Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 30, 1996 / Notices 3049

Indian Reservation. The proposed action

describes the forest in terms of seral

stages and structure. It measures

existing conditions against the natural

or pre-European contact condition and

proposes a Desired Condition that more

closely resembles the pre-European

contact condition. It also prescribes

management activities to manipulate

vegetation toward the Desired

Condition, and identifies management

standards and constraints for cultural

protection, for other natural resources,

and for social and economic concerns.

The EIS will evaluate alternatives that

address the purpose and need for action.

These may include: (1) No action, which

would continue current operating

policies, including those in the 1982–

1992 Flathead Forest Management Plan;

(2) management activities and strategies

to develop, restore or promote

sustainable ecosystems while treating

forest outputs as by-products of a

healthy forest; and (3) other reasonable

alternatives identified via public input.

Dated: December 19, 1995.

Ada E. Deer,

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 96–1390 Filed 1–29–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–02–P

Bureau of Land Management

[NV–060–7122–00–8661; N64–93–001P]

Notice of Availability of the Final

Environmental Impact Statement for

the Cortez Pipeline Gold Deposit Plan

of Operation

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the

Final Environmental Impact Statement

for the Cortez Pipeline Gold Deposit

Plan of Operation for mining in Lander

County, Nevada.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) of 1969 as amended, and to

43 Code of Federal Regulations Part

3809, the Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), Battle Mountain District has

made available the Final Environmental

Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the

proposed development of an open pit

mine and associated facilities, in Lander

County, Nevada.

DATES: The Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) will publish its Federal

Register Notice of Availability on

February 2, 1996. That publication

begins the official 30 day period

required by the Council on

Environmental Quality for Final EISs.

ADDRESSES: Bureau of Land

Management, Battle Mountain District

Manager, 50 Bastian Rd., P.O. Box 1420,

Battle Mountain, NV 89820 ATTN: Dave

Davis. Copies of the Final EIS may be

made in writing to the preceding

address or by calling Dave Davis at (702)

635–4000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dave Davis, Pipeline Project Manager, at

(702) 635–4000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cortez

Gold Mines filed a Plan of Operations in

October, 1992 for the development of

the Pipeline Gold deposit open pit

mine. The Pipeline proposal calls for

the development of an 1827 acre open

pit gold mine operation located in the

southern end of Crescent Valley, Lander

County, Nevada. In addition to the 235

acre open pit, there will be a dewatering

program required to keep the pit dry

during mining operations. This

dewatering program will pump an

estimated 30,000 gallons per minute

(gpm). Approximately 28,000 gpm of the

total 30,000 gpm will be returned to the

Crescent Valley aquifer through a series

of infiltration ponds. Associated

facilities include a new 5,000 ton per

day mill, constructing a new combined

heap leach/tailings facility, waste

dumps and associated support facilities,

offices, etc.

The Draft and Final EISs evaluate the

impacts of the Pipeline proposal on a

number of resources. The focus of both

documents include the impacts to

ground and surface water resources, pit

lake chemistry, social and economic

impacts to the region, air quality,

cultural resources and Native American

religious concerns.

The Final EIS incorporates changes to

the findings in the Draft EIS that

resulted from the public comment

process on the Draft EIS. These changes

include an expanded regional ground

water modelling study. The regional

study supports and expands upon the

subregional ground water modelling

effort prepared for the Draft EIS. Water

quality modelling was expanded for the

Final EIS. These expanded water quality

modelling results indicate some metal

species and other constituents may

exceed current Nevada Drinking water

standards in the long term (250 years

after cessation of mining operations).

Precise estimates for such long term

predictions are impossible to predict

with current technology. In order to

better understand the potential future

impacts, the BLM also had an ecological

risk assessment for the pit lake

prepared. This risk assessment

identifies some potential to affect avian

wildlife in the long term. Mitigation is

proposed for those potential avian

impacts. Cortez has committed to an

irrevocable, long term monetary

contingency fund. This funding will be

used by the BLM for monitoring all

aspects of the project after cessation of

mining operations; although the primary

focus of the funding will be used to

monitor the pit lake water quality. The

contingency fund will also be used to

mitigate any future long term impacts

resulting from pit lake water quality.

Dated: January 22, 1996.

Gerald M. Smith,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 96–1627 Filed 1–29–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–M

[NV–050–1020–001]

Mojave-Southern Great Basin

Resource Advisory Council;

Amendment of Meeting Locations and

Times

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Amendment to meeting location

and times.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act and the Federal Advisory

Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), 5

U.S.C., the Department of the Interior,

Bureau of Land Management (BLM),

council meeting of the Mojave-Southern

Great Basin Resource Advisory Council

will be held as indicated below. The

agenda includes a discussion of laws

and regulations that pertain to grazing,

and a statewide update of standards and

guidelines.

All meetings are open to the public.

The public may present written

comments to the council. Each formal

council meeting will have a time

allocated for hearing public comments.

The public comment period for the

council meeting is listed below.

Depending on the number of persons

wishing to comment, and time available,

the time for individual oral comments

may be limited. Individuals who plan to

attend and need further information

about the meetings, or need special

assistance such as sign language

interpretation or other reasonable

accommodations, should contact

Michael Dwyer at the Las Vegas District

Office, 4765 Vegas Dr., Las Vegas, NV

89108, telephone, (702) 647–5000.

DATES, TIMES: Dates are February 14 and

15, 1996. The council will meet at the

BLM Las Vegas District Office located at

4765 Vegas Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada, at

7:30 a.m. on February 14, 1996, and will

depart for a field trip at 8 a.m.