Notice2024-21138
Notice of Intent To Amend the Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan and Prepare an Environmental Assessment for a Proposed Recreation and Public Purposes Act Land Conveyance to the City of Redmond in Deschutes County, Oregon
Primary source
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Published
September 18, 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) Oregon/Washington (OR/WA) State Director intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated environmental assessment (EA) for the Upper Deschutes RMP (2005), and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public comments, identify issues, and provide the planning criteria for public review. The planning process and EA are necessary to evaluate an application for a Recreation and Public Purposes Act (RPPA) conveyance that would allow the City of Redmond in Central Oregon to expand the Redmond Wastewater Expansion Project.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 181 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76504-76506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21138]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_OR_FRN_MO4500177924]
Notice of Intent To Amend the Upper Deschutes Resource Management
Plan and Prepare an Environmental Assessment for a Proposed Recreation
and Public Purposes Act Land Conveyance to the City of Redmond in
Deschutes County, Oregon
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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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)
Oregon/Washington (OR/WA) State Director intends to prepare a Resource
Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated environmental
assessment (EA) for the Upper Deschutes RMP (2005), and by this notice
is announcing the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public
comments, identify issues, and provide the planning criteria for public
review. The planning process and EA are necessary to evaluate an
application for a Recreation and Public Purposes Act (RPPA) conveyance
that would allow the City of Redmond in Central Oregon to expand the
Redmond Wastewater Expansion Project.
DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of
relevant information and studies, by October 18, 2024. To afford the
BLM the opportunity to consider issues in the Draft RMP Amendment/EA,
please ensure your comments are received prior to the close of the
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 the Upper Deschutes RMP Amendment EA by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022284/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022284/510</a>.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2e4c424371415c715e5c71424f404a5d6e4c424300494158"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="086a646557677a57787a576469666c7b486a6465266f677e">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Fax: 541-416-6782.
<bullet> Mail: 3050 NE Third Street, Prineville, OR 97754.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022284/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022284/510</a> and at the
Prineville District, Deschutes Field
[[Page 76505]]
Office, 3050 NE Third Street, Prineville, OR 97754.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ferris Couture, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, telephone 541-416-6711; address 3050 NE
Third Street, Prineville, OR 97754; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9dfff1f0c2f2efc2edefc2f1fcf3f9eeddfff1f0b3faf2eb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1f7d737240706d406f6d40737e717b6c5f7d737231787069">[email protected]</span></a>.
Contact Mrs. Couture to have your name added to our mailing list.
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing,
or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to
access telecommunications relay services for contacting Mrs. Couture.
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services
offered within their country to make international calls to point-of-
contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
OR/WA State Director intends to prepare an amendment to the Upper
Deschutes RMP with an associated EA for the Redmond Wastewater
Pollution Control Facility Project, announces the beginning of the
scoping process, and seeks public input on issues and planning
criteria. The planning process and EA are necessary to evaluate an
application for a RPPA conveyance that would allow the City of Redmond
in Deschutes County, Oregon to expand the Redmond Wastewater Pollution
Control Facility. The RPPA conveyance would allow the City of Redmond
to acquire 541.5 acres of BLM-administered lands within the Steamboat
Rock Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) as designated by the
Upper Deschutes RMP. The conveyance of these public lands would require
an amendment to the Upper Deschutes RMP. 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 purpose is to respond to the City of Redmond's RPPA application
to acquire 541.5 acres of BLM-administered land and to amend the Upper
Deschutes RMP to allow for the proposed conveyance. The need to respond
to the RPPA application arises from the RPPA, as amended, and section
211 of FLPMA, which authorizes the conveyance of public lands to States
and local governments. Both the RPPA and FLPMA recognize the need for a
nationwide system of parks and other recreational and public purpose
areas. The BLM has the authority to approve, approve with modification,
or not approve the application. In order to authorize a conveyance of
the lands identified, the BLM would need to amend the Upper Deschutes
RMP because the area is currently designated as a SRMA.
The purpose of the amendment is to change the boundary of the SRMA,
the motorized and non-motorized access and recreation opportunities,
and the associated trail system within the revised SRMA boundary in
accordance with FLPMA and the principles of multiple use and sustained
yield.
Preliminary Alternatives
The BLM is currently considering three preliminary alternatives.
Under the No Action alternative, the BLM would not approve the City of
Redmond's RPPA application to acquire 541.5 acres of BLM-administered
land to allow for the expansion of its wastewater treatment facility,
and the BLM would not amend the Upper Deschutes RMP. The Steamboat Rock
SRMA would retain current access and recreational use. There would be
no change to the existing 43 miles of motorized and non-motorized
shared use trail system.
Under the preliminary Proposed Action alternative, the BLM would
amend the Upper Deschutes RMP and approve the City of Redmond's RPPA
application and convey 541.5 acres of BLM-administered land to allow
for the expansion (construction and operation) of the wastewater
treatment facility. As part of the conveyance process, a Phase I
Environmental Site Assessment would be conducted to ensure BLM
compliance with section 120(h) of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability Act. In addition, the City of
Redmond would coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency and
other regulatory agencies to ensure the appropriate permits are
obtained for the proposed use.
The 541.5 acres, if conveyed to the City of Redmond, would no
longer be a component of the Steamboat Rock SRMA. The removal of the
541.5 acres would change access and management of 5 miles of the
motorized and non-motorized shared use trail systems in the southeast
corner of the area. The change would not affect the remaining 38 miles
of trails within the area. Access to the 38 miles of trail in the main
block of the SRMA would remain open as a designated shared use trail
system for motorized off-highway vehicles and non-motorized uses. The
total acreage of the Steamboat Rock SRMA would be 4,329 acres.
Under the third preliminary alternative, the BLM would take the
same actions described under the Proposed Action alternative and would
additionally build 5 miles of trails to make up for those that could be
lost under the Proposed Action within the remaining acreage of the
Steamboat Rock SRMA. The replacement trails would be located outside of
the approximately 492 acres of the Deschutes Wild and Scenic River
corridor, which is within the western boundary of the SRMA. Under this
alternative the trail miles in the remaining Steamboat Rock SRMA would
be approximately 43 miles.
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
with Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribes; and stakeholders. The
BLM has identified three preliminary issues for this planning effort's
analysis: ground and well water quality and quantity issues, cultural
resource concerns, and available recreation uses and access issues. The
planning criteria and a map are available for public review and comment
at the ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES).
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 RMP amendment and EA.
The BLM does not intend to hold any public meetings, in-person or
virtually, during the public scoping period. Should the BLM later
determine to hold public meetings, the specific date(s) and location(s)
of any meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through
the media and the following methods. To inform the public of both the
scoping period and any potential public meetings, a press release will
be provided to two local television stations, six radio stations, five
local newspapers, direct mailing to interested members of the public,
and publication of documents to BLM's ePlanning project page.
After the scoping process, the BLM will prepare and circulate an EA
for public review and comment.
[[Page 76506]]
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns
identified. Specialists involved in this planning effort include:
wildlife biologist, hydrologist, botanist, archaeologist, recreation
specialist, planning and environmental coordinator, and realty
specialist.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan
amendment and reasonable alternatives and, in accordance with 40 CFR
1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not already
included in the proposed plan 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 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 plan 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 MS 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 stakeholders that may be interested in
or affected by the proposed conveyance and Upper Deschutes RMP
Amendment 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 RMP amendment and EA 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 1501.9 and 43 CFR 1610.2)
Barry R. Bushue,
State Director Oregon/Washington BLM.
[FR Doc. 2024-21138 Filed 9-17-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-24-P
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