Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2001 / Notices 27675

Individuals may nominate themselves

for Council membership. You may

obtain nomination forms from the Grand

Junction Field Office, Bureau of Land

Management or download the

application from the Internet site (see

ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT, above). To make

a nomination, you must submit a

completed nomination form, letters of

reference from the represented interests

or organizations, as well as any other

information that speaks to the

nominee’s qualifications, to the Grand

Junction Field Office. You may make

nominations for the following categories

of interest:

(1) A member of, or nominated by, the

Mesa County Board of County

Commissioners.

(2) A member of, or nominated by, the

permittees holding grazing permits

within the National Conservation Area

or Wilderness.

(3) A member of, or nominated by, the

Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory

Council.

(4) Seven members residing in, or

within reasonable proximity to, Mesa

County, Colorado, with recognized

backgrounds reflecting—

(A) The purposes for which the

National Conservation Area or

Wilderness was established; and

(B) The interests of the stakeholders

that are affected by the planning and

management of the National

Conservation Area and Wilderness.

The specific category the nominee

would like to represent should be

identified in the letter of nomination

and in the nomination form. The Grand

Junction Field Office will collect the

nomination forms and letters of

reference and distribute them to the

officials responsible for submitting

nominations (commissioners of Mesa

County, grazing permittees holding

grazing allotments within the National

Conservation Area or Wilderness, the

Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory

Council, and the Bureau of Land

Management). The Bureau of Land

Management will then forward

recommended nominations to the

Secretary of the Interior who has

responsibility for making the

appointments.

The purpose of the Colorado Canyons

National Conservation Area Advisory

Council is to advise the Bureau of Land

Management on the management of the

Colorado Canyons National

Conservation Area and Black Ridge

Canyons Wilderness. Each member will

be a person who, as a result of training

and experience, has knowledge or

special expertise which qualifies him or

her to provide advice from among the

categories of interest listed above.

Members will serve without monetary

compensation, but will be reimbursed

for travel and per diem expenses at

current rates for Government

employees.

Dated: May 14, 2001.

Nina Rose Hatfield,

Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management.

[FR Doc. 01–12603 Filed 5–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

(WY–050–2001–1060–JJ)

Notice of Intent To Remove Excess

and Stray Wild Horses

SUMMARY: The Wild, Free Roaming

Horse and Burro Act (Pub. L. 92–195)

requires that , among other things,

horses that exceed the Appropriate

Management Levels (AMLs) established

for them or stray from designated Herd

Management Areas (HMAs) be removed.

In order to accomplish that, the Lander

Field Office of the Bureau of Land

Management plans to remove 350 excess

and stray horses from four contiguous

herd areas within the Lander Field

Office known as the Muskrat Basin

HMA, Conant Creek HMA, Rock Creek

Mountain HMA, Dishpan Butte HMA

and an area north and east of the

Muskrat Basin HMA into which horses

have strayed outside of the HMA. The

removal is scheduled for the summer/

fall seasons of 2001. Specific dates

depend on the weather and soil

conditions, and other factors unforseen

at this time. The Appropriate

Management level for these four

contiguous areas is 320 horses. An

Environmental Analysis (EA), and

Gather Plan for this removal will be

available on June 15, 2001 for a thirty

(30) day comment period. from: Jack

Kelly, Field Manager, P.O. Box 589,

Lander, Wyoming 82520; (307) 332–

8400. These documents are also

available for review on the Wyoming

BLM homepage at www.wy.blm.gov

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

further information please contact Roy

Packer, Bureau of Land Management,

Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street,

P.O. Box 589, Lander, Wyoming 82520,

(307) 332–8400.

Dated: May 9, 2001.

Roy Packer,

Acting Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 01–12516 Filed 5–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

[ID–075–1330–AC–241E]

North Rasmussen Ridge Mine, BLM

Pocatello Field Office and CaribouTarghee National Forest, Caribou

County, ID

AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management,

USDI and Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),

Pocatello Field Office and the

Department of Agriculture, Forest

Service (USFS), Caribou-Targhee

National Forest, will jointly prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

to document the analysis and disclose

the environmental and human effects of

the proposed North Rasmussen Ridge

Mine and Reclamation Plan for future

operations at the existing Rasmussen

Ridge Mine, Caribou County, Idaho,

located approximately 25 miles

northeast of Soda Springs, Idaho. The

proposed mining operations would

utilize land administered by the U.S.

Forest Service and Bureau of Land

Management. Mining will take place on

Federal Phosphate Leases I–04375, I–

07619 within the Caribou-Targhee

National Forest, and in State Lease I–

7957 adjacent the Federal Phosphate

Leases.

Nu-West Industries, Inc. (Agrium)

must obtain federal and state permits

prior to mining under the proposed

mine plan. The existing mining

operation was authorized by Decision

Records (DR) associated with two

environmental analyses prepared—the

DR first issued in 1990 for the South

Rasmussen Ridge Mine and the second

DR in1997 for Central Rasmussen Ridge

Mine. The conditional permits granted

by the BLM and USFS at the beginning

of the Rasmussen Ridge mining

operations required that subsequent

site-specific mine plans for the

individual mine panels be submitted to

the agencies for their review and that

appropriate mitigation measures be

developed using further environmental

analysis.

The environmental effects from the

South and Central Rasmussen Ridge

mining panels were assessed in the 1990

and 1997 EAs, however this EIS would

evaluate the effects of the proposed

North Rasmussen Ridge Mine and

27676 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2001 / Notices

Reclamation Plan in light of additional

information on selenium and other

potential contaminants collected since

1997. Based on the EIS analysis, the

BLM would make decisions regarding

the North Rasmussen Ridge Mine and

Reclamation Plan and additional land

use authorizations for the proposed

mining activities, including lease

modifications by the BLM. In addition,

a Section 404, Clean Water Act permit

may be required by the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers (Corps) for the proposed

operations.

Agency Decisions: The BLM Pocatello

Field Office Manager, who is the

responsible official for the EIS and

administers mineral development

activities on Federal leases, will

consider approval of a mine and

reclamation plan. The Caribou-Targhee

National Forest Supervisor, who is the

responsible official for Caribou-Targhee

National Forest lands not on-lease,

would make a related recommendation

of appropriate land use authorizations

regarding this proposal. The

recommendation and decision will

include consideration of scoping

comments and responses; anticipated

environmental consequences discussed

in the EIS; and applicable laws,

regulations, and policies. Decisions may

include approval of site-specific Mine

and Reclamation Plans; issuance of

phosphate lease modifications by the

BLM; and possible modification of

existing special use permits for roads,

ponds, and ditches by the USFS. A

Section 404 Clean Water Act Permit

may also be required by the Corps. They

would render a decision related to that

permit and how to mitigate the impacts

to affected wetlands and Waters of the

United States.

DATES: Written comments concerning

the scope of the analysis described in

this Notice should be received on or

before June 18, 2001.

Scoping Procedure: The scoping

procedure to be used for this EIS will

involve the following: a broad mailing

asking for comments, issues and

concerns to interested and potentially

affected individuals, groups, Federal,

State and local government; news

releases or legal notices; and public

scoping meetings.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

Jerry Koblitz, Greystone Environmental

Consultants, Inc., 5231 Quebec Street,

Greenwood Village, CO 80111. They

may also be submitted by e-mail to

jkoblitz@greystone-consultants.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Wendell Johnson, Bureau of Land

Management, Pocatello Field Office,

1111 N. 8th Ave., Pocatello, Idaho

83201, phone (208) 478–6353; or Darrel

VandeWeg, Caribou-Targhee National

Forest, Soda Springs Ranger District,

421 W. Second South, Soda Springs,

Idaho 83276, phone (208) 547–4356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

proposed mining activities consist of the

extension of open pit mining to the

northern end of Lease I–04375, into

State Lease I–7957, then into Federal

Lease I–07619—known as North

Rasmussen Ridge. In addition, a topsoil

stockpile, haul road, and runoff/

sediment control facilities would be

constructed. Mining would include best

management practices for control of

releases of sediment and dissolved

metals. The proposed open pits would

be located along Rasmussen Ridge and

would cross the upper west fork of an

ephemeral stream known locally as No

Name Creek. The creek would be

temporarily diverted, then reestablished

in it’s original location after mining has

been concluded. A haulroad would be

constructed on the east side of the

proposed open pit and would extend

along the hillside adjacent to the upper

west fork of Sheep Creek and into the

upper reach of Reese Canyon. The

existing Forest Service road that was

built for timber access into upper Sheep

Creek has been temporarily closed to the

public. The road would remain closed

until mining has been completed in

Central and North Rasmussen Ridge.

The public would be allowed access

into the upper Sheep Creek using the

existing USFS road DFR 192 from Lanes

Creek to Midnight Springs.

Existing mine, haul roads,

maintenance, and administrative

facilities would be used during the mine

period. Ore from the North Rasmussen

Ridge Mine would be hauled by truck to

Agrium’s railroad loading facility

located on private property in Wooley

Valley. Ore is then transported to

Agrium’s Conda Plant located

approximately seven miles north of

Soda Springs, Idaho. Overburden from

the mining activity would be used to

backfill previously mined panels in

Central and North Rasmussen Ridge.

Disturbed lands directly resulting

from the proposed activities would total

329.1 acres. The new pits would include

254.6 acres and the rest of the disturbed

acreage would be for roads, ponds, and

growth media piles. Approximately

248.4 acres of the proposed disturbance

would be reclaimed by backfilling most

of the proposed open pit areas,

regrading fill slopes, spreading topsoil,

planting of appropriate vegetation, and

installation and maintenance of runoff

and sediment control facilities.

The BLM and USFS believe, at this

early stage, it is important to give

reviewers notice of several court rulings,

related to public participation in the

environmental review process. First,

reviewers of draft EISs must structure

their participation in the environmental

review of the proposal so that it is

meaningful and alerts an agency to

reviewer’s position and contentions.

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v.

NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,553 (1978). Also,

environmental objections that could be

raised at the draft EIS stage but that are

not raised until after completion of the

final EIS may be waived or dismissed by

the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803

F. 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and

Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490

F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980).

Because of these court rulings, it is very

important that those interested in this

proposed action participate by the close

of the 60-day comment period for the

draft EIS so that substantive comments

and objections are made available to the

BLM and USFS at a time when it can

meaningfully consider them and

respond to them in the final EIS.

Preliminary Issues

Initially identified issues include

potential effects on: ground water and

surface water quantity and quality,

wildlife and their habitats, livestock

grazing, wetlands and riparian habitat,

socio-economics, and development of

best management practices for mine

operations.

Possible Alternatives

The EIS will analyze the Proposed

Action and No Action Alternatives.

Other alternatives may include

alterations to portions of the proposed

mining plan or sequence and design

parameters to provide mitigation for

resources of concern.

Tentative EIS Project Schedule

The tentative project schedule is as

follows:

• Begin Public Comment Period—

April, 2001

• Hold Public Scoping Meetings—

May, 2001

• Estimated date for Draft EIS—May,

2002

• Public Comment Period on Draft

EIS—60 days from when the Notice of

Availability is published in the Federal

Register

• Final EIS—September 2002

• Record of Decision—October 2002

Public Scoping Meetings

Two public scoping meetings will be

held, each an open house, from 7:00

PM–9:00 PM. The open houses would

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2001 / Notices 27677

include displays explaining the project

and a forum for commenting on the

project. Scoping meetings will be held

in the Soda Springs City Office

Building, Soda Springs, Idaho, and in

the BLM Field Office, Pocatello, Idaho.

Dates for the two scoping meetings will

be published in the Caribou County Sun

and in the Idaho State Journal

newspapers.

Public Input Requested

The BLM and USFS are seeking

information and written comments from

Federal, State and local agencies as well

as individuals and organizations who

may be interested in, or affected by, the

proposed action. To assist the BLM and

USFS in identifying and considering

issues and concerns related to the

proposed action, comments for scoping,

and later for the Draft EIS, should be as

specific as possible. Referring to specific

pages or chapters of the EIS or the

merits of the alternatives formulated

and discussed in the EIS is most

helpful. All scoping comments are due

30 days after publication in the Idaho

State Journal.

Dated: April 18, 2001.

Jeff S. Steele,

BLM Pocatello Field Manager.

Jerry Reese,

Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National

Forest.

[FR Doc. 01–12512 Filed 5–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM–910–01–1020–PB]

New Mexico Resource Advisory

Council Meeting

AGENCY: The Bureau of Land

Management, Department of the

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of council meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act and the Federal Advisory

Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), 5 U.S.C.

Appendix 1, The Department of the

Interior, Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), announces a meeting of the New

Mexico Resource Advisory Council

(RAC). The meeting will be held on June

7 and 8, 2001, at the Holiday Inn Santa

Fe, 4048 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New

Mexico, 87505.

There will be an optional all day field

trip on Wednesday, June 6, 2001.

Transportation will be provided for RAC

members. The optional field trip will be

organized by the Albuquerque and Taos

Field Offices of the BLM. The field trip

will leave from the Holiday Inn at 8:30

a.m.

The meeting on Thursday, June 7,

2001, will start at 8 a.m. and will end

about 5 p.m. The draft agenda for the

RAC meeting includes agreement on the

meeting agenda, any RAC comments on

the draft minutes of the last RAC

Meeting which was held on April 4

through 6, 2001, in Carlsbad, New

Mexico, and a check-in from the RAC

members. The focus of the meeting will

be on Off Highway Vehicle issues and

Energy issues. Presentations will

include discussion.

The three established RAC

Subcommittees may have late afternoon

or evening meetings on Wednesday,

June 6, after the optional field trip, or on

Thursday, June 7, after the meeting. The

exact time and location of possible

subcommittee meetings will be

established by the Chairperson of each

subcommittee and be available to the

public following the field trip on

Wednesday, June 6, and during the RAC

meeting on Thursday, June 7, for that

evening. That information will also be

available at the desk of the Holiday Inn

on those two days. On Friday, June 8,

the meeting starts at 8 a.m. and will end

about 3 p.m. The ending time of 3 p.m.

may be changed depending on the work

remaining for the RAC.

The meeting is open to the public,

and starting at 2:45 p.m. on Thursday,

June 6, 2001, there will be an additional

15 minute Public Comment Period for

members of the public who are not able

to be present for the regular Public

Comment Period on Friday, June 8, to

address the RAC.

The meeting on Friday, April 6, will

start at 8 a.m. with a review of the

agenda thus far. RAC Subcommittee

Reports are scheduled from the Urban

and Open Space Subcommittee, the

Roads and Trails Subcommittee, and the

Energy Subcommittee at various times

throughout the two day meeting.

The regular Public Comment Period

for the Public to address the RAC is on

Friday, June 8, 2001, from 10 a.m. to 12

noon. The RAC may reduce or extend

the end time of 12 noon depending on

the number of people wishing to

address the RAC. Anyone wishing to

address the RAC should be present at

the 10 a.m. starting time. The length of

time available for each person to

address the RAC will be established at

the start of the public comment period

and will depend on how many people

wish to address the RAC, but usually

not more than 15 minutes. At the

completion of public comments, the

RAC may continue discussion of its

agenda items.

BLM State of the Field Office Reports,

presented by the Field Office Managers,

will be scheduled at various times

during the 2 day meeting.

RAC discussions any any RAC

recommendations are scheduled for 2:45

p.m. followed by a RAC assessment of

the current meeting and development of

draft agenda items and selection of a

location for the next RAC meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary White, New Mexico State Office,

Office of External Affairs, Bureau of

Land Management, 1474 Rodeo Road,

P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, New Mexico

87502–0115, telephone (505) 438–7404.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the Resource Advisory

Council is to advise the Secretary of the

Interior, through the BLM, on a variety

of planning and management issues

associated with the management of

public lands. The Council’s

responsibilities include providing

advice on long-range planning,

establishing resource management

priorities and assisting the BLM to

identify State and regional standards for

rangeland health and guidelines for

grazing management.

Dated: April 24, 2001.

Richard Whitley,

Associate State Director.

[FR Doc. 01–12509 Filed 5–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–FB–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT–079–01–1020–AC]

Resource Advisory Council Meeting,

Dillon, MT

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Western Montana

Resource Advisory Council will

convene on May 31, 2001 at 12 Noon at

the U.S. Forest Service Sheridan Work

Center, 103 North Main, Sheridan,

Montana., A field tour of the Garden

Creek allotment will begin from there

and end at Dillon, Montana. This area

of the Ruby Mountains has recently

been assessed for compliance with

Standards for Rangeland Health. The

tour is designed to look at areas that are

not currently meeting the standards, and

discussions on the planning process for

making changes in the current grazing

management to initiate progress in

meeting the standard will be held on the