[Federal Register: January 7, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 4)]
[Notices]
[Page 726]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07ja09-52]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[MT-020-1310-DT 050E]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Final
Supplement to the Montana Statewide Oil and Gas Environmental Impact
Statement and Proposed Amendment of the Powder River and Billings
Resource Management Plans
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: By Order of the U.S. District Court for the District of
Montana, dated April 5, 2005, and pursuant to the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act of 1976 and the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Record of
Decision (ROD) approving BLM's 2008 Final Supplement to the Montana
Statewide Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed
Amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource Management Plans
(RMP) (Final SEIS/Amendment).
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD have been sent to affected Federal, state,
and local government agencies; to tribal governments; and to interested
parties. Copies of the ROD are available for public inspection at the
BLM Miles City Field Office, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, Montana;
and at the BLM Montana State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings,
Montana. You may also view the ROD on the Internet at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.blm.gov/eis/mt/milescity_seis/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Bloom, Project Manager, by
telephone at (406) 233-2852; by mail at 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City,
MT 59301; or by e-mail at Mary_Bloom@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Powder River and Billings Resource
Management Plan (RMP) areas comprise approximately 1.5 million acres of
BLM-managed surface and 5 million acres of BLM-managed mineral estate.
There are approximately 3.2 million acres of BLM-managed oil and gas
estate. The Powder River RMP area includes Powder River and Treasure
Counties, and portions of Big Horn, Carter, Custer, and Rosebud
Counties. The Billings RMP area includes Carbon, Golden Valley,
Musselshell, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Wheatland, and Yellowstone
Counties and the remaining portion of Big Horn County. The SEIS
supporting the ROD supplements the 2003 Montana Statewide Final Oil and
Gas Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Amendment of the Powder
River and Billings Resource Management Plans (Statewide Document).
The 90-day public comment period on the Draft SEIS/Amendment ended
May 2, 2007. The Final SEIS/Proposed Amendment was made available to
the public November 7, 2008. After release of the Final SEIS/Proposed
Amendment, and prior to approval of the ROD, the BLM coordinated and
consulted with the Montana Governor (43 CFR 1610.3-2).
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and its
implementing regulations provide land use planning authority to the
Secretary, as delegated to the Assistant Secretary for Land and
Minerals Management. Because the ROD was signed by the Assistant
Secretary, it is the final decision for the Department of the Interior.
Therefore, the decision is not subject to the protest procedures
identified at 43 CFR 1610.5-2.
Gene R. Terland,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E9-33 Filed 1-6-09; 8:45 am]