[Federal Register: December 15, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 240)]
[Notices]               
[Page 70052]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15de99-90]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

National Park Service

 
Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Plan of 
Operations for Oil and Gas Exploration Within Big Cypress National 
Preserve, Florida

SUMMARY: The Preserve has received a Plan of Operations (Plan) for the 
exploration for nonfederal oil and gas from Collier Resource Company. 
The Plan was submitted pursuant to Title 36 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 9, Subpart B (36 CFR 9B). The National Park Service 
has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act to evaluate the proposed activity.

DATES: The Plan and EA are available for public review at Preserve 
Headquarters in Ochopee, Florida. Copies of the EA can be requested at 
the address below. Written comments should be submitted on or before 
January 14, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Superintendent, Big Cypress National Preserve, HCR 61, Box 
110, Ochopee, Florida 34141, Telephone: (941) 695-2000, extension 325.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is in accordance with 36 CFR 
9.52. The Plan calls for the construction of approximately 8 miles of 
road, a drilling pad, drilling an exploratory well and conducting a 41-
square miles three-dimensional geophysical survey.
    In 1992, the National Park Service finalized a Minerals Management 
Plan (MMP) for the Preserve. The MMP along with other appropriate laws 
and regulations provide the framework for assessing proposals from non-
federal oil and gas right owners. The MMP was evaluated as part of the 
Preserve's General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement.
    The EA of Collier Resources Company's Plan of Operations evaluates 
three alternatives: (1) Denial of Plan of Operations, (2) Approval of 
the Plan as Submitted, and (3) Approval of the Plan with Stipulations.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to 
the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which 
we would withhold from the rulemaking record a respondent's identity as 
allowable by law. If you wish for us to withhold your name and/or 
address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your 
comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make 
all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: December 7, 1999.
Daniel W. Brown,
Regional Director, Acting Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 99-32449 Filed 12-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M