81 FR 33702 - Notice of Availability Nevada and California Greater Sage-Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Land Use Plan Amendment and Record of Decision

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 103 (May 27, 2016)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the approved Nevada and California Greater Sage-Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) for the Carson City District and the Tonopah Field Office located in Nevada. The Nevada State Director signed the ROD on May 27, 2016, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the LUPA effective immediately.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 103 (Friday, May 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33702-33703]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12605]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVC00000.L16100000.DR0000; 14-08807; MO# 4500084731]


Notice of Availability Nevada and California Greater Sage-Grouse 
Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Land Use Plan Amendment and Record 
of Decision

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the approved Nevada and California 
Greater Sage-Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Land Use Plan 
Amendment (LUPA) for the Carson City District and the Tonopah Field 
Office located in Nevada. The Nevada State Director signed the ROD on 
May 27, 2016, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes 
the LUPA effective immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/approved LUPA are available upon request 
from the Carson City District Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 5665 
Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 89701, Battle Mountain District 
Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, 
NV 89820 or via the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field.html. Copies of the ROD/approved LUPA are available 
for public inspection at the Carson City or Battle Mountain District 
Offices at the above addresses.

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, seven 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 Nevada California Greater Sage-Grouse 
Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Land Use Plan will amend the 
Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
(2001) and the Tonopah Field Office RMP (1997). The LUPA and associated 
environmental

[[Page 33703]]

impact statement (EIS) were developed using a collaborative planning 
process. The United States Forest Service (USFS) was the lead agency 
for preparing the EIS and LUPA. The BLM was a cooperating agency. The 
LUPA encompasses approximately 280,000 acres of public land 
administered by the BLM Nevada, located in Carson City, Douglas, 
Esmeralda, Lyon, and Mineral counties in Nevada and Alpine County, 
California. The decision area does not include private lands, State 
lands, tribal lands, or Federal lands not administered by the BLM. The 
LUPA/ROD will add goals, objectives, action, and best management 
practices specifically designed to conserve, enhance, and restore 
habitats to provide for the long-term viability of the Greater Sage-
Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment (BSSG). The LUPA provides 
direction at the land-use-plan level to include regulatory mechanisms 
for the management and conservation of BSSG habitats within the BLM 
Carson City and Battle Mountain Districts to support the BSSG 
population management objectives within the States of Nevada and 
California.
    The proposed LUPA/final EIS was made available to the public on 
February 13, 2015 (80 FR 8081). Three valid protest letters were 
received and seven issues were identified. No inconsistencies were 
identified by the Offices of the Governor for the States of California 
or Nevada during the Governor's consistency review. The Director's 
Protest Report is available from the Carson City District's Web site 
at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field.html.
    The following changes to the Proposed Amendment are made final in 
the ROD/Approved Amendment as a result of protests raised during the 
protest process and additional agency discussions: 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 (PMU); 
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 
PMU; tall structures, which could serve as predator perches, will not 
be authorized within 4 miles of an active or pending lek; designate 
right-of-way exclusion areas within BSSG habitat for new high-power 
(120kV) transmission line corridors, rights-of-way, facilities, or 
construction areas in habitat (outside of existing corridors); and 
clarify that connective areas will be maintained or enhanced.
    The EIS analyzes three alternatives: Alternative A (no action), 
Alternative B (Modified Proposed Action), and Alternative C 
(conservation). The BLM Proposed Plan Amendment is the same as 
Alternative B with the language modified to be consistent with BLM 
planning language. The BLM Proposed Plan Amendment as described in the 
Final EIS was selected in the ROD, with some modifications and 
clarifications based on protests raised during the protest process and 
additional agency discussions. The ROD adopts the final EIS's goals and 
objections and the management actions to reach those goals and 
objections.
    The ROD does not directly implement any specific action. Future 
actions will be consistent with the management direction in the 
approved LUPA and will be made through a future decision-making 
process, including appropriate environmental review. Examples of site-
specific planning efforts for resource-use activities are special 
recreation permits and right-of-way grants.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6.

John F. Ruhs,
State Director, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 2016-12605 Filed 5-26-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P