Notice2023-26493
Notice of Intent To Amend Resource Management Plans for Section 368 Energy Corridor Revisions and Prepare an Associated Environmental Impact Statement
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Published
December 1, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) intends to prepare Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendments with an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Section 368 energy corridors, and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues and is providing the planning criteria for public review.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 230 (Friday, December 1, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 230 (Friday, December 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83959-83962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26493]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_HQ_FRN_MO4500170159]
Notice of Intent To Amend Resource Management Plans for Section
368 Energy Corridor Revisions and Prepare an Associated Environmental
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
[[Page 83960]]
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
intends to prepare Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendments with an
associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Section 368
energy corridors, and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the
scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues and is
providing the planning criteria for public review.
DATES: The BLM requests the public submit comments concerning the scope
of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant
information by January 2, 2024. To afford the BLM the opportunity to
consider issues raised by commenters on the Draft RMP Amendments/EIS,
please ensure your comments are received prior to the close of the 30-
day scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever
is later.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to Section 368 energy corridors by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022227/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022227/510</a>. This is the preferred method of commenting.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cfaca0bdbda6aba0bdbc8faea1a3e1a8a0b9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5d3e322f2f3439322f2e1d3c3331733a322b">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Mail: BLM, Attn: Section 368 Corridors--Crystal Hoyt, 280
Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, WY 82901-3447.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at the
project website provided above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal Hoyt, Project Lead, telephone
307-352-0322; address BLM, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, WY
82901-3447; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ddbeb5b2a4a99dbfb1b0f3bab2ab"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="14777c7b6d60547678793a737b62">[email protected]</span></a>. Contact Ms. Hoyt to have your name
added to our mailing list. 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. Hoyt. 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: This document provides notice that the BLM
intends to prepare RMP amendments with an associated EIS for the
specific Section 368 energy corridors identified in this notice,
announces the beginning of the scoping process, announces the BLM's
intent to hold four in-person public scoping meetings and two webinars,
and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. Section 368
energy corridors are managed as the preferred locations for development
of energy transportation projects on lands managed by the BLM. Each
corridor has a defined centerline, width, and compatible uses
(underground-only, electric-only, or multi-modal). The RMP amendments
are being considered to allow the BLM to evaluate modifying portions of
seven existing designated Section 368 energy corridors, which would
require amending the following 19 existing plans:
<bullet> Alturas Resource Management Plan, California
<bullet> Bishop Resource Management Plan, California
<bullet> Bradshaw-Harquahala Resource Management Plan, Arizona
<bullet> California Desert Conservation Area Plan, California
<bullet> Carson City Field Office Consolidated Resource Management
Plan, Nevada
<bullet> Cedar Beaver Garfield Antimony Resource Management Plan, Utah
<bullet> Ely District Resource Management Plan, Nevada
<bullet> Lake Havasu Resource Management Plan, Arizona
<bullet> Las Vegas Resource Management Plan, Nevada
<bullet> Little Snake Resource Management Plan, Colorado
<bullet> Lower Sonoran Resource Management Plan, Arizona
<bullet> Mimbres Resource Management Plan, New Mexico
<bullet> Pinyon Management Framework Plan, Utah
<bullet> Rawlins Resource Management Plan, Wyoming
<bullet> Safford District Resource Management Plan, Arizona
<bullet> St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan, Utah
<bullet> Surprise Resource Management Plan, California
<bullet> Winnemucca District Resource Management Plan, Nevada
<bullet> Yuma Resource Management Plan, Arizona
The planning area is located in seven western states (Arizona,
California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and
encompasses approximately 673 corridor miles on public land. This
planning effort prioritizes consideration of amendments to only the
corridors identified and described in this notice, which require
interstate coordination and national-level planning to be implemented
efficiently and effectively.
This land use planning process will not evaluate or designate areas
of critical environmental concern (ACECs), and the BLM will not
consider ACEC nominations as part of this process.
Background Information
Section 368 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) (42 U.S.C.
15926) directed the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense,
Energy, and the Interior to designate corridors for oil, gas, and
hydrogen pipelines and electricity transmission and distribution
facilities on Federal land in the 11 contiguous Western states (Section
368 energy corridors). In January 2009, the BLM signed a record of
decision (2009 WWEC Programmatic EIS ROD) approving amendments to 92
BLM resource management plans to designate approximately 5,000 miles of
Section 368 energy corridors on BLM-administered lands in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming, consistent with the requirements of the EPAct.
Several organizations challenged the BLM's decision in Federal court.
As part of a settlement agreement to resolve the challenge, the BLM,
together with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Energy
(collectively Agencies), agreed to conduct reviews of the designated
corridors, gather input from stakeholders, and identify recommendations
for potential revisions, deletions, and additions to these corridors
and to interagency operating procedures.
In April 2022, the Agencies issued a final report outlining the
recommendations from the regional reviews for potential adjustments to
the designated Section 368 energy corridors. The Energy Policy Act of
2005 Section 368 Energy Corridor Review Final Report: Regions 1-6
(``Final Report'') supported modifications to certain corridors on the
basis that: portions of the corridors do not meet demand from new
energy sources, including wind and solar; the presence of sensitive
resources have inhibited Section 368 energy corridors from being used
as intended; and physical pinch points present limitations on potential
future development. Through this RMP amendment/EIS planning process,
the BLM will evaluate modifications to seven designated Section 368
energy corridors through proposed amendments to 19 BLM RMPs in seven
states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and
Wyoming). The proposed amendments could modify existing allocations,
designations, objectives, and management direction.
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Purpose and Need
The need for the action is to remove barriers or conflicts in the
network of designated Section 368 energy corridors on BLM-administered
lands that impair the efficient and effective use of the energy
corridors. The BLM completed a regional review of all the designated
Section 368 energy corridors in 2022 and identified the need for
revisions to corridor designations to promote the siting, permitting,
and review of energy right-of-way projects and to designate new
corridors, as appropriate. Changes to the seven designated corridors
and one proposed corridor addition identified in this planning effort
would require interstate coordination and national-level planning to be
implemented efficiently and effectively. Specifically, the BLM has
found that portions of these corridors are not situated to meet
changing demand from new energy sources, including wind and solar, and
that changes to the presence of sensitive resources have inhibited the
ability for designated Section 368 energy corridors to be used as
intended. The BLM has further found that non-BLM managed lands as well
as physical pinch points present limitations on potential future
development. The regional review found that the changes to the
corridors would provide effective connectivity for energy transmission
across the western United States.
The purpose for the action is to identify Section 368 energy
corridor designations that address the need identified above in a
manner that fulfills the BLM's responsibilities under Section 368 of
the EPAct, Section 503 of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1763), and the 2013
Presidential Memorandum ``Transforming Our Nation's Electric Grid
Through Improved Siting, Permitting, and Review,'' in a manner that
considers the following siting principles: corridors are thoughtfully
sited to provide maximum utility and minimum impact to the environment;
corridors promote efficient use of the landscape for necessary
development; appropriate and acceptable uses are defined for specific
corridors; and corridors provide connectivity to renewable energy
generation to the maximum extent possible while also considering other
sources of generation, in order to balance the renewable sources and to
ensure the safety and reliability of electricity transmission. These
modifications would consider amending existing allocations,
designations, and management direction to ensure changes do not result
in conflicting decisions for the current and future management within
these corridors.
Preliminary Alternatives
The BLM will develop and analyze alternatives that include a range
of potential changes to the seven designated Section 368 energy
corridors identified in this notice and one potential corridor addition
as summarized below.
<bullet> No Action Alternative: Under the No Action Alternative,
the seven Section 368 energy corridors would remain as designated in
the 2009 WWEC Programmatic EIS ROD (or as modified by a subsequent RMP
amendment). The proposed Wamsutter-Powder Rim corridor addition would
not be designated as a Section 368 energy corridor.
<bullet> Action Alternative A--Adopt the Recommendations in the
Section 368 Energy Corridor Review Final Report: Under Action
Alternative A, the BLM would adopt the changes recommended in the Final
Report for each of the corridors listed below.
[cir] Corridor 16-104--Remove entire corridor designation.
[cir] Corridor 18-23--Shift entire corridor along existing 1000-
kilovolt (kV) transmission line and narrow corridor width to 250-ft.
[cir] Corridor 27-41--Shift corridor east at Milepost (MP) 130
along existing 500-kV transmission line and extend corridor east to
Laughlin, Nevada.
[cir] Corridor 30-52--Between MP 94 and MP 200, add a corridor
braid along the Ten West Link 500 kV Project authorized right-of-way
(ROW). Realign the corridor between MP 190 and MP 200 with the existing
transmission line as the northern boundary of the corridor to avoid the
Big Horn Mountain Wilderness Area and widen the corridor at MP 169 to
maintain corridor width where a land conveyance to La Paz County was
identified.
[cir] Corridor 81-213--Add a corridor braid to the north along the
Southline Transmission Line Project authorized ROW and the SunZia
Southwest Transmission Project authorized ROW. Revise the corridor
along existing 500-kV transmission line from MP 0 to MP 18 to avoid
overlap with the Afton SEZ.
[cir] Corridor 113-114--Add a corridor braid from MP 0 to MP 104
along the TransWest Express Transmission Line authorized ROW as well as
an east-west connector at MP 30, connecting the designated corridor to
the TransWest Express Transmission Project authorized ROW in eastern
Nevada.
[cir] Corridor 138-143--Remove entire corridor designation.
[cir] Wamsutter-Powder Rim--Replace Corridor 138-143 with a new
corridor along the TransWest Express Transmission Project authorized
ROW. The northern end of the corridor would begin at the intersection
with Corridor 73-138 (MP 15) in Wyoming and the southern end would
terminate at the intersection with Corridor 126-133 (MP 45) in
Colorado.
<bullet> Additional Action Alternatives--Additional action
alternatives for individual corridors may be identified by cooperators,
Federal agencies, Tribes, State and local agencies, and the public
during the scoping process or by the BLM during its NEPA review. Any
action alternatives would need to be responsive to the purpose and
need.
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 through early engagement
conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local
agencies, Tribes, and stakeholders. The planning criteria are available
for public review and comment at the project ePlanning website (see
ADDRESSES).
Summary of Expected Impacts
The BLM has identified the following potential effects to be
examined during the planning process: effects to natural and cultural
resources, other resource uses, and social and economic conditions from
changes to Section 368 energy corridor designation for the corridors
evaluated in this planning effort.
This planning effort will evaluate changes to energy corridor
designations by taking into account management considerations for such
corridor designations; the recommendations provided in the Final
Report; siting principles, including those identified in the settlement
agreement; and the management direction within the land use plans to be
amended under the RMP amendments/EIS. The designation of a corridor
does not authorize any ground-disturbing activities; however, the
analysis in the EIS will consider the environmental effects from future
energy infrastructure development within the energy corridors under
each alternative.
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Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public
participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes,
including a 90-day comment period on the Draft RMP Amendments/EIS and
concurrent 30-day public protest period and 60-day Governors'
consistency review on the Proposed RMP Amendments. The Draft RMP
Amendments/EIS is anticipated to be available for public review in late
2024 or early 2025, and the Proposed RMP Amendments/Final EIS is
anticipated to be available for public protest of the Proposed RMP
Amendments in Summer 2025 with Approved RMP Amendments and a Record of
Decision expected in Fall 2025.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and
analysis of the Draft RMP Amendments/EIS. The BLM will be holding two
virtual public scoping meetings and four in-person meetings. The
specific dates and locations of these scoping meetings will be
announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, social
media, newspapers, and the ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES).
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The BLM is the lead agency for the NEPA analysis associated with
this planning effort. The BLM has invited other Federal agencies, State
and local government agencies, and Tribes to be cooperating agencies.
Other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the
revision 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 EIS as a cooperating agency.
Responsible Official
The BLM Director is the deciding official for this planning effort.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The BLM will decide whether to amend RMPs to address the purpose
and need, consistent with the principles of multiple use and sustained
yield.
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan
amendments 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: rangeland
management, minerals and geology, forestry, outdoor recreation,
archaeology, paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty,
hydrology, soils, sociology, and economics.
Additional Information
The BLM will consider mitigation to appropriately address
reasonably foreseeable impacts on resources from the proposed plan
amendments and reasonable alternatives and future energy infrastructure
development. Mitigation may include avoidance, minimization,
rectification, reduction or elimination over time, and compensation,
and may be considered at multiple scales, including the landscape
scale.
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), 800.3(b), and
800.8(a), including public involvement requirements of Section 106.
Information about historic and cultural resources and threatened and
endangered species within the area potentially affected by the proposed
plan amendments will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating
impacts on such resources.
The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and
applicable Bureau and Departmental policies. Tribal concerns, including
impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts on 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 changes to Section 368
energy corridors 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. The BLM intends to hold a series of
government-to-government consultation meetings. The BLM will send
invitations to potentially affected Tribal Nations prior to the
meetings. The BLM will provide additional opportunities for government-
to-government consultation during the NEPA process.
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 1501.9 and 43 CFR 1610.2)
Benjamin E. Gruber,
Acting Assistant Director, Energy, Minerals and Realty Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-26493 Filed 11-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-29-P
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