Dakota Prairie Grasslands; North Dakota; Environmental Impact Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse Grasslands Plan Amendment, 29158-29159 [2014-11736]
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29158
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 98 / Wednesday, May 21, 2014 / Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
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Forest Service
Dakota Prairie Grasslands; North
Dakota; Environmental Impact
Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse
Grasslands Plan Amendment
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare and
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:42 May 20, 2014
Jkt 232001
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal
Land Policy and Management act of
1976, as amended (FLPMA), and the
Resources Planning Act of 1974, as
amended by the National Forest
Management Act of 1976 (NFMA), the
Forest Service intends to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) to
amend the Dakota Prairie Grasslands
Land and Resource Management Plan
(DPG LRMP). This notice is announcing
the beginning of the scoping process to
solicit public comments and identify
issues relative to the greater sage-grouse.
This analysis will be the basis of the
record of decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by July
7, 2014. The draft environmental impact
statement is expected November 2014,
and the final environmental impact
statement is expected June 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to:
Dennis Neitzke, Grasslands Supervisor,
1200 Missouri Avenue, Bismarck, ND
58504. Comments may also be sent via
email to: comments-northern-dakotaprairie@fs.fed.us or via facsimile to:
701–989–7299.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information and/or to have your
name added to our mailing list, contact
Cristi Corey-Luse, Environmental
Coordinator, phone 559–359–5608 or
email ccoreyluse@fs.fed.us. 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 replay during normal
business hours. In all correspondence,
please include your name, address, and
organization name if you are
commenting as a representative of an
organization.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In March
of 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) published a
‘‘warranted, but precluded’’ Endangered
Species Act-listing-petition decision for
the greater sage-grouse. Inadequacy of
regulatory mechanisms was identified
as a significant factor in the USFWS
finding on the petition to list the
species. The USFWS concluded that
existing regulatory mechanisms to
protect greater sage-grouse, ‘‘. . . afford
sufficient discretion to the decision
makers as to render them inadequate to
ameliorate the threats to the [greater
sage-grouse].’’ The major threat in
regards to actions authorized on
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
national forest system and other public
lands is habitat modification. Habitat
modification on Federal lands includes
threats from infrastructure (fences,
powerlines, and roads), recreation,
mining, energy development, grazing,
fire, invasive species, noxious weeds,
conifer encroachment, and climate
change.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the project is to
determine what management direction
(that is, regulatory mechanisms) should
be incorporated into the DPG LRMP to
conserve, enhance, and/or restore
sagebrush and associated habitats to
contribute to the long-term viability of
the greater sage-grouse. This is needed
to address the recent ‘‘warranted, but
precluded’’ ESA decision from the
USFWS by addressing needed changes
in the management and conservation of
greater sage-grouse habitats on lands
managed by the Dakota Prairie
Grasslands within the State of North
Dakota.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service is proposing to
amend the DPG LRMP by adding to or
changing some of the management
direction (that is, regulatory
mechanisms) that would reduce,
eliminate, or minimize threats to the
greater sage-grouse on National Forest
System lands that are considered
priority and general habitat for the
greater sage grouse. A planning area
map is provided in the scoping
document (see ‘‘Scoping Process’’
subsection below).
Based on threats identified in the
USFWS decision on the petition listing
for the greater sage-grouse, the proposed
management direction would address at
a minimum the following resource areas
and resource uses on national forest
system lands: Recreation management,
fire and fuels management, rangeland
management, invasive species, rights-ofway management, special uses,
transportation system and facilities
management, minerals management
(locatable, fluid, and saleable), habitat
restoration/vegetation management, and
renewable energy development.
Specific desired conditions, goals,
objectives, standards, and guidelines
amendments to the LRMP, although not
yet developed, would focus on creating
specific habitat objectives for the greater
sage-grouse. These desired conditions,
goals, objective, standards, and
guidelines would relate to the following
areas:
• Activity restricting seasonal time
frames;
E:\FR\FM\21MYN1.SGM
21MYN1
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 98 / Wednesday, May 21, 2014 / Notices
• Buffers of protection around
important habitats;
• Vegetative cover requirements; and
• Mitigation requirements for
predator perches.
The decisions based on this analysis
may make changes in the lands
available for oil and gas leasing, as well
as changes in the stipulations applied to
lands that are made available for
leasing. There may also be changes to
the lands determined suitable for linear
rights-of-way corridors for powerlines
and pipelines.
Any decisions will recognize valid
existing rights. The decisions will be
limited to making land use planning
direction specific to the conservation of
habitat of the greater sage-grouse on
approximately 96,000 acres of habitat
(66,000 of priority habitat and 30,000 of
general habitat) on the Medora District
of the Little Missouri Grassland.
Finally, the LRMP amendment would
address the objectives identified in the
USFWS Conservation Objectives Team
report.
The purpose of the public scoping
process is to determine relevant issues
related to the conservation of the greater
sage-grouse and its habitat that will
influence the scope of the
environmental analysis, including
alternatives, and guide the process for
developing the EIS.
As allowed at 36 CFR 219.17(b)(2),
‘‘. . . with respect to plans approved or
revised under a prior planning
regulation, including the transition
provisions of the reinstated 2000 rule
(36 CFR part 219, published at 36 CFR
parts 200 to 299, revised as of July 1,
2010), plan amendments may be
initiated under the provisions of the
prior planning regulation for 3 years
after May 9, 2012, and may be
completed and approved under those
provisions . . .’’.
As allowed at 36 CFR 219.17(b)(2), the
responsible official has opted to initiate
and complete this proposed plan
amendment consistent with transition
provisions of the reinstated 2000 rule.
Determination as to whether the
amendment is significant or not
significant will be based on Forest
Service direction at the time of the
decision. Based on current direction
found in Forest Service Manual 1926.52,
the amendment is expected to be not
significant.
Possible Alternatives
Under the no-action alternative the
LRMP would not be amended to
incorporate new or change existing
regulatory mechanisms. There are no
other alternatives to the proposed action
identified at this time.
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17:42 May 20, 2014
Jkt 232001
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The Forest Service is the lead agency,
and has invited the BLM, North Dakota
Game and Fish Department, USFWS,
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Bowman-Slope Soil Conservation
District, to participate as cooperating
agencies. Other Federal, State, and local
agencies that may be interested or
affected by the Forest Service’s decision
on this proposal, may request or be
requested by the Forest Service to
participate as a cooperating agency also.
Responsible Official
The responsible official is Dennis
Neitzke, Grasslands Supervisor, Dakota
Prairie Grasslands, 1200 Missouri
Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58504.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Based on the analysis conducted and
represented in the EIS and project
record, the responsible official will
decide whether or not to amend the
LRMP as described in the proposed
action, or in one of the alternatives to
the proposed action, or by combining
elements of the proposed action and
alternatives to create a decision that best
meets the purpose of conserving,
enhancing, and/or restoring habitats to
provide for the long-term viability of the
greater sage-grouse.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the environmental
impact statement. The scoping
document is posted on the Dakota
Prairie National Grasslands public Web
site at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/dpg/.
During the scoping period the Forest
will solicit comments from interested
parties and the public. It is important
that reviewers provide their comments
at such times and in such manner that
they are useful to the Agency’s
preparation of the environmental impact
statement. Therefore, comments should
be provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer’s concerns and
contentions. Comments received in
response to this solicitation, including
names and addresses of those who
comment, will be part of the public
record for this proposed action.
Comments submitted anonymously will
be accepted and considered; however,
the Forest Service would not be able to
provide the respondent with subsequent
environmental documents. This
proposal has been listed on the Dakota
Prairie Grasslands Schedule of Proposed
Actions since May, 2014.
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
29159
Early Notice of Importance of Public
Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review
As required under 36 CFR
219.17(b)(2), this proposed plan
amendment is subject to the predecisional administrative review
process (‘‘objection procedure’’) set
forth in 36 CFR Part 219 Subpart B.
Only those individuals and entities who
have submitted substantive formal
comments related to the proposed plan
amendment during opportunities for
public comment may file an objection.
Objections must be based on previously
submitted substantive formal comments
attributed to the objector, unless the
objection concerns an issue that arises
after the opportunities for formal
comment (36 CFR 219.53). Comments
are considered substantive when they
are within the scope of the proposal, are
specific to the proposal, have a direct
relationship to the proposal, and
include supporting reasons for the
responsible official to consider (36 CFR
219.62). Formal comments received
from an authorized representative(s) of
an entity are considered those of the
entity only. A member of an
organization must submit substantive
formal comments independently to be
eligible to file an objection in an
individual capacity (36 CFR 219.53(b)).
Substantive formal comments must be
written comments submitted to, or oral
comments recorded by, the responsible
official or designee during an
opportunity for public participation and
attributed to the individual or entity
providing them (36 CFR 219.62). For
this proposal, the opportunities for
public participation are the 45-dayscoping-comment period announced by
this notice of intent and the 90-daycomment period that begins when the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the notice of availability of
the draft EIS in the Federal Register.
Dated: May 2, 2014.
Dennis D. Neitzke,
Grasslands Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014–11736 Filed 5–20–14; 8:45 am]
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Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
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NOFA.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29158-29159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11736]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Dakota Prairie Grasslands; North Dakota; Environmental Impact
Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse Grasslands Plan Amendment
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare and environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management act of
1976, as amended (FLPMA), and the Resources Planning Act of 1974, as
amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (NFMA), the
Forest Service intends to prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS) to amend the Dakota Prairie Grasslands Land and Resource
Management Plan (DPG LRMP). This notice is announcing the beginning of
the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues
relative to the greater sage-grouse. This analysis will be the basis of
the record of decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by July 7, 2014. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
November 2014, and the final environmental impact statement is expected
June 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Dennis Neitzke, Grasslands
Supervisor, 1200 Missouri Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58504. Comments may also
be sent via email to: comments-northern-dakota-prairie@fs.fed.us or via
facsimile to: 701-989-7299.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Cristi Corey-Luse,
Environmental Coordinator, phone 559-359-5608 or email
ccoreyluse@fs.fed.us. 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
replay during normal business hours. In all correspondence, please
include your name, address, and organization name if you are commenting
as a representative of an organization.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In March of 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) published a ``warranted, but precluded'' Endangered
Species Act-listing-petition decision for the greater sage-grouse.
Inadequacy of regulatory mechanisms was identified as a significant
factor in the USFWS finding on the petition to list the species. The
USFWS concluded that existing regulatory mechanisms to protect greater
sage-grouse, ``. . . afford sufficient discretion to the decision
makers as to render them inadequate to ameliorate the threats to the
[greater sage-grouse].'' The major threat in regards to actions
authorized on national forest system and other public lands is habitat
modification. Habitat modification on Federal lands includes threats
from infrastructure (fences, powerlines, and roads), recreation,
mining, energy development, grazing, fire, invasive species, noxious
weeds, conifer encroachment, and climate change.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the project is to determine what management
direction (that is, regulatory mechanisms) should be incorporated into
the DPG LRMP to conserve, enhance, and/or restore sagebrush and
associated habitats to contribute to the long-term viability of the
greater sage-grouse. This is needed to address the recent ``warranted,
but precluded'' ESA decision from the USFWS by addressing needed
changes in the management and conservation of greater sage-grouse
habitats on lands managed by the Dakota Prairie Grasslands within the
State of North Dakota.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service is proposing to amend the DPG LRMP by adding to
or changing some of the management direction (that is, regulatory
mechanisms) that would reduce, eliminate, or minimize threats to the
greater sage-grouse on National Forest System lands that are considered
priority and general habitat for the greater sage grouse. A planning
area map is provided in the scoping document (see ``Scoping Process''
subsection below).
Based on threats identified in the USFWS decision on the petition
listing for the greater sage-grouse, the proposed management direction
would address at a minimum the following resource areas and resource
uses on national forest system lands: Recreation management, fire and
fuels management, rangeland management, invasive species, rights-of-way
management, special uses, transportation system and facilities
management, minerals management (locatable, fluid, and saleable),
habitat restoration/vegetation management, and renewable energy
development.
Specific desired conditions, goals, objectives, standards, and
guidelines amendments to the LRMP, although not yet developed, would
focus on creating specific habitat objectives for the greater sage-
grouse. These desired conditions, goals, objective, standards, and
guidelines would relate to the following areas:
Activity restricting seasonal time frames;
[[Page 29159]]
Buffers of protection around important habitats;
Vegetative cover requirements; and
Mitigation requirements for predator perches.
The decisions based on this analysis may make changes in the lands
available for oil and gas leasing, as well as changes in the
stipulations applied to lands that are made available for leasing.
There may also be changes to the lands determined suitable for linear
rights-of-way corridors for powerlines and pipelines.
Any decisions will recognize valid existing rights. The decisions
will be limited to making land use planning direction specific to the
conservation of habitat of the greater sage-grouse on approximately
96,000 acres of habitat (66,000 of priority habitat and 30,000 of
general habitat) on the Medora District of the Little Missouri
Grassland.
Finally, the LRMP amendment would address the objectives identified
in the USFWS Conservation Objectives Team report.
The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant
issues related to the conservation of the greater sage-grouse and its
habitat that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis,
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS.
As allowed at 36 CFR 219.17(b)(2), ``. . . with respect to plans
approved or revised under a prior planning regulation, including the
transition provisions of the reinstated 2000 rule (36 CFR part 219,
published at 36 CFR parts 200 to 299, revised as of July 1, 2010), plan
amendments may be initiated under the provisions of the prior planning
regulation for 3 years after May 9, 2012, and may be completed and
approved under those provisions . . .''.
As allowed at 36 CFR 219.17(b)(2), the responsible official has
opted to initiate and complete this proposed plan amendment consistent
with transition provisions of the reinstated 2000 rule. Determination
as to whether the amendment is significant or not significant will be
based on Forest Service direction at the time of the decision. Based on
current direction found in Forest Service Manual 1926.52, the amendment
is expected to be not significant.
Possible Alternatives
Under the no-action alternative the LRMP would not be amended to
incorporate new or change existing regulatory mechanisms. There are no
other alternatives to the proposed action identified at this time.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The Forest Service is the lead agency, and has invited the BLM,
North Dakota Game and Fish Department, USFWS, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Bowman-Slope Soil Conservation District, to
participate as cooperating agencies. Other Federal, State, and local
agencies that may be interested or affected by the Forest Service's
decision on this proposal, may request or be requested by the Forest
Service to participate as a cooperating agency also.
Responsible Official
The responsible official is Dennis Neitzke, Grasslands Supervisor,
Dakota Prairie Grasslands, 1200 Missouri Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58504.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Based on the analysis conducted and represented in the EIS and
project record, the responsible official will decide whether or not to
amend the LRMP as described in the proposed action, or in one of the
alternatives to the proposed action, or by combining elements of the
proposed action and alternatives to create a decision that best meets
the purpose of conserving, enhancing, and/or restoring habitats to
provide for the long-term viability of the greater sage-grouse.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. The scoping
document is posted on the Dakota Prairie National Grasslands public Web
site at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/dpg/. During the scoping period the
Forest will solicit comments from interested parties and the public. It
is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in
such manner that they are useful to the Agency's preparation of the
environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be provided
prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate
the reviewer's concerns and contentions. Comments received in response
to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who
comment, will be part of the public record for this proposed action.
Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered;
however, the Forest Service would not be able to provide the respondent
with subsequent environmental documents. This proposal has been listed
on the Dakota Prairie Grasslands Schedule of Proposed Actions since
May, 2014.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review
As required under 36 CFR 219.17(b)(2), this proposed plan amendment
is subject to the pre-decisional administrative review process
(``objection procedure'') set forth in 36 CFR Part 219 Subpart B. Only
those individuals and entities who have submitted substantive formal
comments related to the proposed plan amendment during opportunities
for public comment may file an objection. Objections must be based on
previously submitted substantive formal comments attributed to the
objector, unless the objection concerns an issue that arises after the
opportunities for formal comment (36 CFR 219.53). Comments are
considered substantive when they are within the scope of the proposal,
are specific to the proposal, have a direct relationship to the
proposal, and include supporting reasons for the responsible official
to consider (36 CFR 219.62). Formal comments received from an
authorized representative(s) of an entity are considered those of the
entity only. A member of an organization must submit substantive formal
comments independently to be eligible to file an objection in an
individual capacity (36 CFR 219.53(b)). Substantive formal comments
must be written comments submitted to, or oral comments recorded by,
the responsible official or designee during an opportunity for public
participation and attributed to the individual or entity providing them
(36 CFR 219.62). For this proposal, the opportunities for public
participation are the 45-day-scoping-comment period announced by this
notice of intent and the 90-day-comment period that begins when the
Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability of
the draft EIS in the Federal Register.
Dated: May 2, 2014.
Dennis D. Neitzke,
Grasslands Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2014-11736 Filed 5-20-14; 8:45 am]
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