80 FR 33475 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Farm Service Agency Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 113 (June 12, 2015)
Commodity Credit Corporation
Farm Service Agency
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 113 (June 12, 2015)
| Page Range | 33475-33476 | |
| FR Document | 2015-14393 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 113 (Friday, June 12, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 33475-33476] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-14393] ======================================================================== Notices Federal Register ________________________________________________________________________ This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section. ======================================================================== Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 113 / Friday, June 12, 2015 / Notices [[Page 33475]] DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Commodity Credit Corporation Farm Service Agency Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency, USDA. ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI); request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The PEIS will assess the potential environmental consequences associated with proposed discretionary changes to the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). This notice informs the public of FSA's intent to seek public comment on potential changes being considered for BCAP and on any environmental concerns related to the proposed changes. The input we receive as a result of this notice will enable us to develop alternatives for implementing the proposed changes to BCAP and begin to evaluate the impacts of those alternatives, as required by NEPA. DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by July 13, 2015. Comments received after this date will be considered to the extent possible. ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this NOI. In your comments, include the volume, date, and page number of this issue of the Federal Register. You may submit comments by any of the following methods:Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments; Email: gs.com">[email protected]gs.com Online: Go to http://bcappeis.com. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Fax: (757) 594-1469. Mail, Hand Delivery, or Courier: BCAP PEIS, c/o Cardno TEC, Inc., 11817 Canon Blvd., Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606. All written comments will be available for inspection online at www.regulations.gov and in the Office of the Director, Conservation and Environmental Programs Division, FSA, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave SW., Room 4709, South Building, Washington, DC, 20250, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. A copy of this notice is available through the FSA homepage at http://www.fsa.usda.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nell Fuller, National Environmental Compliance Manager, USDA, FSA, CEPD, Stop 0513, 1400 Independence Ave, SW., Washington, DC, 20250-0513, telephone: (202) 720-6303. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and FSA's NEPA compliance regulations (7 CFR part 799), FSA intends to assess potential discretionary changes to BCAP in 2015 by preparing a PEIS. The purpose of the PEIS process is to provide FSA decision makers, other agencies, Tribes, and the public with an analysis of the potential beneficial, adverse, and cumulative environmental impacts associated with proposed discretionary changes to BCAP. BCAP was first authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill, Pub. L. 110-246). BCAP is a voluntary program that is intended to assist agricultural and forest land owners and operators with the establishment and production of eligible crops in selected project areas for conversion to bioenergy. Additionally, BCAP provides matching payments for the collection, harvest, storage and transportation of eligible material to designated biomass conversion facilities for use as heat, power, biobased products, research, or advanced biofuels. BCAP is administered by FSA on behalf of CCC with the support of other Federal and local agencies. More detailed information on BCAP may be obtained at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap. Since BCAP was initially authorized, FSA has completed extensive NEPA analysis relating to BCAP and to specific project areas and feedstocks. In 2010, a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for BCAP was published by FSA and resulted in a Record of Decision (ROD) that was signed on October 27, 2010. That PEIS evaluated environmental consequences of establishing and administering the BCAP as specified in the 2008 Farm Bill. The PEIS examined the environmental consequences of two alternatives: Targeted BCAP Implementation and Broad BCAP Implementation. Since 2010, Environmental Assessments (EA) have been prepared for various project areas and for specific feedstocks. The Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill, Pub. L. 113-79) amended and reauthorized BCAP through 2018. The 2014 Farm Bill included a number of non-discretionary changes to BCAP. Those changes are primarily administrative in nature and do not alter the general scope of the program. The 2014 Farm Bill changes have already been implemented through rulemaking (80 FR 10569-10575) and do not require additional analysis under NEPA. FSA is currently considering discretionary changes to the way BCAP is implemented. Those discretionary changes define the scope of the new PEIS for which this NOI applies. The new PEIS that will be prepared for the proposed discretionary changes to BCAP will tie to the other applicable BCAP NEPA documentation as appropriate and will examine only those aspects of the program that are not covered in previous analyses. Copies of all FSA NEPA documents can be found at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/nepa. Proposed Changes FSA is proposing several discretionary changes to further improve the functionality and flexibility of the establishment and annual [[Page 33476]] payments part of BCAP. No discretionary changes are being proposed for the matching payments part of BCAP. The proposed changes include: Consideration and review of additional crops including: pongamia pinnata, giant miscanthus seeded and rhizome clones, giant reed (Arundo donax), pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), energy cane (Saccharum spp.), biomass sorghum, sweet sorghum, yellowhorned fruit tree, eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), kenaf, jatropha, eucalyptus (fast growing), castor beans (Ricinus communis), short rotation pine, tropical maize, hybrid willow, sweetgum, black locust, loblolly pine, aspen, rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) and guayule (Parthenium argentatum). Requirements or additional practices for conservation plans on expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) or Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) land acres that would be enrolled in BCAP project areas. Potential for enrolling annual crops in BCAP project areas for contracts of less than five years. Program management processes that could help offset the lack of crop insurance for biomass crops or provide sufficient information for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) to establish coverage. Treatment of the required FSA annual rental reductions in the event of no bioenergy market end use (conversion to heat, power, advance biofuel or biobased product) for the harvested or collected biomass crops. FSA will conduct scoping meetings to provide information on the proposed changes to BCAP and to solicit input from program participants, the public, and other stakeholders on the environmental impacts of these changes and alternatives to these changes. FSA will hold five scoping meetings. Each meeting will begin with an Open House (6 p.m.-6:30 p.m.) followed by a presentation (6:30 p.n.-7 p.m.). At the conclusion of the presentation FSA will accept verbal comments and answer questions. Times and locations are provided in the table below. Table 1--Public Meeting Dates, Times, and Locations* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Time Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------ July 14, 2015................. 6 p.m.-8 p.m..... Hilton Garden Inn Sacramento/South Natomas, 2540 Venture Oaks Way, Sacramento, CA 95833. July 15, 2015................. 6 p.m.-8 p.m..... Pacific Beach Hotel, 2490 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815. August 3, 2015................ 6 p.m.-8 p.m..... Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh-Durham Airport, 8021 Acro Corporate Drive, Raleigh, NC 27617. August 4, 2015................ 6 p.m.-8 p.m..... Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside, 7499 Augusta National Drive, Orlando, FL 32822. August 5, 2015................ 6 p.m.-8 p.m..... Holiday Inn Sioux City, 701 Gordon Drive, Sioux City, IA 51101. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * The five public meeting locations were chosen for the purposes of allowing public input from communities where BCAP has an existing project area or where FSA is aware that project area planning is in underway. Under NEPA, the PEIS process provides a means for the public to provide input on implementation alternatives and environmental concerns for federal actions and programs. This notice informs the public of FSA's intent to prepare a PEIS for discretionary changes to BCAP, and provides notice of the opportunity for public input on the proposed discretionary changes. The PEIS will provide an analysis that evaluates program effects in appropriate contexts, describes the intensity of adverse as well as beneficial environmental impacts, and addresses the cumulative environmental impacts associated with the proposed changes to BCAP. There will be additional opportunities for public comment on the draft PEIS when it is developed. The final PEIS and subsequent Record of Decision will be used by FSA decision-makers in implementing changes to BCAP. Signed in Washington, DC, on June 9, 2015. Val Dolcini, Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation, and Administrator, Farm Service Agency. [FR Doc. 2015-14393 Filed 6-11-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-05-P
![33476 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 113 / Friday, June 12, 2015 / Notices
payments part of BCAP. No rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) and no bioenergy market end use
discretionary changes are being guayule (Parthenium argentatum). (conversion to heat, power, advance
proposed for the matching payments • Requirements or additional biofuel or biobased product) for the
part of BCAP. The proposed changes practices for conservation plans on harvested or collected biomass crops.
include: expiring Conservation Reserve Program
FSA will conduct scoping meetings to
(CRP) or Agricultural Conservation
• Consideration and review of Easement Program (ACEP) land acres
provide information on the proposed
additional crops including: pongamia that would be enrolled in BCAP project changes to BCAP and to solicit input
pinnata, giant miscanthus seeded and areas. from program participants, the public,
rhizome clones, giant reed (Arundo • Potential for enrolling annual crops and other stakeholders on the
donax), pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), in BCAP project areas for contracts of environmental impacts of these changes
energy cane (Saccharum spp.), biomass less than five years. and alternatives to these changes. FSA
sorghum, sweet sorghum, yellowhorned • Program management processes that will hold five scoping meetings. Each
fruit tree, eastern cottonwood (Populus could help offset the lack of crop meeting will begin with an Open House
deltoides), kenaf, jatropha, eucalyptus insurance for biomass crops or provide (6 p.m.–6:30 p.m.) followed by a
(fast growing), castor beans (Ricinus sufficient information for the presentation (6:30 p.n.–7 p.m.). At the
communis), short rotation pine, tropical Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance conclusion of the presentation FSA will
maize, hybrid willow, sweetgum, black Program (NAP) to establish coverage. accept verbal comments and answer
locust, loblolly pine, aspen, rubber • Treatment of the required FSA questions. Times and locations are
annual rental reductions in the event of provided in the table below.
TABLE 1—PUBLIC MEETING DATES, TIMES, AND LOCATIONS*
Date Time Location
July 14, 2015 ............... 6 p.m.–8 p.m. .............. Hilton Garden Inn Sacramento/South Natomas, 2540 Venture Oaks Way, Sacramento, CA
95833.
July 15, 2015 ............... 6 p.m.–8 p.m. .............. Pacific Beach Hotel, 2490 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815.
August 3, 2015 ............. 6 p.m.–8 p.m. .............. Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh-Durham Airport, 8021 Acro Corporate Drive, Raleigh, NC
27617.
August 4, 2015 ............. 6 p.m.–8 p.m. .............. Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside, 7499 Augusta National Drive, Orlando, FL 32822.
August 5, 2015 ............. 6 p.m.–8 p.m. .............. Holiday Inn Sioux City, 701 Gordon Drive, Sioux City, IA 51101.
* The five public meeting locations were chosen for the purposes of allowing public input from communities where BCAP has an existing
project area or where FSA is aware that project area planning is in underway.
Under NEPA, the PEIS process DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 2016, and the final environmental
provides a means for the public to assessment and draft decision notice is
provide input on implementation Forest Service expected in the summer of 2016.
alternatives and environmental ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Angeles and San Bernardino National
concerns for federal actions and Justin Seastrand, on behalf of the
Forests; California; San Gabriel
programs. This notice informs the Angeles National Forest Supervisor, 701
Mountains National Monument
public of FSA’s intent to prepare a PEIS North Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia, CA
Management Plan
for discretionary changes to BCAP, and 91006. Comments may also be provided
provides notice of the opportunity for AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. via facsimile to 626–574–5235. Or
public input on the proposed ACTION:Notice of intent to prepare an submitted on the San Gabriel Mountain
discretionary changes. The PEIS will environmental assessment. National Monument project Web page:
provide an analysis that evaluates http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_
program effects in appropriate contexts, SUMMARY: The Forest Service intends to project_exp.php?project=46964.
describes the intensity of adverse as prepare an environmental assessment to FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
well as beneficial environmental establish management direction for the Justin Seastrand, Environmental
impacts, and addresses the cumulative land and resources within San Gabriel Coordinator, USDA Forest Service,
environmental impacts associated with Mountains National Monument, Angeles National Forest, 701 North
the proposed changes to BCAP. There designated by Presidential Proclamation Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia, CA
will be additional opportunities for on October 10, 2014. The Forest Service, 91006; phone 626–574–5278; email
public comment on the draft PEIS when as the responsible agency, proposes to jseastrand@fs.fed.us.
it is developed. The final PEIS and amend the 2006 Angeles National Forest Individuals who use
subsequent Record of Decision will be Land Management Plan with a telecommunication devices for the deaf
used by FSA decision-makers in management plan to provide for the (TDD) may call the Federal Information
implementing changes to BCAP. protection of the objects of interest Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
identified in the Proclamation. between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern
Signed in Washington, DC, on June 9, Approximately 99 percent of the Time, Monday through Friday.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
2015. Monument occurs on the Angeles SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Val Dolcini, National Forest and 1 percent on the
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit San Bernardino National Forest. Purpose and Need for Action
Corporation, and Administrator, Farm DATES: Comments concerning the scope The Presidential Proclamation
Service Agency. of the analysis must be received by July establishing San Gabriel Mountains
[FR Doc. 2015–14393 Filed 6–11–15; 8:45 am] 27, 2015. The draft environmental National Monument (the Monument)
BILLING CODE 3410–05–P assessment is expected in the spring of requires the preparation of a
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Document Created: 2018-02-22 10:16:08
Document Modified: 2018-02-22 10:16:08
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of Intent (NOI); request for comments. | |
| Dates | We will consider comments that we receive by July 13, 2015. Comments received after this date will be considered to the extent possible. | |
| Contact | Nell Fuller, National Environmental Compliance Manager, USDA, FSA, CEPD, Stop 0513, 1400 Independence Ave, SW., Washington, DC, 20250-0513, telephone: (202) 720-6303. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 33475 |
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