Notice of Intent To Amend Land Use Plans Regarding Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation and Prepare Associated Environmental Impact Statements or Environmental Assessments, 47248-47249 [2017-21958]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47248-47249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21958]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWO200000/LXSGPL000000/17x/L11100000.PH0000]


Notice of Intent To Amend Land Use Plans Regarding Greater Sage-
Grouse Conservation and Prepare Associated Environmental Impact 
Statements or Environmental Assessments

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: On March 31, 2017, the United States District Court for the 
District of Nevada held that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
violated the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, 
(NEPA) by failing to prepare a supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the designation of Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFA) in 
the Nevada and Northeastern California Greater Sage-Grouse Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment in Nevada. In order to comply with the 
court's order and to address issues raised by various interested 
parties, the BLM intends to consider the possibility of amending some, 
all or none of the BLM land use plans that were amended or revised in 
2014 and 2015 regarding Greater Sage-Grouse conservation in the States 
of California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming, North Dakota, 
South Dakota, Utah and Montana (``2015 Sage-Grouse Plans''). By this 
Notice the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to 
solicit public comments on Greater Sage-Grouse land management issues 
that could warrant land use plan amendments.

DATES: This Notice initiates the public scoping process for RMP 
amendment(s) with associated NEPA document(s). Comments may be 
submitted in writing until November 27, 2017. The date(s) and 
location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days 
in advance through local news media, newspapers and the BLM Web site 
at: https://bit.ly/GRSGplanning. In order to be included in the 
analysis, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 45-
day scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever 
is later. We will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to amending land use plans regarding Greater Sage-Grouse 
conservation to the BLM Web site at: https://bit.ly/GRSGplanning or to 
one of the addresses listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
below. If your comments are specific to an individual State or region, 
please specify that in your comments.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
addresses listed below in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Johanna Munson in the BLM-Idaho State 
Office at (208) 373-7834, email BLM_sagegrouseplanning@blm.gov, or mail 
1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83708. For a list of local BLM 
contacts, please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above 
individuals during normal business hours. The FRS 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: On March 31, 2017, the United States 
District Court for the District of Nevada held that the BLM violated 
NEPA by failing to prepare a supplemental EIS for the designation of 
SFAs in the 2015 Greater Sage-Grouse Plan in Nevada. Similar claims 
were raised in other lawsuits that have not been decided. The BLM also 
recognizes that the 2015 Greater Sage-Grouse Plans blended elements 
from among the action alternatives analyzed through the NEPA process 
for those

[[Page 47249]]

decisions. In order to comply with the court's order, to address issues 
raised by various interested parties, and to consider recommendations 
in the August 4, 2017, report prepared by the Department of the 
Interior's Greater Sage-Grouse Review Team in Response to Secretary's 
Order 3353 (SO 3353), the BLM seeks comment on the SFA designation, 
mitigation standards, lek buffers in all habitat management area types, 
disturbance and density caps, habitat boundaries to reflect new 
information, and reversing adaptive management responses when the BLM 
determines that resource conditions no longer warrant those responses. 
The BLM also seeks comment on State-specific issues, such as the need 
for General Habitat Management Areas in Utah, and other issues 
identified by State, tribal, and local governments. The BLM also seeks 
input on planning criteria, which include compliance with laws and 
regulations and adequacy of Greater Sage-Grouse conservation measures 
in the land use plans. Any RMP amendment(s) with associated NEPA 
document(s)--EISs or Environmental Assessments (EAs)--developed will be 
completed in compliance with NEPA and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976, as amended.
    The BLM coordinated with the Sage Grouse Task Force to develop the 
SO 3353 report and continues to identify issues that warrant 
clarification or reconsideration. This coordination effort is 
continuing and will help to inform the BLM's implementation of SO 3353 
in each State, as will input from other stakeholders. This Notice and 
potential planning effort does not preclude the BLM from addressing 
issues and inconsistencies through other means, including policy, 
training, or plan maintenance, nor does it commit the BLM to amending 
some, all, or none of the Greater Sage-Grouse plans. In addition to 
comments on the issues and planning criteria, the BLM would like to 
receive input on whether the planning effort should occur through 
state-by-state amendment processes and decisions. In particular, the 
BLM looks forward to receiving the comments of the Governors of each 
state, and will strive to accommodate those comments to the extent 
practicable given prior collaborative efforts.
    You may submit comments in writing to the BLM at any public scoping 
meeting, or you may submit them to the BLM using the method listed in 
the ADDRESSES section. You should submit comments by the close of the 
45-day scoping period or within 15 days after the last public meeting, 
whichever is later.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to 
help fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). 
The information about historic and cultural resources within the area 
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The following is a list of BLM contacts and the BLM offices where 
documents may be examined:
    California: Jeremiah Karuzas; telephone: 916-978-4644; email: 
jkaruzas@blm.gov; 2800 Cottage Way Sacramento, CA 95825.
    Colorado: Bridget Clayton; telephone: 970-244-3045; email: 
bclayton@blm.gov; 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506.
    Idaho: Ammon Wilhelm; telephone: 208-373-3824; email: 
awilhelm@blm.gov; 1387 S Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83708.
    Nevada: Matt Magaletti; telephone: 775-861-6472; email: 
mmagalet@blm.gov; 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89502.
    Montana/Dakotas: John Carlson; telephone: 406-896-5024; email: 
jccarlso@blm.gov; 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101.
    Oregon: Molly Anthony; telephone: 503-808-6052; email: 
manthony@blm.gov; 1220 South West 3rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97204.
    Utah: Quincy Bahr; telephone: 801-539-4122; email: qfbahr@blm.gov; 
440 West 200 South Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101.
    Wyoming: Erica Husse; telephone: 307-775-6318; email: 
ehusse@blm.gov; 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY 82009.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate 
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by 
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis 
as a cooperating agency.
    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. The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be addressed 
in the plan, and will place them into one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment(s);
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of the plan amendment(s).
    The public is encouraged to help identify any issues, management 
questions, or concerns that should be addressed in the plan 
amendment(s). The BLM will work collaboratively with interested parties 
to identify the management decisions that are best suited to local, 
regional, and national needs and concerns.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
amendment(s) in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Michael D. Nedd,
Acting BLM Director.
[FR Doc. 2017-21958 Filed 10-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-84-P