Notice of Intent and Notice of Preparation To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report and California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment, California, 13558-13560 [E8-5004]
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13558
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 50 / Thursday, March 13, 2008 / Notices
(i) Training Activities. DHS believes
that upgrading a service that currently
meets a basic life support capacity to a
higher level of life support creates the
most benefit. Therefore, DHS will give
a higher competitive rating to
nonaffiliated EMS organizations that
seek to upgrade from first responder to
EMT–B level or EMT–I level of service.
Because training is a prerequisite to the
effective use of EMS equipment,
organizations with requests that focused
more on training activities received a
higher competitive rating than
organizations whose requests focused
more on equipment. The second priority
is to elevate emergency responders’
capabilities from EMT–B or EMT–I to a
higher level of service.
(ii) EMS Equipment Acquisition. As
noted above, training received a higher
competitive rating than equipment.
Applications seeking assistance to
purchase equipment to support the
EMT–B level or EMT–I level of service
received a higher priority than requests
seeking assistance to purchase
equipment to support advance level
EMS services. Items that are eligible but
a lower priority include tents, shelters,
generators, lights, and heating and
cooling units. Firefighting equipment is
not eligible under this activity.
As discussed previously,
organizations taking on ‘‘new risks’’ will
be afforded much higher consideration
than an organization taking on a ‘‘new
mission.’’
(iii) EMS Personal Protective
Equipment. DHS gives the same
priorities for EMS PPE as it did for fire
department PPE discussed above.
Acquisition of PASS devices or any
firefighting PPE is not eligible, however,
for funding for EMS organizations.
(iv) Wellness and Fitness Activities.
DHS believes that to have an effective
wellness/fitness program, nonaffiliated
EMS organizations must offer periodic
health screenings, entry physical
examinations, and an immunization
program similar to the programs for fire
departments discussed previously.
Accordingly, applicants for grants in
this category must currently offer or
plan to offer with grant funds all three
benefits (periodic health screenings,
entry physical examinations, and an
immunization program) to receive
funding for any other initiatives in this
activity. The priorities for EMS
wellness/fitness programs are the same
as for fire departments as discussed
above.
(v) Modification to EMS Stations and
Facilities. DHS believes that the
competitive rankings and priorities
applied to modification of fire stations
and facilities, discussed above, apply
equally to EMS stations and facilities.
(2) EMS Vehicle Acquisition Program
DHS gives the highest funding
priority to acquisition of ambulances
and transport vehicles due to the
inherent benefits to the community and
EMS service provider. Due to the costs
associated with obtaining and outfitting
non-transport rescue vehicles relative to
the benefits derived from such vehicles,
DHS will give non-transport rescue
vehicles a lower competitive rating than
transport vehicles. DHS anticipates that
the EMS vehicle awards will be very
competitive due to very limited
available funding. Accordingly, DHS
will likely only fund vehicles that are
listed as a ‘‘Priority One’’ in the 2008
program year.
The following chart delineates the
priorities in this program area for EMS
vehicle program. The priorities are the
same regardless of the type of
community served.
EMS VEHICLE PRIORITIES
Priority one
Priority two
Priority three
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
• Ambulance or transport unit to support EMT–
B needs and functions
• First responder non-transport vehicles
• Special operations vehicles
• Command vehicles.
• Hovercraft.
• Other special access vehicles.
Along with the priorities illustrated
above, DHS has accepted the fire service
recommendation that emerged from the
criteria development process that
funding applicants that own few or no
vehicles of the type sought will be more
beneficial than funding applicants that
own numerous vehicles of that same
type. DHS assesses the number of
vehicles an applicant owns by including
all vehicles of the same type. For
example, transport vehicles will be
considered the same as ambulances.
DHS will give a higher competitive
rating to applicants that have an aged
fleet of emergency vehicles, and to
applicants with old, high-mileage
vehicles. DHS will give a higher
competitive rating to applicants that
respond to a significant number of
incidents relative to applicants
responding less often. Finally, DHS will
afford applicants with transport vehicles
with high mileage more consideration
than applicants with vehicles that
driven extensively.
(3) Administrative Costs. Panelists
assess the reasonableness of the
administrative costs requested in each
application and determined whether the
request will be reasonable and in the
best interest of the program.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:19 Mar 12, 2008
Jkt 214001
Dated: March 10, 2008.
David Paulison,
Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
[FR Doc. E8–5039 Filed 3–12–08; 8:45 am]
[CA 680–08–5101–ER B266] [CACA 49138]
Notice of Intent and Notice of
Preparation To Prepare a Joint
Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report and
California Desert Conservation Area
Plan Amendment, California
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent/Notice of
Preparation.
AGENCY:
BILLING CODE 9111–64–P
PO 00000
Bureau of Land Management
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the
California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA), the Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
together with the County of San
Bernardino, California (County), intend
to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 50 / Thursday, March 13, 2008 / Notices
(EIS/EIR) to assess the impacts of the
Calnev Pipeline Expansion Project
(Calnev Project). The Calnev Project
runs adjacent to a portion of the existing
Calnev system, from the North Colton
terminal in the City of Colton, California
to the Las Vegas Terminal in Las Vegas,
Nevada. The Calnev Project is proposed
by Calnev Pipe Line, LLC (Applicant).
The Applicant has requested a new
right-of-way (ROW) for pipeline
reconstruction and new pipeline
construction covering 233 miles. The
EIS/EIR will analyze the site-specific
and cumulative impacts to the
environment from the construction,
operation, and maintenance of the new
pipeline. Actions under consideration
by the BLM are the grant of the ROW
and amendment to the California Desert
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan.
Actions under consideration by the
County are amendment to a franchise
agreement and a Conditional Use
Permit. The BLM will be the lead
agency for NEPA compliance and the
County will be the lead agency for the
purposes of CEQA compliance.
DATES: A public scoping period of 60
days commences with the publishing of
this notice. In order to be assured
inclusion in the Draft EIS/EIR, written
comments must be received prior to the
close of the scoping period on May 12,
2008 at the address identified below.
The public is also invited to make
comments or hear more about the
project at the following public scoping
meetings:
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Rialto Middle School, 6 p.m. to
8 p.m., presentation at 6:30 p.m. 324 N.
Palm Ave., Rialto, CA
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Victor Elementary School District,
6 p.m. to 8 p.m., presentation at 6:30
p.m. (Nisqualli Room), 15115 Nisqualli
Road, Victorville, CA
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Parkdale Community Center, 6 p.m. to
8 p.m., presentation at 6:30 p.m. 3200
Ferndale St., Las Vegas
During the public scoping period the
BLM and County are soliciting public
comment on issues, concerns and
opportunities that should be considered
in the analysis of the proposed action as
well as the planning criteria to be used
during consideration of the plan
amendment. Comments on issues,
potential impacts, or suggestions for
additional alternatives may also be
submitted in writing to the address
listed below. Additional opportunities
for public participation and formal
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:19 Mar 12, 2008
Jkt 214001
comment will occur when the Draft EIS/
EIR is issued.
ADDRESSES: Comments and other
correspondence should be sent to the
BLM Barstow Field Office, attention
Edythe Seehafer, Environmental
Coordinator, Barstow Field Office, 2601
Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311 (760)
252–6021, by fax at (760) 252–6099 or
by e-mail at eseehafer@ca.blm.gov.
Documents pertinent to this proposal,
including comments of respondents,
will be available for public review at the
BLM Barstow Field Office during
regular business hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
holidays. Before including your address,
telephone number, e-mail 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 may 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. All submissions
from organizations, businesses, and
from individuals identifying themselves
as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses will be
made available for public inspection in
their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information and/or to have your
name added to our mailing list, contact
Edythe Seehafer at the contact numbers
and addresses above or Carrie Hyke,
AICP, Principal Planner, San
Bernardino County, Advance Planning
Division, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., First
Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415–0182,
Tel. 909–387–4147.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Calnev
Pipe Line, LLC has applied for a ROW
on public lands to expand and
reconstruct 233 miles of pipeline in
California and Nevada. The pipeline
transports jet fuel from the North Colton
terminal in Colton, California to
Bracken Junction in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Projected increases in commercial air
traffic in and out of McCarran
International Airport in Las Vegas will
require significant increases in jet fuel
supplies over the next 20 years. An
expanded and modernized pipeline will
serve that need. The project would
include construction, operation and
maintenance of a new 16-inch diameter
pipeline from Colton to Las Vegas; new
pumps, an electrical substation and
other ancillary facilities to increase
pumping at Colton; a new pump station,
electrical substation and ancillary
facilities at Baker; as well as new or
modified connections to existing
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
13559
laterals. Pipeline construction will take
place over 12 months and is anticipated
to begin in late 2009 or early 2010.
As proposed, the Project would
require a right-of-way (ROW) on lands
managed by the BLM, the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) and the Department of
Defense (DoD), a franchise agreement
and Conditional Use Permit from the
County, and appropriate permits from
state, federal and local jurisdictions.
Therefore, approval of the Project will
require compliance with NEPA and
CEQA, as well as ROW rules
promulgated under the Mineral Leasing
Act. The BLM will be the NEPA lead
agency and the County will serve as the
CEQA lead agency. The BLM and
County have agreed to work together on
this Project and a Joint EIS/EIR will be
prepared.
Since approval of the project as
currently proposed would require
amendment of the BLM’s land-use plan,
the California Desert Conservation Area
(CDCA) Plan. The plan amendment
process will be conducted concurrent
with, and integrated with, the NEPA
process, as part of the EIS/EIR. The
analytical process for consideration of a
plan amendment is the same as the
analytical process for consideration of a
project under NEPA, although a few
additional considerations are required.
See BLM Handbook, H 1601–1, App. F,
p. 14 et seq. for an outline of an EISlevel Plan Amendment. Additional
coordination activities with the
Governor (Consistency Review),
cooperating agencies, and the public,
particularly with respect to timeframes
for feedback of draft and final
documents, are integrated into a NEPA
process that also includes a plan
amendment. Also, proposed planning
decisions are identified and
distinguished from appealable (NEPA)
decisions. Proposed planning decisions
are protested to the BLM Director and
appealable decisions are taken to the
Interior Board of Land Appeals for
adjudication. As this is a joint EIS/EIR
process, cooperating agency status for
the County is already integrated into the
process. BLM will consider approval of
the proposed Project in a manner that
avoids undue or unnecessary impacts to
the public lands consistent with the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and the CDCA
Plan of 1980, as amended.
Planning Criteria
Planning criteria have been developed
to ensure that the plan amendment is
tailored to the issues identified and
ensure that unnecessary data collection
and analysis would be avoided. These
criteria may change in response to
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13560
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 50 / Thursday, March 13, 2008 / Notices
public comment and coordination with
State and local governments or other
Federal agencies. The criteria developed
for the Calnev Project EIS/EIR include
the following:
1. Comply with applicable laws,
Executive Orders, and regulations.
2. Minimize deviations from the
existing utility corridor to the extent
feasible.
3. Select an alignment in
consideration of its effects on other
critical linear public utilities and
transportation corridors.
4. Analyze a corridor modification
that reestablishes a complete corridor
along I–15 adequate to accommodate the
current Calnev project and anticipated
future projects and that avoids crossing
lands within the Mojave National
Preserve.
BLM must take into consideration
state law when granting the ROW. The
EIS/EIR will describe and analyze the
proposed project as proposed and will
include: (1) BLM measures to avoid,
minimize, or mitigate impacts on the
environment; (2) Additional mitigation
measures; (3) The ‘‘No Action’’
alternative; and (4) Alternative pipeline
routes, segments or other distribution
methods. Through public scoping BLM
expects to identify various issues,
potential impacts and mitigation
measures. BLM has identified a
potential list of issues that will need to
be addressed in this analysis including
but not limited to: Air quality; social
and economic, traffic; ground and
surface water quantity and quality; plant
and animal species including special
status species; cultural resources; visual
resources; and public health and safety.
If approved, this pipeline project on
public lands would be authorized in
accordance with the Mineral Leasing
Act at Title 30, Chapter 3A, Subchapter
I, Subsection 185.
survey of the lands described below in
the BLM Montana State Office, Billings,
Montana, (30) days from the date of
publication in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marvin Montoya, Cadastral Surveyor,
Branch of Cadastral Survey, Bureau of
Land Management, 5001 Southgate
Drive, Billings, Montana 59101–4669,
telephone (406) 896–5124 or (406) 896–
5009.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
survey was executed at the request of
the Fort Peck Agency, through the
Rocky Mountain Regional Director,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, and was
necessary to determine Trust and Tribal
land.
Dated: March 5, 2008.
Mickey Quillman,
Acting Field Manager, Barstow Field Office.
[FR Doc. E8–5004 Filed 3–12–08; 8:45 am]
Dated: March 7, 2008.
James D. Claflin,
Acting Chief Cadastral Surveyor, Division of
Resources.
[FR Doc. E8–5007 Filed 3–12–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–40–P
The lands we surveyed are:
Principal Meridian Montana
T. 26 N., R. 44 E.
The plat, in 2 sheets, representing the
dependent resurvey of a portion of the east
boundary, a portion of the subdivisional
lines, the adjusted original meanders of the
former left bank of the Missouri River,
downstream, through section 12, a portion of
the subdivision of section 12, and survey of
a portion of the meanders of the present left
bank of the Missouri River, downstream,
through section 12, the informative traverse
of the present left bank of the Missouri River,
downstream, through section 12, and certain
division of accretion lines, Township 26
North, Range 44 East, Principal Meridian,
Montana, was accepted February 1, 2008.
We will place copies of the plat, in 2
sheets, and related field notes we described
in the open files. They will be available to
the public as a matter of information.
If BLM receives a protest against this
survey, as shown on this plat, in 2 sheets,
prior to the date of the official filing, we will
stay the filing pending our consideration of
the protest.
We will not officially file this plat, in 2
sheets, until the day after we have accepted
or dismissed all protests and they have
become final, including decisions or appeals.
BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
[MT–926–08–1420–BJ–TRST]
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Montana: Filing of Plat of Survey
Bureau of Land Management,
Montana State Office, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Filing of Plat of
Survey.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) will file the plat of
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:19 Mar 12, 2008
Jkt 214001
[NV–050–5853–ES; N–78796, N–80170,
N–80171, N–80172, N–80173, and N–81374;
8–08807; TAS: 14X5232]
Notice of Realty Action: Lease/
Conveyance for Recreation and Public
Purposes in Clark County, NV
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY: Recreation and Public
Purposes (R&PP) Act request for lease
and subsequent conveyance of
approximately 230.26 acres of public
land in Las Vegas, Clark County,
Nevada. Clark County proposes to use
the land as six public parks.
DATES: Interested parties may submit
written comments regarding the
proposed lease/conveyance of the lands
until April 28, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Mail written comments to
the BLM Field Manager, Las Vegas Field
Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las
Vegas, NV 89130–2301.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brenda Warner, (702) 515–5084.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
following described public land in Clark
County, Nevada has been examined and
found suitable for lease and subsequent
conveyance for recreational or public
purposes under the provisions of the
R&PP Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 869 et
seq.). These six parcels of land are in the
Las Vegas Valley and are legally
described as:
Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada
N–78796 (76.49 Acres)
T. 21 S., R. 60 E.,
Sec. 24, within S1⁄2SE1⁄4.
General Location: Central part of the Las
Vegas Valley northwest of the intersection of
Tropicana Avenue and Decatur Boulevard.
N–80170 (15 Acres)
T. 22 S., R. 60 E.,
Sec. 34, E1⁄2SW1⁄4SW1⁄4NE1⁄4,
SE1⁄4SW1⁄4NE1⁄4.
General Location: Southwestern part of the
Las Vegas Valley northeast of the intersection
of Erie Avenue and Tenaya Way.
N–80171 (20 Acres)
T. 22 S., R. 60 E.,
Sec. 27, N1⁄2SE1⁄4NE1⁄4.
General Location: Southwestern part of the
Las Vegas Valley southwest of the
intersection of Le Baron Avenue and
Rainbow Boulevard.
N–80172 (15 Acres)
T. 22 S., R. 60 E.,
Sec. 21, S1⁄2NE1⁄4NE1⁄4SW1⁄4,
SE1⁄4NW1⁄4NE1⁄4SW1⁄4,
NE1⁄4SW1⁄4NE1⁄4SW1⁄4,
N1⁄2SE1⁄4NE1⁄4SW1⁄4.
General Location: Southwestern part of the
Las Vegas Valley southwest of the
intersection of Serene Avenue and Cimarron
Road.
N–80173 (20 Acres)
T. 22 S., R. 60 E.,
Sec. 29, S1⁄2NE1⁄4SW1⁄4NE1⁄4,
N1⁄2SE1⁄4SW1⁄4NE1⁄4,
S1⁄2NW1⁄4SE1⁄4NE1⁄4,
N1⁄2SW1⁄4SE1⁄4NE1⁄4.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 50 (Thursday, March 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13558-13560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5004]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA 680-08-5101-ER B266] [CACA 49138]
Notice of Intent and Notice of Preparation To Prepare a Joint
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report and
California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment, California
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent/Notice of Preparation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), together with the County of San Bernardino, California (County),
intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental
Impact Report
[[Page 13559]]
(EIS/EIR) to assess the impacts of the Calnev Pipeline Expansion
Project (Calnev Project). The Calnev Project runs adjacent to a portion
of the existing Calnev system, from the North Colton terminal in the
City of Colton, California to the Las Vegas Terminal in Las Vegas,
Nevada. The Calnev Project is proposed by Calnev Pipe Line, LLC
(Applicant). The Applicant has requested a new right-of-way (ROW) for
pipeline reconstruction and new pipeline construction covering 233
miles. The EIS/EIR will analyze the site-specific and cumulative
impacts to the environment from the construction, operation, and
maintenance of the new pipeline. Actions under consideration by the BLM
are the grant of the ROW and amendment to the California Desert
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan. Actions under consideration by the
County are amendment to a franchise agreement and a Conditional Use
Permit. The BLM will be the lead agency for NEPA compliance and the
County will be the lead agency for the purposes of CEQA compliance.
DATES: A public scoping period of 60 days commences with the publishing
of this notice. In order to be assured inclusion in the Draft EIS/EIR,
written comments must be received prior to the close of the scoping
period on May 12, 2008 at the address identified below. The public is
also invited to make comments or hear more about the project at the
following public scoping meetings:
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Rialto Middle School, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., presentation at 6:30 p.m.
324 N. Palm Ave., Rialto, CA
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Victor Elementary School District, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., presentation
at 6:30 p.m. (Nisqualli Room), 15115 Nisqualli Road, Victorville, CA
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Parkdale Community Center, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., presentation at 6:30
p.m. 3200 Ferndale St., Las Vegas
During the public scoping period the BLM and County are soliciting
public comment on issues, concerns and opportunities that should be
considered in the analysis of the proposed action as well as the
planning criteria to be used during consideration of the plan
amendment. Comments on issues, potential impacts, or suggestions for
additional alternatives may also be submitted in writing to the address
listed below. Additional opportunities for public participation and
formal comment will occur when the Draft EIS/EIR is issued.
ADDRESSES: Comments and other correspondence should be sent to the BLM
Barstow Field Office, attention Edythe Seehafer, Environmental
Coordinator, Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311
(760) 252-6021, by fax at (760) 252-6099 or by e-mail at
eseehafer@ca.blm.gov. Documents pertinent to this proposal, including
comments of respondents, will be available for public review at the BLM
Barstow Field Office during regular business hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Before including your
address, telephone number, e-mail 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 may 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. All
submissions from organizations, businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their
entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Edythe Seehafer at the
contact numbers and addresses above or Carrie Hyke, AICP, Principal
Planner, San Bernardino County, Advance Planning Division, 385 N.
Arrowhead Ave., First Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0182, Tel. 909-
387-4147.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Calnev Pipe Line, LLC has applied for a ROW
on public lands to expand and reconstruct 233 miles of pipeline in
California and Nevada. The pipeline transports jet fuel from the North
Colton terminal in Colton, California to Bracken Junction in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Projected increases in commercial air traffic in and out of
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas will require significant
increases in jet fuel supplies over the next 20 years. An expanded and
modernized pipeline will serve that need. The project would include
construction, operation and maintenance of a new 16-inch diameter
pipeline from Colton to Las Vegas; new pumps, an electrical substation
and other ancillary facilities to increase pumping at Colton; a new
pump station, electrical substation and ancillary facilities at Baker;
as well as new or modified connections to existing laterals. Pipeline
construction will take place over 12 months and is anticipated to begin
in late 2009 or early 2010.
As proposed, the Project would require a right-of-way (ROW) on
lands managed by the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the
Department of Defense (DoD), a franchise agreement and Conditional Use
Permit from the County, and appropriate permits from state, federal and
local jurisdictions. Therefore, approval of the Project will require
compliance with NEPA and CEQA, as well as ROW rules promulgated under
the Mineral Leasing Act. The BLM will be the NEPA lead agency and the
County will serve as the CEQA lead agency. The BLM and County have
agreed to work together on this Project and a Joint EIS/EIR will be
prepared.
Since approval of the project as currently proposed would require
amendment of the BLM's land-use plan, the California Desert
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan. The plan amendment process will be
conducted concurrent with, and integrated with, the NEPA process, as
part of the EIS/EIR. The analytical process for consideration of a plan
amendment is the same as the analytical process for consideration of a
project under NEPA, although a few additional considerations are
required. See BLM Handbook, H 1601-1, App. F, p. 14 et seq. for an
outline of an EIS-level Plan Amendment. Additional coordination
activities with the Governor (Consistency Review), cooperating
agencies, and the public, particularly with respect to timeframes for
feedback of draft and final documents, are integrated into a NEPA
process that also includes a plan amendment. Also, proposed planning
decisions are identified and distinguished from appealable (NEPA)
decisions. Proposed planning decisions are protested to the BLM
Director and appealable decisions are taken to the Interior Board of
Land Appeals for adjudication. As this is a joint EIS/EIR process,
cooperating agency status for the County is already integrated into the
process. BLM will consider approval of the proposed Project in a manner
that avoids undue or unnecessary impacts to the public lands consistent
with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and the
CDCA Plan of 1980, as amended.
Planning Criteria
Planning criteria have been developed to ensure that the plan
amendment is tailored to the issues identified and ensure that
unnecessary data collection and analysis would be avoided. These
criteria may change in response to
[[Page 13560]]
public comment and coordination with State and local governments or
other Federal agencies. The criteria developed for the Calnev Project
EIS/EIR include the following:
1. Comply with applicable laws, Executive Orders, and regulations.
2. Minimize deviations from the existing utility corridor to the
extent feasible.
3. Select an alignment in consideration of its effects on other
critical linear public utilities and transportation corridors.
4. Analyze a corridor modification that reestablishes a complete
corridor along I-15 adequate to accommodate the current Calnev project
and anticipated future projects and that avoids crossing lands within
the Mojave National Preserve.
BLM must take into consideration state law when granting the ROW.
The EIS/EIR will describe and analyze the proposed project as proposed
and will include: (1) BLM measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate
impacts on the environment; (2) Additional mitigation measures; (3) The
``No Action'' alternative; and (4) Alternative pipeline routes,
segments or other distribution methods. Through public scoping BLM
expects to identify various issues, potential impacts and mitigation
measures. BLM has identified a potential list of issues that will need
to be addressed in this analysis including but not limited to: Air
quality; social and economic, traffic; ground and surface water
quantity and quality; plant and animal species including special status
species; cultural resources; visual resources; and public health and
safety. If approved, this pipeline project on public lands would be
authorized in accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act at Title 30,
Chapter 3A, Subchapter I, Subsection 185.
Dated: March 5, 2008.
Mickey Quillman,
Acting Field Manager, Barstow Field Office.
[FR Doc. E8-5004 Filed 3-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P
