[Federal Register: March 17, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 51)]
[Notices]
[Page 12661-12662]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17mr03-33]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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[[Page 12661]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Manti-La Sal National Forest, Fortuna Company Gas Exploration
Wells, Emery and Sanpete Counties, UT, Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service (FS) will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental
and human effects of authorizing a gas exploration well and associated
road access on the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The proposed wells,
designated the Joe's Valley Federal 20-1, and Lowery Water Federal 32-
12, were proposed by Fortuna US (proponent). The BLM (Bureau of Land
Management) will participate as a cooperating agency.
Agency Decisions
The BLM is responsible for administration of oil and gas leases
under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, and Federal
Regulations in 43 CFR part 3100. The BLM Moab Field Office Manager must
decide whether or not to approve the Application for Permit to Drill
(APD). The Forest Supervisor, Manti-La Sal National Forest must decide
whether or not to approve the Surface-Use Plan of Operations and what
conditions to require for the protection of non-mineral resources.
Forest Service authority is provided under the Mineral Leasing Act of
1920, as amended, Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of
1987, and Federal Regulations in 36 CFR part 228, Subpart E.
DATES: Written comments concerning issues and alternatives to be
considered and the scope of the analysis described in this notice
should be received within 30 days from the date of publication of this
notice in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Forest Supervisor, Ferron/Price
Ranger District, Manti-La Sal National Forest, 115 West Canyon Road, PO
Box 310, Ferron, Utah 84523, ATTN: Tom Lloyd.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed
action and EIS should be addressed to Tom Lloyd or Carter Reed, Manti-
La Sal National Forest, phone (435) 384-2372 or (435) 637-2817.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fortuna US has proposed to conduct gas
exploration activities in 2003/2004 and reclamation activities in 2004/
2005 on Federal Oil and Gas Lease(s) UTU-78146 and UTU-14623.
Exploration activities would consist of reconstruction of about 3 miles
of Forest Service Roads (FSR) 50038 and 50059, construction of
temporary project access roads (about 0.31 miles), construction of
drill pads (4.5 acres total estimated disturbance) and drilling two (2)
wells. Analysis of possible production lines to nearby gas pipelines
would also be considered.
The proposed Joe's Valley Federal 20-1 is located in NW\1/4\ Sec 21
T.15S, R6E. SLBM, Sanpete County, Utah. The Lowery Water Federal 32-12
is located in SW\1/4\ Sec 32 T. 16 S, R. 6 E., SLBM, Emery County,
Utah. The general area of the proposed site would be the Scad Valley,
Middle Mountain, Lowery Water area, about 5 miles north of Joe's Valley
Reservoir and about 2.6 miles south of Miller Flat Reservoir and
approximately 16 miles north-northwest of the town of Huntington, Utah.
Portions of the proposed road improvements traverse the eastern
boundary of the Boulger-Black Canyon Inventoried Roadless Area.
Purpose and Need
The proponent's purpose for this exploration project is to assess
the economic recoverability of its lease holdings. The proposed
drilling program would provide geologic data necessary to assess oil
and gas potential within Federal Oil and Gas Lease(s) UTU-78416 and
UTU-14623. If economic quantities of oil and gas were located, further
development would likely be proposed for recovery. Oil and gas are
needed to meet future energy demands of the state and nation.
The Forest Service's purpose and need is to evaluate the
environmental effects of the Surface Use Plan contained within the APD
in accordance with the Manti-La Sal Land and Resource Management (Plan
Forest) Plan management direction (page III-12). The decision must be
consistent with the rights granted by the oil and gas leases,
applicable laws, and Forest Plan direction.
Proposed Action
The proponent's proposed action is to drill the wells and if
possible, produce and market natural gas at a profit consistent with
the right granted by Federal Oil and Gas Leases UTU-78416 and UTU-
14623.
The proposed action is for the Manti-La Sal Nation Forest to
authorize Fortuna US to construct/reconstruct the roads and occupancy
National Forest System land in order to drill two exploration holes
within Federal Leases UTU-78416 and UTU-14623, consistent with their
lease rights, applicable laws and regulation, and Forest Plan direction
for management of the National Forest System lands. Authorization would
be granted by approval of the Surface Use Plan of Operation. A Forest
Service Road-Use Permit would also be needed to authorize commercial
use of the Forest Service Roads. Additional mitigation and monitoring
may be deemed necessary by the Forest Service to minimize environmental
effects.
Public Participation
The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from
Federal, State, and local agencies as well as individuals and
organizations that may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed
action. The agency invites written comments regarding potential issues
and alternatives related to the proposed action and the area being
analyzed. Information received will be used to prepare the Draft and
Final EIS and considered in making agency decisions.
The EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) will tier to the Final EIS and
ROD for the Manti-La Sal Nation Forest Land and Resource Management
Plan (Forest Plan), 1986, as amended, by the 1994 Record of Decision
for Oil and Gas Leasing on Lands Administered by the Manti-La Sal
Nation Forest.
[[Page 12662]]
Draft preliminary issues include effects to wildlife, visual
quality, roadless character, and dispersed recreation use of Upper
Joe's Valley, Middle Mountain, Lower Water areas.
Agency representatives and other interested people are invited to
visit with Forest Service and BLM officials at any time during the EIS
process. Two specific time periods are identified for the receipt of
formal comments on the analysis. The two comment periods are, (1)
during the scoping process, the next 30 days following publication of
this Notice in the Federal Register, and (2) during the formal review
period of the Draft EIS.
The Draft EIS is estimated to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in June 2003.
At that time the EPA will publish an availability in the Federal
Register. The comment period on the Draft EIS will be 45 days from the
date that EPA's notice of availability appears in the Federal Register.
The Final EIS is expected to be released in August 2003.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to
them in the final environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Authority: (Mineral Leasing Act of February 25, 1920 (Pub. L.
66-146, 41 Stat. 437, as amended; 30 U.S.C. 181-287)).
Dated: March 11, 2003.
Aaron L. Howe,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Manti-La Sal Nation Forest.
[FR Doc. 03-6267 Filed 3-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M