Notice2023-10784
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project, New Mexico and Arizona
Primary source
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Published
May 19, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Record of Decision approving an amendment to the right-of-way for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project and the Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Socorro Approved Resource Management Plan located in the Socorro Field Office planning area.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 97 (Friday, May 19, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 97 (Friday, May 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32239-32240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10784]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[MO #4500171195]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved
Resource Management Plan Amendment for the SunZia Southwest
Transmission Project, New Mexico and Arizona
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Record of Decision approving an amendment to the right-of-way
for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project and the Approved Resource
Management Plan Amendment for the Socorro Approved Resource Management
Plan located in the Socorro Field Office planning area.
DATES: The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals
Management signed the Record of Decision/Approved Resource Management
Plan Amendment on May 16, 2023, which constitutes the final decision of
the Department of the Interior.
ADDRESSES: The Record of Decision/Approved Resource Management Plan
Amendment is available online at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510</a>. Printed copies of the Record of Decision/
Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment are available for public
inspection at the BLM New Mexico State Office at 301 Dinosaur Trail,
Santa Fe, NM 87508; the BLM Arizona State Office at One North Central
Ave., Ste. 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004; the BLM Las Cruces District Office
at 1800 Marquess Street, Las Cruces, NM 88005; the BLM Socorro Field
Office at 901 South Highway 85, Socorro, NM 87801; the BLM Safford
Field Office at 711 14th Ave., Safford, AZ 85546; the BLM Tucson Field
Office at 3201 E Universal Way, Tucson, AZ 85756; the Cibola National
Forest Supervisor's Office at 2113 Osuna Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113;
and the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge at 40 Refuge Road San,
Acacia, NM 87831; or can be provided upon request by contacting BLM
Project Manager Virginia Alguire at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3d4b5c515a48544f587d5f5150135a524b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d7a1b6bbb0a2bea5b297b5bbbaf9b0b8a1">[email protected]</span></a> or 575-838-1290.
A copy of the Protest Resolution Report is available at: <a href="https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports">https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The BLM Project Manager Virginia
Alguire via telephone: 575-838-1290; address: 901South Highway 85,
Socorro, New Mexico, 87801; or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7701161b10021e051237151b1a59101801"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7c0a1d101b09150e193c1e1011521b130a">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals in
the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services for contacting Ms. Alguire.
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Land and Minerals Management issued a Record of Decision approving an
amendment to SunZia Transmission, LLC's right-of-way and an amendment
to the existing Socorro Resource Management Plan to allow for the
designation of a 400-foot-wide right-of-way through the BLM right-of-
way avoidance area. Based on the environmental analysis and input from
stakeholders, cooperating agencies, and Tribes, the BLM has identified
the Agency Preferred Alternative described in the Final Environmental
Impact Statement as the Selected Alternative in the Record of Decision.
The Selected Alternative will allow the BLM to issue a right-of-way
grant amendment to SunZia Transmission, LLC to use public land
administered by the BLM for the Project for the term of the original
right-of-way grant. The Record of Decision also approves an amendment
to the Socorro Resource Management Plan. The Selected Alternative does
not impact right-of-way exclusion areas, the Ladron Mountain Devil's
Backbone Complex Area of Critical Environmental Concern, or any visual
resource management classes, and thus no plan amendments were required
to address these management prescriptions. The Record of Decision
provides additional details on the Socorro Resource Management Plan
Amendment.
The BLM's Selected Alternative is as follows:
<bullet> Component 1: Localized route modifications 1-5, and the
2015 Selected Route (the no action alternative in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement) for local route modification 6 in the
Pinal Central area;
<bullet> Component 2: All access roads and temporary workspaces
outside the granted right-of-way;
<bullet> Component 3: Alternative Route 2 (Subroute 2A-1) and
Alternative Route 3 (Subroute 3A-1), which include crossing the
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge as well as paralleling the SunZia
Transmission Line with the Western Spirit 345-kilovolt Transmission
Line at the Rio Grande crossing. For Subroute 3A-1, the agency Selected
Alternative includes Local Alternative 3B-2 to avoid two private
residences near the Project; and
<bullet> Component 4: The 2015 Selected Alternative co-locates the
ground disturbance associated with the high-voltage direct-current
converter station (the SunZia West Substation) with the existing
development and ground disturbance associated with the Salt River
Project Pinal Central Substation.
The BLM incorporated consideration of the Resource Management Plan
amendment into the National Environmental Policy Act process through
regular consultation with cooperating agencies, including regular
project meetings and invitations to participate in issue
identification, analysis planning, and administrative document reviews.
The BLM provided the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment
for public protest on February 17, 2023, for a 30-day protest period
and received three valid protests. The BLM Assistant Director for
Resources and Planning resolved all protests. Responses to protest
issues were compiled and
[[Page 32240]]
documented in a Protest Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES).
The BLM provided the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment to
the Governor of New Mexico for a 60-day Governor's consistency review.
The Governor's Consistency review period ended April 19, 2023. The New
Mexico Governor's Office provided consistency review comments on April
13, 2023. The comments indicated the SunZia Final Environmental Impact
Statement and the amendments it would make to the existing approved
route for the SunZia Project provides consistency between BLM resource
management plans and applicable state laws, policies, and programs. The
State of New Mexico stands in support of the BLM's February 17, 2023,
Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management
Plan Amendments for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project.
The BLM's Assistant Director for Resources and Planning concluded
that the BLM New Mexico State Director followed the applicable laws,
regulations, and policies and considered all relevant resource
information and public input. The Assistant Director addressed the
protests and issued a Protest Resolution Report to protesting parties
and posted the report on the BLM's website (<a href="https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports">https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports</a>); no changes to the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment
were necessary.
The SunZia Southwest Transmission Line Project is a ``covered
project'' under 42 U.S.C. 4370m. This notice serves the purpose
identified in 42 U.S.C. 4370m-6(a)(1)(A).
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR 1610.5-1; 42 U.S.C. 4370m-
6(a)(1)(A))
Melanie G. Barnes,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-10784 Filed 5-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-23-P
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