Notice2026-19769
Notice of Intent To Amend the Winnemucca District Resource Management Plan for the Western Quarry Limestone Project, Humboldt County, Nevada and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 28, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada State Director intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Western Quarry Limestone Project and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues, is providing the planning criteria for public review.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 186 (Monday, September 28, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 186 (Monday, September 28, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61246-61247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19769]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[A2407-014-004-065516, #O2509-014-004-125222; LLNVW0000, NVNV106732488]
Notice of Intent To Amend the Winnemucca District Resource
Management Plan for the Western Quarry Limestone Project, Humboldt
County, Nevada and Prepare an Associated Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Nevada State Director intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan
(RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for
the Western Quarry Limestone Project and by this notice is announcing
the beginning of the scoping period to solicit public comments and
identify issues, is providing the planning criteria for public review.
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 28, 2026. To afford the BLM
the opportunity to consider issues raised by commenters in the RMP
amendment and EA, please ensure your comments are received prior to the
close of the 30-day scoping period.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to Western Quarry Limestone Project by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=6D41DC2C-694D-F111-BEC6-001DD803D7D3">https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=6D41DC2C-694D-F111-BEC6-001DD803D7D3</a>.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4d0f010012031b121a0902121a283e39283f231c382c3f3f3412080c0d2f2120632a223b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e5a7a9a8baabb3bab2a1aabab280969180978bb4908497979cbaa0a4a5878988cb828a93">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Mail: BLM Humboldt River Field Office, Attn: Western
Quarry Limestone EA, 5100 East Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, NV
89445.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=6D41DC2C-694D-F111-BEC6-001DD803D7D3">https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=6D41DC2C-694D-F111-BEC6-001DD803D7D3</a> and at the Humboldt River Field Office at the above
address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Torrence, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, telephone: (775) 623-1576; address 5100 East
Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4f243b203d3d2a212c2a0f2d232261282039"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="91fae5fee3e3f4fff2f4d1f3fdfcbff6fee7">[email protected]</span></a>. Contact Ms. Torrence 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. Torrence. 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 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
[[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 <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=6D41DC2C-694D-F111-BEC6-001DD803D7D3">https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=6D41DC2C-694D-F111-BEC6-001DD803D7D3</a>.
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).)
Justin Abernathy,
Nevada State Director (Acting).
[FR Doc. 2026-19769 Filed 9-25-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
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