Project Alternatives
The BLM identified three action alternatives in addition to the No Action Alternative (Alternative A) for consideration in the North Dakota Draft RMP/EIS. All of the alternatives share common goals; however, propose to meet those goals through varied management direction and allocations with the potential for different long-range outcomes and conditions.
No Action Alternative -
Alternative A meets the requirement that a No Action alternative must be considered. This alternative continues current management direction and prevailing conditions derived from the 1988 North Dakota RMP and associated amendments. Laws, regulations, and BLM policies that supersede RMP decisions would apply. Goals and objectives for BLM administered lands and mineral estate would not change. Appropriate allocations and restrictions pertaining to activities such as mineral leasing and development, recreation, ROWs, and livestock grazing would also remain the same. Under this alternative no special management areas would be identified, and three river segments would be managed as eligible for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Alternative B (Preferred Alternative) –
Alternative B emphasizes sustaining the ecological integrity of habitats for all priority plant, wildlife, and fish species, while allowing appropriate development scenarios for allocations (such as mineral leasing, recreation, rights-of-way, and livestock grazing). Alternative B, provides opportunities for minerals and energy development, however, of all alternatives would close the most acres to new oil and gas leasing. Alternative B would also limit new federal coal leasing to the areas within close proximity to existing mines and infrastructure. This alternative would designate one special recreation management area (SRMA), two backcountry conservation areas (BCAs), one area of critical environmental concern (ACEC), and would find three eligible wild and scenic river (WSR) segments suitable for designation.
Alternative B.1 is a sub-alternative to Alternative B that provides the same management opportunities and protections as found under Alternative B for all resources except coal. Alternative B.1 further restricts federal coal leasing to the areas within the existing federal mine permit boundaries. Of all alternatives, Alternative B.1 includes the lowest number of acres of federal coal minerals acceptable for further consideration for leasing. Alternative B.1 reduces the potential for expansion of federal coal mining at all active North Dakota mines: BNI Center, Coyote Creek, Falkirk, and Freedom mines. It also reduces the proposed expansion at the Falkirk and Freedom mines.
Alternative C –
This alternative is similar to Alternative B but provides for more flexibility in management of natural and cultural resources while providing modest development of resource uses. Under Alternative C, the BLM would provide opportunities for minerals and energy development with fewer restrictions than Alternatives B and B.1, but more than Alternative A. Additionally, Alternative C provides the same number of SRMAs, BCAs, and ACECs as Alternative B but the size of the areas would be reduced and/or less restrictive management actions would be implemented as compared to Alternative B. The three eligible WSR segments would be determined to be not suitable for designation under Alternative C.
Planning Area, Surface and Subsurface Decision Areas
Planning Area
The planning area includes the entire state of North Dakota, regardless of jurisdiction.
Surface and Subsurface Decision Areas
The BLM will only make management decisions on the portions of the planning area that fall under BLM’s jurisdiction. These include lands the BLM administers as well as the federal mineral estate where BLM has authority to make decisions. The decision area includes 58,500 acres of BLM-administered surface lands. There are three main consolidated areas of BLM-administered surface lands all located in the western third of the state. The remaining BLM-administered surface lands are primarily isolated tracts scattered throughout the state.
The subsurface federal mineral estate in North Dakota includes over 4 million acres of coal, 489,300 acres of fluid minerals, and 362,600 acres of other minerals.
BLM Surface Decision Area
BLM Coal Subsurface Decision Area
BLM Fluid Minerals Subsurface Decision Area
BLM Mineral Material Disposal, Locatable Minerals, and Nonenergy Solid Leasable Minerals Subsurface Decision Areas
For more information on the North Dakota RMP/EIS, please visit the project’s BLM ePlanning website or contact Kristine Braun, Eastern Montana/Dakotas Planning and Environmental Coordinator, at 701-227-7725.
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