Notice2024-16280
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Esmeralda Seven Solar Projects, Esmeralda County, Nevada
Primary source
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Published
July 26, 2024
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) Nevada State Director has prepared a draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment with an associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for seven adjacent solar photovoltaic projects proposed on BLM-administered public lands in Esmeralda County, Nevada. This notice announces the opening of the 90-day comment period and provides the planning criteria for public review.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 144 (Friday, July 26, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 144 (Friday, July 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60653-60654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16280]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500178495]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan
Amendment and Associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
for the Esmeralda Seven Solar Projects, Esmeralda County, Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: 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) Nevada
State Director has prepared a draft Resource Management Plan (RMP)
Amendment with an associated Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS) for seven adjacent solar photovoltaic projects
proposed on BLM-administered public lands in Esmeralda County, Nevada.
This notice announces the opening of the 90-day comment period and
provides the planning criteria for public review.
DATES: All comments on the draft RMP Amendment and PEIS must be
received by October 24, 2024 or 15 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the RMP Amendment and associated PEIS by any of the
following methods:
<bullet> BLM's National NEPA Register (ePlanning) at: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020804/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020804/510</a>.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4e0c0203110018110c030a01111e680b0d11000b1e0f0e2c222360292138"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d59799988a9b838a9798919a8a85f390968a9b90859495b7b9b8fbb2baa3">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Fax: (775) 635-4034.
<bullet> Mail: BLM, Battle Mountain District Office, 50 Bastian
Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at:
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020804/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020804/510</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to the mailing list, please send requests to: Scott
Distel, Supervisory Project Manager, at telephone (775) 635-4093;
address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820; or email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5e2d3a372d2a3b321e3c323370393128"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c7b4a3aeb4b3a2ab87a5abaae9a0a8b1">[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.
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
Nevada State Director has prepared a draft RMP Amendment with an
associated PEIS for the Esmeralda Seven Solar Projects in Esmeralda
County, Nevada, announces the beginning of the draft PEIS review
process, and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. The
RMP Amendment would change the existing 1997 Tonopah Field Office
Record of Decision and Approved RMP. The RMP Amendment is being
considered to change the management direction for visual resources and
slope to allow for the consideration of the proposed solar development
projects.
The planning area is in Esmeralda County, Nevada, and encompasses
approximately 118,630.9 acres of BLM-administered public lands.
Purpose and Need
The BLM's purpose for this Federal action is to respond to the
solar projects' FLPMA right-of-way applications submitted under Title V
of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1761) and to amend the visual and slope management
direction in the Tonopah RMP in compliance with the FLPMA BLM right-of-
way regulations (43 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 2800) and other
applicable Federal and State laws and policies. In accordance with
FLPMA, there is a need to consider the long-term needs of future
generations for renewable and non-renewable resources in the context of
the multiple resource objectives in the Tonopah RMP planning area.
Preliminary Alternatives
Under Alternative A, the Proposed Action, there would be the
potential for the development of seven utility-scale photovoltaic solar
facilities within the planning area. The proposed projects include the
development of photovoltaic solar facilities, including solar arrays,
energy storage, roads, and electric generation intertie (gen-tie) lines
within the seven solar ROWs, as outlined in each project's plan of
development.
Alternative B, the Soils and Vegetation Conservation Alternative,
would be the same as the Proposed Action; however, there would be no
amendment to the Tonopah RMP to change the slope requirement for the
planning area to a maximum of 10 percent. Development on slopes greater
than 5 percent would be based on the additional slope criteria outlined
in the 2012 Solar PEIS Record of Decision (ROD). In addition,
applicants would limit traditional construction grading methods, which
remove all vegetation and compact the soil, to a maximum of 35 percent
of the proposed development area. Applicants would use mowing in the
rest of the development area to leave vegetation intact. In mowed
areas, vegetation would be mowed to a height of 24 inches but no less
than 18 inches, where justified.
Under Alternative C, the No Action Alternative, the BLM would not
authorize the RMP Amendment or select an action alternative. Future
solar development in the planning area would require separate NEPA
analyses and reviews that would not tier to this PEIS or ROD. In
addition, future development could be constrained by the existing
visual resources management classifications or slope requirements.
Planning Criteria
The planning criteria serve as a guide for the planning effort and
lay the groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary
issues and their analytical frameworks. The planning criteria are
available for public review and comment on the BLM's National NEPA
Register (ePlanning) website (see ADDRESSES).
Summary of Expected Impacts
Through the RMP Amendment and PEIS, the BLM would change the visual
and slope management direction in the Tonopah RMP and consider best
management practices for use in future analyses of the individual
projects. Prior to decisions on the individual solar projects,
subsequent site-specific NEPA analysis would be required. Preliminary
issues for the planning area have been identified by BLM personnel and
from feedback received during early engagement conducted for this
planning effort with Federal, State, and local
[[Page 60654]]
agencies; Tribes; and stakeholders; as well as through the public
scoping process. The PEIS analyzes the effects of the proposed changes
in RMP management direction, the cumulative effects of the seven
proposed solar projects, and the implementation of design features on:
<bullet> Air Resources
<bullet> Biological Resources
<bullet> Cultural and Native American Concerns
<bullet> Hydrologic Resources
<bullet> Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice
<bullet> Visual Resources
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
The BLM will provide opportunities for public participation
consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes for a 90-day
comment period on the draft RMP Amendment and PEIS. The Final PEIS is
anticipated to be available for public protest in the last quarter of
2024, with an Approved RMP Amendment and Record of Decision in the
first quarter of 2025.
Public Process
One in-person and one virtual public meeting will be held. The
location and dates of the meetings and information on how to
participate will be announced at least 15 days in advance through the
BLM's National NEPA Register (ePlanning) web page (see ADDRESSES) and
applicable local newspapers.
This notice of availability initiates the public review of the
planning criteria, draft RMP Amendment, and draft PEIS.
Through the review process, the BLM is requesting input on the
environmental analysis, alternatives, and issues that are analyzed,
including measures to minimize and/or avoid adverse environmental
impacts, and any other information relevant to the proposed area of
effect.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The BLM Battle Mountain District Office is the lead agency for this
RMP Amendment and PEIS. The Nevada Department of Wildlife, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service--Ecological Services, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service--Migratory Birds Program, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, and the Esmeralda County Board of County
Commissioners have agreed to participate in this environmental analysis
as cooperating agencies. Several Tribes, including the Moapa Band of
Paiutes, have also requested to participate in the environmental
analysis and may potentially agree to become cooperating agencies.
Additional agencies and organizations may be identified as potential
cooperating agencies to participate in the environmental analysis for
the RMP Amendment and PEIS.
Responsible Official
The BLM Nevada State Director is the deciding official for this
planning effort.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The nature of the decision to be made will be the BLM Nevada State
Director's selection of land use planning decisions for managing BLM-
administered public lands under the principles of multiple use and
sustained yield in a manner that best addresses the purpose and need.
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM has used an interdisciplinary approach to develop the RMP
Amendment to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines
were involved in this planning effort: geology and soils, vegetation
and noxious and invasive species, wildlife, hydrology, air quality,
minerals, paleontology, visual resources, cultural resources,
socioeconomics and environmental justice, public health and safety,
land use and recreation, special designations, and others deemed
necessary based on the results of the scoping process.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address
the reasonably foreseeable effects to resources from the proposed RMP
Amendment and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance
with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not
already included in the draft RMP Amendment or alternatives. 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 is utilizing and coordinating 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), as well as 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 threatened and endangered species and historic and
cultural resources within the area potentially affected by the proposed
plan assists the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such
resources.
The BLM has consulted and will continue to consult with Native
American Tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with
Executive Order 13175, BLM MS-1780, and other Departmental policies.
Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential
impacts to cultural resources, are being given due consideration.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Native American Tribal
Nations and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by
the draft RMP Amendment and PEIS that the BLM is evaluating, have been
invited to participate in the environmental review process and, if
eligible, have been 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: 40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2, and 43 CFR 2800)
Kimberly Prill,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-16280 Filed 7-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
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