Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 236 / Monday, December 10, 2007 / Notices 69645 

who are affected by recomputations of 

the small business share of timber sales. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Respondents: 40. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses per Respondent: 2. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 320. 

Comment is invited on: (1) Whether 

this collection of information is 

necessary for the stated purposes and 

the proper performance of the functions 

of the Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical or 

scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the 

Agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

collection of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (4) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents, including the use of 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. 

All comments received in response to 

this notice, including names and 

addresses when provided, will be a 

matter of public record. Comments will 

be summarized and included in the 

request for Office of Management and 

Budget approval. 

Dated: November 27, 2007. 

Gloria Manning, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

[FR Doc. E7–23836 Filed 12–7–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Bridger-Teton National Forest, 

Wyoming, Supplemental Analysis To 

Consider Potential Field Development 

(Master Development Plan) 

Subsequent to Proposed Exploratory 

Drilling by Plains Exploration and 

Production Company (PXP) Within the 

South Rim Unit on the Big Piney 

Ranger District 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Supplemental notice of intent 

to prepare an environmental impact 

statement. 

SUMMARY: The Bridger-Teton National 

Forest prepared a Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement (DEIS) in response to 

a request from PXP to drill an 

exploratory well on the Big Piney 

Ranger District, along with two 

additional wells on the same drill pad 

should the initial well be productive. 

After release of the DEIS for the Eagle 

Prospect exploratory wells and in 

response to public comments and a 

request from PXP relative to cumulative 

effects, the Forest will expand the 

analysis to address a potential field 

development scenario or master 

Development Plan, as provided for in 

the newly revised Onshore Order No. 1. 

this constitutes a substantial change in 

the proposed action analyzed in the 

DEIS and therefore requires the Forest to 

revise the analysis and prepare a new 

DEIS. 

DATES: Comments concerning the 

expanded scope of the analysis must be 

postmarked by February 7, 2008. 

Comments previously submitted as part 

of the original scoping or comments 

submitted on the Eagle Prospect DEIS 

released in February of 2007 need not be 

re-submitted. The new DEIS is expected 

in May of 2008 and the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 

is expected in March of 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Greg Clark, District Ranger, Big Piney 

Ranger District, P.O. Box 218, Big Piney, 

Wyoming 83113 (307–276–5810). Send 

electronic comments to: commentsintermtn-bridger-teton@fs.fed.us, 

Subject ‘‘PXP Master Development 

Plan.’’

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg 

Clark, District Ranger, Big Piney Ranger 

District, P.O. Box 218, Big Piney, 

Wyoming 83113 (307–276–5810). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Plains 

Exploration and Production Company 

(PXP) submitted an Application for 

Permit to Drill (APD) for the Eagle 1–8 

exploratory well and APDs for the Eagle 

2–8 and 3–8 wells, which would be 

drilled from the same well pad. A DEIS 

for this project was released to the 

public in February 2007. Based on 

comments received and discussions 

with various agencies, PXP has decided 

to incorporate a Master Development 

Plan into their original exploratory 

proposal for the Eagle Prospect. The 

intent is to drill the originally proposed 

well and if successful, drill the Eagle 2–

8 and 3–8 wells. The Master 

Development Plan provides a potential 

development scenario that could occur 

based on the results of the initial wells. 

Consideration of the Master 

Development Plan allows for analysis of 

potential cumulative effects early in the 

process. If subsequent development 

occurs, and occurs within the 

parameters of the approved Master 

Development Plan, further analysis will 

not be required. The Master 

Development Plan includes planned, 

anticipated, and potential development 

facilities which will be dependent on 

the results of the first wells drilled. 

Some or all of the Master Development 

Plan may never occur. If full 

implementation of the Master 

Development Plan occurs, including 

exploratory drilling and potential 

development scenario, the plan would 

potentially involve 136 wells being 

drilled from 17 well pads, construction 

of 15 miles of new non-system roads, 

and reconstruction or realignment of 14 

miles of existing system roads on 

National Forest System (NFS) lands. 

About 400 acres of potential new 

surface disturbance from roads, well 

pads, gathering lines for gas and 

produced liquids buried immediately 

adjacent to roads, and other facilities 

would be anticipated. The total 

potential disturbance represents about 

one well pad per section and a 40-acre 

spacing for well bottomhole locations. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The Forest Service has previously 

approved surface operating 

requirements in the form of lease 

stipulations and notices, and BLM has 

incorporated these provisions within oil 

and gas leases which authorize the 

exploration for and the development of 

federal oil and gas resources in this area. 

The purpose and need for action is to 

determine whether and how (with what 

conditions of approval) to approve the 

exploration and potential development 

identified in the Master Development 

Plan submitted by PXP for lease 

operations on the Big Piney District, 

Bridger-Teton National Forest. The 

Forest Service needs to make a decision 

regarding the Master Surface Use Plan of 

Operations and the BLM needs to make 

a decision regarding the overall Master 

Development Plan and associated APDs. 

Proposed Action 

The proposed action is for the Forest 

Service to approve, with appropriate 

mitigation, the Master Surface Use Plan 

of Operations portion of the Master 

Development Plan, including necessary 

access and related facilities associated 

with the exercise of PXP’s lease rights, 

and for the BLM to approve, with 

appropriate conditions of approval, the 

Master Development Plan and 

associated APDs. 

Possible Alternatives 

The alternatives to be considered for 

the Master Development Plan will focus 

on parameters for development rather 

than specific orientation of the well pad 

or a surveyed access road location. 

Specific surveys and designs will be 

completed before approval of 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
69646 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 236 / Monday, December 10, 2007 / Notices 

subsequent APDs as part of 

implementation under the Master 

Development Plan. Three preliminary 

alternatives have been identified: (1) 

The no action alternative, (2) the 

proposed action—approval of PXP’s 

Master Development Plan which 

includes three pending APDs and 

potential future development, and (3) 

the approval of the proposed Master 

Development Plan with modifications. 

As part of the project design, the Forest 

has worked closely with PXP in the 

development of a plan that included 

consideration of lease stipulations, 

Forest Plan standards and guidelines, 

and other resource needs. Components 

of the proposed project that did not 

meet those requirements were modified 

in the design stage. Access alternatives, 

including the use of helicopters instead 

of roads, will be fully explored as 

potential modifications to the Master 

Development Plan. 

Lead and Cooperating Agencies 

The Forest Service is the lead agency. 

The BLM and the State of Wyoming are 

cooperating agencies. 

Responsible Official 

The responsible Forest officer for the 

decision on the surface use portion of 

the Master Development Plan is Greg 

Clark, District Ranger, Big Piney Ranger 

District, P.O. Box 218, Big Piney, 

Wyoming 83113 (307–276–5810). The 

responsible BLM official for the final 

decision on the Master Development 

Plan and associated APDs, which will 

incorporate the Forest Service decision, 

is Robert A. Bennett, State Director, 

BLM—Wyoming State Office, P.O. Box 

1828, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The Forest Service decision will be 

whether to approve the Master Surface 

Use Plan of Operations submitted by 

PXP for the proposed exploration and 

potential development outlined in the 

Master Development Plan for the Eagle 

Prospect and Noble Basin areas. The 

Forest Service decision will specify 

appropriate mitigation, access 

requirements, gathering lines, other 

facilities, and design criteria that will be 

applied to project implementation. The 

BLM will review the Master Drilling 

Plan submitted by PXP and make a final 

decision on the Master Development 

Plan and associated APDs. Subsequent 

processing of APDs and related 

authorizations constitutes 

implementation of this decision so long 

as all authorizing actions are consistent 

with lease terms and within the scope 

and framework of the approved Master 

Development Plan. 

Scoping Process 

The first formal opportunity to 

respond to the proposed action listed 

above was during the original public 

scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7) for the 

Notice of Intent published in the 

Federal Register on January 11, 2006. A 

scoping notice was also published in the 

Casper Star Tribune on January 13, 

2006. Scoping for a supplemental 

statement is not required (40 CFR 

1502.9(c)(4), but due to the change in 

the scope of the analysis, the Forest is 

soliciting comments specific to the 

Master Development Plan and potential 

field development. Issues raised during 

the initial scoping period or the public 

comment period on the Eagle Prospect 

DEIS need not be re-submitted. Letters 

will be sent to the Forest mailing list of 

known interested parties. Public 

meetings in Jackson and Pinedale, 

Wyoming are anticipated during January 

of 2008. The time and place for any 

public meetings will be published in the 

local papers and posted on the Forest 

Web site. The scoping process will 

assist the Forest in identifying specific 

issues to be addressed related to the 

purpose and need and the scope of the 

decision. Mail comments to the 

addresses given above for further 

information. Ongoing information 

related to the proposed action and 

related analysis will be posted on the 

Bridger-Teton National Forest Web site 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf. 

Preliminary Issues 

Preliminary issues associated with the 

proposed action include: 

(1) The drilling and production of the 

proposed wells could impact air quality 

and air quality related values, with 

emphasis on cumulative effects due to 

extensive development in the Pinedale 

area. 

(2) The development of a 

transportation system to support field 

development could adversely affect 

wildlife habitat, movements or 

migration routes in the area. 

Permits or Licenses Required 

If the decision is for the Forest Service 

to approve PXP’s Surface Use Plan of 

Operations and the BLM to approve the 

Master Development Plan and 

associated APDs, subsequent APDs will 

be authorized through the approved 

Master Development Plan. (Onshore 

Order No. 1 Section III.H.) 

Comment Requested 

This notice of intent re-opens the 

scoping process which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. Comments submitted 

in response to the initial notice of intent 

need not be re-submitted and remain a 

part of the project record. 

Early Notice of Importance of Public 

Participation in Subsequent 

Environmental Review: A new DEIS 

will be prepared for comment. The 

comment period on the DEIS will be for 

a period of 45 days from the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes the notice of availability in 

the Federal Register. 

The Forest Service begins, 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 a DEIS must structure their 

participation in the environmental 

review of the proposal so that it is 

meaningful and alerts an agency to the 

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 DEIS stage but that are not 

raised until after completion of the FEIS 

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 45 day comment period on the 

DEIS so that substantive comments and 

objections are made available to the 

Forest Service at a time when the 

agency can meaningfully consider them 

and respond to them in the FEIS. 

To assist the Forest Service in 

identifying and considering issues and 

concerns on the proposed action, 

comments on the DEIS should be as 

specific as possible. It is also helpful if 

comments refer to specific pages or 

chapters of the draft statement. 

Comments may also address the 

adequacy of the DEIS or the merits of 

the alternatives formulated and 

discussed in the statement. Reviewers 

may wish to refer to the Council on 

Environmental Quality Regulations for 

implementing the procedural provisions 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing 

these points. 

Comments received, including the 

names and addresses of those who 

comment, will be considered part of the 

public record on this proposal and will 

be available for public inspection. 

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 

Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 

21) 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 236 / Monday, December 10, 2007 / Notices 69647 

Dated: December 3, 2007. 

Gregory Clark, 

District Forest Ranger/Big Piney Ranger 

District. 

[FR Doc. 07–5994 Filed 12–7–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit to the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Title: U.S.-Canada Albacore Treaty 

Reporting System. 

Form Number(s): None. 

OMB Approval Number: 0648–0492. 

Type of Request: Regular submission. 

Burden Hours: 158. 

Number of Respondents: 100. 

Average Hours Per Response: 5 

minutes. 

Needs and Uses: The National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southwest 

Region (SWR) manages the U.S.-Canada 

Albacore Tuna Treaty of 1981 (Treaty). 

Owners of vessels that fish from U.S. 

West Coast ports for albacore tuna will 

be required to notify NMFS, SWR of 

their desire to be on the list of vessels 

provided to Canada each year indicating 

vessels eligible to fish for albacore tuna 

in waters under the jurisdiction of 

Canada. Additionally, vessel operators 

are required to report in advance their 

intention to fish in Canadian waters 

prior to crossing the maritime border as 

well as to mark their fishing vessels to 

facilitate enforcement of the effort limits 

under the Treaty. Vessel operators are 

also required to maintain and submit a 

logbook of all catch and fishing effort. 

The regulations implementing the 

reporting and vessel marking 

requirements under the Treaty are at 50 

CFR 300.172–300.176. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Frequency: Annually and on occasion. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, 

(202) 395–3897. 

Copies of the above information 

collection proposal can be obtained by 

calling or writing Diana Hynek, 

Departmental Paperwork Clearance 

Officer, (202) 482–0266, Department of 

Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 

dHynek@doc.gov). 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to David Rostker, OMB Desk 

Officer, FAX number (202) 395–7285, or 

David_Rostker@omb.eop.gov. 

Dated: December 4, 2007. 

Gwellnar Banks, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. E7–23857 Filed 12–7–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit to the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Title: Gear-Marking Requirements for 

the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction 

Plan. 

Form Number(s): None. 

OMB Approval Number: 0648–0357. 

Type of Request: Regular submission. 

Burden Hours: 41. 

Number of Respondents: 50. 

Average Hours Per Response: 1 

minute. 

Needs and Uses: The federal 

regulations at 50 CFR 229.34 limit the 

number of nets that can be used in 

certain fisheries in the mid-Atlantic that 

appear to be most closely linked with 

accidental catch of harbor porpoises. 

Fishermen in these fisheries must obtain 

and attach numbered tags for their nets. 

Because the number of tags per vessel is 

capped, the tagging program helps to 

limit the number of nets in use and 

helps NOAA identify the number in use. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Frequency: Every three years. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, 

(202) 395–3897. 

Copies of the above information 

collection proposal can be obtained by 

calling or writing Diana Hynek, 

Departmental Paperwork Clearance 

Officer, (202) 482–0266, Department of 

Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 

dHynek@doc.gov). 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to David Rostker, OMB Desk 

Officer, FAX number (202) 395–7285, or 

David_Rostker@omb.eop.gov. 

Dated: December 4, 2007. 

Gwellnar Banks, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. E7–23864 Filed 12–7–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit to the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Title: Reporting of Sea Turtle 

Entanglements in Pot Gear Fisheries. 

Form Number(s): None. 

OMB Approval Number: 0648–0496. 

Type of Request: Regular submission. 

Burden Hours: 45. 

Number of Respondents: 15. 

Average Hours Per Response: 1 hour. 

Needs and Uses: Sea turtles can 

become accidentally entangled in active 

or discarded fixed fishing gear. These 

entanglements may prevent the recovery 

of endangered and threatened sea turtle 

populations. The National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS) established 

the Sea Turtle Disentanglement Network 

to promote reporting and increase 

successful disentanglement of sea 

turtles. As there is limited to no 

observer coverage of pot gear fisheries, 

NMFS relies on the U.S. Coast Guard, 

fishing industry, stranding network, 

federal, state, and local authorities, and 

the public for this information. The 

information provided will help NMFS 

better assess pot gear fisheries (lobster, 

whelk/conch, crab, fish trap) and their 

impacts on sea turtle populations in the 

northeast region (Maine to Virginia). 

Affected Public: Not-for-profit 

institutions; business or other for-profit 

organizations; State, Local or Tribal 

Government. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. 

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, 

(202) 395–3897. 

Copies of the above information 

collection proposal can be obtained by 

calling or writing Diana Hynek, 

Departmental Paperwork Clearance 

Officer, (202) 482–0266, Department of 

Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES