From: Subject: FR Doc E7-16165 Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 01:44:58 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-16165.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 FR Doc E7-16165 
[Federal Register: August 17, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 159)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 46243-46244]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17au07-83]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ES-020-06-1610-DP-028M]

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Notice of Availability of the Alabama and Mississippi Draft=20
Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of=20
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and=20
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of=20
Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) for Alabama and Mississippi=20
and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To assure that they will be considered, BLM must receive written=20
comments on the Draft RMP/EIS within 90 days following the date the=20
Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of Availability=20
in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or=20
hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days=20
in advance through public notices, media news releases, and/or=20
mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Web Site: http=
://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&=
;log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.es.blm.gov/AL_MS_RMP.     =
E-mail: jcomment@blm.gov.

     Fax: (601) 977-5440.
     Mail: Send to the contact listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Taylor, Planning and=20
Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Jackson Field=20
Office, 411 Briarwood Drive, Jackson, Mississippi 39206. Mr. Taylor may=20
also be contacted by telephone: (601) 977-5413.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft RMP/EIS addresses all BLM-
administered lands and mineral estate in Alabama and Mississippi. This=20
includes 333 acres of public surface land including mineral estate in=20
Baldwin, Calhoun, Chilton, Coosa, Geneva, Mobile, Shelby and Talladega=20
Counties in Alabama and in Hancock County, Mississippi. The Draft RMP/
EIS also covers 704,850 acres of Federal mineral estate where the=20
surface is non-Federal and 126,570 acres of Federal minerals where the=20
surface is managed by Federal agencies other than the BLM or the Forest=20
Service. The issues addressed in the Draft RMP/EIS are mineral (oil,=20
gas, and coal) leasing and ownership adjustment of the scattered=20
surface tracts.
    The Alabama and Mississippi RMP will be the first BLM land use plan=20
for these states. Until now BLM resource management in Alabama and=20
Mississippi has been implemented through broad policy guidance and by=20
project-specific environmental assessments. When the RMP is approved,=20
the BLM will be better able to respond to mineral leasing requests and=20
deal efficiently with the long-term management of its scattered lands.
    The BLM published its Notice of Intent to prepare the Alabama and=20
Mississippi RMP/EIS in the Federal Register on July 12, 2002. Letters=20
were sent to Federal and state agencies, as well as county supervisors=20
and commissioners to inform them of the planning process and to the=20
governors of both states, inviting them to be cooperating agencies. The=20
State of Mississippi accepted the invitation to become a cooperating=20
agency. The BLM also contacted Native American tribes to invite them to=20
participate in the planning process and coordinated closely with the=20
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the development of oil and gas lease=20
stipulations and best management practices. A public workshop was held=20
in Gulf Shores, Alabama on September 2, 2004, to solicit additional=20
comments for developing alternatives.
    Four alternatives were developed in response to the issues=20
identified during the planning process. The ``no action'' alternative=20
represents current management and is identified as Alternative 1. Three=20
additional ``action'' alternatives present varying levels of oil and=20
gas leasing constraints to protect sensitive species and their=20
habitats. The alternatives also range from retaining all the surface=20
tracts under BLM management to transferring them to other agencies or=20
out of Federal ownership. Alternative 3 was identified as the preferred=20
alternative because it provides the best balance in protecting=20
sensitive resources while allowing responsive mineral development and=20
surface ownership adjustment for most of the scattered surface tracts.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted will be=20
available for public review and disclosure at the above address during=20
regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday,=20
except holidays. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail,=20
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you

[[Page 46244]]

should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal=20
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time.=20
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal=20
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we=20
will be able to do so. All submissions from organizations and=20
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as=20
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be=20
available for public inspection in their entirety. Copies of the Draft=20
Alabama and Mississippi RMP/EIS are available in the Jackson Field=20
Office at the above address.

A. Barron Bail,
Acting State Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-16165 Filed 8-16-07; 8:45 am]

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