducting a moderate

restoration program, with a greater

emphasis on hydrologic restoration than

other alternatives.

(E) The Caretaker Strategy With

Minimal Public Services Alternative—

This alternative minimizes

management, reduces public uses, and

would minimize staffing needs.

With the publication of this notice,

the public is encouraged to attend
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 142 / Friday, July 24, 1998 / Notices 39885

public open houses and/or submit

written comments on the preliminary

management alternatives. Comments

already received are on record and need

not be resubmitted.

Two public open houses will be held

as follows:

July 29, 4pm–8pm, Colville High

School, 154 Highway 20 East, Colville,

Washington. (Presentation on

alternatives at 6:30 pm)

July 30, 4pm–8pm, Inland NW

Wildlife Council Building, 616 North

Market St., Spokane, Washington.

(Presentation on alternatives at 6:30 pm)

All comments received from

individuals on Environmental

Assessments and Environmental Impact

Statements become part of the official

public record. Requests for such

comments will be handled in

accordance with the Freedom of

Information Act, the Council on

Environmental Quality’s NEPA

regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)], and other

Service and Departmental policy and

procedures. When requested, the

Service generally will provide comment

letters with the names and addresses of

the individuals who wrote the

comments. However, the telephone

number of the commenting individual

will not be provided in response to such

requests to the extent permissible by

law. Additionally, public comment

letters are not required to contain the

commentator’s name, address, or other

identifying information. Such comments

may be submitted anonymously to the

Service.

The environmental review of this

project will be conducted in accordance

with the requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as

amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NEPA

Regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508), other

appropriate Federal laws and

regulations, the National Wildlife

Refuge System Improvement Act of

1997, and Service policies and

procedures for compliance with those

regulations.

We estimate that the draft CCP /

Environmental Impact Statement will be

available in November, 1998.

Dated: July 10, 1998.

Don Weathers,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 98–19727 Filed 7–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AK–962–1410–00–P]

Alaska Native Claims Selection

In accordance with Departmental

regulation 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is

hereby given that a decision approving

lands for conveyance under the

provisions of Sec. 14(h)(8) of the Alaska

Native Claims Settlement Act of

December 18, 1971, 43 U.S.C. 1601,

1613(h)(8), will be issued to the Bering

Straits Native Corporation for 3,840

acres. The lands involved are in the

vicinity of Marys Igloo, Alaska, and are

within T. 5 S., R. 30 W., Kateel River

Meridian, Alaska.

A notice of the decision will be

published once a week, for four (4)

consecutive weeks, in the Nome Nugget.

Copies of the decision may be obtained

by contacting the Alaska State Office of

the Bureau of Land Management, 222

West Seventh Avenue, #13, Anchorage,

Alaska 99513–7599 ((907) 271–5960).

Any party claiming a property interest

which is adversely affected by the

decision, an agency of the Federal

government, or regional corporation,

shall have until August 24, 1998, to file

an appeal. However, parties receiving

service by certified mail shall have 30

days from the date of receipt to file an

appeal. Appeals must be filed in the

Bureau of Land Management at the

address identified above, where the

requirements for filing an appeal may be

obtained. Parties who do not file an

appeal in accordance with the

requirements of 43 CFR Part 4, Subpart

E, shall be deemed to have waived their

rights.

Heather A. Coats,

Land Law Examiner, ANCSA Team, Branch

of 962 Adjudication.

[FR Doc. 98–19782 Filed 7–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO–030–08–1010–00–1784]

Southwest Resource Advisory Council

Meeting.

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior

ACTION: Notice; Resource Advisory

Council Meeting

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (5

USC), notice is hereby given that the

Southwest Resource Advisory Council

(Southwest RAC) will meet in

Gunnison, Colorado.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Thursday, August 13, 1998.

ADDRESSES: For additional information,

contact Roger Alexander, Bureau of

Land Management (BLM), Montrose

District Office, 2465 South Townsend

Avenue, Montrose, Colorado 81401;

telephone 970–240–5335; TDD 970–

240–5366; e-mail r2alexan@co.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

August 13, 1998, meeting will begin at

9:00 a.m. in the Aspinall-Wilson Center,

South Room, 909 Escalante Drive,

Gunnison, Colorado. The agenda will

include discussions on the Montrose

District’s Fiscal Year 1999 Annual Work

Plan priorities and updates on

implementation of the Gunnison Sage

Grouse Plan, the recreation guidelines,

and on-going exchange efforts in the

Montrose District. Time will be

provided for public comments at 9:30

a.m.

All Resource Advisory Council

meetings are open to the public.

Interested persons may make oral

statements to the Council, or written

statements may be submitted for the

Council’s consideration. If necessary, a

per-person time limit may be

established by the Montrose District

Manager.

Summary minutes for Council

meetings are maintained in the

Montrose District Office and on the

World Wide Web at http://

www.co.blm.gov/mdo/

mdolswlrac.htm and are available for

public inspection and reproduction

within thirty (30) days following each

meeting.

Dated: July 20, 1998.

Roger Alexander,

Public Affairs Specialist.

[FR Doc. 98–19776 Filed 7–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ–020–08–A155; AZA–29932]

Notice of Realty Action

Noncompetitive Sale of Public Lands

in Maricopa County, Arizona

AGENCY: City of Glendale, BLM, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Realty Action,

Noncompetitive Sale.

SUMMARY: The following public lands

have been found suitable for direct sale

under Section 203 of the Federal Land

Policy and Management Act of 1976 (90

Stat. 2750; 43 U.S.C. 1713), at not less