Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit to Shell Wind Energy for Construction and Operation of the Bear River Ridge Wind Power Project (Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan), Humboldt County, CA, 68073-68075 [E9-30340]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 244 / Tuesday, December 22, 2009 / Notices
the document, the NPS extended the
comment period 30 days to
November 27, 2007.
By the close of the official comment
period, a total of 509 comments on the
draft EIS were received via oral
comments, written letters, e-mail, and
through the NPS Planning,
Environment, and Public Comment
system. Public and Agency comments
addressed future management
authorities, impacts to cultural and
historical resources, interpretation of
the Center’s history, and restoration of
the Center to more natural conditions,
as well as pointing out factual errors
and shortcomings of the draft EIS.
The Notice of Availability for the draft
EIS also solicited written proposals for
the future use of the Center property.
Public Law 104–134 included
provisions which would allow the
transfer of the Center property to a local,
State, or Tribal government or
university entity. At the close of the
comment period, six written proposals
were received from qualified Agencies
for the transfer of the Center property.
Finally, the draft EIS did not identify
the preferred alternative because at the
time of its release, the Department of the
Interior had not indicated a preference.
The final EIS identifies the preferred
alternative as alternative D. Under
alternative D, the Federal Government
would manage and bear the costs for
modification of all or part of the land,
structures, or other improvements prior
to conveyance or retention of the Center.
Following completion of the
modifications, the property would be
disposed through transfer to a university
or nonfederal government entity
without restrictions (alternative B),
transfer to a university or nonfederal
government entity with restrictions
(alternative C), or retention by the
Federal Government for use such as
those described under the three
conceptual land-use scenarios. Under
the preferred alternative, the preferred
land use scenario is open space/park.
Contact
Superintendent Paul Labovitz,
Mississippi National River and
Recreation Area, at the address or
telephone number above.
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Dated: October 21, 2009.
David N. Given,
Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. E9–30356 Filed 12–21–09; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–ES–2009–N242; 80221–1112–
0000–F2]
Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit
to Shell Wind Energy for Construction
and Operation of the Bear River Ridge
Wind Power Project (Multiple Species
Habitat Conservation Plan), Humboldt
County, CA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a
joint Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
and Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and notice of public scoping
meetings.
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS), intend to
prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS), under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
regarding an application from Shell
Wind Energy for an incidental take
permit for take of threatened wildlife
species in accordance with section
10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The
USFWS and the County of Humboldt
will be developing a combined EIR and
EIS document for the proposed project.
Shell Wind Energy is proposing to
construct and operate the Bear River
Ridge Wind Power Project near
Ferndale, in Humboldt County,
California. The project would consist of
up to 25 wind turbines with a
generating capacity of 50 megawatts
(MW) of electricity. Activities Shell
Wind Energy will propose for permit
coverage in its habitat conservation plan
(Plan) include construction, operation,
maintenance, and decommissioning of
the Bear River Ridge Wind Power
project and associated off-site
improvements. The Plan may also cover
certain proposed off site mitigation
activities. We are furnishing this notice
to announce the initiation of a public
scoping period, during which we invite
other agencies and the public to provide
written comments on the range of
alternatives and scope of issues to be
included in the EIS.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please
send your written comments by
February 22, 2010. We will hold two
public scoping meetings:
1. Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 7–9 p.m.,
Fortuna, CA.
2. Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 7–9
p.m., Eureka, CA.
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
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68073
Public Meeting Locations
1. Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at the
Riverlodge, 1800 Riverwalk Drive
Fortuna, CA 95540.
2. Wednesday, February 3, 2010, at the
Wharfinger Building, #1 Marina Way,
Eureka, CA 95501.
EIS Preparation and NEPA Process:
Address any information, written
comments or questions related to the
preparation of the EIS and NEPA
process to Mr. James Bond, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 1655 Heindon
Road, Arcata, CA 95521. Alternatively,
you may fax written comments to 707–
822–8411. Comments we receive will be
available for public inspection, by
appointment, during normal business
hours (Monday through Friday; 8–4:30
p.m.) at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
James Bond, at the Arcata address
above, or by telephone: 707–822–7201;
fax: 707–822–8411; or e-mail:
james_bond@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with section 10(a)(2)(A) of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),
Shell Wind Energy is preparing a habitat
conservation plan in support of an
application for a permit from USFWS to
incidentally take the marbled murrelet
(Brachyramphus marmoratus), and
northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis
caurina) in connection with the
construction, operation and
decommissioning of the Bear River
Ridge Wind Power Project in Humboldt
County, California. Both the marbled
murrelet and the northern spotted owl
are listed as threatened species under
the Act. To facilitate a consistency
determination under the California
Endangered Species Act from the
California Department of Fish and Game
for the proposed project, the Plan is also
expected to include the yellow-billed
cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) and
willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) as
covered species.
Background
Shell Wind Energy proposes to
construct, operate, and decommission
the Bear River Wind Power Project in
Humboldt County, California. The Bear
River Wind Power Project would be
located on private property, primarily
along the Bear River Ridge within the
northern Coast Ranges around Cape
Mendocino in Humboldt County,
California. Shell Wind Energy has
obtained long-term agreements (wind
leases) with local landowners to
develop the property for the wind
energy project. The project area is
currently used primarily for agriculture
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(i.e., cattle production) and timberland
management.
The Bear River Wind Project proposes
to operate up to 25 wind turbines with
an anticipated total generating capacity
of up to approximately 50 MW. The
wind turbines would be arranged within
turbine ‘‘strings’’ and be sited within
500-foot-wide corridors.
In addition to turbines, Shell Wind
Energy’s proposed project includes the
following components:
• Approximately 5 miles of newly
constructed access roads, turbine string
roads and turn-around areas;
• Up to three permanent
meteorological towers;
• A site-control and data acquisition
system;
• A 34.5-kilovolt (kV) power
collection system that will deliver
power generated by the turbines to the
project substation. Collector cables will
be placed in trenches and buried
underground between turbine locations.
The underground collection system
would terminate at the project
substation;
• A project substation where power
from the 34.5-kV collection system
would be stepped up to the voltage
required for the interconnection to the
regional transmission system.
• An approximately 12-mile-long
overhead transmission line that would
transfer power from the project
substation to the Pacific Gas and
Electric (PG&E) regional transmission
system in the City of Rio Dell; and
• An operations and maintenance
(O&M) facility, including a main
building with offices, spare parts
storage, restrooms, a shop area, outdoor
parking facilities, a turn-around area for
larger vehicles, outdoor lighting, and a
gated access with partial or fullperimeter fencing located in the City of
Rio Dell near the existing PG& E
substation.
Construction of the proposed project
would also require a staging area on the
project site and potentially a temporary
concrete batch plant. During
construction, a total of approximately 3
million gallons of water would be
required for road compaction,
underground collection line installation,
dust suppression, and concrete mixing.
Approximately half the water
consumption would be for dust control
and the other half for all other
construction activities. No new wells
would be drilled or springs developed.
Water needed for the construction
activities would be provided through a
nearby water source with a permitted
water right issued through the State of
California, State Water Resources
Control Board Division of Water Rights.
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Construction of the project’s roads,
facilities, and electrical/communication
lines would occur at about the same
time, using individual vehicles for
multiple tasks. Based on data provided
for typical wind energy projects of
similar size, it is anticipated that during
the construction period, there would be
approximately 60 daily round trips by
vehicles transporting construction
personnel to the site. Over the entire
construction period, there will be
approximately 850 trips of large trucks
delivering the turbine components and
related equipment to the project site and
approximately 2,500 truck trips by
dump trucks, concrete trucks, water
trucks, cranes, and other construction
and trade vehicles. After construction,
project O&M activities would require
approximately three round trips per day
using pickups or other light-duty trucks.
Construction traffic would be routed
from Humboldt Bay along State and
county roads, ultimately accessing the
project site through Ferndale and/or Rio
Dell. It is anticipated that improvements
to county roads would be required to
enable the passing of trucks transporting
large turbine components.
Routine maintenance would consist
primarily of daily travel by technicians
that would test and maintain the wind
facilities. Operation and Maintenance
staff would travel in pickup or other
light-duty trucks. Occasionally, the use
of a crane or equipment transport
vehicles may be necessary for cleaning,
repairing, adjusting, or replacing the
rotors or other components of the
turbines. Cranes used for maintenance
activities are not as large as the large
track-mounted cranes needed to erect
the turbine towers and are likely to be
contracted at the time of service and not
stored at the facility.
Monitoring the operations of the
Project will be conducted from
computers located in the base of each
turbine tower and from the O&M
building using telecommunication links
and computer-based monitoring. Over
time, it will be necessary to clean or
repaint the blades and towers and
periodically exchange lubricants and
hydraulic fluids in the mechanisms of
the turbines.
Decommissioning would involve
removing the turbines, support towers,
transformers, substation, and the upper
portion of foundations. Site reclamation
after decommissioning would be based
on site-specific requirements and
techniques commonly employed at the
time the area will be reclaimed.
Techniques could include regrading,
spot replacement of topsoil, and
revegetation of all disturbed areas with
an approved native seed mix. Turbine
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tower and substation foundations would
be removed to a depth as agreed upon
with landowners.
Activities that Shell Wind Energy will
propose for permit coverage include
construction, operation, maintenance
and decommissioning of the wind
power project and associated offsite
improvements. The company may also
request permit coverage for certain offsite mitigation activities. Construction,
operation and decommissioning of the
wind farm, and actions to minimize and
mitigate project impacts, have the
potential to take wildlife species
protected under the Act. Section
10(a)(1)(B) of the Act authorizes the
Service to issue incidental take permits
to non-Federal land owners for the take
of endangered and threatened species,
provided that, among other
requirements, the take will be incidental
to otherwise lawful activities, will not
appreciably reduce the likelihood of the
survival and recovery of the species in
the wild and will be minimized and
mitigated to the maximum extent
practicable. Shell Wind Energy is
preparing a habitat conservation plan
that is intended to provide for
management of the project site over its
lifetime in a manner that will minimize
and mitigate the impacts of take of the
Federally listed marbled murrelet and
northern spotted owl and certain other
wildlife species that may be listed
during the life of the Plan. Once
completed, it is expected that Shell
Wind Energy will submit the Plan to
USFWS as part of an application for the
incidental take permit.
Environmental Impact Statement
We will conduct an environmental
review of the permit application,
including the Plan. We will prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
in accordance with NEPA requirements,
as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and
NEPA implementing regulations (40
CFR parts 1500 through 1508), and in
accordance with other applicable
Federal laws and regulations, and the
policies and procedures of the USFWS
for compliance with those regulations.
The Shell Wind Energy project will also
require a conditional use permit from
Humboldt County. The County is the
lead agency pursuant to the California
Environmental Quality Act and is
responsible for preparing an
Environmental Impact Report for the
project. The County and USFWS intend
to prepare a joint EIR/EIS that we
anticipate will be available for public
review in late 2010. The EIR/EIS will
analyze the environmental impacts of
the proposed wind energy project and
associated incidental take of species
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 244 / Tuesday, December 22, 2009 / Notices
proposed to be covered under the Plan.
The EIR/EIS will also analyze the
impacts of the conservation strategy
proposed by Shell Wind Energy to
minimize and mitigate those impacts to
the maximum extent practicable. We
anticipate that the conservation strategy
will identify several biological goals,
including development of high quality,
suitable habitat necessary for the longterm persistence of the covered species
and retention and recruitment of
specific habitat elements, including
older, larger and more structurally
complex or decadent trees to provide for
successful reproduction of marbled
murrelets and spotted owls. The
environmental review will analyze a full
range of reasonable alternatives to the
proposed action, including a No Action
alternative, and describe the associated
environmental impacts of each. We are
currently in the process of developing
alternatives for analysis.
In connection with developing
alternative approaches, we will
consider, for example, modified lists of
covered species, modified permit
coverage areas (i.e., portions of the
landscape subject to permit coverage),
modified permit terms, and different
resource management strategies that
would serve the purpose of minimizing
and mitigating the impacts of incidental
take. We will consider other reasonable
project alternatives recommended
during this scoping process in order to
develop a full range of alternatives.
We invite comments and suggestions
from all interested parties to ensure
consideration of a full range of
reasonable alternatives related to
development of the EIR/EIS. The
USFWS requests that comments be as
specific as possible. Comments are
requested to include information, issues
and concerns regarding:
(1) The direct, indirect, and
cumulative effects that implementation
of any reasonable alternatives could
have on endangered and threatened
species and their habitats;
(2) Other reasonable alternatives, and
their associated effects;
(3) Measures that would minimize
and mitigate potentially adverse effects
of the proposed project;
(4) Baseline environmental conditions
in and adjacent to the covered lands;
(5) Adaptive management or
monitoring provisions that may be
incorporated into the alternatives, and
their benefits to listed species;
(6) Other plans or projects that might
be relevant to this project; and
(7) Any other information pertinent to
evaluating the effects of this project on
the human environment.
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The environmental review will
analyze the effects that the considered
alternatives would have on the marbled
murrelet, spotted owl, yellow-billed
cuckoo and willow flycatcher, as well as
on other components of the human
environment, including but not limited
to cultural resources, social resources
(including public safety), economic
resources, water and air quality, global
climate change, and environmental
justice.
Direct any comments or questions to
the USFWS contact listed above in
ADDRESSES. All comments and materials
we receive, including names and
addresses, will become part of the
administrative record and may be
released to the public. 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 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.
Reasonable Accommodation
Persons needing reasonable
accommodations to attend and
participate in public meetings should
contact James Bond (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT) as soon as
possible. To allow sufficient time to
process requests, please call no later
than 1 week before the public meeting.
Information regarding this proposed
action is available in alternative formats
upon request.
Ken McDermond,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 8,
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. E9–30340 Filed 12–21–09; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLORV00000–L10200000.DF0000; HAG 9–
0189]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Trout Creek Geographic
Management Area, Jordan Resource
Area, Vale District, OR
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) Vale District Office,
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68075
Vale, Oregon intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for proposed actions pertaining to
livestock grazing systems and rangeland
developments that will affect 10
livestock grazing permit terms and
conditions in the Trout Creek
Geographic Management Area (TCGMA)
Vale District. Actions may include, for
example, installation and/or removal of
fences and water developments, changes
to duration or season of use of grazing,
and other changes to the terms and
conditions of affected grazing permits.
By this notice the BLM is announcing
the beginning of the scoping process
and soliciting input on the
identification of issues.
DATES: To identify relevant issues, the
BLM will announce public scoping
meetings through local news media,
newsletters, and the BLM Web site:
http:www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/
plans/tcgma_eis.php at least 15 days
prior to each meeting.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on issues related to the TCGMA EIS by
any of the following methods:
• District Web site:
http:www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/
plans/valermp.php.
• E-mail: TCGMA_EIS@blm.gov
• Fax: (541) 473–6213.
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
Vale District Office, 100 Oregon Street,
Vale, OR 97918.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the Vale District
Office during regular business areas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information and/or to have your
name added to our mailing list, contact
Trisha Skerjanec, (541) 473–6222; or email trisha_skerjanec@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
document provides notice that the BLM
District Office, Vale, Oregon, intends to
prepare an EIS for proposed actions for
livestock grazing systems and rangeland
developments that will affect 10
livestock grazing permit terms and
conditions in the TCGMA. The project
area covers about 627,900 acres of comingled Federal, private, and State land
located in Southeastern Oregon and
Northwestern Nevada. About 586,900
acres (or 94.4 percent) of the land is
public domain administered by the
BLM. Subsequent grazing decisions will
be based on the EIS and Record of
Decision (ROD) and conform to the BLM
grazing regulations at 43 CFR subpart
4180, Fundamentals of Rangeland
Health Standards and Guidelines for
Grazing Administration, and the
Southeastern Oregon Resource
Management Plan and ROD.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68073-68075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30340]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-ES-2009-N242; 80221-1112-0000-F2]
Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit to Shell Wind Energy for
Construction and Operation of the Bear River Ridge Wind Power Project
(Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan), Humboldt County, CA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a joint Environmental Impact Report
(EIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and notice of public
scoping meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), intend to
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regarding an application from Shell
Wind Energy for an incidental take permit for take of threatened
wildlife species in accordance with section 10(a)(1)(B) of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The USFWS and the
County of Humboldt will be developing a combined EIR and EIS document
for the proposed project. Shell Wind Energy is proposing to construct
and operate the Bear River Ridge Wind Power Project near Ferndale, in
Humboldt County, California. The project would consist of up to 25 wind
turbines with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts (MW) of
electricity. Activities Shell Wind Energy will propose for permit
coverage in its habitat conservation plan (Plan) include construction,
operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of the Bear River Ridge
Wind Power project and associated off-site improvements. The Plan may
also cover certain proposed off site mitigation activities. We are
furnishing this notice to announce the initiation of a public scoping
period, during which we invite other agencies and the public to provide
written comments on the range of alternatives and scope of issues to be
included in the EIS.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by
February 22, 2010. We will hold two public scoping meetings:
1. Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 7-9 p.m., Fortuna, CA.
2. Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 7-9 p.m., Eureka, CA.
ADDRESSES:
Public Meeting Locations
1. Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at the Riverlodge, 1800 Riverwalk Drive
Fortuna, CA 95540.
2. Wednesday, February 3, 2010, at the Wharfinger Building, 1
Marina Way, Eureka, CA 95501.
EIS Preparation and NEPA Process: Address any information, written
comments or questions related to the preparation of the EIS and NEPA
process to Mr. James Bond, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1655 Heindon
Road, Arcata, CA 95521. Alternatively, you may fax written comments to
707-822-8411. Comments we receive will be available for public
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours (Monday
through Friday; 8-4:30 p.m.) at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Bond, at the Arcata address
above, or by telephone: 707-822-7201; fax: 707-822-8411; or e-mail:
james_bond@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with section 10(a)(2)(A) of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.), Shell Wind Energy is preparing a habitat conservation plan in
support of an application for a permit from USFWS to incidentally take
the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), and northern spotted
owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) in connection with the construction,
operation and decommissioning of the Bear River Ridge Wind Power
Project in Humboldt County, California. Both the marbled murrelet and
the northern spotted owl are listed as threatened species under the
Act. To facilitate a consistency determination under the California
Endangered Species Act from the California Department of Fish and Game
for the proposed project, the Plan is also expected to include the
yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) and willow flycatcher
(Empidonax traillii) as covered species.
Background
Shell Wind Energy proposes to construct, operate, and decommission
the Bear River Wind Power Project in Humboldt County, California. The
Bear River Wind Power Project would be located on private property,
primarily along the Bear River Ridge within the northern Coast Ranges
around Cape Mendocino in Humboldt County, California. Shell Wind Energy
has obtained long-term agreements (wind leases) with local landowners
to develop the property for the wind energy project. The project area
is currently used primarily for agriculture
[[Page 68074]]
(i.e., cattle production) and timberland management.
The Bear River Wind Project proposes to operate up to 25 wind
turbines with an anticipated total generating capacity of up to
approximately 50 MW. The wind turbines would be arranged within turbine
``strings'' and be sited within 500-foot-wide corridors.
In addition to turbines, Shell Wind Energy's proposed project
includes the following components:
Approximately 5 miles of newly constructed access roads,
turbine string roads and turn-around areas;
Up to three permanent meteorological towers;
A site-control and data acquisition system;
A 34.5-kilovolt (kV) power collection system that will
deliver power generated by the turbines to the project substation.
Collector cables will be placed in trenches and buried underground
between turbine locations. The underground collection system would
terminate at the project substation;
A project substation where power from the 34.5-kV
collection system would be stepped up to the voltage required for the
interconnection to the regional transmission system.
An approximately 12-mile-long overhead transmission line
that would transfer power from the project substation to the Pacific
Gas and Electric (PG&E) regional transmission system in the City of Rio
Dell; and
An operations and maintenance (O&M) facility, including a
main building with offices, spare parts storage, restrooms, a shop
area, outdoor parking facilities, a turn-around area for larger
vehicles, outdoor lighting, and a gated access with partial or full-
perimeter fencing located in the City of Rio Dell near the existing PG&
E substation.
Construction of the proposed project would also require a staging
area on the project site and potentially a temporary concrete batch
plant. During construction, a total of approximately 3 million gallons
of water would be required for road compaction, underground collection
line installation, dust suppression, and concrete mixing. Approximately
half the water consumption would be for dust control and the other half
for all other construction activities. No new wells would be drilled or
springs developed. Water needed for the construction activities would
be provided through a nearby water source with a permitted water right
issued through the State of California, State Water Resources Control
Board Division of Water Rights.
Construction of the project's roads, facilities, and electrical/
communication lines would occur at about the same time, using
individual vehicles for multiple tasks. Based on data provided for
typical wind energy projects of similar size, it is anticipated that
during the construction period, there would be approximately 60 daily
round trips by vehicles transporting construction personnel to the
site. Over the entire construction period, there will be approximately
850 trips of large trucks delivering the turbine components and related
equipment to the project site and approximately 2,500 truck trips by
dump trucks, concrete trucks, water trucks, cranes, and other
construction and trade vehicles. After construction, project O&M
activities would require approximately three round trips per day using
pickups or other light-duty trucks.
Construction traffic would be routed from Humboldt Bay along State
and county roads, ultimately accessing the project site through
Ferndale and/or Rio Dell. It is anticipated that improvements to county
roads would be required to enable the passing of trucks transporting
large turbine components.
Routine maintenance would consist primarily of daily travel by
technicians that would test and maintain the wind facilities. Operation
and Maintenance staff would travel in pickup or other light-duty
trucks. Occasionally, the use of a crane or equipment transport
vehicles may be necessary for cleaning, repairing, adjusting, or
replacing the rotors or other components of the turbines. Cranes used
for maintenance activities are not as large as the large track-mounted
cranes needed to erect the turbine towers and are likely to be
contracted at the time of service and not stored at the facility.
Monitoring the operations of the Project will be conducted from
computers located in the base of each turbine tower and from the O&M
building using telecommunication links and computer-based monitoring.
Over time, it will be necessary to clean or repaint the blades and
towers and periodically exchange lubricants and hydraulic fluids in the
mechanisms of the turbines.
Decommissioning would involve removing the turbines, support
towers, transformers, substation, and the upper portion of foundations.
Site reclamation after decommissioning would be based on site-specific
requirements and techniques commonly employed at the time the area will
be reclaimed. Techniques could include regrading, spot replacement of
topsoil, and revegetation of all disturbed areas with an approved
native seed mix. Turbine tower and substation foundations would be
removed to a depth as agreed upon with landowners.
Activities that Shell Wind Energy will propose for permit coverage
include construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of the
wind power project and associated offsite improvements. The company may
also request permit coverage for certain off-site mitigation
activities. Construction, operation and decommissioning of the wind
farm, and actions to minimize and mitigate project impacts, have the
potential to take wildlife species protected under the Act. Section
10(a)(1)(B) of the Act authorizes the Service to issue incidental take
permits to non-Federal land owners for the take of endangered and
threatened species, provided that, among other requirements, the take
will be incidental to otherwise lawful activities, will not appreciably
reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of the species in
the wild and will be minimized and mitigated to the maximum extent
practicable. Shell Wind Energy is preparing a habitat conservation plan
that is intended to provide for management of the project site over its
lifetime in a manner that will minimize and mitigate the impacts of
take of the Federally listed marbled murrelet and northern spotted owl
and certain other wildlife species that may be listed during the life
of the Plan. Once completed, it is expected that Shell Wind Energy will
submit the Plan to USFWS as part of an application for the incidental
take permit.
Environmental Impact Statement
We will conduct an environmental review of the permit application,
including the Plan. We will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) in accordance with NEPA requirements, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321
et seq.), and NEPA implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through
1508), and in accordance with other applicable Federal laws and
regulations, and the policies and procedures of the USFWS for
compliance with those regulations. The Shell Wind Energy project will
also require a conditional use permit from Humboldt County. The County
is the lead agency pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act
and is responsible for preparing an Environmental Impact Report for the
project. The County and USFWS intend to prepare a joint EIR/EIS that we
anticipate will be available for public review in late 2010. The EIR/
EIS will analyze the environmental impacts of the proposed wind energy
project and associated incidental take of species
[[Page 68075]]
proposed to be covered under the Plan. The EIR/EIS will also analyze
the impacts of the conservation strategy proposed by Shell Wind Energy
to minimize and mitigate those impacts to the maximum extent
practicable. We anticipate that the conservation strategy will identify
several biological goals, including development of high quality,
suitable habitat necessary for the long-term persistence of the covered
species and retention and recruitment of specific habitat elements,
including older, larger and more structurally complex or decadent trees
to provide for successful reproduction of marbled murrelets and spotted
owls. The environmental review will analyze a full range of reasonable
alternatives to the proposed action, including a No Action alternative,
and describe the associated environmental impacts of each. We are
currently in the process of developing alternatives for analysis.
In connection with developing alternative approaches, we will
consider, for example, modified lists of covered species, modified
permit coverage areas (i.e., portions of the landscape subject to
permit coverage), modified permit terms, and different resource
management strategies that would serve the purpose of minimizing and
mitigating the impacts of incidental take. We will consider other
reasonable project alternatives recommended during this scoping process
in order to develop a full range of alternatives.
We invite comments and suggestions from all interested parties to
ensure consideration of a full range of reasonable alternatives related
to development of the EIR/EIS. The USFWS requests that comments be as
specific as possible. Comments are requested to include information,
issues and concerns regarding:
(1) The direct, indirect, and cumulative effects that
implementation of any reasonable alternatives could have on endangered
and threatened species and their habitats;
(2) Other reasonable alternatives, and their associated effects;
(3) Measures that would minimize and mitigate potentially adverse
effects of the proposed project;
(4) Baseline environmental conditions in and adjacent to the
covered lands;
(5) Adaptive management or monitoring provisions that may be
incorporated into the alternatives, and their benefits to listed
species;
(6) Other plans or projects that might be relevant to this project;
and
(7) Any other information pertinent to evaluating the effects of
this project on the human environment.
The environmental review will analyze the effects that the
considered alternatives would have on the marbled murrelet, spotted
owl, yellow-billed cuckoo and willow flycatcher, as well as on other
components of the human environment, including but not limited to
cultural resources, social resources (including public safety),
economic resources, water and air quality, global climate change, and
environmental justice.
Direct any comments or questions to the USFWS contact listed above
in ADDRESSES. All comments and materials we receive, including names
and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and may be
released to the public. 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 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.
Reasonable Accommodation
Persons needing reasonable accommodations to attend and participate
in public meetings should contact James Bond (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT) as soon as possible. To allow sufficient time to
process requests, please call no later than 1 week before the public
meeting. Information regarding this proposed action is available in
alternative formats upon request.
Ken McDermond,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 8, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. E9-30340 Filed 12-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
