Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project, California and the Proposed Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan, 49515-49516 [2010-19916]

Download as PDF emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 156 / Friday, August 13, 2010 / Notices Alternative C, the Proposed RMP, would emphasize multiple resource use in the planning area by protecting sensitive resources, including high priority sagebrush habitat, through performance-based approaches. Commodity production would be balanced with providing protection for wildlife habitat, vegetation, and natural values. More areas would be limited or closed to OHV use than under the No Action Alternative. Alternative D would allow the greatest extent of resource protection within the planning area, while still allowing resource use. Commodity production would be constrained to protect natural resource values or to accelerate improvement in their condition. Under this alternative there would be an increase in areas closed or limited to OHV use than in Alternative C, the Proposed RMP. In the Proposed RMP (Alternative C), Irish Canyon is designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The ACEC objective would be to protect sensitive plants, remnant plant communities, cultural and geologic values, and scenic quality. The area would be closed to oil and gas leasing, limited to designated routes for OHVs, withdrawn from locatable mineral entry, managed as Visual Resource Management Class II, and designated as a right-of-way exclusion area unless associated with valid existing rights. ACEC proposals that were determined to meet the relevance and importance criteria, but not designated as ACECs in the Proposed RMP because they were deemed not warranted for special management attention include: Lookout Mountain, Limestone Ridge, Cross Mountain Canyon, White-tailed Prairie Dog habitat, and 11 additional areas proposed to protect sensitive plants and plant communities (Cold Desert Shrublands occurrences, Gibben’s beardtongue occurrences, Bull Canyon, G Gap, Little Juniper Canyon, the Bassett Spring, No Name Spring, Pot Creek, Whiskey Springs, Willow Spring, and Deception Creek). Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the Proposed RMP/Final EIS may be found in the Dear Reader letter of the Little Snake Proposed RMP/Final EIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5–2. E-mail and faxed protests will not be considered as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides the original letter by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the e-mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full consideration. If you wish to provide VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:35 Aug 12, 2010 Jkt 220001 the BLM with such advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of Brenda HudgensWilliams, BLM protest coordinator, at (202) 912–7212, and e-mails to Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov. All protests, including the follow-up letter (if e-mailing or faxing) must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware that your entire protest—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Helen M. Hankins, State Director. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 43 CFR 1610.2 and 1610–1. [FR Doc. 2010–19917 Filed 8–12–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CACA–49575 L51010000 FX0000 LVRWB09B3220 LLCAD08000] Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project, California and the Proposed Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. AGENCY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed California Desert Conservation Area Plan (CDCA Plan) Amendment/ Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project and by this notice is announcing its availability. DATES: The publication of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Notice of Availability of this Final EIS in the Federal Register initiates a 30-day public comment period. Submit comments to Greg Thomsen by mail 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553; or eSUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 49515 mail lucernesolar@blm.gov. In addition, BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM’s Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must do so within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Interested persons may also review the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS at the following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/ prog/energy/fasttrack.html. All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following addresses: Regular mail Overnight mail BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035. BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036. Greg Thomsen; telephone (951) 697–5237; address 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553; e-mail lucernesolar@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chevron Energy Solutions (CES) has requested a 516 acre right-of-way (ROW) authorization from the BLM for the CES Lucerne Valley Solar Project, consisting of construction and operation of a 45 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic project which would connect to an existing Southern California Edison 33 kilovolt (kV) distribution system. The proposed project would include a new switchyard, a control and maintenance building, and a parking area. Pursuant to BLM’s CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), sites associated with power generation or transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan will be considered through the plan amendment process. The Final EIS considers five alternatives, including the project as proposed by the applicant, the no action alternative; a no project alternative with a plan amendment that classifies the lands as either ‘‘suitable’’ or ‘‘unsuitable’’ for solar energy development; a smaller 30 MW facility of 238 acres; and the preferred alternative: a modified design of the proposed project that addresses some of the environmental concerns. Copies of the proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/ Final EIS are available for public inspection at 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California. Comments on the Draft CDCA Plan Amendment/Draft EIS received from the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1 49516 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 156 / Friday, August 13, 2010 / Notices public and internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into Final EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but did not significantly change any of the proposed decisions. Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS may be found in the ‘‘Dear Reader Letter’’ of the CES Lucerne Valley Solar Project Final EIS and Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment and at 43 CFR 1610.5– 2. Protests must be received by the Director by the close of the protest period to be accepted as valid. Protests that are postmarked by the close of the protest period, but received by the Director after the close of the protest period, will only be accepted as valid if the protesting party also provides a faxed or e-mailed advance copy before the close of the protest period. To provide the BLM with such advance notification, please fax protests to the attention of Brenda Hudgens-Williams, BLM protest coordinator at 202–912– 7129, or e-mail protests to: Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov. All protests, including the follow-up letter to e-mails or faxes, must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware that your entire protest—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Thomas Pogacnik, Deputy State Director, Natural Resources. Notice of availability: final comprehensive conservation plan and environmental impact statement. ACTION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the final comprehensive conservation plan and environmental impact statement (final CCP/EIS) for the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge and the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer (refuge or collectively, refuges). These refuges are located in Wahkiakum County, Washington, and Clatsop and Columbia Counties, Oregon. In the final CCP/EIS, we describe how we propose to manage these refuges for the next 15 years. DATES: We will sign a record of decision no sooner than 30 days after publication of this notice. ADDRESSES: You may view or request copies of the final CCP/EIS by any of the following methods. You may request a printed copy or CD–ROM. Agency Web Sites: Download a copy of the document at https://www.fws.gov/ lc/ or https://www.fws.gov/jbh/. E-mail: FW1Planning@fws.gov. Include ‘‘Lewis and Clark and Julia Butler Hansen Final CCP/EIS’’ in the subject line of the message. Mail: Willapa National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 3888 SR 101, Ilwaco, WA 98624. Fax: (360) 484–3109. In person viewing: Copies of the final CCP/EIS may be viewed at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 3888 SR 101, Ilwaco, WA 98624; and the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer, 46 Steamboat Slough Road, Cathlamet, WA 98612. Local Libraries: The final documents are available for review at the libraries listed under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. SUMMARY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlie Stenvall, (360) 484–3482. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10 and 43 CFR 1610.2 and 1610.5. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: [FR Doc. 2010–19916 Filed 8–12–10; 8:45 am] Introduction BILLING CODE 4310–40–P With this notice, we announce the availability of the final CCP/EIS for the refuges. We started this process through a notice in the Federal Register (71 FR 55214; September 21, 2006). We released the draft CCP/EIS to the public, announcing and requesting comments in a notice of availability in the Federal Register (75 FR 6694; February 10, 2010). The Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1972 to preserve vital fish and wildlife habitat of the Columbia River estuary. The refuge’s riverine islands encompass DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R1–R–2010–N111; 1265–0000–10137] Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge and the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:35 Aug 12, 2010 Jkt 220001 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 a variety of habitat types, from tidal sand flats and marshes to forested swamps. This combination of habitats supports large numbers of waterfowl, gulls, terns, wading birds, shorebirds, and a variety of raptors and songbirds. The Lewis and Clark Refuge islands are only accessible by boat and include 18 named islands, a number of unnamed islands, and marshes stretching over 25 miles of the Columbia River. The Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer was established in 1971 to protect and manage the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer. The refuge contains over 6,000 acres of pastures, forested tidal swamps, brushy woodlots, marshes, and sloughs along the Columbia River. The final CCP/EIS was completed in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 1506.6(b)) and National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd–668ee) requirements. We completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment, which we included in the final EIS for the CCP. The CCP will guide us in managing and administering the refuges for the next 15 years. We analyzed two alternatives for future management of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge and three alternatives for future management of the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer. Alternative 2 is our preferred alternative for both refuges, and is the foundation for the CCP. We addressed public comments on the draft CCP/EIS in the final CCP/EIS. Background The CCP Process The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd–668ee) (Refuge Administration Act), as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, requires us to develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose for developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and our policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction for conserving wildlife and their habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 156 (Friday, August 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49515-49516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19916]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-49575 L51010000 FX0000 LVRWB09B3220 LLCAD08000]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar 
Project, California and the Proposed Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Proposed California Desert Conservation Area Plan (CDCA Plan) 
Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Chevron 
Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project and by this notice is 
announcing its availability.

DATES: The publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 
Notice of Availability of this Final EIS in the Federal Register 
initiates a 30-day public comment period. Submit comments to Greg 
Thomsen by mail 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, 
California 92553; or e-mail lucernesolar@blm.gov. In addition, BLM 
planning regulations state that any person who meets the conditions as 
described in the regulations may protest the BLM's Proposed CDCA Plan 
Amendment. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must 
do so within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its notice of availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may also review the Proposed CDCA Plan 
Amendment/Final EIS at the following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/fasttrack.html. All protests must be in writing and 
mailed to one of the following addresses:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Regular mail                        Overnight mail
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda       BLM Director (210),
 Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC    Attention: Brenda Williams,
 20035.                                      1620 L Street, NW., Suite
                                             1075, Washington, DC 20036.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Thomsen; telephone (951) 697-
5237; address 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, 
California 92553; e-mail lucernesolar@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chevron Energy Solutions (CES) has requested 
a 516 acre right-of-way (ROW) authorization from the BLM for the CES 
Lucerne Valley Solar Project, consisting of construction and operation 
of a 45 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic project which would connect to 
an existing Southern California Edison 33 kilovolt (kV) distribution 
system. The proposed project would include a new switchyard, a control 
and maintenance building, and a parking area. Pursuant to BLM's CDCA 
Plan (1980, as amended), sites associated with power generation or 
transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan will be considered through 
the plan amendment process. The Final EIS considers five alternatives, 
including the project as proposed by the applicant, the no action 
alternative; a no project alternative with a plan amendment that 
classifies the lands as either ``suitable'' or ``unsuitable'' for solar 
energy development; a smaller 30 MW facility of 238 acres; and the 
preferred alternative: a modified design of the proposed project that 
addresses some of the environmental concerns. Copies of the proposed 
CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS are available for public inspection at 
22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California. Comments 
on the Draft CDCA Plan Amendment/Draft EIS received from the

[[Page 49516]]

public and internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as 
appropriate into Final EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of 
clarifying text, but did not significantly change any of the proposed 
decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS may be found in 
the ``Dear Reader Letter'' of the CES Lucerne Valley Solar Project 
Final EIS and Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. 
Protests must be received by the Director by the close of the protest 
period to be accepted as valid. Protests that are postmarked by the 
close of the protest period, but received by the Director after the 
close of the protest period, will only be accepted as valid if the 
protesting party also provides a faxed or e-mailed advance copy before 
the close of the protest period. To provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please fax protests to the attention of Brenda Hudgens-
Williams, BLM protest coordinator at 202-912-7129, or e-mail protests 
to: Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov.
    All protests, including the follow-up letter to e-mails or faxes, 
must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth 
in the ADDRESSES section above.
    Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10 and 43 CFR 1610.2 and 
1610.5.
[FR Doc. 2010-19916 Filed 8-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P
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