Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 25, 2001 / Notices 20829

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO–933–01–1320–EL; COC 62920]

Notice of Public Hearing and Request

for Comments on Environmental

Assessment, Maximum Economic

Recovery Report, and Fair Market

Value; Application for Competitive

Coal Lease COC 62920; Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Public Hearing.

SUMMARY: Bureau of Land Management,

Colorado State Office, Lakewood,

Colorado, hereby gives notice that a

public hearing will be held to receive

comments on the environmental

assessment, maximum economic

recovery, and fair market value of

federal coal to be offered. An

application for coal lease was filed by

National King Coal, LLC, requesting the

Bureau of Land Management offer for

competitive lease 1,304.51 acres of

federal coal in La Plata County,

Colorado.

DATES: The public hearing will be held

at 7 p.m., May 15, 2001. Written

comments should be received no later

than May 22, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be

held in the San Juan Field Office, Public

Lands Center, 15 Burnett Court,

Durango, Colorado 81301. Written

comments should be addressed to the

Bureau of Land Management, Calvin

Joyner, San Juan Field Office Manager,

San Juan Field Office, 15 Burnett Court,

Durango, Colorado 81301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cal

Joyner, Field Office Manager, San Juan

Field Office at the address above, or by

telephone at 970–247–4874.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bureau of

Land Management, Colorado State

Office, Lakewood, Colorado, hereby

gives notice that a public hearing will be

held on May 15, 1201, at 7 p.m., in the

Public Lands Center at the address given

above.

An application for coal lease was filed

by National King Coal, LLC, requesting

the Bureau of Land Management offer

for competitive lease federal coal in the

lands outside established coal

production regions described as:

T. 35 N., R. 11 W., N.M.P.M.

Sec. 19, lots 4, 5, E1⁄2SW1⁄4, and SE1⁄4.

T. 35 N., R. 12 W., N.M.P.M.

Sec. 24, lots 1, 2, and SW1⁄4SE1⁄4;

Sec. 25, lots 1, 2, W1⁄2NE1⁄4, and W1⁄2;

Sec. 26, SE1⁄4NE1⁄4, E1⁄2SE1⁄4, and

SW1⁄4SE1⁄4;

Sec. 35, NE1⁄4, and N1⁄2SE1⁄4.

Containing 1,304.51 acres.

The coal resource to be offered is

limited to coal recoverable by

underground mining methods.

The purpose of the hearing is to

obtain public comments on the

environmental assessment and on the

following items:

(1) The method of mining to be

employed to obtain maximum economic

recovery of the coal,

(2) The impact that mining the coal in

the proposed leasehold may have on the

area, and

(3) The methods of determining the

fair market value of the coal to be

offered.

Written requests to testify orally at the

May 15, 2001, public hearing should be

received at the San Juan Field Office

prior to the close of business May 15,

2001. Those who indicate they wish to

testify when they register at the hearing

may have an opportunity if time is

available.

In addition, the public is invited to

submit written comments concerning

the fair market value and maximum

economic recovery of the coal resource.

Public comments will be utilized in

establishing fair market value for the

coal resource in the described lands.

Comments should address specific

factors related to fair market value

including, but not limited to:

1. The quality and quantity of the coal

resource.

2. The price that the mined coal

would bring in the market place.

3. The cost of producing the coal.

4. The interest rate at which

anticipated income streams would be

discounted.

5. Depreciation and other accounting

factors.

6. The mining method or methods

which would achieve maximum

economic recovery of the coal.

7. Documented information on the

terms and conditions of recent and

similar coal land transactions in the

lease area, and

8. Any comparable sales data of

similar coal lands.

Should any information submitted as

comments be considered to be

proprietary by the commenter, the

information should be labeled as such

and stated in the first page of the

submission. Written comments on the

environmental assessment, maximum

economic recovery, and fair market

value should be sent to the San Juan

Field Office at the above address prior

to close of business on May 15, 2001.

Substantive comments, whether

written or oral, will receive equal

consideration prior to any lease offering.

The Draft Environmental Assessment

and Maximum Economic Recovery

Report are available from the San Juan

Field Office upon request.

A copy of the Draft Environmental

Assessment, the Maximum Economic

Recovery Report, the case file, and the

comments submitted by the public,

except those portions identified as

proprietary by the commenter and

meeting exemptions stated in the

Freedom of Information Act, will be

available for public inspection at the

Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield,

Lakewood, Colorado, 80215.

Dated: April 9, 2001.

Karen A. Purvis,

Solid Minerals Staff, Resource Services.

[FR Doc. 01–10209 Filed 4–24–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV–030–1430–ES; N–66366]

Realty Action: Recreation and Public

Purposes Act Classification; Washoe

County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of realty action.

SUMMARY: The following public land is

Washoe County, Nevada has been

examined and found suitable for

classification for lease/conveyance to

Washoe County under the provisions of

the Recreation and Public Purposes

(R&PP) Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 869

et seq.):

Mt. Diablo Meridian

T. 20 N., R. 20 E.

Sec. 9, S1⁄2SW1⁄4SW1⁄4SW1⁄4,

SW1⁄4SE1⁄4SW1⁄4SW1⁄4.

Sec. 16, W1⁄2NE1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1⁄4,

NW1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1⁄4,

N1⁄2SW1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1⁄4,

NW1⁄4SE1⁄4NW1⁄4NW1⁄4.

(containing 30 acres, more or less)

Washoe County proposes to use the

land for a community park. The land is

located in the eastern portion of Sun

Valley, Nevada in the vicinity of

Highland Ranch Parkway.

The land is not needed for federal

purposes. Lease/conveyance is

consistent with current BLM land use

planning and would be in the public

interest. Issuance of a 5-year lease with

a purchase option is proposed. The

lease/patent when issued, will be

subject to the provisions of the R&PP

Act and to all applicable regulations of

the Secretary of the Interior, and will

20830 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 25, 2001 / Notices

contain the following reservations to the

United States:

1. A right-of-way thereon for ditches

and canals constructed by the authority

of the United States, Act of August 30,

1890 (43 U.S.C. 945).

2. All mineral deposits in the land so

patented, and to it, or persons

authorized by it, the right to prospect,

mine and remove such deposits from

the same under applicable law and

regulations to be established by the

Secretary of the Interior.

And will be subject to:

Those rights for road purposes as have

been granted to Washoe County its

successors or assigns, by right-of-way

grant N–60200.

The lands are currently closed to

surface entry, except for conveyance

under section 206 of the Federal Land

Policy and Management Act of 1976 or

the Recreation and Public Purposes Act

of 1926, and mining, but not mineral

leasing. For a period of 45 days after

publication of this notice, interested

parties may submit comments regarding

the proposed lease/conveyance or

classification to the Assistant Manager,

Non-Renewable Resources, Bureau of

Land Management, Carson City Field

Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson

City, NV 89701.

Classification Comments

Interested parties may submit

comments involving the suitability of

the land for a community park.

Comments on the classification are

restricted to whether the land is

physically suited for the proposal,

whether the use will maximize the

future use or uses of the land, whether

the use is consistent with local planning

and zoning, or if the use is consistent

with State and Federal programs.

Application Comments

Interested parties may submit

comments regarding the specific use

proposed in the application and plan of

development, whether the BLM

followed proper administrative

procedures in reaching the decision, or

any other factor not directly related to

the suitability of the land for

community park.

Any adverse comments will be

reviewed by the State Director. In the

absence of any adverse comments, the

classification will become effective June

25, 2001. The land will not be offered

for lease/conveyance until after the

classification becomes final.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments, including names and street

addresses of respondents will be

available for public review at the Carson

City Field Office during regular business

hours. Individual respondents may

request confidentiality. If you wish to

withhold your name or address from

public review or from disclosure under

the Freedom of Information Act, you

must state this prominently at the

beginning of your comments. Such

requests will be honored to the extent

allowed by law. All submissions from

organizations or businesses, and from

individuals identifying themselves as

representatives or officials of

organizations or businesses, will be

made available for public inspection in

their entirety.

Dated: This 2nd day of April, 2001.

Richard Conrad,

Assistant Manager, Non-Renewable

Resources, Carson City Field Office.

[FR Doc. 01–10208 Filed 4–24–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV–010–2810–HT]

Elko and Wells Resource Areas

Management Plans, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Elko Field Office, Elko, Nevada.

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Amend the

Elko and Wells RMPs for Fire

Management and Initiate a 30-day

Public Review and Comment Period.

SUMMARY: The Elko and Wells Resource

Management plans (RMPs) were

completed in 1987 and 1983,

respectively, for the former Elko and

Wells Resource Areas of the Elko

District of BLM. These two Resource

Areas have since been combined into

the Elko District which is managed by

the Elko Field Office Since inception,

the Wells RMP has been amended for

elk, utility corridor, and wild horse

issues, while the Elko RMP has never

been amended. Neither RMP addresses

fire management issues in a

comprehensive way, and this lack of

coverage has created management

challenges for the Elko Field Office in

recent years. Neither RMP anticipated

the growing importance of the role of

wildfire in natural and managed

ecosystems, nor the increase in wildfire

occurrence, intensity, and numbers of

acres burned in the Elko District. This

increase in wildfire activity has had

serious impacts on natural resources, as

well as on public land users who rely

on these resources.

The proposed plan amendment to

revise the Elko and Well Resource

Management plans will provide fire

management guidance to address issues

raised by local state and federal

agencies, county governments, Native

Americans, ranchers, and

environmental groups. Issues and

planning criteria identified to date are

listed in this Notice under

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: Meeting dates and other public

participation activities will be

announced in public notices, the local

media, or in letters sent to interested

and potentially affected parties. Persons

wishing to participate in this

amendment process must notify the

Elko Field Office at the address and

phone number below. Comments on the

proposed issues and planning criteria

must be submitted during the public

review and comment period from April

23, 2001, to May 23, 2001. The public

may review the Elko and Wells RMPs at

the address below:

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning

the proposed fire management RMP

amendment should be sent to the BLM

Elko Field Office at 3900 East Idaho

Street, Elko, NV 89801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe

Freeland, Project Manager, Elko BLM

Field Office, at the above address or at

(775) 753–0308.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

Notice satisfies the requirements in the

regulation at 43 CFR 1610.2(c) for

amending Resource Management Plan.

The 5th Year RMP Evaluation

completed in FY 2000 for the Elko RMP

identified fire management as an

important issue that was not adequately

addressed in the RMP, and for which an

RMP amendment was recommended. A

similar 5th Year RMP Evaluation will be

completed for the Wells RMP in FY

2002. However, since the Wells RMP

also lacks any substantive coverage of

fire management issues, it is reasonable

to recommend that a fire management

amendment to this RMP be completed

during the same process to amend the

Elko RMP.

Issues regarding fire management

identified to date include:

1. Suppression Strategy: The Elko

Field Office RMPs currently offer little

guidance on setting suppression

strategies to balance maintenance of

healthy ecosystems dependant on fire

with protection of other resources.

While some public land users advocate

full fire suppression on all public lands,

others feel that wildfire is a natural

process that should be allowed in some

areas. Many ranchers propose intensive

livestock grazing as a strategy to reduce

fuels in fire-prone areas, while other

advocacy groups are concerned about

the impacts from this proposed strategy

on native vegetation and wildlife.