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Notice of Availability of Kobuk-Seward Peninsula Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: May 5, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 87)]
[Notices]
[Page 26557-26558]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05my06-107]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AK-025-05-1610-DP-089L]
Notice of Availability of Kobuk-Seward Peninsula Draft 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
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) for the Kobuk-Seward Peninsula
Planning Area.
DATES: Written comments on the Draft RMP/EIS will be accepted until 90
calendar days after the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes its NOA in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future
meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities at
least 15 days in advance through public notices, media news releases,
and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by the following methods:
? Email: ksp_comments@blm.gov.
? Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Central Yukon Field
Office, ATTN: Kobuk-Seward Peninsula RMP, 1150 University Avenue,
Fairbanks, AK 99709
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeanie Cole, (907) 474-2340,
jeanie_cole@ak.blm.gov or in writing to the address listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Kobuk-Seward Peninsula Draft Resource
Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) covers
approximately 13.1 million acres of BLM-managed land in northwestern
Alaska. The Northwest Management Framework Plan (MFP), a land use plan
that guides current management of the area, was completed in 1982. BLM
published a Notice of Intent to prepare an RMP/EIS in the Federal
Register on January 30, 2004. A 90-day formal scoping period began with
the publication of that notice. Public meetings were held in nine
communities, and the following primary management concerns were
identified: (1) How should recreation be managed to provide and
maintain a diversity of experiences on BLM-managed lands while
protecting subsistence resources and opportunity, and what level of
commercial recreational use is appropriate; (2) how should access
trails and roads for the use of OHVs for various purposes, including
recreation, commercial use, subsistence, and casual use, be managed
while protecting natural and cultural resources; (3) what areas, if
any, should be made available for mineral exploration and development;
and (4) what areas, if any, should be recommended for special designations.
This draft RMP/EIS presents four alternatives to address the issues
identified in scoping: a No Action Alternative (Alternative A), an
Alternative that emphasizes resource development (Alternative B), one
that emphasizes conservation (Alternative C), and the agency Preferred
Alternative (Alternative D), which has elements of B and C. The No
Action Alternative would continue existing management. Alternative B
would emphasize resource development. Under this alternative, the
entire planning area would be open to a variety of land and resource
uses. Alternative C would emphasize conservation of natural resources.
Under this alternative, some resource uses or activities be excluded
over large areas. The Preferred Alternative calls for a balance between
development and the conservation of sensitive resources; some resource
uses or activities would be excluded in limited areas. The lifting of
existing withdrawals may be accomplished through actions approved by
the Secretary. As required by section 204(c)(2) of FLPMA, however,
withdrawals of areas greater than 5,000 acres in size require the
approval of Congress.
As required by 43 CFR 1610.7-2, areas with potential for
designation as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) and
protective management have been considered during the planning process.
Several potential areas are considered for designation in two
alternatives. Boundaries, size, and management direction within
potential ACECs vary by alternative. The following tables illustrate
the names and acreages of each area and provide summary descriptions of
resource use limitations for Alternatives C and D.
Table 1.--Proposed ACECs Under Alternative C
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Resource use
Name of area Acreage limitations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nulato Hills.................. 2 million........ Closed to locatable
and leasable mineral
entry; Limited OHV
designation, ROW
avoidance area,
Retain in Federal
ownership, Closed to
grazing, FLPMA and
Recreation and
Public Purposes
(R&PP) Act leases
not allowed.
Western Arctic Caribou Herd 2.9 million...... Same as Nulato Hills.
calving and insect relief
ACEC.
Kigluaik ACEC................. 298,000.......... Same as Nulato Hills,
plus:
Communication site
rights-of-way (ROW)
limited to existing
sites; Level of
commercial
recreational use may
be limited; Closed
to mineral material
disposal.
McCarthy's Marsh.............. 131,000.......... Same as Nulato Hills,
plus:
Closed to mineral
material disposal;
Level of commercial
recreational use may
be limited.
Kuzitrin River................ 141,000.......... Same as Nulato Hills.
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[[Page 26558]]
Table 2.--ACECs and RNAs Proposed Under Alternative D (Preferred
Alternative)
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Resource use
Name of area Acreage limitations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nulato Hills ACEC............. 1.1 million...... Limited OHV
designation;
Retained in Federal
ownership; Closed to
grazing outside of
existing allotments;
ROW avoidance area;
FLPMA and R&PP
leases not allowed;
Open to fluid
mineral leasing
subject to minor
constraints.
Western Arctic Caribou Herd 2.9 million...... Same as Nulato Hills
calving and insect relief except it would not
ACEC. be designated as a
ROW avoidance area.
Inglutalik Watershed ACEC..... 466,000.......... Same as Nulato Hills
except there would
be a 300-foot no
surface occupancy
setback for leasable
minerals on the
mainstem river and
it would not be a
ROW avoidance area.
Ungalik Watershed ACEC........ 264,000.......... Same as the
Inglutalik Watershed
ACEC with the
addition of: A 300-
foot setback on the
Ungalik River would
be withdrawn from
locatable mineral
entry.
Shaktoolik Watershed ACEC..... 234,000.......... Same as the
Inglutalik Watershed
ACEC.
Mount Osborn RNA.............. 84,000........... Same as Nulato Hills
except: It would be
withdrawn from
locatable mineral
entry; Communication
site ROWs would be
limited to existing
sites; the level of
commercial
recreational use may
be limited; and it
would be open to
grazing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final acreage for areas designated as ACECs would also depend on the
result of land conveyance to the State of Alaska and Native Corporations.
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to
withhold your name or street address from public review or from
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from
organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.
Copies of the Kobuk-Seward Peninsula Draft RMP/EIS (paper or compact
disc) are available in the Fairbanks District Office at the above
address; the Kotzebue Field Station, P.O. Box 1049, Kotzebue, AK 99752;
the Nome Field Station, P.O. Box 925, Nome, AK 99762; the Anchorage
Field Office, 6881 Abbott Loop Road, Anchorage, AK 99507; and the
Alaska State Office, 222 West Seventh Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99513. The
document will also be available online and may be viewed at:
http://www.ak.blm.gov/ksp. 
Henri R. Bisson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E6-6774 Filed 5-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JA-P