Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting; Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, 31308-31309 [E9-15472]
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31308
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 30, 2009 / Notices
lands which have excellent solar
development potential and limited
resource conflicts.
The Solar PEIS will help BLM
identify lands appropriate for solar
energy development and establish a
comprehensive list of mitigation
requirements applicable to all future
solar energy development on BLMadministered lands. As part of the Solar
PEIS, the Agencies will conduct indepth environmental analyses of 24
solar energy study areas for the purpose
of determining whether such areas
should be designated as Solar Energy
Zones (SEZs), specific locations
determined best suited for large-scale
production of solar energy.
The solar energy study areas were
identified based on preliminary results
of California’s Renewable Energy
Transmission Initiative, the Western
Governors’ Association Western
Renewable Energy Zone and
Transmission Study, and existing BLM
resource information. Criteria used to
identify solar energy study areas include
requirements that the area: be a
minimum size of 2,000 acres, be near
existing roads and existing or
designated transmission line routes, and
have a slope of less than 5%. Sensitive
resource areas were also removed from
consideration, including the following
categories of lands:
(1) National Landscape Conservation
System lands (except that lands within
the California Desert Conservation Area
that have no other special designation
may be included in a solar energy study
area);
(2) Threatened and endangered
species designated critical habitat;
(3) Back-country byways;
(4) Areas of known Tribal concern;
(5) Areas of known high cultural site
density; and
(6) Areas designated for right-of-way
avoidance or right-of-way exclusion in
BLM land use plans. Such areas include
BLM areas of critical environmental
concern, areas with important visual
resources, special recreation
management areas, areas allocated to
maintain wilderness characteristics,
wildlife movement corridors, and areas
where the BLM has made a commitment
to take certain actions with respect to
sensitive species habitat.
Some or all of the solar energy study
areas may be found appropriate for
designation as SEZs as described above.
The Agencies are making the maps of
the solar energy study areas available to
the public and soliciting written
comments to provide an opportunity for
public input as part of the ongoing Solar
PEIS analysis. Specifically, the Agencies
request information and comments on
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the potential for significant impacts of
solar energy development on known
resources within a solar energy study
area and the economic viability of solar
energy development within specific
areas. No additional public meetings are
planned prior to the release of the draft
Solar PEIS; however, the public will
have additional opportunities to
comment when the draft Solar PEIS is
released.
The BLM’s objective for the Solar
PEIS is to create a more efficient process
for authorizing solar energy
development on public lands that
would also:
• Facilitate near-term utility-scale
solar energy development on public
lands;
• Minimize potential environmental,
social, and economic impacts;
• Provide the solar industry
flexibility in proposing and developing
solar energy projects (location, facility
size, technology, etc.);
• Optimize existing transmission
corridors; and
• Standardize the authorization
process for solar energy development on
BLM-administered lands.
The BLM will continue to accept new
solar applications. The BLM is in the
process of considering alternative
procedures, such as non-competitive
and competitive, application fees, and
diligent development requirements, for
solar energy development applications
within the solar energy study areas. Any
entity with an existing application for
lands within the solar energy study
areas received by the BLM prior to June
30, 2009 will continue to be processed
under the BLM’s current procedures.
Applications received after June 30,
2009 for lands inside the solar energy
study areas will be subject to the Record
of Decision (ROD) for the Solar PEIS and
any alternative procedures developed by
BLM for non-competitive and
competitive processes. All applications
received for lands outside of the solar
energy study areas will be processed
under the BLM’s current procedures.
Any right-of-way grant for a solar energy
application issued after the BLM’s ROD
for the Solar PEIS may be issued subject
to the requirements adopted in the ROD.
The Agencies invite interested
Federal and State agencies,
organizations, Native American tribes
and members of the public to submit
written comments to assist in
identifying significant environmental
issues, existing resource data, and
industry interest with respect to the
solar energy study areas. You may
submit comments in writing using one
of the methods listed in the
‘‘ADDRESSES’’ section above. Before
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including your address, phone number,
e-mail address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comments—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.
Mike Pool,
Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. E9–15471 Filed 6–29–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWO350000.L14300000]
Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and
Opportunity for Public Meeting;
Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada,
New Mexico, and Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior
proposes to withdraw approximately
676,048 acres of public lands from
settlement, sale, location, or entry under
the general land laws, including the
mining laws, on behalf of the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) to protect and
preserve solar energy study areas for
future solar energy development. This
notice segregates the lands for up to 2
years from surface entry and mining
while various studies and analyses are
made to support a final decision on the
withdrawal application. The lands will
remain open to the mineral leasing laws.
DATES: Comments and requests for a
public meeting must be received by
September 28, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting
requests should be sent to the BLM
Director, 1849 C Street NW. (WO350),
Washington, DC, 20240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Linda Resseguie, BLM, 202–452–7774,
or one of the following BLM State
Offices.
The
applicant is the Bureau of Land
Management at the address above and
its petition requests the Secretary of the
Interior to withdraw, subject to valid
existing rights, approximately 676,048
acres of public lands located in the
States of Arizona, California, Colorado,
Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah from
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 30, 2009 / Notices
settlement, sale, location, or entry under
the general land laws, including the
mining laws, but not the mineral leasing
laws. The lands are identified in the
maps referenced in the Notice of
Availability of Maps and Additional
Public Scoping for Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement to
Develop and Implement AgencySpecific Programs for Solar Energy
Development; Bureau of Land
Management Approach for Processing
Existing and Future Solar Applications
to be published in the Federal Register.
Copies of the maps are available online
at https://solareis.anl.gov and are also
available from the BLM offices listed
below:
Arizona State Office, One North Central
Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ
85004.
California State Office, 2800 Cottage
Way, Suite W–1623, Sacramento, CA
95825.
Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield
Street, Lakewood, CO 80215.
Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial
Blvd., Reno, NV 89520.
New Mexico State Office, 1474 Rodeo
Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505.
Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South,
Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101.
The lands depicted on the maps
described above are located within the
following townships:
Arizona
Gila and Salt River Meridian
T. 9 N., R. 9 W.
T. 5 N., R. 15 W.
Tps. 4 and 5 N., R. 16 W.
Tps. 2 S., Rs. 6 and 7 W.
California
San Bernardino Meridian
Tps. 8 and 9 N., R. 4 E.
Tps. 7, 8, and 9 N., R. 5 E.
Tps. 8 and 9 N., R. 6 E.
Tps. 1 and 2 N., Rs. 17, 18, 19, and 20
E.
T. 4 S., R. 14 E.
Tps. 3, 4, and 5 S., Rs. 15 and 16 E.
Tps. 3, 4, 5, 6, 16, and 17 S., R. 17 E.
Tps. 1, 6, 16, and 17 S., R. 18 E.
Tps. 1 and 6 S., R. 19 E.
Tps. 4, 5, 6, and 7 S., R. 20 E.
Tps. 4, 5, 7, and 8 S., R. 21 E.
Tps. 4, 5, 6, and 7 S., R. 22 E.
T. 5 S., R. 23 E.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES6
Colorado
New Mexico Principal Meridian
Tps. 34, 35, and 45 N., R. 8 E.
Tps. 32 and 45 N., R. 9 E.
T. 32 N., R. 10 E.
Tps. 37 and 38 N., R. 12 E.
T. 38 N., R. 13 E.
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New Mexico
New Mexico Principal Meridian
Tps. 23, 24, and 25 S., R. 1 W.
Tps. 22, 23, 24, and 25 S., R. 2 W.
Tps. 22, 23, and 24 S., R. 3 W.
Tps. 23 and 24 S, R. 4 W.
Tps. 24 and 25 S., R. 1 E.
Tps. 17, 18, and 19 S., Rs. 8 and 9 E.
Nevada
Mount Diablo Meridian
Tps. 3 and 4 N., Rs. 39 and 40 E.
Tps. 1, 2, and 3 N., R. 64 E.
Tps. 1 and 2 N., R. 65 E.
T. 6 S., R. 41 E.
Tps. 13 and 14 S., R. 47 E.
T. 14 S., R. 48 E.
Tps. 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, and 18 S., R. 63 E.
Tps. 1, 16, 17, and 18 S., R. 64 E.
T. 1 S., R. 65 E.
Tps. 11 S., Rs. 69 and 70 E.
Utah
Salt Lake Meridian
Tps. 30 S., Rs. 10, 11, and 12 W.
Tps. 27, 33, and 34 S., R. 14 W.
Tps. 33 and 34 S., R. 15 W.
The BLM’s petition for withdrawal
has been approved by the Secretary of
the Interior.
The purpose of the proposed
withdrawal is to protect and preserve
solar energy study areas for future solar
energy development for a 20-year
period.
Records relating to the petition may
be examined by contacting Linda
Resseguie at the above address or by
calling 202–452–7774.
For a period of 90 days from the date
of publication of this notice, all persons
who wish to submit comments,
suggestions, or objections in connection
with the proposed withdrawal may
present their views in writing to the
BLM Director at the address noted
above.
Comments including names and street
addresses of respondents will be
available for public review at the BLM
Washington Office at the address noted
above, during regular business hours 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except holidays. Before
including your address, phone 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 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. Individual respondents may
request confidentiality. If you wish to
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31309
withhold your name or address from
public review or from disclosure under
the Freedom of Information Act, you
must state this prominently at the
beginning of your comments. Such
requests will be honored to the extent
allowed by law. All submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public inspection in
their entirety.
Notice is hereby given that an
opportunity for a public meeting is
afforded in connection with the
proposed withdrawal. All interested
persons who desire a public meeting for
the purpose of being heard on the
proposed withdrawal must submit a
written request to the BLM Director no
later than September 28, 2009. If the
authorized officer determines that a
public meeting will be held, a notice of
the time and place will be published in
the Federal Register and a local
newspaper at least 30 days before the
scheduled date of the meeting.
Any application for a withdrawal will
be processed in accordance with the
regulations set forth in 43 CFR 2310.1–
2.
For a period of 2 years from the date
of publication of this notice in the
Federal Register, the lands referenced
in this notice will be segregated from
settlement, sale, location, or entry under
the general land laws, including the
mining laws, unless an application is
denied or canceled or the withdrawal is
approved prior to that date.
Licenses, permits, cooperative
agreements, or discretionary land use
authorizations of a temporary nature
which would not impact the site may be
allowed with the approval of an
authorized officer of the BLM during the
segregative period.
Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3–1.
Mike Pool,
Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. E9–15472 Filed 6–29–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–ES–2009–N127; 81420–1113–
0000–F3]
Safe Harbor Agreement for the City of
Elk Grove’s Shed B and Whitelock
Parkway Drainage Corridors, in
Sacramento County, CA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
E:\FR\FM\30JNN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31308-31309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15472]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWO350000.L14300000]
Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting;
Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior proposes to withdraw
approximately 676,048 acres of public lands from settlement, sale,
location, or entry under the general land laws, including the mining
laws, on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect and
preserve solar energy study areas for future solar energy development.
This notice segregates the lands for up to 2 years from surface entry
and mining while various studies and analyses are made to support a
final decision on the withdrawal application. The lands will remain
open to the mineral leasing laws.
DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received by
September 28, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting requests should be sent to the BLM
Director, 1849 C Street NW. (WO350), Washington, DC, 20240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Resseguie, BLM, 202-452-7774, or
one of the following BLM State Offices.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant is the Bureau of Land
Management at the address above and its petition requests the Secretary
of the Interior to withdraw, subject to valid existing rights,
approximately 676,048 acres of public lands located in the States of
Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah from
[[Page 31309]]
settlement, sale, location, or entry under the general land laws,
including the mining laws, but not the mineral leasing laws. The lands
are identified in the maps referenced in the Notice of Availability of
Maps and Additional Public Scoping for Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement to Develop and Implement Agency-Specific Programs for
Solar Energy Development; Bureau of Land Management Approach for
Processing Existing and Future Solar Applications to be published in
the Federal Register. Copies of the maps are available online at https://solareis.anl.gov and are also available from the BLM offices listed
below:
Arizona State Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ
85004.
California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1623, Sacramento, CA
95825.
Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO 80215.
Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89520.
New Mexico State Office, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505.
Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT
84101.
The lands depicted on the maps described above are located within
the following townships:
Arizona
Gila and Salt River Meridian
T. 9 N., R. 9 W.
T. 5 N., R. 15 W.
Tps. 4 and 5 N., R. 16 W.
Tps. 2 S., Rs. 6 and 7 W.
California
San Bernardino Meridian
Tps. 8 and 9 N., R. 4 E.
Tps. 7, 8, and 9 N., R. 5 E.
Tps. 8 and 9 N., R. 6 E.
Tps. 1 and 2 N., Rs. 17, 18, 19, and 20 E.
T. 4 S., R. 14 E.
Tps. 3, 4, and 5 S., Rs. 15 and 16 E.
Tps. 3, 4, 5, 6, 16, and 17 S., R. 17 E.
Tps. 1, 6, 16, and 17 S., R. 18 E.
Tps. 1 and 6 S., R. 19 E.
Tps. 4, 5, 6, and 7 S., R. 20 E.
Tps. 4, 5, 7, and 8 S., R. 21 E.
Tps. 4, 5, 6, and 7 S., R. 22 E.
T. 5 S., R. 23 E.
Colorado
New Mexico Principal Meridian
Tps. 34, 35, and 45 N., R. 8 E.
Tps. 32 and 45 N., R. 9 E.
T. 32 N., R. 10 E.
Tps. 37 and 38 N., R. 12 E.
T. 38 N., R. 13 E.
New Mexico
New Mexico Principal Meridian
Tps. 23, 24, and 25 S., R. 1 W.
Tps. 22, 23, 24, and 25 S., R. 2 W.
Tps. 22, 23, and 24 S., R. 3 W.
Tps. 23 and 24 S, R. 4 W.
Tps. 24 and 25 S., R. 1 E.
Tps. 17, 18, and 19 S., Rs. 8 and 9 E.
Nevada
Mount Diablo Meridian
Tps. 3 and 4 N., Rs. 39 and 40 E.
Tps. 1, 2, and 3 N., R. 64 E.
Tps. 1 and 2 N., R. 65 E.
T. 6 S., R. 41 E.
Tps. 13 and 14 S., R. 47 E.
T. 14 S., R. 48 E.
Tps. 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, and 18 S., R. 63 E.
Tps. 1, 16, 17, and 18 S., R. 64 E.
T. 1 S., R. 65 E.
Tps. 11 S., Rs. 69 and 70 E.
Utah
Salt Lake Meridian
Tps. 30 S., Rs. 10, 11, and 12 W.
Tps. 27, 33, and 34 S., R. 14 W.
Tps. 33 and 34 S., R. 15 W.
The BLM's petition for withdrawal has been approved by the
Secretary of the Interior.
The purpose of the proposed withdrawal is to protect and preserve
solar energy study areas for future solar energy development for a 20-
year period.
Records relating to the petition may be examined by contacting
Linda Resseguie at the above address or by calling 202-452-7774.
For a period of 90 days from the date of publication of this
notice, all persons who wish to submit comments, suggestions, or
objections in connection with the proposed withdrawal may present their
views in writing to the BLM Director at the address noted above.
Comments including names and street addresses of respondents will
be available for public review at the BLM Washington Office at the
address noted above, during regular business hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Before including your address,
phone 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 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. Individual respondents may
request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or address
from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information
Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments.
Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their
entirety.
Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public meeting is
afforded in connection with the proposed withdrawal. All interested
persons who desire a public meeting for the purpose of being heard on
the proposed withdrawal must submit a written request to the BLM
Director no later than September 28, 2009. If the authorized officer
determines that a public meeting will be held, a notice of the time and
place will be published in the Federal Register and a local newspaper
at least 30 days before the scheduled date of the meeting.
Any application for a withdrawal will be processed in accordance
with the regulations set forth in 43 CFR 2310.1-2.
For a period of 2 years from the date of publication of this notice
in the Federal Register, the lands referenced in this notice will be
segregated from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the general
land laws, including the mining laws, unless an application is denied
or canceled or the withdrawal is approved prior to that date.
Licenses, permits, cooperative agreements, or discretionary land
use authorizations of a temporary nature which would not impact the
site may be allowed with the approval of an authorized officer of the
BLM during the segregative period.
Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3-1.
Mike Pool,
Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. E9-15472 Filed 6-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P
