Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 157 / Thursday, August 14, 1997 / Notices 43545

Islands Ecoregion at the Honolulu cultivation facilities on the islands of 62, No. 108, Page 30876, that an address given above. Maui and Oahu. The remaining 21 application had been filed with the Fish FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: individuals are in small (10,000 square and Wildlife Service by Jon Ziegler, Karen Rosa, Assistant Field Supervisor- feet or less) outplanting sites on Rapid City, SD (PRT–830065) for a , at the Honolulu privately owned Molokai Ranch lands, permit to import a sport-hunted polar address given above. at Puu Nana, about 365 meters (1200 bear (Ursus maritimus) from Canada for feet) elevation. personal use. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The destruction of dryland habitats Notice is hereby given that on July 21, Background throughout the Hawaiian Islands, which 1997, as authorized by the provisions of Restoring endangered or threatened began 1,500 years ago with the coming the Marine Mammal Protection Act of animals and to the point where of the Polynesians to Hawaii and 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et they are again secure, self-sustaining increased greatly with the arrival of the seq.) the Fish and Wildlife Service members of their ecosystem is a primary Europeans a little over 200 years ago, authorized the requested permit subject goal of the Service’s endangered species has led to the elimination of to certain conditions set forth therein. program. To help guide the recovery cookei in the wild. was Documents and other information effort, the Service is working to prepare directly impacted by browsing, bark submitted for these applications are recovery plans for most of the listed stripping, and soil trampling by available for review by any party who species native to the United States, its domestic and feral cattle, goats, and submits a written request to the U.S. Territories and Commonwealths. sheep. Currently, this species is most Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Recovery plans describe actions threatened by the extremely low number Management Authority, 4401 North considered necessary for conservation of of individuals remaining, the lack of Fairfax Drive, Rm 430, Arlington, the species, establish criteria for the naturally rooted plants, and the lack of Virginia 22203. Phone (703) 358–2104 recovery levels for downlisting or viable seed production by the remaining or Fax (703) 358–2281. delisting them, and estimate time and individuals. Dated: August 8, 1997. The objective of this plan is to cost for implementing the recovery Mary Ellen Amtower, measures needed. provide a framework for the recovery of Kokia cookei so that its protection by Acting Chief, Branch of Permits, Office of The Endangered Species Act of 1973, Management Authority. as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) the Act is no longer necessary. Recovery efforts will focus on increasing the [FR Doc. 97–21449 Filed 8–13–97; 8:45 am] (Act), requires the development of BILLING CODE 4310±55±P recovery plans for listed species unless numbers of cloned individuals while such a plan would not promote the pursuing research into other methods, such as embryo culture methodology, conservation of a particular species. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in for the production of individuals 1988, requires that a public notice and capable of setting viable seed. Suitable Bureau of Land Management an opportunity for public review and sites for outplanting of individuals on comment be provided during recovery Molokai, Maui, and Lanai will be [NM±030±7122±03±821G] located and steps taken to manage these plan development. The Service will Proposed Expansion of the Santa Rita consider all information presented lands for the perpetuity of Kokia cookei and other native components of the Pit and Land Exchange in Grant during a public comment period prior to County, New Mexico approval of each new or revised dryland forest. recovery plan. Substantive technical Public Comments Solicited AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, comments will result in changes to the Interior. The Service solicits written comments plan. Substantive comments regarding on the recovery plan described. All ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an recovery plan implementation may not comments received by the date specified Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) necessarily result in changes to the above will be considered prior to and notice of scoping meeting. recovery plan, but will be forwarded to approval of this plan. appropriate Federal or other entities so SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) that they can take these comments into Authority of the National Environmental Policy account during the course of The authority for this action is section Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the implementing recovery actions. 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Las Individualized responses to comments U.S.C. 1533(f). Cruces District Office, will be directing will not be provided. the preparation of an EIS to be prepared The species being considered in this Dated: August 8, 1997. by a third party contractor. The EIS will recovery plan is Kokia cookei. Known Thomas J. Dwyer, describe the potential impacts of the only from the island of Molokai, Kokia Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Phelps Dodge Corporation-Chino Mines cookei has been described as the rarest Wildlife Service, Region 1. Company (CMC) proposed Santa Rita Pit in the world. When first [FR Doc. 97–21545 Filed 8–13–97; 8:45 am] Expansion and Land Exchange Project, discovered in the 1860s, three of BILLING CODE 4310±55±P located approximately 7 miles north- this species were known. By the northeast of the town of Hurley, in twentieth century, only a single wild Grant County, New Mexico. The remained. The species became DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR proposed development would occur extirpated from the wild in 1918. partially on patented CMC land and Currently, only 28 cloned individuals of Fish and Wildlife Service partially on Federal land administered Kokia cookei exist. These individuals Issuance of Permits for Marine by the BLM. were produced by grafting to root stocks Mammals The public is invited to participate in of the two related Kokia species, Kokia the planning process. A public scoping kauaiensis and . On June 5, 1997, a notice was meeting will be held at the following Seven individuals are in artificial published in the Federal Register, Vol. time and location: 43546 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 157 / Thursday, August 14, 1997 / Notices

Time/Date Location

7:00 p.m. September 3, 1997 ...... Bayard Community Center, 300 Hurley Avenue, Bayard, New Mexico.

DATES: Written comments on the Corporation. CMC also owns and The existing haulage truck fleet moves scoping process will be accepted operates a copper concentrator, solution approximately 60,000 tons per day of through September 15, 1997. extraction and electrowinning facility, ore, 151,000 tons per day of leach rock, ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to copper smelter, and ancillary support and 228,000 tons per day of waste rock. Tom Custer, Bureau of Land facilities near the Santa Rita Mine. A fleet of 190- to 240-ton haul trucks is Management, 1800 Marquess, Las Phelps Dodge owns a two-thirds interest utilized to move this material. Ore is Cruces, New Mexico 88005. and is the operator of the property, and delivered to the concentrator primary Heisei owns a one-third interest. In FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom crusher; leach ore and no-leach rock are Custer, BLM Las Cruces District Office, 1995, CMC produced a total of 168,700 delivered to stockpiles on the perimeter tons of copper metal along with by- at (505) 525–4328. of the pit. Haul distances are currently products molybdenum, gold, and silver. averaging about 13,000 feet with 600 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CMC is Chino ranks fifth largest in the United feet of lift. proposing to expand its current copper States and sixteenth largest in the world mining operation at the Santa Rita Mine The POO provides detailed in terms of annual copper production. descriptions of the CMC facility onto land administered by the BLM. An In 1995, Chino mined a total of 116 economic ore deposit lies within the including ancillary facilities, supporting million tons of rock from the Santa Rita structures, and proposed action. southeastern end of the mine pit on open pit. patented land. Removing the The Proposed Action considered in Reclamation bonding and analyses overburden and extracting the ore safely the POO describes mining activities will be determined through the will require constructing access roads related to continuing the advance of the development of a reclamation plan with and laying the pit walls back onto BLM open pit and rock stockpiles to the the New Mexico Mining and Minerals land. It will also include expanding south of existing operations onto Division (MMD). The goal of existing stockpiles and locating new Federal land administered by the BLM. reclamation of the Santa Rita Mine will stockpiles. The Santa Rita open pit mine be to effectively mitigate impacts to the In 1995, BLM required CMC to presently covers an area of natural, human, and cultural prepare an amendment to a 1981 Plan approximately one square mile at the environment. Implementation of the of Operations (POO) for the Santa Rita perimeter, with additional areas on the Reclamation Plan will require that CMC Mine for certain proposed new activities perimeter used as rock stockpiles. The comply with all applicable rules and on public land. The amended POO upper most level in the pit is located on standards set forth by the BLM and the described proposed mining activities for the east side at the 6,750 foot elevation New Mexico Mining Act. A Closeout 1995 through 1998 that would be and the lowest level in the pit is Plan will be submitted to the New necessary to meet ore production currently at the 5,400 foot elevation. Mexico MMD as part of the mine schedules. The amendment was Mining takes place on a 3-shift-per-day, permitting process. The Closeout Plan submitted to the BLM in November 7-day-per-week basis at a rate of about will include a description of the 1995. The BLM determined that an 290,000 tons per day. Up to 60,000 tons reclamation plan and specific mitigation Environmental Assessment (EA) of the of ore per day are delivered to the measures that CMC will commit to potential environmental impacts crusher. research and development. These associated with activities proposed in Blasthole drilling is about 8,430 feet mitigation measures will serve to reduce the amendment (the Proposed Action) per day, approximately 130 holes per short-term and long-term environmental was required. The EA was completed, day. Drill hole cuttings are sampled and impacts associated with the and the BLM provided a Finding of No assayed for determination of material implementation of one of the action Significant Impact (FONSI) in type. Material is designated as sulfide alternatives. The intent of the November 1996. Additionally, as a ore, leach ore, or low-grade leach ore. reclamation plan and its prerequisite to allowing the interim Blasting is done only during day-shift implementation will be to satisfy both amendment, the BLM required on a 5-day-per-week basis. Blasting BLM and State of New Mexico development of a new long-term POO agents in use at Chino include guidelines. and preparation of an EIS. The long- emulsions, ANFO (ammonium nitrate The proposed land exchange will term POO describes future expansion of and fuel oil), and aluminized ANFO. involve approximately 5,390 acres of the mine onto BLM land, from 1999 to Loading of the materials in the Santa Federal land in Grant County managed 2018. Rita Pit is accomplished with electric by the BLM (Selected Land) and The Santa Rita Mine is an open pit shovels varying from 17 cubic yard to 56 approximately 463 acres of land owned copper mine owned by the CMC, a cubic yard dipper capacity. The size of by CMC (Offered Land). In exchange for partnership between Phelps Dodge dipper used is dependent on whether the Federal land, CMC is offering land Mining Company and Heisei Minerals the shovel is operating in high or low in the Organ Mountains about 14 miles Company, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi density material. northeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Township Range Section Acres

Selected Land

17 South ...... 12 West ...... Portions of Sections 22, 26, 28, 34, 35 ...... 7.66 18 South ...... 11 West ...... Portions of Sections 7, 18, 19, 20 ...... 722.68 18 South ...... 12 West ...... Portions of Sections 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 21 ...... 2,579.24 19 South ...... 11 West ...... Section 7 ...... 86.02 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 157 / Thursday, August 14, 1997 / Notices 43547

Township Range Section Acres

19 South ...... 12 West: ...... Section 12 ...... 160 21 South ...... 12 West: ...... Sections 13, 14, 23, 24 ...... 1,520 21 South ...... 11 West ...... Section 19 ...... 314.44

Offered Land

22 South ...... 4 East ...... Section 5 ...... 463

The EIS will address water resources, The scoping will consist of a news DOD will reissue it from time to time in geology and minerals, air quality, soils, release announcing the start of the EIS the future. vegetation resources, wildlife resources, process; letters of invitation to Three Warning Areas currently are special-status species, range resources, participate in the scoping process; and established in the Western Gulf of land use and access, recreation, visual a scoping packet which further clarifies Mexico Planning Area: W–147, W–228, resources, social and economic values, the proposed action and significant and W–602. W–147 is newly established cultural resources, transportation, noise, issues being considered to be by this July 17, 1997, issue of the climate and reclamation. distributed to those on the mailing list document; the Federal Aviation The BLM has identified the following and made available upon request. Administration (FAA) controls this resources as requiring emphasis during Dated: August 6, 1997. airspace (a portion of this warning area analysis: extends into the Central Gulf of Mexico Richard T. Watts, Planning Area). W–228 has long been in Mimbres Figwort Acting District Manager. existence and the July 7, 1997, Although this plant is not protected [FR Doc. 97–21542 Filed 8–13–97; 8:45 am] document did not change it; the Navy by Federal or State endangered species BILLING CODE 4310±VC±P controls this airspace. W–602 is also a laws, it is sufficiently rare (State of New long-established area, but the DOD Mexico List 2, R–E–D code 2–1–3) that changed it significantly; the Navy also DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR impacts to the local population could controls this airspace. decrease genetic variability in the Minerals Management Service Certain restrictions on flights and species. radio communications in the Warning Peregrine Falcon Changes in Military Warning Areas for Areas will require close coordination the Western Gulf of Mexico between lessees (and their operators and Two peregrine falcons and a peregrine agents) and the appropriate military falcon eyrie were identified near the ACTION: Notice of changes in Military commander or the FAA in charge of the Santa Rita pit in July 1996. Warning Areas for the Western Gulf of specific Warning Area. It is the Visual Resources Mexico. responsibility of lessees to establish and maintain contact and coordination with Scenic resources near the Santa Rita SUMMARY: The Department of Defense pit include the Kneeling Nun and (DOD) has recently issued a document the military commander(s) or the FAA Kneeling Nun ridge. The Kneeling Nun describing changes in Military Warning in any Warning Area in which is a rock monolith which is a well- Areas in the Gulf of Mexico. The MMS operations or flights would be expected known locallandmark. (The Kneeling is giving notice of these changes to in the course of occupying and Nun will be retained in Federal existing lessees and to potential bidders developing any leases; this could ownership.) in Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale include flights through a Warning Area 168, Western Gulf of Mexico. traveling to a leased block which is not Air Quality in a Warning Area. CONTACT: Charles Hill, Gulf of Mexico Lessees should establish and maintain Potential impacts to air quality will Regional Office (504) 736–2795. need to be emphasized during analysis. contact and coordination with the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: appropriate military commander(s) or Water Resources the FAA whether or not there is a I. General Potential impact to ground water and military stipulation in their lease(s). The Minerals Management Service surface water quality and quantity, II. Oil and Gas Lease Sale 168 including acid rock drainage, will need (MMS) is giving notice to lessees and to to be emphasized during analysis. potential bidders in Sale 168, Western Potential bidders in Oil and Gas Lease Gulf of Mexico, of the existence of Sale 168 in the Western Gulf of Mexico Cumulative Impacts Military Warning Areas. The (to be held in New Orleans on August Mining in the region has occurred Department of Defense (DOD) 27, 1997) should note that in the July since the late 1880’s. Analysis of established these Warning Areas in the 17, 1997, document DOD changed the cumulative impacts related to past Flight Information Publication ‘‘Area area of W–602. Therefore, the map mining activity, present activity, and Planning—Special Use Airspace—North referred to in Stipulation No. 2— planned future expansions will need to and South America’’ (NIMA reference Military Areas, paragraph 13 of the be emphasized. number PLANXAP1A). This document Final Notice of Sale for Oil and Gas BLM’s scoping process for the EIS is published by the National Imagery Lease Sale 168 (62 FR 39863–39871), is will include: (1) Identification of issues and Mapping Agency, 3200 South outdated. MMS is advising potential to be addressed; (2) identification of Second Street, St. Louis, Missouri bidders of the newly configured W–602. viable alternatives, and (3) notifying 63118–3399. The DOD published the The blocks in W–602 are listed in interested groups, individuals, and most recent version of this document on Appendix 1 of this notice, and a revised agencies so that additional information July 17, 1997; the next issue is expected map showing the Warning Areas is concerning these issues can be obtained. to be published on June 18, 1998. The available as noted below. The area to