Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 208 / Friday, October 28, 2005 / Notices 62139 

6, T. 10 S., R. 70 W., thence northeasterly 

along the middle of the main channel of the 

South Platte River approximately 22.6 miles, 

ending at the high water line of the Strontia 

Springs Reservoir, in sec. 30, T. 7 S., R. 69 

W. 

Segment 3: North Fork South Platte River 

Beginning on the North Fork of the South 

Platte River from Insmont (upper end of 

Berger property) in the NW1⁄4SE1⁄4 of sec. 33, 

T. 7 S., R. 72 W., thence easterly along the 

middle of the main channel of the North Fork 

of the South Platte River approximately 22.9 

miles to the confluence with the main stem 

of the South Platte River in sec. 25, T. 7 S., 

R. 69 W. 

Excepting nonfederal owned surface and 

mineral estate, and subject to valid existing 

rights, the provisions of existing 

withdrawals, and other segregations of 

record. A land list describing by Township, 

Range and Section, the Federal lands and 

interests crossed by the above-described 

segments and subject to this Notice of 

Proposed Withdrawal is available from the 

BLM at the address listed above. 

The areas described aggregate 

approximately 14,919.26 acres in Jefferson, 

Teller, Park, and Douglas Counties. 

The purpose of this proposed 

withdrawal is to protect important wild 

and scenic values which have been 

determined to meet the requirements for 

inclusion in the National Wild and 

Scenic Rivers System. 

As proposed, the withdrawal would 

be for a period of 20 years or until 

Congress determines these segments 

should or should not be included in the 

Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 

The use of a right-of-way or 

cooperative agreement instead of a 

withdrawal would not provide adequate 

protection for this area due to the broad 

scope and nondiscretionary nature of 

the general mining laws. 

There are no alternative sites because 

the area of interest is determined by the 

location of the rivers. 

Water will not be needed to fulfill the 

purpose of the requested withdrawal. 

For a period of 90 days from the date 

of publication of this notice, all persons 

who wish to submit comments, 

suggestions, or objections in connection 

with this proposal may present their 

views in writing to the Colorado State 

Director, BLM, or David Crumley, USDA 

Forest Service, at the above addresses. 

However, those persons desiring to be 

heard at the public meeting must submit 

their requests by December 8, 2005. A 

list of scheduled speakers will be 

established. Unscheduled speakers will 

be heard if time allows. 

Comments, including names and 

street addresses of respondents, and 

records relating to the proposed 

withdrawal will be available for public 

review at the BLM Colorado State Office 

in Lakewood and the USDA Forest 

Service Office in Pueblo 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 representatives or 

officials of organizations or businesses, 

will be made available for public 

inspection in their entirety. 

The application will be processed in 

accordance with the regulations set 

forth in 43 CFR 2300. 

For a period of 2 years from the date 

of publication of this notice in the 

Federal Register, the above described 

lands will be segregated from location 

and entry under the mining laws as 

specified above unless the application is 

denied or cancelled, or the withdrawal 

is approved, prior to that date. During 

this period, the lands will continue to 

be managed by the USDA Forest 

Service. 

(Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3–1) 

Dated: October 7, 2005. 

John D. Beck, 

Acting Chief, Branch of Lands and Realty. 

[FR Doc. 05–21570 Filed 10–27–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Minerals Management Service 

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska 

OCS Region, Beaufort Sea Oil and Gas 

Lease Sale 202, March 2007 

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service 

(MMS), Interior. 

ACTION: Request for Information (RFI) 

and Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an 

Environmental Assessment (EA). 

SUMMARY: The Secretary’s approved 5- 

Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 

for 2002–2007 provides for 3 sales: Sales 

186, 195, and 202 to be held in the 

Beaufort Sea Programlanning Area. The 

presale process incorporated planning 

and analysis for all three sales. From the 

initial step in the process (the Call for 

Information and Nominations (Call)) 

through the final Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS)/Consistency 

Determination (CD) step, the process 

covered the multiple-sale proposals. 

However, we indicated that we would 

conduct and did conduct complete 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), OCS Lands Act, and Coastal 

Zone Management Act processes for 

each sale, including a proposed and 

final Notice of Sale. The environmental 

analysis and the CD for Sale 202 will 

focus primarily on new issues, new 

scientific information, and/or changes 

in the state’s federally-approved coastal 

management plan. 

The Call NOI to Prepare an EIS for 

Sales 186, 195, and 202 was published 

in the Federal Register on September 

19, 2001, at 66 FR 48268. The Beaufort 

Sea Multiple-Sale Final EIS for these 

sales was released in February 2003 

(OCS EIS/EA, MMS 2003–001). Sales 

186 and 195 were held on September 

24, 2003, and March 30, 2005, 

respectively. When the multiple-sale 

EIS was prepared, MMS indicated it 

would do an EA for Sales 195 and 202 

if no significant new issues or impacts 

are identified. The MMS is now 

initiating a RFI for Beaufort Sea Sale 

202. 

DATES: Comments on the RFI and on the 

NOI must be received no later than 45 

days following publication of this 

document in the Federal Register in 

envelopes labeled ‘‘Comments on the 

Request for Information for Beaufort Sea 

Sale 202’’ or ‘‘Comments on the Notice 

of Intent to prepare an Environmental 

Assessment’’ as appropriate. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Please call Steve Flippen at (907) 334–

5268 in MMS’s Alaska OCS Region 

regarding questions on the RFI/NOI to 

prepare an EA. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

environmental analysis and the CD for 

Sale 202 will focus primarily on new 

issues and information that may have 

arisen since the completion of the EIS 

for Sales 186, 195, and 202 (February 

2003) and on any changes that may have 

occurred in the state’s coastal 

management plan. The process will lead 

to identification of the area to be 

included in the proposed Notice of Sale 

(NOS). Each of these steps, including 

the proposed NOS, provides for a public 

comment period. At the culmination of 

each step and after analysis of any 

public comments, the MMS will decide 

whether to proceed to the next step. 

This process will: 

• Focus on the environmental 

analysis by identifying impact types and 

levels that may change since the 

analysis was done for Sales 186 and 

195; 

• Result in any new issues being 

more easily highlighted by the public; 

• Eliminate issuance for public 

review the repetitive, voluminous EISs 

for each sale; and 

• Result in a more efficient and 

responsive application of the NEPA. 

62140 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 208 / Friday, October 28, 2005 / Notices 

The MMS will analyze all comments 

received in response to this RFI and reexamine information previously 

submitted in response to the Call and 

the draft and final EISs for Sales 186, 

195, and 202. The MMS will then 

identify the area to be analyzed in the 

EA. 

This RFI does not indicate a decision 

to lease in the area described below. 

Final delineation of the areas for 

possible leasing will be made after 

completion of the pre-sale steps 

described above and in compliance with 

the current 2002–2007 OCS Oil and Gas 

Leasing Program and applicable laws, 

including all requirements of the NEPA 

and the OCS Lands Act. 

Request for Information 

1. Authority 

This RFI is published pursuant to the 

OCS Lands Act as amended (43 U.S.C. 

1331–1356, (1994)) (OCS Lands Act), 

and the regulations issued thereunder 

(30 CFR 256), and in accordance with 

the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 

2002–2007. 

2. Purpose of Request 

The purpose of the RFI is to gather 

information for Oil and Gas Lease Sale 

202 in the Beaufort Sea, scheduled for 

March 2007. Information on oil and gas 

leasing, exploration, and development 

and production within the Beaufort Sea 

is sought from all interested parties. 

This early planning and consultation 

step is important for ensuring that all 

interests and concerns are 

communicated to the U.S. Department 

of the Interior for decisions in the 

leasing process pursuant to the OCS 

Lands Act and regulations at 30 CFR 

256. 

The Call published in the Federal 

Register on September 19, 2001, 

requested information and nominations 

from industry for Sales 186, 195, and 

202 in the Beaufort Sea Planning Area. 

The MMS will use the information 

submitted in response to that Call and 

any new information submitted in 

response to this RFI to determine the 

area that will be included in a NEPA 

analysis. It is not necessary to re-submit 

comments sent in response to the 

multiple-sale Call or for industry to resubmit their areas of interest if your 

comments or indications of interest 

have not changed since that time. This 

process seeks to identify new areas of 

concern and areas of interest to 

industry. 

3. Description of Area 

The area that is the subject of this RFI 

is located offshore the State of Alaska in 

the Beaufort Sea Planning Area. It 

extends offshore from about 3 nautical 

miles to approximately 60 nautical 

miles, in water depths from 

approximately 25 feet to 200 feet. A 

small portion of the outer limits of the 

sale area north of Harrison Bay drops to 

approximately 3,000 feet. This area 

consists of approximately 1,898 whole 

and partial blocks (about 9.9 million 

acres). A page-size map of the area 

accompanies this Notice. The map also 

shows the four deferral alternatives 

evaluated in the Beaufort Sea Final EIS 

for Sales 186, 195, and 202. The 

Department excluded the Barrow and 

Kaktovik deferral areas from Sales 186 

and 195. A large scale RFI map showing 

the boundaries of the area on a blockby-block basis is available without 

charge from the Records Manager at the 

address given below, or by telephone 

request at (907) 271–6621. Copies of 

Official Protraction Diagrams (OPDs) are 

also available for $2 each: Alaska OCS 

Region, Minerals Management Service, 

3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, 

Anchorage, Alaska, 99503–5823, http:// 

www.mms.gov/alaska. 

4. Instructions on RFI 

The RFI map delineates the area that 

is the subject of this request. 

Respondents are requested to indicate 

interest in and comment on any or all 

of the Federal acreage within the 

boundaries of the RFI area that they 

wish to have included in Beaufort Sea 

Sale 202. 

If you wish to comment, you may 

submit your comments by any one of 

the following methods: 

• You may mail comments to: Alaska 

OCS Region, Minerals Management 

Service, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 

500, Anchorage, Alaska 99503–5823. 

You may also comment via e-mail to: 

akrfi@mms.gov. Please submit internet 

comments as an ASCII file, avoiding the 

use of special characters and any form 

of encryption. Please also include ‘‘Attn: 

Comments on Request for Information 

for Beaufort Sea Sale 202’’ and your 

name and return address in your 

Internet message. If you do not receive 

a confirmation from the system that we 

have received your Internet message, 

contact us via e-mail to: 

akwebmaster@mms.gov. 

• You may fax your comments to: 

MMS at (907) 334–5242. 

• Finally, you may hand-deliver 

comments to: Alaska OCS Region, 

Minerals Management Service, 3801 

Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, 

Anchorage, Alaska 99503–5823. 

Our practice is to make comments, 

including names and addresses of 

respondents, available for public review 

during regular business hours. 

Individual respondents may request that 

we withhold their address from the 

rulemaking record, which we will honor 

to the extent allowable by law. We 

would withhold a respondent’s identity, 

as allowable by law, under certain 

circumstances. If you wish us to 

withhold your name and/or address, 

you must state this prominently at the 

beginning of your comment. However, 

we will not consider anonymous 

comments. We will make all 

submissions from organizations or 

businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, available 

for public inspection in their entirety. 

A. Areas of Interest to the Oil and Gas 

Industry. The MMS requests industry to 

submit any new information, including 

nomination of blocks that are of 

significant interest for exploration and 

development and production. 

Information and nominations submitted 

in response to the multiple-sale Call for 

Sales 186, 195, and 202, published on 

September 19, 2001, (66 FT 48268), will 

also be considered as information and 

nominations for the Sale 202 area 

identification process. 

Nominations must be depicted on the 

RFI map by outlining the area(s) of 

interest along block lines. Nominators 

are asked to submit a list of whole and 

partial blocks nominated (by OPD and 

block number) to facilitate correct 

interpretation of their nominations on 

the RFI map. Although the identities of 

those submitting nominations become a 

matter of public record, the individual 

nominations are proprietary 

information. Nominators also are 

requested to rank blocks nominated 

according to priority of interest [e.g., 

priority 1 (high) or 2 (medium)]. Blocks 

nominated that do not indicate 

priorities will be considered priority 3 

(low). Nominators must be specific in 

indicating blocks by priority and be 

prepared to discuss their range of 

interest and activity regarding the 

nominated area(s). The telephone 

number and name of a person to contact 

in the nominator’s organization for 

additional information should be 

included in the response. This person 

will be contacted to set up a mutually 

agreeable time and place for a meeting 

with the Alaska OCS Regional Office to 

present their views regarding the 

company’s nominations. 

B. Relation to Coastal Management 

Plans. Comments also are sought on 

potential conflicts with approved local 

coastal management plans that may 

result from the sale and future OCS oil 

and gas activities. These comments 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 208 / Friday, October 28, 2005 / Notices 62141 

should identify specific coastal 

management plan policy of concern, the 

nature of the conflicts foreseen, and 

steps that MMS could take to avoid or 

mitigate the potential conflicts. 

Comments may be in terms of broad 

areas or restricted to particular blocks of 

concern. Commenters are requested to 

list block numbers or outline the subject 

area on the large-scale RFI map. 

5. Use of Information From the RFI 

Information submitted in response to 

this RFI will be used for several 

purposes. Responses will be used to: 

• Help to further identify areas of 

potential oil and gas development; 

• Identify environmental effects and 

potential use conflicts not previously 

addressed in the final EIS and CD for 

Sales 186, 195, and 202 (OCS EIS/EA, 

MMS 2003–0010); 

• Develop any additional lease terms 

and conditions/mitigating measures that 

may be necessary; and 

• Identify any potential conflicts 

between oil and gas activities and the 

Alaska coastal management plan not 

addressed in the CDs for Sales 186 and 

195. 

6. Existing Information 

The MMS has acquired a substantial 

amount of information, including that 

gained through the use of traditional 

knowledge, on the issues and concerns 

related to oil and gas leasing in the 

Beaufort Sea. 

An extensive environmental, social, 

and economic studies program has been 

underway in this area since 1975. The 

emphasis has been on geologic 

mapping, environmental 

characterization of biologically sensitive 

habitats, endangered whales and marine 

mammals, physical oceanography, 

ocean-circulation modeling, and 

ecological and socio-cultural effects of 

oil and gas activities. 

Information on the studies program, 

completed studies, and a program status 

report for continuing studies in this area 

is available on the MMS Web site http:// 

www.mms.gov/alaska, or may be 

obtained from the Chief, Environmental 

Studies Section, Alaska OCS Region, by 

telephone request at (907) 334–5280, or 

by written request at the address stated 

under Description of Area. A request 

may also be made via e-mail to: 

akwebmaster@mms.gov. 

7. Tentative Schedule 

The following is a list of tentative 

milestone dates applicable to Beaufort 

Sea Sale 202 covered by this Call: 

RFI published–October 2005. 

Area Identification–December 2005. 

NEPA/ EA Review (or Supplemental 

EIS) published–July 2006. 

Proposed Notice and CD–October 2006. 

Final NOS–February 2007. 

Tentative Sale Date–March 2007. 

NOI To Prepare an Environmental 

Analysis 

1. Authority 

The NOI is published pursuant to the 

regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) 

implementing the provisions of the 

NEPA of 1969 as amended [42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq. (1988)]. 

2. Purpose of NOI 

Pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR 

1501.7) implementing the procedural 

provisions of the NEPA of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), MMS is 

announcing its intent to prepare an EA 

for Beaufort Sea Oil and Gas Lease Sale 

202, scheduled for March 2007. The EA 

will be prepared to determine if there 

are significant new issues or impacts not 

previously addressed in the EIS for 

Sales 186, 195, and 202. If no significant 

new issues or impacts are identified, a 

Finding of No New Significant Impacts 

will be issued. If information is 

submitted in response to this RFI that 

identifies significant new issues, 

information, and/or impacts not 

previously addressed, a supplemental 

EIS may be prepared. 

3. Instructions on NOI 

Federal, State, Tribal, and local 

governments and other interested 

parties are requested to send their 

written comments on new information 

and issues that should be addressed in 

the EA to the Regional Supervisor, 

Leasing and Environment, Alaska OCS 

Region, Minerals Management Service, 

3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, 

Anchorage, Alaska 99503–5823. 

Comments should be enclosed in an 

envelope labeled ‘‘Comments on the 

Notice of Intent to prepare an 

Environmental Assessment for Beaufort 

Sea Sale 202.’’ Comments are due no 

later than 45 days from publication of 

this Notice. 

Dated: October 14, 2005. 

R.M. ‘‘Johnnie’’ Burton, 

Director, Minerals Management Service. 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

62142 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 208 / Friday, October 28, 2005 / Notices 

[FR Doc. 05–21549 Filed 10–27–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–C 


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