Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 165 / Friday, August 26, 2005 / Notices 50399

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[UT–070–1310–00] 

Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

and to Conduct Public Scoping for the 

West Tavaputs Natural Gas Full Field 

Development Plan, Carbon and 

Duchesne Counties, UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI) to 

conduct public scoping and prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the West Tavaputs Natural Gas Full 

Field Development Plan, Carbon and 

Duchesne Counties, UT. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM), Price Field Office, 

Price, Utah, will prepare an EIS on the 

impacts of efficient and orderly 

development of the natural gas 

resources in the West Tavaputs Plateau 

area on approximately 137,700 acres of 

public, state, and private lands in 

Carbon and Duchesne Counties in 

eastern Utah, as well as considering a 

site-specific development proposal on a 

portion of the West Tavaputs Plateau 

area. The Price Field Office Manager 

will be the authorized officer for this 

project.

DATES: A public scoping period of at 

least 30 days will commence on the date 

this notice is published in the Federal 

Register. If you have any information, 

data or concerns related to the potential 

impacts of the proposed action, or have 

suggestions for additional alternatives, 

or have comments on the proposed 

planning amendment criteria, please 

submit them to the address listed below 

within 30 days of the date this Notice 

is published, or within 15 days after the 

last public meeting is held. Public open 

houses and informational meetings will 

be conducted during the scoping period 

in Price, Roosevelt, and Salt Lake City, 

Utah. Details on these meetings will be 

publicized in the respective city’s 

newspapers at least 15 days prior to 

their scheduled dates.

ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments 

should be sent to: Field Manager, 

Bureau of Land Management, Price 

Field Office, 125 South 600 West, Price, 

Utah 84501, ATTN: West Tavaputs 

Natural Gas Full Field Development 

Plan. Comments, including names and 

street addresses of respondents will be 

available for public review at the BLM 

Price Field Office and will be subject to 

disclosure under the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA). They may be 

published as part of the EIS and other 

related documents. Individual 

respondents may request 

confidentiality. If you wish to withhold 

your name or street address from public 

review and disclosure under the FOIA, 

you must state this prominently at the 

beginning of your written comment. 

Such requests will be honored to the 

extent allowed by law. All submissions 

from organizations or businesses will be 

made available for public inspection in 

their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred 

O’Ferrall, (435) 636–3607.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bill 

Barrett Corporation (BBC), together with 

some other lessees, has submitted a 

proposal to develop the natural gas 

resources on leased lands under their 

control in the West Tavaputs Plateau 

area. The BLM has determined that a 

comprehensive plan for full field 

development of the natural gas 

resources in the larger field area would 

allow more flexibility. A more 

comprehensive area analysis will reduce 

the need for redundant future analyses, 

since the analysis of the comprehensive 

plan would also evaluate the impacts of 

other development proposals on 

existing lessees in the area and the 

impacts of development on lands not 

currently under lease. The EIS will 

consider and analyze potential impacts 

of natural gas development at the levels 

projected by BBC or as refined during 

the scoping process on both leased and 

unleased lands in the entire West 

Tavaputs Plateau area. This analysis 

will include a site-specific evaluation of 

BBC’s proposal under an appropriate 

range of alternatives, and will also 

consider mitigation measures as 

Conditions of Approval under which 

the development may take place. 

Description of the Proposed Action 

The proposed action is to consider 

and determine the conditions under 

which full field development of natural 

gas resources within the West Tavaputs 

area (an area larger than, but 

encompassing, BBC’s ‘‘project area’’) 

would be approved. The BLM 

anticipates analyzing the proposed 

action and also intends to rely on this 

EIS to evaluate and, if appropriate, 

approve site-specific individual drilling 

applications and right-of-way 

authorizations, where applicants (such 

as, BBC) can provide sufficiently 

detailed information for inclusion into 

this process. The development plan 

proposal includes multiple wells, roads, 

access routes, production facilities, and 

utilities. The total number of wells 

ultimately drilled for field development 

depends on many factors, such as 

reservoir properties, production success, 

per well recovery, emergent engineering 

technologies, economic factors, 

availability of commodity markets, and 

lease stipulations and restrictions. 

Site-Specific Project Proposal by BBC 

and Others 

The project area identified by BBC 

encompassing approximately 137,700 

acres, is located approximately 25 miles 

east of Price, Utah and 60 miles 

southwest of Vernal, Utah and is within 

Carbon and Duchesne Counties in 

Eastern Utah. The full field 

development area/EIS involves 

approximately 87% BLM-administered 

lands (119,661 acres); 8% State of Utahadministered lands (10,434 acres); and 

5% private mineral land (7,605 acres). 

Approximately 98 percent of the BBC 

proposed project is located on the top of 

the West Tavaputs plateau. The 

remaining area, approximately two 

percent, is proposed to be located in the 

narrow canyon bottoms of the Nine Mile 

Canyon region and in portions of Jack 

Canyon and Desolation Canyon 

Wilderness Study Areas, on existing 

Federal leases with valid existing rights. 

The long-term BBC proposal for full 

development (along with other 

operators) of their mineral leases 

includes drilling up to 750 new wells 

(Federal, state and private minerals) on 

a maximum of 500 surface locations 

over a period of 20 years or until such 

date as the resource base is fully 

developed. The number of wells drilled 

each year would average about 30, 

although peak activity in any one year 

might reach 70 or more wells. The BBC 

development proposal contemplates 

some year-round drilling which would 

require applications for one-time 

exceptions and/or waiver of existing 

lease stipulations imposed to protect 

seasonal range habitat for elk, mule deer 

and bighorn sheep. 

Preliminary estimates anticipate that 

the amount of surface disturbance will 

range from two to four thousand acres 

out of the 137,700 acre full field 

development area and that the projected 

field life will be 40 or more years. 

Directional and other drilling 

techniques are included in BBC’s 

proposal and will also be used, as 

appropriate, throughout the area to keep 

the number of surface locations to the 

minimum necessary to effectively and 

efficiently recover the hydrocarbon 

resources (BBC is proposing 750 wells 

from 500 surface locations in its project 

area, assuming 80-acre spacing for 

resource recovery). In addition to the 

50400 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 165 / Friday, August 26, 2005 / Notices 

well pads, roads, gas flow lines and 

gathering lines, other required 

infrastructure would include electrical 

lines, water (and possible condensate) 

lines, water treatment, storage and 

disposal facilities, and gas treatment 

and compression facilities. Gas and any 

condensate would be transported via 

pipeline to existing and new centralized 

compression, treatment and sales 

facilities. Produced water and any gas 

condensates would be transported by 

truck or pipeline to approved sales, 

treatment or disposal facilities.

Purpose and Need 

The purpose of the proposed 

development action is to extract and 

recover natural gas from the West 

Tavaputs plateau area in an efficient 

and orderly manner. The EIS will 

analyze full field development, BBC’s 

proposed action, and reasonable 

alternatives at the appropriate scope 

(including the no action alternative as 

well as alternatives involving 

application of mitigation and/or other 

management protections for other 

resource values and programs). This is 

in accordance with BLM’s multiple-use 

mandate and the goals and objectives of 

the President’s National Energy Plan. 

One of the identified needs for the EIS 

at this time is based on the continuing 

increase in the United States’ demand 

for natural gas. BBC’s development 

proposal indicates that up to 250 

million cubic feet of natural gas per day 

could be produced to help meet the 

nation’s growing need for natural gas. 

Identified benefits that may be derived 

from the natural gas development also 

include increased royalty and tax 

revenue to local, State and Federal 

governments, as appropriate, and 

additional opportunities for 

employment and economic benefits at 

the local and regional level. 

Alternatives 

The EIS will analyze the proposed 

action, reasonable alternatives 

formulated through the scoping process, 

and the No Action Alternative (in which 

only the 38 wells presently approved 

under the West Tavaputs Drilling 

Program EA would be drilled). Some 

alternatives will consider and analyze 

mitigation and other measures to protect 

other resources and uses that could be 

imposed as Conditions of Approval 

under which the development may take 

place. At least one of the alternatives 

will consider the use of Best 

Management Practices such as: (1) 

Burying of flow lines for transport of 

water, condensate and gas to centralized 

facilities; (2) requiring extensive interim 

reclamation of production areas; (3) 

locating facilities and wells in visually 

acceptable areas and painting with 

colors that blend in with the natural 

environment; (4) minimizing the 

amount of surface disturbance with the 

use of alternative techniques, such as 

drilling of multiple wells from the same 

surface location; (5) using existing well 

locations and other techniques designed 

to reduce the footprint of new and 

existing oil and gas production facilities 

and infrastructure; and, (6) designing/

constructing all new roads to a safe and 

appropriate standard to accommodate 

their intended use. 

Anticipated Issues and Management 

Concerns 

Preliminary issues identified at this 

time include (1) archaeological, historic 

and cultural features including late19th-century structures and prehistoric 

rock art; (2) wildlife, including big game 

species (Mule Deer, Elk, etc.); (3) 

Threatened and Endangered species 

(Bald Eagle, Mexican Spotted Owl, and 

several endangered fish including 

Colorado Pikeminnow, Humpback 

Chub, Bonytail, and Razorback Sucker); 

(4) Utah BLM sensitive species such as 

the Greater Sage Grouse; (5) surface and 

subsurface watersheds/hydrology; (6) 

transportation and roads, such as the 

Nine Mile Canyon National Backcountry 

Byway; (7) vegetation (including the 

potential introduction of noxious 

weeds, short-term re-vegetation and 

restoration of disturbed areas, and longterm establishment and stabilization of 

perennial vegetation through 

recommended reclamation measures); 

(8) drilling from within the canyon rims 

and in the narrow canyon bottoms in 

the region; (9) the proposed Nine-Mile 

Canyon Area of Critical Environmental 

Concern (ACEC); (10) the Jack Canyon 

Wilderness Study Area and the 

Desolation Canyon Wilderness Study 

Area; (11) the Green River and its 

potential for designation under the Wild 

and Scenic River Act; (12) the 

Desolation Canyon National Historic 

Landmark; (13) air quality and visual 

clarity; (14) recreational opportunities; 

and (15) existing scenic quality of the 

landscape. Other considerations include 

FLPMA and NEPA in relationship to the 

existing Price Management Framework 

Plan, as amended, and the proposed 

Price Resource Management Plan/EIS 

revision. These preliminary issues are 

not final. Identification of additional 

issues and/or issue refinement through 

the public participation process is 

anticipated. 

Comments should address: (1) Issues 

to be considered for analysis; (2) 

reasonable alternatives; and, (3) relevant 

information for consideration relating to 

the analysis of full field development, 

BBC’s proposed development or its 

potential impacts. The EIS will consider 

comments and other issues/concerns 

raised during the scoping period in 

addition to those issues identified in 

this notice. The BLM may use the 

information collected during the 

scoping period to: (1) Develop/analyze 

appropriate mitigation as Conditions of 

Approval under which the proposed 

development may take place; (2) 

consider potential reasonable 

alternatives to the proposed action: or, 

(3) both. 

Existing Development and Prior NEPA 

Documents in the Plan Area 

Currently, there are 71 natural gas 

wells, with their attendant service roads 

and facilities, already existing within 

the project area. Of these 37 wells are 

capable of production and 34 are 

temporarily abandoned or plugged and 

abandoned. The drilling of 38 new 

exploration wells within the project area 

and the corresponding production 

infrastructure was previously analyzed 

in the West Tavaputs Drilling Program 

(EA) (UT–070–2004–28) and approved 

by a Decision Record and Finding of No 

Significant Impact on July 29, 2004. 

Construction and drilling associated 

with that exploration project approval is 

in progress. The Stone Cabin 3D Seismic 

Survey project (EA) (UT–070–2003–15), 

now completed, also provided 

environmental analysis of the impacts of 

seismic exploration activities involving 

some of the same lands that are now 

proposed for development within the 

project area. 

Consistency With Land Use Plans, 

NEPA, and Potential Plan Amendments 

The Price Resource Management Plan 

(RMP) revision/EIS is currently under 

development. The RMP analyzes (at the 

landscape level) a range of levels of use 

for natural gas development inclusive of 

the level of development as proposed by 

BBC, and will provide the prerequisite 

landscape level analysis and various 

resource protections. The BLM will 

ensure that its actions are consistent 

with the applicable land use plan. In the 

event approval of the Price RMP is 

unduly delayed, this EIS may 

alternatively serve as an amendment to 

the existing Management Framework 

Plan. Should such an amendment be 

necessary it will be based on the 

following preliminary Planning Criteria 

that have been identified to guide 

resolution of any planning issues that 

may arise as a result of this full field 

development EIS analysis: (1) The plan 

amendment will recognize the existence 

of valid existing rights; (2) lands 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 165 / Friday, August 26, 2005 / Notices 50401

covered in the RMP amendment will be 

public lands, which include split estate 

lands, managed by BLM. Decisions in 

the RMP amendment will be made only 

on lands managed by BLM; (3) the BLM 

will use a collaborative and multijurisdictional approach, where possible, 

to jointly determine the desired future 

condition of public lands; (4) the BLM 

will make all possible attempts to 

ensure that its management 

prescriptions and amended planning 

actions are as complimentary as 

possible to other planning jurisdictions, 

within the boundaries described by law 

and policy; (5) the BLM will consider 

the management prescriptions on 

adjoining lands to minimize 

inconsistent management. To the extent 

possible, BLM will coordinate 

inventories, planning, and management 

programs with other Federal, state, 

tribal, and local governments and 

agencies; (6) management prescriptions 

will focus on the relative values of 

resources and not necessarily the 

combination of uses that will give the 

greatest economic return or economic 

output; (7) to the extent possible, the 

BLM will use current scientific 

information, research, new technologies 

and the results of resource assessments, 

monitoring and coordination to 

determine appropriate local and 

regional management strategies that will 

enhance or recover impaired 

ecosystems; and (8) the plan 

amendment will be completed in 

compliance with FLPMA, NEPA, and all 

other relevant Federal laws, executive 

orders and management policies of the 

BLM. 

Site-Specific NEPA 

While this EIS is intended to analyze 

site-specific impacts, site-specific NEPA 

analysis and documentation must 

remain adequate and detailed enough to 

identify and support any Conditions of 

Approval or other adaptive management 

actions justified by future site-specific 

considerations. This is necessary so as 

to retain BLM’s full authority at each 

decision stage to manage its lands in 

accordance with land use plans, prevent 

unacceptable impacts, and to support 

appropriate levels of protection and/or 

mitigation against effects on other 

resource values. Accordingly, additional 

site-specific NEPA analysis may be 

required before individual activities are 

approved based on a review of the 

specific conditions and the adequacy of 

the existing NEPA documentation at the 

time activities are proposed.

Patrick Gubbins, 

Price Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 05–16953 Filed 8–25–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–DK–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[OR–027–1610–DR; HAG 05–0050] 

Notice of Availability of Records of 

Decision for the Andrews Management 

Unit and Steens Mountain Cooperative 

Management and Protection Area 

Resource Management Plans (RMPs)/

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

and the Steens Mountain Wilderness 

and Wild and Scenic Rivers Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act (FLPMA), the Steens 

Mountain Cooperative Management and 

Protection Act of 2000 (Steens Act), and 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

policies, the BLM announces the 

availability of the RMPs/RODs for the 

Andrews Management Unit (AMU) and 

Steens Mountain Cooperative 

Management and Protection Area 

(CMPA), located primarily in Harney 

County in southeastern Oregon. The 

Oregon/Washington State Director 

approved the RMPs/RODs, which 

become effective immediately. In 

accordance with the Steens Act, BLM is 

also releasing the Final Steens Mountain 

Wilderness and WSRs Plan for pertinent 

lands within the CMPA.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the AMU and 

CMPA RMPs/RODs are available upon 

request from the BLM Burns District 

Office, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, 

OR 97738, via e-mail at 

OR_Burns_RMP@or.blm.gov, or via the 

Internet at http://www.or.blm.gov/

Burns/Planning/AndrewsSteensRMP/

RMP.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Information about the plans may be 

obtained by contacting the RMP Project 

Leader, Gary Foulkes, BLM, Burns 

District Office, 29810 Highway 20 West, 

Hines, OR 97738, telephone (541–573–

4400), fax (541–573–4411), or e-mail 

(gfoulkes@or.blm.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AMU 

and CMPA RMPs/RODs were developed 

with broad public participation over a 

three-year collaborative planning 

process. These RMPs/RODs address 

management on approximately 

1,649,470 acres of public land 

consisting of the 1,221,314-acre AMU 

(public land in the Andrews Resource 

Area outside the CMPA) and public 

land in the 428,156-acre CMPA. In 

addition, 53,436 acres of the Three 

Rivers Resource Area falling within the 

CMPA were also included in this 

planning effort, and the Three Rivers 

RMP is amended as a result. The AMU 

and CMPA RMPs/RODs are designed to 

achieve or maintain desired future 

conditions determined through the 

planning process. The RMPs include a 

series of management actions to meet 

the desired resource conditions for 

upland and riparian vegetation, wildlife 

habitats, cultural and visual resources, 

livestock grazing and recreation, 

wilderness, and WSRs, as well as other 

resources. The Steens Mountain 

Wilderness and WSRs Plan addresses 

management issues associated with the 

170,084-acre wilderness area and the 

105 miles of WSRs in the CMPA. 

Management activities in the 

approved AMU and CMPA RMPs/RODs 

are essentially the same as those 

described in Alternative D for each area 

in the AMU/CMPA Proposed RMP/Final 

EIS, which was published in August 

2004. BLM received five protests on the 

Proposed RMP/Final EIS and three 

comment letters on the Steens Mountain 

Wilderness and WSRs Plan. The 

protests were resolved without changes 

to the RMPs. No inconsistencies with 

State or local plans, policies, or 

programs were identified during the 

Governor’s consistency review of the 

Proposed RMP/Final EIS. As a result, 

except for separating the text for the two 

plans, only minor editorial 

modifications were made in the RMPs/

RODs. These modifications corrected 

errors that were noted during review of 

the Proposed RMP/Final EIS and 

provide further clarification for some of 

the decisions. The Comments received 

on the Steens Mountain Wilderness and 

WSRs Plan were considered during 

development of the Final Steens 

Mountain Wilderness and WSRs Plan.

James G. Kenna, 

Associate State Director, Oregon/Washington.

[FR Doc. 05–16949 Filed 8–25–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–33–M