Notice of Meeting of the Pinedale Anticline Working Group

AGENCY:

Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (1976) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (1972), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) will meet in Pinedale, Wyoming, for a business meeting. Group meetings are open to the public.

DATES:

The PAWG will meet January 5, 2005, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting of the PAWG will be held in the Lovatt room of the Pinedale Library, 155 S. Tyler Ave., Pinedale, WY.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carol Kruse, BLM/PAWG Liaison, Bureau of Land Management, Pinedale Field Office, 432 E. Mills St., PO Box 738, Pinedale, WY, 82941; 307-367-5352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) was authorized and established with release of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Project on July 27, 2000. The PAWG advises the BLM on the development and implementation of monitoring plans and adaptive management decisions as development of the Pinedale Anticline Natural Gas Field (PAPA) proceeds for the life of the field.

After the ROD was issued, Interior determined that a Federal Advisory Committees Act (FACA) charter was required for this group. The charter was signed by Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, on August 15, 2002, and renewed on August 13, 2004. An announcement of committee initiation and call for nominations was published in the Federal Register on February 21, 2003, (68 FR 8522). PAWG members were appointed by Secretary Norton on May 4, 2004.

The agenda for this meeting will include separate presentations on sagebrush ecology and the recently completed 5-year mule deer winter range study on the Mesa, task group leader discussions and individual task group discussions. At a minimum, public comments will be heard just prior to adjournment of the meeting.