80_FR_32700 80 FR 32590 - Notice of Availability of a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement and Final Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Soda Mountain Solar Project, San Bernardino County, CA

80 FR 32590 - Notice of Availability of a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement and Final Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Soda Mountain Solar Project, San Bernardino County, CA

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 110 (June 9, 2015)

Page Range32590-32591
FR Document2015-13925

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Barstow Field Office, Barstow, California, has prepared a Proposed California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment and Joint Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in cooperation with San Bernardino County for the Soda Mountain Solar Project (Project), and by this notice is announcing their availability. The Proposed Project is a 358 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) solar energy generation facility, along with supporting infrastructure, in rural San Bernardino County. After review, the BLM's Preferred Alternative identified in the Final EIS excludes the proposed northern solar array, includes the Applicant Proposed alignment for Rasor Road, and excludes the proposed brine ponds associated with reverse osmosis treatment of groundwater. The BLM's Preferred Alternative would reduce the Project size from 2,557 to 1,923 acres, and decrease the Project's output from 358 to 264 MW.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 110 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32590-32591]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-13925]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 049584, LLCAD015000.L51010000.ER0000.15X.LVRWB09B3130]


Notice of Availability of a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and 
Final Environmental Impact Statement and Final Environmental Impact 
Report for the Proposed Soda Mountain Solar Project, San Bernardino 
County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Barstow Field 
Office, Barstow, California, has prepared a Proposed California Desert 
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment and Joint Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in 
cooperation with San Bernardino County for the Soda Mountain Solar 
Project (Project), and by this notice is announcing their availability. 
The Proposed Project is a 358 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) solar 
energy generation facility, along with supporting infrastructure, in 
rural San Bernardino County. After review, the BLM's Preferred 
Alternative identified in the Final EIS excludes the proposed northern 
solar array, includes the Applicant Proposed alignment for Rasor Road, 
and excludes the proposed brine ponds associated with reverse osmosis 
treatment of groundwater. The BLM's Preferred Alternative would reduce 
the Project size from 2,557 to 1,923 acres, and decrease the Project's 
output from 358 to 264 MW.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's 
proposed plan amendment/final EIS. A person who meets the conditions 
and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date 
that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of 
availability of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS and EIR have 
been sent to affected Federal, State, and local government agencies and 
to other stakeholders. Copies of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS 
and EIR are available for public inspection at the Barstow Field 
Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; and the California Desert 
District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 
92553-9046. Interested persons may also review the proposed plan 
amendment/final EIS and EIR on the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd.html. All protests must be in writing and mailed. For 
regular mail, please send protests to: BLM Director (210), Attention: 
Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383. For 
overnight mail or other delivery, please send protests to: BLM Director 
(210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, 20 M St. SE., Room 2134LM, 
Washington, DC 20003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffery Childers; telephone, 760-252-
6020; mail, BLM Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 
92311; email, jchilders@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during 
normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You 
will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM has received a right-of-way (ROW) 
application from Soda Mountain Solar, LLC to construct, operate, 
maintain, and decommission a PV power plant facility along with the 
necessary ancillary facilities. The Project as proposed by the 
Applicant would occupy approximately 2,557 acres, within a 4,170 right-
of-way application area. The Project is located along Interstate 15 (I-
15), south of Blue Bell Mine Road, about 6 miles southwest of Baker, 
California, and 52 miles northeast of Barstow, California. As initially 
proposed, the Project would include solar array fields, access roads, 
collector lines, a substation with switchyard and interconnection, 
ancillary buildings, groundwater production, test, and observation 
water wells, water tanks, a water treatment and storage facility, brine 
ponds, warehouses, fencing, berms, other infrastructure, and laydown 
areas. The Project will be accessed by the existing Rasor and Blue Bell 
Mine roads. New internal roads would be constructed among collector 
lines, substation, solar arrays and sub arrays, and other ancillary 
facilities. The interconnection to the proposed substation and 
collector lines from the arrays would be via underground trench, 
including underground trenching beneath I-15. The Project as proposed 
by the Applicant would have up to 358 megawatts of generating capacity 
which would interconnect with existing power lines. The BLM Preferred 
Alternative would eliminate the array north of Interstate 15 which 
would reduce the permitted project to 264 megawatts of solar energy.
    In connection with its decision on the proposed Project, the BLM is 
considering an amendment to the CDCA Plan, as analyzed in the final EIS 
and EIR alternatives. The CDCA Plan, while recognizing the potential 
compatibility of solar energy facilities on public lands, requires that 
all sites associated with power generation or transmission not 
identified in the CDCA Plan be considered through the land use plan 
amendment process. The BLM is deciding whether to amend the CDCA Plan 
to identify the Project site as suitable or unsuitable for solar 
development.
    The proposed plan amendment/final EIS and EIR describes the 
following seven alternatives: Alternative A: The Applicant Proposed 
Action--358 MW on 2,557 acres; Alternative B (Preferred Alternative)--
264 MW project on 1,923 acres; Alternative C--298 MW project on 2,354 
acres; Alternative D--250 MW project on 2,134 acres; Alternative E--No 
action alternative/no project approval, no issuance of a ROW Grant, no 
county approval of a groundwater well permit, no Land Use Plan 
amendment; Alternative F--BLM approves project with no county approval 
of a groundwater well permit; and Alternative G--Planning decision 
identifying the area as unsuitable for solar through a Land Use Plan 
Amendment, with no issuance of a ROW Grant, and no county approval of a 
groundwater well permit. All of the alternatives, except Alternative E, 
would include an amendment to the CDCA Plan. The Agency Preferred 
Alternative identified as Alternative B, removes the northern array and 
associated facilities, includes the Applicant Proposed alignment for 
Rasor Road, and excludes the proposed brine ponds associated with 
reverse osmosis treatment of groundwater, as contemplated under 
Alternative F. The BLM's Preferred Alternative would reduce the Project 
size from 2,557 to 1,923 acres, and decrease the Project's output from 
358 to 264 MW.

[[Page 32591]]

    The proposed plan amendment/final EIS and EIR evaluates the 
potential impacts of the proposed Soda Mountain Solar Project on air 
quality, biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, 
geological resources and hazards, land use, noise, paleontological 
resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils, traffic and 
transportation, visual resources, and other resources.
    Mitigation measures would be implemented to avoid, minimize, 
rectify, reduce, or compensate for adverse impacts of the Project. 
These include:
     Wildlife: The acquisition of compensatory mitigation land 
at a 1:1 ratio would be required for all desert tortoise habitat and 
all active burrowing owl territories disturbed. Wildlife would be 
avoided or relocated (e.g., burrowing owls) to the extent feasible and 
trenching would be managed to minimize wildlife entrapment. An avian 
monitoring program will be implemented with an adaptive management 
program that would identify and implement project-specific mitigation 
measures to reduce bird mortality that may occur as a result of the 
Project. Additional water sources for bighorn sheep would be required 
in coordination with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and 
the National Park Service. An adaptive management strategy aimed at 
maintaining existing foraging, movement, and feeding opportunities for 
bighorn sheep would be required with the goal of improving 
opportunities to restore sheep movement and connectivity. The adaptive 
management strategy would include funding for a 10-year bighorn sheep 
study to examine the response of sheep to the project and to inform 
adaptive management actions, including culvert crossing improvements, 
temporary water sources near culverts, measures to minimize the effects 
of human activities on bighorn sheep, and funding for additional 
regional connectivity projects for bighorn sheep. Mitigation measures 
would also include monitoring for bighorn sheep during construction and 
compensation for loss of bighorn sheep foraging habitat.
     Cultural/Paleontological Resources: Impacts to onsite and 
any nearby cultural, archaeological, and paleontological resources, if 
discovered, would be avoided by having archeological, paleontological, 
and Native American participants onsite during construction.
     Hydrology: A comprehensive drainage, stormwater, and 
sedimentation control plan would be prepared and implemented to avoid 
or minimize the Project's potential to cause or result in additional 
erosion and sedimentation.
     Air quality: Water would be applied to disturbed and 
actively-used areas during both construction and operation. A dust-
control plan would be prepared and implemented pursuant to the Mojave 
Desert Air Quality Management District's Rule 403.2.
     Groundwater: A draft groundwater monitoring and mitigation 
plan has been prepared that includes trigger points to avoid adverse 
impacts associated with groundwater drawdown.
     Visual: All structures would be painted with BLM-approved 
colors; nighttime lighting would be minimized; and a glint and glare 
assessment, mitigation, and monitoring plan would be prepared and 
implemented.
    The BLM published a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS and EIR for 
the project in the Federal Register on October 23, 2012 (77 FR 64824). 
The BLM and San Bernardino County held joint public scoping meetings in 
Barstow on November 14, 2012. The formal scoping period ended on 
December 14, 2012.
    The BLM published a Notice of Availability of the draft plan 
amendment/draft EIS and EIR for the Project in the Federal Register on 
November 29, 2013 (78 FR 71640). The BLM and San Bernardino County held 
three public meetings: two in Barstow on January 8 and 9, 2014, and a 
third in Yucca Valley on January 11, 2014, to provide additional 
information to the public regarding the analysis.
    Comments on the draft plan amendment/draft EIS and EIR received 
from agencies, members of the public, and internal lead and cooperating 
agency review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the 
proposed plan amendment/final EIS and EIR. Instructions for filing a 
protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the proposed Plan 
Amendment/final EIS and EIR may be found in the ``Dear Reader'' Letter 
of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS and EIR and at 43 CFR 1610.5-
2. All protests must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate 
address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Emailed protests 
will not be accepted as valid protests unless the protesting party also 
provides the original letter by either regular or overnight mail 
postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, 
the BLM will consider the emailed protest as an advance copy and it 
will receive full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with 
such advance notification, please direct emails to protest@blm.gov.
    Before including your phone number, email address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2; 43 CFR 
1610.5.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2015-13925 Filed 6-5-15; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 4310-40-P



                                              32590                           Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 110 / Tuesday, June 9, 2015 / Notices

                                                Dated: June 3, 2015.                                  ADDRESSES:    Copies of the proposed plan              arrays and sub arrays, and other
                                              Salin G. Geervarghese,                                  amendment/final EIS and EIR have been                  ancillary facilities. The interconnection
                                              Deputy Assistant Secretary for International            sent to affected Federal, State, and local             to the proposed substation and collector
                                              and Philanthropic Innovation.                           government agencies and to other                       lines from the arrays would be via
                                              [FR Doc. 2015–14035 Filed 6–8–15; 8:45 a.m.]            stakeholders. Copies of the proposed                   underground trench, including
                                              BILLING CODE 4210–67–P                                  plan amendment/final EIS and EIR are                   underground trenching beneath I–15.
                                                                                                      available for public inspection at the                 The Project as proposed by the
                                                                                                      Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow                     Applicant would have up to 358
                                              DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR                              Road, Barstow, CA 92311; and the                       megawatts of generating capacity which
                                                                                                      California Desert District Office, 22835               would interconnect with existing power
                                              Bureau of Land Management                               Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno                    lines. The BLM Preferred Alternative
                                                                                                      Valley, CA 92553–9046. Interested                      would eliminate the array north of
                                              [CACA 049584, LLCAD015000.L51010000.
                                              ER0000.15X.LVRWB09B3130]                                persons may also review the proposed                   Interstate 15 which would reduce the
                                                                                                      plan amendment/final EIS and EIR on                    permitted project to 264 megawatts of
                                              Notice of Availability of a Proposed                    the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/ca/                 solar energy.
                                              Land Use Plan Amendment and Final                       st/en/fo/cdd.html. All protests must be                   In connection with its decision on the
                                              Environmental Impact Statement and                      in writing and mailed. For regular mail,               proposed Project, the BLM is
                                              Final Environmental Impact Report for                   please send protests to: BLM Director                  considering an amendment to the CDCA
                                              the Proposed Soda Mountain Solar                        (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator,                 Plan, as analyzed in the final EIS and
                                              Project, San Bernardino County, CA                      P.O. Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024–                  EIR alternatives. The CDCA Plan, while
                                                                                                      1383. For overnight mail or other                      recognizing the potential compatibility
                                              AGENCY:   Bureau of Land Management,                    delivery, please send protests to: BLM
                                              Interior.                                                                                                      of solar energy facilities on public lands,
                                                                                                      Director (210), Attention: Protest                     requires that all sites associated with
                                              ACTION: Notice.                                         Coordinator, 20 M St. SE., Room                        power generation or transmission not
                                              SUMMARY:    In accordance with the                      2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.                          identified in the CDCA Plan be
                                              National Environmental Policy Act of                    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                       considered through the land use plan
                                              1969, as amended (NEPA), and the                        Jeffery Childers; telephone, 760–252–                  amendment process. The BLM is
                                              Federal Land Policy and Management                      6020; mail, BLM Barstow Field Office,                  deciding whether to amend the CDCA
                                              Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of                  2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311;                  Plan to identify the Project site as
                                              Land Management (BLM) Barstow Field                     email, jchilders@blm.gov. Persons who                  suitable or unsuitable for solar
                                              Office, Barstow, California, has prepared               use a telecommunications device for the                development.
                                              a Proposed California Desert                            deaf (TDD) may call the Federal                           The proposed plan amendment/final
                                              Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan                           Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–                 EIS and EIR describes the following
                                              Amendment and Joint Final                               800–877–8339 to contact the above                      seven alternatives: Alternative A: The
                                              Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)                    individual during normal business                      Applicant Proposed Action—358 MW
                                              and Environmental Impact Report (EIR)                   hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a                on 2,557 acres; Alternative B (Preferred
                                              in cooperation with San Bernardino                      day, 7 days a week, to leave a message                 Alternative)—264 MW project on 1,923
                                              County for the Soda Mountain Solar                      or question with the above individual.                 acres; Alternative C—298 MW project
                                              Project (Project), and by this notice is                You will receive a reply during normal                 on 2,354 acres; Alternative D—250 MW
                                              announcing their availability. The                      business hours.                                        project on 2,134 acres; Alternative E—
                                              Proposed Project is a 358 megawatt                      SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM                     No action alternative/no project
                                              (MW) photovoltaic (PV) solar energy                     has received a right-of-way (ROW)                      approval, no issuance of a ROW Grant,
                                              generation facility, along with                         application from Soda Mountain Solar,                  no county approval of a groundwater
                                              supporting infrastructure, in rural San                 LLC to construct, operate, maintain, and               well permit, no Land Use Plan
                                              Bernardino County. After review, the                    decommission a PV power plant facility                 amendment; Alternative F—BLM
                                              BLM’s Preferred Alternative identified                  along with the necessary ancillary                     approves project with no county
                                              in the Final EIS excludes the proposed                  facilities. The Project as proposed by the             approval of a groundwater well permit;
                                              northern solar array, includes the                      Applicant would occupy approximately                   and Alternative G—Planning decision
                                              Applicant Proposed alignment for Rasor                  2,557 acres, within a 4,170 right-of-way               identifying the area as unsuitable for
                                              Road, and excludes the proposed brine                   application area. The Project is located               solar through a Land Use Plan
                                              ponds associated with reverse osmosis                   along Interstate 15 (I–15), south of Blue              Amendment, with no issuance of a
                                              treatment of groundwater. The BLM’s                     Bell Mine Road, about 6 miles                          ROW Grant, and no county approval of
                                              Preferred Alternative would reduce the                  southwest of Baker, California, and 52                 a groundwater well permit. All of the
                                              Project size from 2,557 to 1,923 acres,                 miles northeast of Barstow, California.                alternatives, except Alternative E,
                                              and decrease the Project’s output from                  As initially proposed, the Project would               would include an amendment to the
                                              358 to 264 MW.                                          include solar array fields, access roads,              CDCA Plan. The Agency Preferred
                                              DATES: BLM planning regulations state                   collector lines, a substation with                     Alternative identified as Alternative B,
                                              that any person who meets the                           switchyard and interconnection,                        removes the northern array and
                                              conditions as described in the                          ancillary buildings, groundwater                       associated facilities, includes the
                                              regulations may protest the BLM’s                       production, test, and observation water                Applicant Proposed alignment for Rasor
                                              proposed plan amendment/final EIS. A                    wells, water tanks, a water treatment                  Road, and excludes the proposed brine
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                                              person who meets the conditions and                     and storage facility, brine ponds,                     ponds associated with reverse osmosis
                                              files a protest must file the protest                   warehouses, fencing, berms, other                      treatment of groundwater, as
                                              within 30 days of the date that the                     infrastructure, and laydown areas. The                 contemplated under Alternative F. The
                                              Environmental Protection Agency                         Project will be accessed by the existing               BLM’s Preferred Alternative would
                                              publishes its notice of availability of the             Rasor and Blue Bell Mine roads. New                    reduce the Project size from 2,557 to
                                              proposed plan amendment/final EIS in                    internal roads would be constructed                    1,923 acres, and decrease the Project’s
                                              the Federal Register.                                   among collector lines, substation, solar               output from 358 to 264 MW.


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                                                                              Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 110 / Tuesday, June 9, 2015 / Notices                                                 32591

                                                 The proposed plan amendment/final                    prepared and implemented to avoid or                   advance notification, please direct
                                              EIS and EIR evaluates the potential                     minimize the Project’s potential to cause              emails to protest@blm.gov.
                                              impacts of the proposed Soda Mountain                   or result in additional erosion and                      Before including your phone number,
                                              Solar Project on air quality, biological                sedimentation.                                         email address, or other personal
                                              resources, cultural resources, water                       • Air quality: Water would be applied               identifying information in your protest,
                                              resources, geological resources and                     to disturbed and actively-used areas                   you should be aware that your entire
                                              hazards, land use, noise, paleontological               during both construction and operation.                protest—including your personal
                                              resources, public health,                               A dust-control plan would be prepared                  identifying information—may be made
                                              socioeconomics, soils, traffic and                      and implemented pursuant to the                        publicly available at any time. While
                                              transportation, visual resources, and                   Mojave Desert Air Quality Management                   you can ask us in your protest to
                                              other resources.                                        District’s Rule 403.2.                                 withhold your personal identifying
                                                 Mitigation measures would be                            • Groundwater: A draft groundwater                  information from public review, we
                                              implemented to avoid, minimize,                         monitoring and mitigation plan has                     cannot guarantee that we will be able to
                                              rectify, reduce, or compensate for                      been prepared that includes trigger                    do so.
                                              adverse impacts of the Project. These                   points to avoid adverse impacts                          Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR
                                              include:                                                associated with groundwater                            1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2; 43 CFR 1610.5.
                                                 • Wildlife: The acquisition of                       drawdown.
                                              compensatory mitigation land at a 1:1                                                                          Thomas Pogacnik,
                                                                                                         • Visual: All structures would be
                                              ratio would be required for all desert                  painted with BLM-approved colors;
                                                                                                                                                             Deputy State Director, California.
                                              tortoise habitat and all active burrowing               nighttime lighting would be minimized;                 [FR Doc. 2015–13925 Filed 6–5–15; 4:15 pm]
                                              owl territories disturbed. Wildlife                     and a glint and glare assessment,                      BILLING CODE 4310–40–P
                                              would be avoided or relocated (e.g.,
                                                                                                      mitigation, and monitoring plan would
                                              burrowing owls) to the extent feasible
                                                                                                      be prepared and implemented.
                                              and trenching would be managed to                                                                              DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
                                                                                                         The BLM published a Notice of Intent
                                              minimize wildlife entrapment. An avian
                                                                                                      to prepare an EIS and EIR for the project              Bureau of Land Management
                                              monitoring program will be
                                                                                                      in the Federal Register on October 23,
                                              implemented with an adaptive                                                                                   [LLMTM00000.L111100000.XP0000
                                                                                                      2012 (77 FR 64824). The BLM and San
                                              management program that would                                                                                  15XL1109AF MO#4500080076]
                                              identify and implement project-specific                 Bernardino County held joint public
                                              mitigation measures to reduce bird                      scoping meetings in Barstow on                         Notice of Public Meeting; Central
                                              mortality that may occur as a result of                 November 14, 2012. The formal scoping                  Montana Resource Advisory Council
                                              the Project. Additional water sources for               period ended on December 14, 2012.
                                                                                                         The BLM published a Notice of                       AGENCY:   Bureau of Land Management,
                                              bighorn sheep would be required in
                                              coordination with the California                        Availability of the draft plan                         Interior.
                                              Department of Fish and Wildlife and the                 amendment/draft EIS and EIR for the                    ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
                                              National Park Service. An adaptive                      Project in the Federal Register on
                                                                                                      November 29, 2013 (78 FR 71640). The                   SUMMARY:   In accordance with the
                                              management strategy aimed at                                                                                   Federal Land Policy and Management
                                              maintaining existing foraging,                          BLM and San Bernardino County held
                                                                                                      three public meetings: two in Barstow                  Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory
                                              movement, and feeding opportunities                                                                            Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S.
                                              for bighorn sheep would be required                     on January 8 and 9, 2014, and a third
                                                                                                      in Yucca Valley on January 11, 2014, to                Department of the Interior, Bureau of
                                              with the goal of improving                                                                                     Land Management (BLM) Central
                                              opportunities to restore sheep                          provide additional information to the
                                                                                                      public regarding the analysis.                         Montana Resource Advisory Council
                                              movement and connectivity. The                                                                                 (RAC) will meet as indicated below.
                                              adaptive management strategy would                         Comments on the draft plan
                                                                                                      amendment/draft EIS and EIR received                   DATES: The Central Montana Resource
                                              include funding for a 10-year bighorn
                                              sheep study to examine the response of                  from agencies, members of the public,                  Advisory Council Meeting will be held
                                              sheep to the project and to inform                      and internal lead and cooperating                      July 15–16, 2015 in Lewistown,
                                              adaptive management actions, including                  agency review were considered and                      Montana. The July 15 meeting will
                                              culvert crossing improvements,                          incorporated as appropriate into the                   begin at 10 a.m. with a 30-minute public
                                              temporary water sources near culverts,                  proposed plan amendment/final EIS and                  comment period and will adjourn at 5
                                              measures to minimize the effects of                     EIR. Instructions for filing a protest with            p.m. The July 16 meeting will begin at
                                              human activities on bighorn sheep, and                  the Director of the BLM regarding the                  8 a.m. with a 30-minute public
                                              funding for additional regional                         proposed Plan Amendment/final EIS                      comment period beginning at 10 a.m.
                                              connectivity projects for bighorn sheep.                and EIR may be found in the ‘‘Dear                     and will adjourn at 12 p.m.
                                              Mitigation measures would also include                  Reader’’ Letter of the proposed plan                   ADDRESSES: The meetings will be in the
                                              monitoring for bighorn sheep during                     amendment/final EIS and EIR and at 43                  Bureau of Land Management, Central
                                              construction and compensation for loss                  CFR 1610.5–2. All protests must be in                  Montana District Office, Lewistown
                                              of bighorn sheep foraging habitat.                      writing and mailed to the appropriate                  Field Office Conference Room at 920 NE
                                                 • Cultural/Paleontological Resources:                address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES                 Main, Lewistown, Montana.
                                              Impacts to onsite and any nearby                        section above. Emailed protests will not               FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                              cultural, archaeological, and                           be accepted as valid protests unless the               Mark Albers, HiLine District Manager,
                                              paleontological resources, if discovered,               protesting party also provides the                     Great Falls Field Office, 1101 15th
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              would be avoided by having                              original letter by either regular or                   Street North, Great Falls, MT 59401,
                                              archeological, paleontological, and                     overnight mail postmarked by the close                 (406) 791–7789, malbers@blm.gov.
                                              Native American participants onsite                     of the protest period. Under these                     Persons who use a telecommunications
                                              during construction.                                    conditions, the BLM will consider the                  device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
                                                 • Hydrology: A comprehensive                         emailed protest as an advance copy and                 Federal Information Relay Service
                                              drainage, stormwater, and                               it will receive full consideration. If you             (FIRS) at 1–800–677–8339 to contact the
                                              sedimentation control plan would be                     wish to provide the BLM with such                      above individual during normal


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Document Created: 2015-12-15 15:26:12
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 15:26:12
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice.
DatesBLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's proposed plan amendment/final EIS. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS in the Federal Register.
ContactJeffery Childers; telephone, 760-252- 6020; mail, BLM Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; email, [email protected] Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
FR Citation80 FR 32590 

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