80 FR 70253 - Opportunity To Comment on Changes to the Nevada and California Greater Sage-Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan and the Tonopah Field Office Resource Management Plan Amendment, Nevada

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 219 (November 13, 2015)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is soliciting comments on significant changes to the Proposed Plan as set forth in the Greater Sage-Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment (BSSG) Forest Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), announced on February 13, 2015. Following consideration of any comments on these changes, the BLM intends to issue a Record of Decision (ROD) amending the Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan and the Tonopah Field Office Resource Management Plan.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 219 (Friday, November 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70253-70254]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28876]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVC00000.L16100000.DR0000; 14-08807; MO# 4500080864]


Opportunity To Comment on Changes to the Nevada and California 
Greater Sage-Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Carson City 
Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan and the Tonopah 
Field Office Resource Management Plan Amendment, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is soliciting comments on 
significant changes to the Proposed Plan as set forth in the Greater 
Sage-Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment (BSSG) Forest Plan 
Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), announced on 
February 13, 2015. Following consideration of any comments on these 
changes, the BLM intends to issue a Record of Decision (ROD) amending 
the Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan and 
the Tonopah Field Office Resource Management Plan.

DATES: Written comments on the changes to the Proposed Plan will be 
accepted until December 14, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the significant changes 
to the Proposed Plan by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 775-885-6147.
     Mail: BLM Carson City District, Attn: Colleen Sievers, 
Project Manager, 5665 Morgan Mill Rd., Carson City, NV 89701.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colleen Sievers, Project Manager, 
telephone: 775-885-6168; address: 5665 Morgan Mill Rd., Carson City, NV 
89701; 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Forest Service (USFS) was 
the lead agency for preparing the BSSG Forest Plan Amendment (Plan 
Amendment) and Final EIS. As part of that effort and based on the 
analysis in the Final EIS, the BLM, a cooperating agency, proposes to 
amend the Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management 
Plan and the Tonopah Field Office Resource Management Plan. Following 
the release of the Proposed Plan and the conclusion of the protest 
process, the BLM identified changes and a clarification for the 
Proposed Plan as explained below and determined, pursuant to the 
applicable authorities (43 CFR 1610.2(f)(5) and 43 CFR 1610.5-1(b)), 
that public comment on those measures is necessary. The environmental 
consequences of the proposed changes and clarification have been 
analyzed as part of the Plan Amendment and Final EIS. After considering 
any comments on these changes, the BLM expects to issue a ROD amending 
the Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan and 
the Tonopah Field Office Resource Management Plan.
    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Notice of 
Availability (NOA) for the BSSG Forest Plan Amendment/Draft EIS in the 
Federal Register on August 23, 2013 (78 FR 52524), which initiated a 
90-day comment period. An NOA for the BSSG Forest Plan Amendment/
Revised Draft EIS was published by the EPA on July 11, 2014 (79 FR 
40100), which initiated a second 90-day comment period. The EPA 
published the NOA for the BSSG Forest Plan Amendment and Final EIS in 
the Federal Register on February 13, 2015 (80 FR 8081), which initiated 
a 30-day BLM protest period and 60-day Governors consistency review 
period. The Plan Amendment and Final EIS identified the BLM Plan as the 
Proposed Plan. The BLM received three protest letters. In response to 
those protests and based on additional policy discussions, the BLM has 
determined that it will clarify and make changes to the Proposed Plan.
    The clarification and changes include: (1) Identifying disturbance 
levels within BSSG habitat; (2) Adjusting buffers for tall structures 
near active or pending leks; (3) Adding a restriction for new high-
power transmission lines; and (4) Changing on-the-ground management for 
habitat connectivity. This notice identifies those clarifications and 
changes and initiates a 30-day public comment period (43 CFR 
1610.2(f)(5) and 43 CFR 1610.5-1(b)).

Habitat Disturbance--Proposed Change

    The BLM is changing the Proposed Plan, as it was set forth in the 
Plan Amendment and Final EIS, to set a total anthropogenic disturbance 
of no more than 3 percent of the total BSSG habitat on Federal lands 
within the Bodie Mountain/Grant, Desert Creek/Fales, and White 
Mountains population management unit boundaries (C-Wild-S-04), and a 
total anthropogenic disturbance of no more than 1.5 percent of the 
total BSSG habitat on Federal lands within the Pine Nut Mountains 
population management unit (PMU)

[[Page 70254]]

boundaries (C-Wild-S-05), due to higher presence of risk factors in the 
PMU as analyzed under Final EIS Alternative C. This change is being 
made in response to issues raised during the protest period and based 
on additional policy discussions.
    Concerns were raised by the public that the BLM action was not 
adequate to protect BSSG and its habitat. Disturbance levels identified 
in the Final EIS will require site-specific project mitigation to 
insure no unmitigated net loss of habitat. This requires assessing 
habitat availability at the landscape scale.

Tall Structure Buffer--Proposed Change

    As part of the protest process, the BLM found that it needed to 
correct an error in the Proposed Plan Amendment and Final EIS. The BLM 
found that it should have identified the buffer distance for tall 
structures as 4 miles from active or pending leks. This is consistent 
with management prescriptions proposed by the USFS. Specifically, the 
BLM proposes to adopt the action from Alternative C which states that 
tall structures, which could serve as predator perches, will not be 
authorized within 4 miles of an active or pending lek (C-LUSU-S-04). 
The 4-mile lek buffer accords with other prescriptions of surface 
disturbance in sage-grouse habitat and is consistent with best science 
available.

High-Voltage (>=120kV) Transmission Line--Proposed Change

    The BLM is designating exclusion areas for new high-power (>=120kV) 
transmission lines in BSSG habitat. Specifically, new high-power 
(>=120kV) transmission line corridors, rights-of-way, facilities, or 
construction areas in habitat (outside of existing corridors) will not 
be authorized (C-Min-S-09). This change is being made in response to 
issues raised during the protest period and based on additional policy 
discussions and was analyzed under Alternative C in the EIS.

Connectivity Habitat--Proposed Change

    The BLM is clarifying language from Alternative C to provide for 
management of connectivity habitat. The BSSG landscape is fragmented by 
areas of agriculture and urbanization, as well as areas of naturally 
occurring and encroaching pinyon-juniper vegetation. Sage-grouse 
habitats within and between PMU are often separated by stretches of 
unsuitable areas that may inhibit sage-grouse movements across the 
landscape. Alternative C provides a limited amount of management 
direction to maintain or enhance suitability of connective area. 
Alternative C includes a goal about habitat and movement and an 
objective of improving degraded habitat, including areas with conifer 
encroachment (i.e., pinyon-juniper). Actions and Best Management 
Practices relating to connectivity apply primarily to mineral uses. 
Alternative C states that where valid existing rights exist, in 
connective habitat areas, vegetation characteristics suitable to sage-
grouse should be maintained to the extent technically feasible (C-Min-
S-01). In addition, Alternative C provides additional direction not 
specific to connectivity which states, ``Vegetation treatments and 
post-disturbance restoration should seed and/or transplant sagebrush to 
restore large patches of sagebrush cover and connect existing patches'' 
(C-Wild-S-02). Given the fragmented nature of the bi-state landscape 
and the level of apparent isolation of subpopulations, additional 
management direction for connective habitat area is necessary to 
facilitate sage-grouse movement, reduce isolation, and increase genetic 
interchange between subpopulations. This change is being made in 
response to policy discussions.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who 
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at 
the above address during regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment 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

John F. Ruhs,
Acting State Director, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 2015-28876 Filed 11-12-15; 8:45 am]
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