SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This document provides notice that the BLM Nevada State Director intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an associated EA for the Western Quarry Limestone Project, announces the beginning of the scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. The RMP amendment is being considered to allow the BLM to evaluate the Proposed Action and Visual Resource Management (VRM) classifications within the proposed project area, which would require amending the existing 2015 Winnemucca District Resource Management Plan.

The planning area is located in Humboldt County, Nevada and encompasses approximately 874 acres of public land.

The scope of this land use planning process does not include addressing the evaluation or designation of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and the BLM is not considering ACEC nominations as part of this process.

Purpose and Need

The BLM's purpose for the action is to respond to Lithium Nevada LLC.'s proposal as described in their Mining and Reclamation Plan for the Western Quarry Limestone Project and to analyze the potential environmental effects associated with the Proposed Action, alternatives to the Proposed Action, and consider reasonable alternatives. The need for this action is established by BLM's responsibility under Section 302 of the FLPMA and in compliance with U.S. Department of the Interior NEPA regulations, 43 CFR 3600 regulations, and other applicable federal and state laws and policies.

The preliminary purpose and need also includes an amendment to the 2015 Winnemucca District RMP to adjust the Visual Resource Management Class II unit that contains the proposed project in order to respond to the proponent's Mining and Reclamation Plan. This document will be a combined RMP amendment/EA following the ( printed page 61247) requirements of the BLM's land use planning regulations at 43 CFR 1600.

Preliminary Alternatives

Proposed Action: Lithium Nevada LLC., a subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corporation, submitted a Mining and Reclamation Plan for the Western Quarry Limestone Project to the Humboldt River Field Office of the Winnemucca District.

The Proposed Action is to construct, operate, reclaim, and close a new limestone quarry using conventional open pit mining methods. The Mining and Reclamation Plan boundary would cover approximately 874 acres of BLM-administered land, of which approximately 474 acres of surface disturbance would occur. The life of the proposed action is approximately 43 years and includes approximately six months for construction, 40 years for operation, and two years for reclamation. Mine operations would employ 78 people part-time and 16 full-time.

Existing surface disturbance associated with the previously authorized Western Quarry Limestone Notice would be overlapped by the proposed mine features within the mine area. As such, the existing disturbance would be incorporated into the proposed action.

Currently, the project boundary overlaps 872.3 acres of VRM Class II and 0.9 acres of VRM Class III adjacent to State Route 140. Under the proposed action alternative, the BLM would change the visual management classification of 872.5 acres from VRM Class II to VRM Class III, which would result in the project area to be managed entirely as VRM Class III. The change of 872.5 acres to VRM Class III would include the established objectives in the RMP.

This proposed change would require an RMP amendment to modify the direction established in the 2015 Winnemucca District RMP, adjust the VRM classifications, meet VRM objectives, and ensure that the Western Quarry Limestone Project is in conformance with the RMP.

No Action Alternative: Under the No Action alternative, the BLM would not approve the proposed Western Quarry Limestone Project and would not amend the visual management direction in the 2015 Winnemucca District RMP. Exploration activities could continue under an existing Notice that allows for up to 3.89 acres of disturbance.

The BLM welcomes comments on all preliminary alternatives as well as suggestions for additional alternatives.

Planning Criteria

The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning area have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribes; and other stakeholders. The BLM has identified three preliminary issues for this planning effort's analysis. The planning criteria are available for public review and comment at the ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES ).

Public Scoping Process

This notice of intent initiates the public scoping period and public review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and analysis of the RMP amendment and EA.

The BLM will be holding one public scoping meeting. The specific date and time of the scoping meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through the National NEPA register project web page eplanning.blm.gov/​Project-Home/​?id=​6D41DC2C-694D-F111-BEC6-001DD803D7D3.

Interdisciplinary Team

The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the RMP amendment/EA in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines will be involved in this planning effort: air quality, botany, cultural resources, hydrology, human health and safety, lands and realty, minerals and geology, noise impacts, outdoor recreation, rangeland management, soils, sociology and economics, wildlife, and visual resources.

Additional Information

The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning processes for this planning effort to help support compliance with applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including public involvement requirements of Section 106. The information about historic and cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the area potentially affected by the proposed RMP amendment will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.

The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual Section 1780, and other Departmental 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 Indian Tribal Nations and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed project that the BLM is evaluating, 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.

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: 43 CFR 1610.2(c).)

91 FR 61246