Notice of Availability of a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed McCoy Solar Energy Project, CA, 76067-76069 [2012-30855]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 26, 2012 / Notices tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with made to the listing. Thus, this subspecies is currently listed under the Act as Herpailurus (=Felis) yagouaroundi cacomitli. However, more recent genetic work assigns the jaguarundi to the genus Puma, and this has become the generally accepted nomenclature. Therefore, in keeping with this current information, we refer to the Gulf Coast jaguarundi subspecies as Puma yagouaroundi cacomitili throughout this recovery plan, and we officially accept the new scientific name of the jaguarundi as Puma yagouaroundi. The Sinaloan jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi tolteca) was originally listed under the Act at the same time as the Gulf Coast subspecies. Because all of the current information indicates that the tolteca subspecies occurs entirely outside the United States and has never been confirmed within the United States, the Sinaloan jaguarundi was exempted from recovery planning on June 7, 2011. The Gulf Coast jaguarundi is found in the Tamaulipan Biotic Province of northeast Mexico and south Texas. Within Mexico it occurs in the eastern lowlands and has not been recorded in the Central Highlands. In southern Texas, jaguarundis used dense thorny shrublands. Jaguarundis will use bunchgrass pastures if dense brush or woody cover is nearby. The primary known threats to the Gulf Coast jaguarundi are habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation associated with agriculture and urbanization, and, to some extent, border security activities. Mortality from collisions with vehicles is also a threat. Recovery Plan Goals The objective of an agency recovery plan is to provide a framework for the recovery of a species so that protection under the Act is no longer necessary. A recovery plan includes scientific information about the species and provides criteria and actions necessary for us to be able to reclassify the species to threatened status or remove it from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (List). Recovery plans help guide our recovery efforts by describing actions we consider necessary for the species’ conservation, and by estimating time and costs for implementing needed recovery measures. To achieve its goals, this draft recovery plan identifies the following objectives: • Support efforts to develop more effective survey techniques for jaguarundis and to ascertain the status, better understand ecological and VerDate Mar<15>2010 06:31 Dec 22, 2012 Jkt 229001 conservation needs, and promote conservation of the Gulf Coast jaguarundi and its habitats. • Assess, protect, and restore sufficient habitat and connectivity to support viable populations and genetic exchange of the Gulf Coast jaguarundi in southern Texas and in Mexico. • Reduce the effects of human population growth and development on potential Gulf Coast jaguarundi habitat in the United States and on the jaguarundi’s potential survival and mortality. • Assure the long-term viability of jaguarundi conservation through partnerships, the development and application of incentives for landowners, application of existing regulations, and public education and outreach. • Practice adaptive management in which recovery is monitored and recovery tasks are revised by the FWS as new information becomes available. The draft revised recovery plan contains recovery criteria based on maintaining and increasing population numbers and habitat quality and quantity. The revised recovery plan focuses on protecting populations, managing threats, maintaining habitat, monitoring progress, and building partnerships to facilitate recovery. As the subspecies meets recovery criteria, we will review the subspecies’ status and consider removal from the List. Request for Public Comments Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan development. It is also our policy to request peer review of recovery plans (July 1, 1994; 59 FR 34270). In an appendix to the approved recovery plan, we will summarize and respond to the issues raised by the public and peer reviewers. Substantive comments may or may not result in changes to the recovery plan; comments regarding recovery plan implementation will be forwarded as appropriate to Federal or other entities so that they can be taken into account during the course of implementing recovery actions. Responses to individual commenters will not be provided, but we will provide a summary of how we addressed substantive comments in an appendix to the approved recovery plan. We invite written comments on the draft recovery plan. This plan incorporates the most recent scientific research specific to the Gulf Coast jaguaurundi. In particular, we are interested in information regarding the PO 00000 Frm 00100 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 76067 current threats to the species and the costs associated with implementing the recommended recovery actions. Before we approve the plan, we will consider all comments we receive by the date specified in DATES above. Methods of submitting comments are in the ADDRESSES section above. Public Availability of Comments Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Comments and materials we receive will be available, by appointment, for public inspection during normal business hours at our office (see ADDRESSES). Authority We developed our draft recovery plan and publish this notice under the authority of section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Dated: December 10, 2012. Benjamin Tuggle, Regional Director, Southwest Region. [FR Doc. 2012–30914 Filed 12–21–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CACA–051552, LLCAD0700 L51010000 FX0000 LVRWB10B3980] Notice of Availability of a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed McCoy Solar Energy Project, CA Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a proposed California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) plan amendment and final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the McCoy Solar Energy Project (project)—a photovoltaic solar electricity generation SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1 76068 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 26, 2012 / Notices project—and by this notice is announcing its availability. DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM’s proposed plan amendment/final EIS. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS have been sent to affected Federal, State, local government agencies, and to other stakeholders. Copies of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS are available for public inspection at the Palm Springs/ South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 and the California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553–9046. Interested persons may also review the plan amendment/final EIS on the Internet at https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/ fo/cdd.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 71383, Washington, DC 20024–1383. Attention: BLM Director (210), Brenda Williams 20 M Street SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffery Childers; telephone, 951–697– 5308; mail, BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553– 9046; or email jchilders@blm.gov. Also contact Mr. Childers to have your name added to our mailing list. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 800–877–8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, McCoy Solar, LLC, has requested a right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission an up to 750-megawatt photovoltaic solar energy generation facility and necessary ancillary facilities including a generation tie (gen-tie) line, access road and switch yard. The precise generation VerDate Mar<15>2010 06:31 Dec 22, 2012 Jkt 229001 capacity or megawatts are dependent on the technology selected and efficiencies available at the time of ROW authorization. The proposed project includes an approximately 4,437-acre solar plant site, and linear facilities outside the solar plant site including a 14.5-mile gen-tie within a ROW width of 100 feet (Eastern Route), access roads, a distribution line, and a 2-acre switch yard (total linear disturbance is 146 acres, for a total project area of 4,583 acres) to be located adjacent to and connect into Southern California Edison’s Colorado River Substation. The proposed project would require approximately 477 acres of private lands. The project site is located approximately 13 miles northwest of Blythe, California and approximately 32 miles east of Desert Center. The BLM’s purpose and need for the project is to respond to McCoy Solar, LLC’s application for a ROW grant to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a solar energy facility on public lands. The BLM will decide whether to grant, grant with modification, or deny a ROW to McCoy Solar, LLC. The project would be located in the Riverside East Solar Energy Zone as designated in the Solar Programmatic EIS Record of Decision (ROD) signed October 12, 2012. However, the Solar Programmatic EIS ROD specifically excluded certain ‘‘pending applications’’ from the land use planning decision amending the CDCA Plan, and the ROW application for the project is subject to that exclusion (Programmatic EIS ROD Section B.1.2). This project would still require a CDCA Plan amendment since the CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), while recognizing the potential compatibility of solar energy generation facilities with other uses on public lands, requires that all sites proposed for power generation or transmission not already identified be considered through the plan amendment process. In addition to the proposed action identified above and a no action alternative, the BLM analyzed a reduced acreage alternative, where the solar plant site would occupy approximately 2,259 acres, and a reconfigured gen-tie line and access road alternative including either an approximately 12.5mile gen-tie and access road route (Central Route) or a 15.5-mile route to the west (Western Route). The Agency Preferred Alternative consists of an approximately 4,437-acre solar plant site and the Central Route Gen-tie alternative that would disturb 136.2 acres, including a 2-acre switch yard interconnection to the Colorado River PO 00000 Frm 00101 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Substation, for a total project area of 4,573.2 acres. The proposed plan amendment/final EIS evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed project on air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, geological resources and hazards, land use, noise, paleontological resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils, traffic and transportation, visual resources, wilderness characteristics, and other resources. A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/ Environmental Impact Report for the project was published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2011 (76 FR 167). The BLM and Riverside County held joint public scoping meetings in Palm Desert and Blythe on September 20, 2011 and October 19, 2011. The formal scoping period ended on November 28, 2011. A Notice of Availability of the draft plan amendment/EIS for the project was published on May 25, 2012. The BLM held two public meetings: In Palm Desert on June 27, 2012, and in Blythe on June 28, 2012. The purpose of these meetings was to provide additional information to the public regarding the analysis. In March 2012, the BLM and Riverside County bifurcated the joint process, and the BLM proceeded with an EIS, satisfying the Federal requirements under NEPA. The County will issue any required documentation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) separately before issuing its authorizations. Comments on the draft plan amendment/EIS received from agencies, members of the public, and internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the proposed plan amendment/final EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, modification of the western boundary to avoid additional resource conflicts, and changes to the drainage design to accommodate the revised boundary. These changes were to the physical project footprint and did not significantly change proposed land use plan decisions. Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the project may be found in the ‘‘Dear Reader’’ letter of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5–2. All protests must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Emailed and faxed protests will not be accepted as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides the original letter by either E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 26, 2012 / Notices The plats of survey of the described lands were officially filed in the Arizona State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix, Arizona, on dates indicated. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: officially filed December 12, 2012, Arizona. This plat was prepared at the request of the Bureau of Land Management. The supplemental plat representing the amended lottings in section 15, Township 19 North, Range 19 West, accepted November 30, 2012, and officially filed December 3, 2012, Arizona. This plat was prepared at the request of the Bureau of Land Management. The plat representing the dependent resurvey of portions of the subdivisional lines and mineral survey numbers 264, 951 and 4128, in sections 21 and 22, and the remonumentation of certain corners, Township 22 South, Range 10 East, accepted November 19, 2012, and officially filed November 21, 2012, for Group 1104, Arizona. This plat was prepared at the request of the United States Forest Service. A person or party who wishes to protest against any of these surveys must file a written protest with the Arizona State Director, Bureau of Land Management, stating that they wish to protest. A statement of reasons for a protest may be filed with the notice of protest to the State Director, or the statement of reasons must be filed with the State Director within thirty (30) days after the protest is filed. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: These plats will be available for inspection in the Arizona State Office, Bureau of Land Management, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, Arizona, 85004–4427. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 800–877–8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. The Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona Gary D. Knoff, Acting Chief Cadastral Surveyor of Arizona. regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the emailed or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance notification, please direct emails to Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov and faxed protests to the attention of the BLM protest coordinator at 202–245– 0028. Before including your phone number, email 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. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2. Karen Montgomery, Acting Deputy State Director, California. [FR Doc. 2012–30855 Filed 12–21–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–40–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLAZ956000.L14200000.BJ0000.241A] Notice of Filing of Plats of Survey; Arizona AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Filing of Plats of Survey; Arizona. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with SUMMARY: The supplemental plat representing the amended lottings in section 33, Township 7 North, Range 5 East, accepted December 7, 2012, and officially filed December 10, 2012, Arizona. This plat was prepared at the request of the Bureau of Land Management. The supplemental amended protraction diagram representing the relocation of Homestead Entry 318, and replacing protraction blocks 38 and 39 in Township 7 North, Range 5 East, accepted December 10, 2012, and VerDate Mar<15>2010 06:31 Dec 22, 2012 Jkt 229001 [FR Doc. 2012–30927 Filed 12–21–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–32–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLUT92000 L13100000 FI0000 25–7A] Notice of Proposed Class II Reinstatement of Terminated Oil and Gas Lease, Utah AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. PO 00000 Frm 00102 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 ACTION: 76069 Notice. In accordance with Title IV of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act, Quinex Energy Corporation timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease UTU88055 for lands in Uintah County, Utah, and paid all required rentals and royalties accruing from March 1, 2012, the date of termination. SUMMARY: Kent Hoffman, Deputy State Director, Lands and Minerals, Utah State Office, Bureau of Land Management, 440 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT, 84145, phone 801–539–4063. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The lessee has agreed to new lease terms for rental and royalty. The rental for UTU88055 will increase to $10 per acre and royalty to 16 2⁄3 percent. The $500 administrative fee for the leases has been paid, and the lessee has reimbursed the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) $159 for the cost of publishing this notice. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Salt Lake Meridian T. 6 S., R 23 E., Sec. 29, S1/2; Sec. 30, all; Sec. 31, all. 1,374.98 acres Uintah County, Utah. The public has 30 days after publication in the Federal Register to comment on the issuance of the Class II reinstatement. If no objections are received within that 30-day period, the BLM will issue a decision to the lessee reinstating the lease. Written comments will be accepted by fax at 801–539– 4200, email: khoffman@blm.gov, or letter to: Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, Attn: Kent Hoffman, P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City, UT 84145. As the lessee has met all the requirements for reinstatement of the lease as set out in Section 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188), the Bureau of Land Management is proposing to reinstate the lease, effective March 1, 2012, subject to the original terms and conditions of the lease and the E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76067-76069]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30855]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-051552, LLCAD0700 L51010000 FX0000 LVRWB10B3980]


Notice of Availability of a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and 
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed McCoy Solar 
Energy Project, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a proposed California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) plan 
amendment and final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the McCoy 
Solar Energy Project (project)--a photovoltaic solar electricity 
generation

[[Page 76068]]

project--and by this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's 
proposed plan amendment/final EIS. A person who meets the conditions 
and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date 
that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of 
availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS have been 
sent to affected Federal, State, local government agencies, and to 
other stakeholders. Copies of the proposed plan amendment/final EIS are 
available for public inspection at the Palm Springs/South Coast Field 
Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 and the 
California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, 
Moreno Valley, CA 92553-9046. Interested persons may also review the 
plan amendment/final EIS on the Internet at https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd.html. All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of 
the following addresses:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Regular mail:                       Overnight mail:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda       Attention: BLM Director
 Williams, P.O. Box 71383, Washington, DC    (210), Brenda Williams 20 M
 20024-1383.                                 Street SE., Room 2134LM,
                                             Washington, DC 20003
------------------------------------------------------------------------


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffery Childers; telephone, 951-697-
5308; mail, BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan 
de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553-9046; or email jchilders@blm.gov. 
Also contact Mr. Childers to have your name added to our mailing list. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to 
contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question 
with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, McCoy Solar, LLC, has 
requested a right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct, operate, 
maintain, and decommission an up to 750-megawatt photovoltaic solar 
energy generation facility and necessary ancillary facilities including 
a generation tie (gen-tie) line, access road and switch yard. The 
precise generation capacity or megawatts are dependent on the 
technology selected and efficiencies available at the time of ROW 
authorization. The proposed project includes an approximately 4,437-
acre solar plant site, and linear facilities outside the solar plant 
site including a 14.5-mile gen-tie within a ROW width of 100 feet 
(Eastern Route), access roads, a distribution line, and a 2-acre switch 
yard (total linear disturbance is 146 acres, for a total project area 
of 4,583 acres) to be located adjacent to and connect into Southern 
California Edison's Colorado River Substation. The proposed project 
would require approximately 477 acres of private lands. The project 
site is located approximately 13 miles northwest of Blythe, California 
and approximately 32 miles east of Desert Center.
    The BLM's purpose and need for the project is to respond to McCoy 
Solar, LLC's application for a ROW grant to construct, operate, 
maintain, and decommission a solar energy facility on public lands. The 
BLM will decide whether to grant, grant with modification, or deny a 
ROW to McCoy Solar, LLC.
    The project would be located in the Riverside East Solar Energy 
Zone as designated in the Solar Programmatic EIS Record of Decision 
(ROD) signed October 12, 2012. However, the Solar Programmatic EIS ROD 
specifically excluded certain ``pending applications'' from the land 
use planning decision amending the CDCA Plan, and the ROW application 
for the project is subject to that exclusion (Programmatic EIS ROD 
Section B.1.2). This project would still require a CDCA Plan amendment 
since the CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), while recognizing the potential 
compatibility of solar energy generation facilities with other uses on 
public lands, requires that all sites proposed for power generation or 
transmission not already identified be considered through the plan 
amendment process.
    In addition to the proposed action identified above and a no action 
alternative, the BLM analyzed a reduced acreage alternative, where the 
solar plant site would occupy approximately 2,259 acres, and a 
reconfigured gen-tie line and access road alternative including either 
an approximately 12.5-mile gen-tie and access road route (Central 
Route) or a 15.5-mile route to the west (Western Route). The Agency 
Preferred Alternative consists of an approximately 4,437-acre solar 
plant site and the Central Route Gen-tie alternative that would disturb 
136.2 acres, including a 2-acre switch yard interconnection to the 
Colorado River Substation, for a total project area of 4,573.2 acres.
    The proposed plan amendment/final EIS evaluates the potential 
impacts of the proposed project on air quality, biological resources, 
cultural resources, water resources, geological resources and hazards, 
land use, noise, paleontological resources, public health, 
socioeconomics, soils, traffic and transportation, visual resources, 
wilderness characteristics, and other resources.
    A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/Environmental Impact Report 
for the project was published in the Federal Register on August 29, 
2011 (76 FR 167). The BLM and Riverside County held joint public 
scoping meetings in Palm Desert and Blythe on September 20, 2011 and 
October 19, 2011. The formal scoping period ended on November 28, 2011.
    A Notice of Availability of the draft plan amendment/EIS for the 
project was published on May 25, 2012. The BLM held two public 
meetings: In Palm Desert on June 27, 2012, and in Blythe on June 28, 
2012. The purpose of these meetings was to provide additional 
information to the public regarding the analysis.
    In March 2012, the BLM and Riverside County bifurcated the joint 
process, and the BLM proceeded with an EIS, satisfying the Federal 
requirements under NEPA. The County will issue any required 
documentation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 
separately before issuing its authorizations.
    Comments on the draft plan amendment/EIS received from agencies, 
members of the public, and internal BLM review were considered and 
incorporated as appropriate into the proposed plan amendment/final EIS. 
Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, 
modification of the western boundary to avoid additional resource 
conflicts, and changes to the drainage design to accommodate the 
revised boundary. These changes were to the physical project footprint 
and did not significantly change proposed land use plan decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the project may be found in the ``Dear Reader'' letter of the 
proposed plan amendment/final EIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. All protests 
must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address as set forth 
in the ADDRESSES section above. Emailed and faxed protests will not be 
accepted as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides 
the original letter by either

[[Page 76069]]

regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest 
period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the emailed or 
faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct emails to Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov 
and faxed protests to the attention of the BLM protest coordinator at 
202-245-0028.
    Before including your phone number, email 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.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Karen Montgomery,
Acting Deputy State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2012-30855 Filed 12-21-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P
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