81 FR 69546 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Verde Transmission Project in New Mexico

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 194 (October 6, 2016)

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, and the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) land use planning regulations, the BLM announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating the proposed 33-mile, 345-kilovolt (kV) Verde Transmission Project and potential amendment to the Taos Resource Management Plan (RMP) pursuant to the BLM's land use planning regulations. The BLM is the lead agency in the development of the EIS and will work in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE), and the National Park Service (NPS). By this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues on the proposed transmission line and a potential plan amendment.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 194 (Thursday, October 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69546-69547]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24224]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNM930000.L51010000.ER0000.LVRWG16G1190.16X; NMNM114507]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Verde Transmission Project 
in New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, and the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) land use 
planning regulations, the BLM announces its intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating the proposed 33-mile, 
345-kilovolt (kV) Verde Transmission Project and potential amendment to 
the Taos Resource Management Plan (RMP) pursuant to the BLM's land use 
planning regulations. The BLM is the lead agency in the development of 
the EIS and will work in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
(BIA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE), and the National Park 
Service (NPS). By this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of 
the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues on 
the proposed transmission line and a potential plan amendment.

DATES: Comments may be submitted in writing until December 5, 2016. The 
dates and locations of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 
15 days in advance through local news media, newspapers, and the BLM 
Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/nm/verde. In order to be included in 
the analysis, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 
60-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, 
whichever is later. Additional opportunities for public participation 
will be provided as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or resource information by any of 
the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nm/verde
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (505) 954-2136.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, 
Verde Transmission Project, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, NM 87502-0115.
    Documents pertinent to the right-of-way (ROW) application for the 
proposed transmission line project may be examined at: Bureau of Land 
Management, New Mexico State Office, Public Room, 301 Dinosaur Trail, 
Santa Fe, NM 87508, and the BLM's Taos Field Office, 226 Cruz Alta 
Road, Taos, NM 87571-5983.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to the project mailing list, contact Adrian Garcia, BLM 
Project Manager, Verde Transmission Project, at the BLM New Mexico 
State Office, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, NM 87502-0115, or by email at 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 to 
contact the above individual during normal business hours. The Service 
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: Verde Transmission, LLC (Applicant) has 
submitted an application to the BLM for a right-of-way (ROW) to 
construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a 345-kV 
overhead transmission line that would connect the existing Public 
Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) Ojo Substation in southern Rio 
Arriba County to the existing Norton Substation in Santa Fe County, New 
Mexico. The proposed line would cross approximately 10 miles of BLM 
land, 15 miles of tribal land, and 8 miles of private land. The 
permanent ROW requested for the project would be 150 feet wide if 
approved. Since the proposed transmission project would not be 
consistent with the existing visual resource management classifications 
of the area, as part of its review of the ROW application the BLM is 
also evaluating potential amendments to the visual resource 
classifications in the Taos Resource Management Plan.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the planning process. Preliminary 
issues for analysis in the forthcoming EIS and the potential plan 
amendment have been identified by BLM personnel. The issues specific to 
the proposed transmission project include potential impacts to 
cultural, visual, and wildlife resources; the Old Spanish Trail 
National Historic Trail and the El Camino Real National Historical 
Trail; livestock grazing; opportunities for recreation; and 
socioeconomic impacts. Issues specific to the potential RMP amendment 
include a possible change to the visual resource management 
classification of the project area, as prescribed by the Taos RMP, 
which was originally designed to limit visual intrusions that create a 
contrast with the existing visual quality of the area.
    If the ROW application or plan amendment is approved, the BLM would 
identify, analyze, and require mitigation, as appropriate, to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources. Mitigation may include 
avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction, or elimination over 
time, and compensatory mitigation. These potential measures may be 
considered at multiple scales, including the landscape-scale. You may 
submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing to the BLM 
at any public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the BLM using 
one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To be most 
helpful, you must submit comments by the close of the 60-day scoping 
period or within 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is 
later.

[[Page 69547]]

    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to 
help fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). 
The information about historic and cultural resources within the area 
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will also consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action, are invited to participate in the scoping process and, 
if eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to participate in 
the development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency.
    As part of the scoping process, the BLM will evaluate the issues to 
be addressed in the EIS and proposed plan amendment. Those issues will 
be placed into one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the EIS and plan amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this EIS and plan amendment.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the draft EIS/draft RMP 
amendment as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. The 
public is also encouraged to help identify any management questions and 
concerns that should be addressed in the EIS and plan amendment. The 
BLM will work collaboratively with interested parties to identify the 
management decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and 
national needs and concerns.
    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. The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping 
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days after the 
meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she 
expressed.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the EIS 
and RMP amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues 
and concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the following 
disciplines will be involved in the planning process: Cultural 
resources, outdoor recreation, rangeland management, realty, 
socioeconomics, visual resources, and biology.

    Authority: Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2

Amy Lueders,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-24224 Filed 10-5-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-FB-P