BLM Public Hearing On Sage Grouse Protection

BLM Schedules Public Scoping Meetings on Proposed Minerals Withdrawal in Sagebrush Focal Areas and Extends Public Comment Period

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is holding a series of public meetings across the west to gather information on the proposal to withdraw lands determined to be crucial to the survival of the greater sage-grouse from location and entry under the 1872 Mining Law, subject to valid existing rights. The BLM is extending the public comment period on the withdrawal proposal until January 15, 2016, to allow the Secretary of the Interior time to collect additional information relevant to the decision on whether to withdraw these lands from the location of new mining claims for up to 20 years.

SUMMARY: On September 24, 2015, the BLM published a Notice of Proposed Withdrawal; Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs); Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, and Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Withdrawal in the Federal Register (80 FR 57635). The notice published on November 13, 2015 (80 FR 70252 - 70253), extended the comment period for both the proposed withdrawal and the initial scoping for the EIS being prepared to consider the merits of the proposed withdrawal and announces the times, dates and locations of public meetings.

DATES: Written or emailed comments for scoping for the EIS and on the proposed withdrawal may be submitted through January 15, 2016. In addition, through this Notice the BLM is also announcing that it will hold public meetings in December 2015 to focus on relevant issues and environmental concerns, identify possible alternatives, help determine the scope of the EIS and provide an opportunity for public comments on the proposed withdrawal. For dates and locations for the scoping meetings, please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the BLM Director, 1849 C Street NW (WO-200), Washington, DC 20240 or emailed electronically to: sagebrush_withdrawals@blm.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Mark Mackiewicz, PMP/BLM Senior National Project Manager, by telephone at 435-636-3616; or by email mmackiew@blm.gov.

Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to reach the BLM contact person. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM filed an application requesting the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management to withdraw, subject to valid existing rights, approximately 10 million acres of BLM and United States Forest Service (USFS) administered public lands located in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, from location and entry under the United States mining law, but not from leasing under the mineral or geothermal leasing, or mineral materials laws.

Pursuant to Section 102 (2) (C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the BLM will prepare an EIS and conduct public scoping meetings on the withdrawal. The period for initial scoping, to receive comments from the public, has been extended from December 23, 2015 to January 15, 2016. These public scoping meetings will also meet the requirements identified under 43 CFR 2310 to provide public meetings for comment on the Notice of Proposed Withdrawal that published on September 24, 2015. The dates, times and locations of the meetings are as follows:

Dates & Times	Locations	BLM Contact
Dec. 14, 2015
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM	Harney County Chamber of Commerce 484 North Broadway Burns, OR 97720	Jody Weil, 503-808-6287
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM	Lakeview BLM District Office 1301 South G Street Lakeview, OR 97630	Jody Weil, 503-808-6287
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM	Salt Lake City BLM Office 2370 South Decker Lake Drive West Valley City, UT 84119	Lola Bird 801-539-4033
Dec. 15, 2015
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM	Best Western Vista Inn & Conference Center 2645 Airport Way Boise, ID 83709	Erin Curtis 208-373-4016
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM	Rock Springs BLM Field Office 280 Highway 191 North Rock Springs, WY 82901	Kristen Lenhardt 307-775-6015
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM	The Nugget 1100 Nugget Avenue Sparks NV 89431	Steve Clutter 775-861-6629
Dec. 16, 2015
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM	Great Northern Hotel 2 South 1st Street East Malta, MT 59538	Al Nash 406-896-5260
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM	Shiloh Suites Conference Hotel 780 Lindsay Blvd. Idaho Falls, ID 83402	Erin Curtis 208-373-4016
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM	Elko Conference Center 724 Moren Way Elko, NV 89801	Steve Clutter 775-861-6629

            

The previously announced withdrawal proposal is consistent with the unprecedented effort to conserve the greater sage-grouse and its habitat, and was made in response to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) identifying habitat disturbance and fragmentation caused by certain hard rock mining operations as a threat to greater sage-grouse habitat. This finding was why the BLM and the USFS land use plan amendments and revisions finalized in September recommend that the Secretary of the Interior exercise her authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to safeguard the most important landscapes identified by the FWS within Priority Habitat Management Areas – identified as SFAs – by reducing the threat posed by certain future hard rock mining operations through what is known as a “withdrawal.”

As part of the careful consideration of this withdrawal proposal, information will be sought from the states, stakeholders and others on mineral potential, including rare earths, as well as the importance of these areas as sagebrush habitat. These efforts will be undertaken under the leadership of the BLM in cooperation with the USFS and in compliance with the NEPA. At the end of the process, a decision on the proposal may be made.

In addition, the BLM expects to address economic effects of withdrawing these public lands from operation of the mining law, wildlife habitat conservation, improvement and restoration of ecosystem processes, protection of cultural resources, watershed and vegetative community health, new listings of threatened and endangered species, and consideration of other sensitive and special status species.


The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2014, the BLM generated $5.2 billion in receipts from public lands.


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