Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 151 /Thursday, August 6, 1998 / Notices 42059

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Order Extending Temporary Closure to

Non-Authorized Use of Certain Public

Lands in Ward Valley, San Bernardino

County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Needles Field Office.

ACTION: Order extending for one year the

temporary order of closure to nonauthorized uses of certain public lands

in Ward Valley.

SUMMARY: BLM is extending for one year

the initial temporary closure of

approximately 2,000 acres within Ward

Valley, California, as published in the

Federal Register on January 29, 1998, 63

FR 4467. The initial closure order was

effective February 13, 1998, and was

effective for a period of six months from

that date. The lands involved in this

extension and the scope of the closure

are not changed.

EFFECTIVE DATE: By this extension, the

closure order will continue in effect and

will remain effective until August 13,

1999.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This order

extending the closure to non-authorized

uses of the Ward Valley lands is

necessary to facilitate BLM management

of authorized activities on the Ward

Valley site, protect the desert tortoise

and its critical habitat, and prevent

unnecessary damage to sensitive natural

resources. In light of questions raised

regarding the authority of the California

Department of Health Services to

purchase the site, actions to proceed

with on-site testing described in the

initial order of closure will not go

forward at present. However, lifting the

closure would increase the likelihood of

greater public use and the potential for

adverse impacts from uncontrolled day

and overnight activities. Such

uncontrolled activities could generate

additional traffic and litter; increase risk

of fire, dust, and noise; adversely affect

the desert tortoise and its critical habitat

as well as other wildlife species and

their habitats; damage vegetation; and

pose additional environmental and

safety problems. Therefore, continued

closure of the affected lands would

protect sensitive natural resources while

allowing authorized users to continue to

utilize the site under controlled

conditions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Molly Brady, Needles Field Office

Manager, U.S.D.I., Bureau of Land

Management, Needles Resource Area,

101 West Spikes Road, Needles,

California 92363, tel: (760) 326–7000.

Approved.

Ed Hastey,

BLM State Director, California State Office.

[FR Doc. 98–21011 Filed 8–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT–921–08–1320–01; MTM 88405]

Notice of Coal Lease Application—

MTM 88405—Spring Creek Coal

Company

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This is notice of Spring Creek

Coal Company’s coal lease application

MTM 88405 for certain coal resources

within the Powder River Coal Region.

The lands included in Coal Lease

Application MTM 88405 are located in

Big Horn County, Montana, and are

described as follows:

T. 8 S., R. 39 E., P.M.M.

Sec. 13: SW1⁄4SW1⁄4SW1⁄4,

SW1⁄4SE1⁄4SW1⁄4SW1⁄4

Sec. 14: S1⁄2SW1⁄4NE1⁄4SE1⁄4,

S1⁄2NE1⁄4SE1⁄4SE1⁄4,

NW1⁄4NE1⁄4SE1⁄4SE1⁄4, S1⁄2SE1⁄4SE1⁄4,

NW1⁄4SE1⁄4SE1⁄4

Sec. 23: NE1⁄4NE1⁄4, SE1⁄4SW1⁄4NW1⁄4NE1⁄4,

N1⁄2SW1⁄4NW1⁄4NE1⁄4, E1⁄2NW1⁄4NE1⁄4

Sec. 24: NW1⁄4SE1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1⁄4,

N1⁄2SW1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1⁄4, N1⁄2NW1⁄4NW1⁄4

150.00 acres

Spring Creek Coal Company is the

surface owner of all of the lands applied

for.

The 150.00-acre tract contains an

estimated 15.4 million tons of

recoverable coal reserves. The area is

bordered by the Spring Creek Mine to

the South.

The application will be processed in

accordance with the provisions of the

Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as

amended (30 U.S.C. 181, 35 seq.), and

the implementing regulations at 43 CFR

3400. A decision to allow leasing of the

coal resources in said tract will result in

a competitive lease sale to be held at a

time and place to be announced through

publication pursuant to 43 CFR 3422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Spring

Creek Coal Company is the lessee and

operator of Coal Lease MTM 069782 at

the Spring Creek Mine. The proposed

lease area adjoins the current lease to

the North and contains approximately

105 acres within the approved mine

permit area.

On June 1, 1998, Spring Creek Coal

Company received Federal Coal

Exploration License MTM 87910 from

the BLM to conduct drilling on lands

contained within the Spring Creek coal

lease application tract. Data from the

completed drilling program conducted

under MTM 87910, and preceding

drilling programs, will be or has been

forwarded to the BLM, as required by

the terms of the exploration licenses.

Due to its coal reserve base and

configuration, the Spring Creek lease

application tract is a logical step to

extend the life of the Spring Creek Mine.

With the current permitted reserves of

coal, the current level of production at

the Spring Creek Mine can be

maintained for approximately 19

additional years.

The area applied for would be mined

as an extension of the Spring Creek

Mine and would utilize the same

methods as those currently being used.

The lease being applied for can extend

the life of the mine by about 2 years and

enable recovery of coal that might never

be mined if not mined as a logical

extension of current pits at the Spring

Creek Mine.

Notice of Availability: The application

is available for review between the

hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Bureau

of Land Management, Montana State

Office, 222 North 32nd Street, Billings,

Montana 59101, and at the Bureau of

Land Management, Miles City Field

Office, whose address is Garryowen

Road, Miles City, Montana 59103,

between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30

p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rebecca Good, Coal Coordinator, at

telephone (406) 255–2828, Bureau of

Land Management, Montana State

Office, 222 North 32nd Street, P.O. Box

36800, Billings, Montana 59107–6800.

Dated: July 27, 1998.

Janet Singer,

State Director.

[FR Doc. 98–20961 Filed 8–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–DN–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY–030–1320–00 [WYW139975]]

Ark Land Company Coal Lease

Application, Carbon County, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

and Notice of Public Hearing.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to 40 CFR 1500–

1508, the Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) announces the availability of a