BLM Uncompahgre Field Office Resource Management Plan
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Development of an Environmental Impact Statement for Federal and American Indian Resource Management BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF in Oklahoma, Kansas, & Texas BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND BLM Oklahoma Field Office BIA Eastern Oklahoma Region BIA Southern Plains Region BLM Mission The BLM is a small agency with a big mission: management for multiple uses of nearly 250 million acres of public land and 700 million acres of mineral estate. These multiple uses are diverse, including energy development, livestock grazing, recreational activities, and conservation. BLM’s overall budget vs. revenue (FY 2011): $1.8 billion vs. BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF $4.1 billion BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND BLM Oklahoma Field Office Mission Multiple Use Management Under FLPMA Part of the NM BLM Organization Covers OK-KS-TX AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF Management BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND responsibility for Federal mineral estate, and surface management on public domain tracts in OK, TX, and KS Permitting responsibility for BIA-issued oil and gas leases BLM Oklahoma Field Office Mission – Oil & Gas Management except Osage County The OFO’s three-state jurisdiction overlaps three of the nation’s top natural gas producing states: Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF Leasing of Federal Minerals and Pre-Leasing Review of BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Indian Minerals Permitting of Federal and Indian Minerals Revenue-Sharing Agreements Inspections and Enforcement on ~15,000 O&G wells, incl. production on ~$324 million in royalties (2010 estimate) BLM Oklahoma Field Office Mission – Coal Management 2 Active Coal Mines Produced 451,000 tons of Federal AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF Coal in FY 2012 BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND 5 Inactive Mines 4 Mines Currently Seeking Approval Other Mines Pursuing Exploration BLM Oklahoma Field Office Mission – Other Solid Minerals Federal and Indian Sand and Gravel, Limestone, Asphalt AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF Operations in BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Oklahoma. Potential for Salt Developmen t in Kansas. BLM Oklahoma Field Office Mission – Surface Management Management of Public Lands, including along the Red River AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF Isolated Parcels BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Recreation and Public Purposes Act Requests. Rights-of-Way Livestock Grazing What is an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)? A detailed report identifying effects on the human environment resulting from decisions and actions of the Federal government. AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF A requirement under the National BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) The purpose of NEPA is to help make informed decisions while concurrently protecting the environment. Why Are BLM and BIA Conducting an EIS? The EIS will enable BLM and BIA to better manage resource use decisions within the planning area. BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF BLM and BIA work collectively on permitting of Indian & Tribal mineral BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND development.Resources Resource Uses include: Include: Oil & Gas Recreation Solid Minerals Livestock grazing Lands Other uses BLM RMP/EIS & BIA EIS Decision Area BLM BIA ~50,000 acres of BLM Eastern Oklahoma administered surface lands 20 Tribes 621,696 acres AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF 593,000 acres of split Eastern OK estate land (private land BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND with Federal mineral Southern Plains interests) 24 Tribes 5,270,000 acres of 479,015 acres Federal mineral estate on Western OK, KS, & TX lands managed by other Federal agencies Oklahoma BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Texas BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT What is a BLM Resource Management Plan? Is the primary tool guiding BLM management activities in support of the dual mandate of multiple use and sustained yield. AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Establishes goals and objectives for resource management and the measures needed to achieve them. What is a Resource Management Plan? (continued) Identifies lands that are open and available for certain uses, including any restrictions, and lands that are closed to certain uses. AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Provides comprehensive management direction for and/or allocates use of resources. EIS and RMP Purpose and Need BLM BIA To revise outdated plans: Leasing and development of Kansas 1991 RMP Indian mineral interests will be strengthened when addressed Oklahoma 1994 RMP in an EIS-level analysis AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF Texas 1996 RMP BIA EO & SP would sign To support future leasing and separate Indian EIS and BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND permitting decisions Record of Decisions To include/update resource Strengthens future leasing by uses and incorporate new data BIA or individual Tribes To allocate other resources not Through tiering, strengthens included in original RMPs permitting by BLM for Indian and Tribal mineral development Issues to be Addressed Air Resources Socio-Economics and Fluid Minerals Environmental Justice Wildlife and Threatened and Wild and Scenic Rivers Endangered Species Wild Horse and Burro Cultural Resources and Helium Resources Native American Religious Potential for Rights of Way, Concerns Realty Actions, Business Lands with Wilderness Leases AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF Characteristics National Historic Trails BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Solid Minerals Recreation/Visitor Services Riparian/Wetlands/Floodplai ns Groundwater Resources Land Tenure Livestock Grazing Vegetation Visual Resources Planning Support: Reasonably Foreseeable Development Historical well and production data have been collected, compiled, and assimilated for GIS analysis Will delineate areas of AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF potential mineral/energy development (high, medium, BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND low, none), including O&G, solid minerals, wind energy. Will describe Federal and Indian development potential v. all energy resources. Will assist in identifying multiple use management areas. Will serve as basis for impact analysis in the EIS History of Red River Ownership 1803 Louisiana Purchase 1819 US Treaty with Catholic Church (Spain) 1828 US Treaty with Mexico 1838 US Treaty with Republic of Texas AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF 1845 Texas admitted as state BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND 1906 Oklahoma admitted as state 1923 US Supreme Court ruling that south bank is boundary between Oklahoma & Texas 1924-27: Kidder and Stiles use gradient boundary to establish south bank. Definitions GRADIENT BOUNDARY – A boundary determined by the position of flowing water along a bank. First announced in Oklahoma vs. Texas by the U.S. Supreme Court (265 US 493), as follows: “The boundary line is a gradient of flowing water in the river. It is located midway between the lower level of the flowing water that just reaches the cut-bank and the higher level of it that just does not overtop the cut-bank. The physical top of the cut-bank, being very uneven in profile, cannot be a datum for locating the boundary line but a gradient along the bank must be used for that purpose. The AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF highest point on the gradient must not be higher than the lowest acceptable point on the bank in that vicinity.” BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND PUBLIC DOMAIN – The term applied to any or all of those areas of land ceded to the Federal Government by the Original States and to such other lands as were later acquired by treaty, purchase or cession, and are disposed of only under the authority of Congress. PATENT – A document by which the United States conveys, to those entitled thereto, legal title to some portion of the public lands. January 2010 BLM and the Red River 116 mile stretch from 98th meridian west to the North Fork of the Red River EIS/RMP would look at numerous issues related to management along the Red River AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF including, but not limited to: BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Land tenure (retention, disposal, R&PP) Oil & gas development and reclamation Land use (recreation, livestock grazing, etc). January 2010 Issues to be Addressed Air Resources Socio-Economics and Fluid Minerals Environmental Justice Wildlife and Threatened and Wild and Scenic Rivers Endangered Species Wild Horse and Burro Cultural Resources and Helium Resources Native American Religious Potential for Rights of Way, Concerns Realty Actions Lands with Wilderness AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF Characteristics National Historic Trails BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Solid Minerals Recreation/Visitor Services Riparian/Wetlands/Floodplai ns Groundwater Resources Land Tenure Livestock Grazing Vegetation Visual Resources Estimating Gradient Boundary and Medial Line of the Red River without a cadastral AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF survey BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND 22 BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Correlate known surveys in the receivership area with elevation 23 BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND 1920 Arthur Stiles prepared soil map for supreme court case 24 BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND T4 & 5S R14W survey (grey) closely matches Stiles “sand” 25 BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Correlate known surveys in the receivership area with soil (SSURGO) 26 BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS INDIAN BUREAU OF BUREAU BUREAU MANAGEMENT OF LAND Lincoln and Crevasse soils match gradient boundary