BLM begins new plan for South NPR-AAgency issues EIS notice, calls for oil and gas leasing nominations in 9.2. million acre area, asks if any interest in mining Kay Cashman Petroleum News Publisher & Managing Editor
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has issued a notice of intent to develop a new plan to guide the management of 9.2 million acres of public land in the southern portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
The plan, announced in the Federal Register June 15, will include an environmental impact statement.
The notice initiates the public scoping process and a call for nominations related to oil and gas leasing. Any interest in mining? BLM also wants to know if there is interest in making “part or all of the planning area” available for hard rock or coal mining. Opening the area to mining would require Congressional legislation, the agency said.
Among other things, the plan will determine what lands will be made available for oil and gas leasing and under what conditions; determine appropriate ways to manage important habitat such as that for the western arctic caribou herd; and provide guidance for management of other resources and programs in the planning area.
The plan will also decide on the suitability or non-suitability of the Utukok, Colville and other rivers within the planning area as additions to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Rivers that are found suitable may be recommended for designation by Congress, BLM said. Public input BLM resource specialists will host a series of public information meetings at the following locations: Ambler, Anaktuvuk Pass, Anchorage, Atqasuk, Barrow, Buckland, Fairbanks, Kiana, Kivalina, Koyuk, Kotzebue, Nome, Point Hope, Point Lay and Wainwright.
Responses to the call for nominations related to oil and gas leasing are due by Aug. 26, and must be submitted in envelopes labeled “Nominations Related to the South NPR-A IAP/EIS” to protect the confidentiality of the nominations, BLM said.
They are to be addressed to: Call for Nominations, South NPR-A Team, 222 West 7th Ave., No. 13, Anchorage, AK 99513–7599. Scoping comments, which can also be submitted by mail, are also due no later than Aug. 26 and should be sent in writing to South NPR-A Planning Team Leader at the same address. Legal description The South NPR-A planning area begins (see adjacent maps) on the reserve’s boundary on the township line between T. 8 N., R. 40 W. and T. 9 N., R. 39 W., Umiat Meridian, and then easterly along the township lines to the northeast corner of T. 8 N., R. 26 W., U.M., then southerly and easterly along township and section lines in a stair-step fashion to NPR-A’s boundary where the Colville River flows from T. 5 S., R. 15 W. to T.4 S., R. 15 W., U.M., then generally westerly, southerly, westerly and northerly following the boundary of the petroleum reserve to the point of beginning.
Additional information about the plan, schedule, issues, and meeting dates will be periodically posted online at www.blm.gov until the BLM-Alaska website is restored.
In recent years BLM has completed plans for both the northeast and northwest portions of NPR-A.
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