Notice of Intent To Prepare Two Great-Basin-Wide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements to Reduce the Threat of Wildfire and Support Rangeland Productivity, 60759-60761 [2017-27595]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 245 / Friday, December 22, 2017 / Notices
application for an incidental take permit
(ITP) under the Endangered Species Act
of 1973, as amended (ESA). Lennar
Corporation (Applicant) is requesting a
15-year ITP for take of the sand skink.
We request public comments on the
permit application and accompanying
proposed habitat conservation plan
(HCP), as well as on our preliminary
determination that the plan qualifies as
low-effect under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To
make this determination, we used our
environmental action statement and
low-effect screening form, which are
also available for review.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please
send your written comments by January
22, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments and request copies of the
application, HCP, environmental action
statement, or low-effect screening form
by any one of the following methods:
Email: northflorida@fws.gov. Use
‘‘Attn: Permit number TE50490C–0’’ as
your subject line.
Fax: Field Supervisor, (904)
731–3191, ‘‘Attn: Permit number
TE50490C–0.’’
U.S. mail: Field Supervisor,
Jacksonville Ecological Services
Field Office Attn: Permit number
TE50490C–0, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite
200, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
In-person: You may deliver comments
during regular business hours at the
office address listed above under U.S.
Mail. You may inspect the application,
HCP, environmental action statement, or
low-effect screening form by
appointment during normal business
hours at the same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin
M. Gawera, telephone: (904) 731–3121;
email: erin_gawera@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Background
Section 9 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.) and our implementing Federal
regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 17
prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish or wildlife
species listed as endangered or
threatened. Take of listed fish or
wildlife is defined under the ESA as ‘‘to
harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot,
wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or
to attempt to engage in any such
conduct’’ (16 U.S.C. 1532(19)).
However, under limited circumstances,
we issue permits to authorize incidental
take—i.e., take that is incidental to, and
not the purpose of, the carrying out of
an otherwise lawful activity.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:59 Dec 21, 2017
Jkt 244001
Regulations governing incidental take
permits for endangered and threatened
species are at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32,
respectively. The ESA’s take
prohibitions do not apply to federally
listed plants on private lands unless
such take would violate State law. In
addition to meeting other criteria, an
incidental take permit’s proposed
actions must not jeopardize the
existence of federally listed fish,
wildlife, or plants.
Applicant’s Proposal
Lennar Corporation is requesting to
take of approximately .31 acres (ac) of
occupied sand skink (Neoseps
reynoldsi) foraging and sheltering
habitat incidental to construction of a
residential development. The 38.44-ac
project site is identified with parcel
identification number 05–24–27–0000–
00–001 and located within section 5,
Township 24 South, Range 27 East in
Orange County, Florida. The project also
includes the clearing, infrastructure
building, and landscaping associated
with constructing a residential
development. The Applicant proposes
to mitigate for the take of the threatened
sand skink by purchasing 0.62
mitigation credits within The Backbone
Conservation Bank or another Serviceapproved sand skink conservation bank.
60759
Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the permit
application, HCP, or associated
documents, you may submit comments
by any one of the methods listed above
in ADDRESSES.
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.
Authority
We provide this notice under section
10 of the ESA and NEPA regulation 40
CFR 1506.6.
Jay B. Herrington,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office,
Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2017–27601 Filed 12–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Our Preliminary Determination
Bureau of Land Management
We have determined that the
Applicant’s proposal, including the
proposed mitigation and minimization
measures, would have minor or
negligible effects on the species covered
in the HCP. Therefore, we have
determined that the ITP for this project
is ‘‘low effect’’ and qualifies for
categorical exclusion under NEPA, as
provided by 43 CFR 46.205 and 46.210.
A low-effect HCP is one involving (1)
minor or negligible effects on federally
listed or candidate species and their
habitats, and (2) minor or negligible
effects on other environmental values or
resources.
[17XL LLID930000 L11100000.DF0000
LXSGPL000000 4500103385]
Next Steps
We will evaluate the HCP and
comments we receive to determine
whether the ITP application meets the
requirements of section 10(a) of the
ESA. We will also evaluate whether
issuance of the ITP complies with
section 7 of the ESA by conducting an
intra-Service consultation. We will use
the results of this consultation, in
combination with the above findings, in
our final analysis to determine whether
or not to issue the ITP. If the
requirements are met, we will issue ITP
number TE50490C–0 to the Applicant.
PO 00000
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Notice of Intent To Prepare Two GreatBasin-Wide Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statements to
Reduce the Threat of Wildfire and
Support Rangeland Productivity
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In compliance 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)
intends to prepare two programmatic
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs)
for BLM Districts in the Great Basin
region. By this Notice BLM is
announcing the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues to be
addressed in the environmental
analyses.
SUMMARY:
This Notice initiates the public
scoping process for the two
programmatic EISs. Comments on issues
may be submitted in writing until
February 20, 2018. The date(s) and
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM
22DEN1
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
60760
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 245 / Friday, December 22, 2017 / Notices
location(s) of any scoping meetings will
be announced at least 15 days in
advance through local media,
newspapers and the BLM website at:
https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG. In order for
comments to be considered for the draft
programmatic EISs, all comments must
be received prior to the close of the 60day scoping period or 15 days after the
last public meeting, whichever is later.
We will provide additional
opportunities for public participation
upon publication of the draft
programmatic EISs.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the programmatic EISs by any
of the following methods:
• Website: https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG.
• Email: GRSG_PEIS@blm.gov.
• Fax: 208–373–3805.
• Mail: Jonathan Beck, 1387 S.
Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jonathan Beck, Project Manager Boise
Support Team, telephone 208–373–
3841; address 1387 S. Vinnell Way,
Boise ID 83709; email jmbeck@blm.gov.
Contact Mr. Beck to add your name to
our mailing list. 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 individual. The FRS
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, to leave a message or question
with Mr. Beck. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM
is proposing to develop two
programmatic EISs: (1) Fuel Breaks
Programmatic EIS and (2) Fuels
Reduction and Rangeland Restoration
Programmatic EIS. One EIS will analyze
potential effects of constructing fuel
breaks and the other EIS will analyze
potential effects of reducing fuel
loading, and restoring rangeland
productivity within the Great Basin
region, which includes portions of the
states of Idaho, Oregon, Nevada,
California, Utah, and Washington.
Both projects would protect and
conserve natural habitats from loss
resulting from wildfires and the spread
of invasive species. Although these
proposals are similar, they have
different purposes. The purpose of the
Fuel Breaks Programmatic EIS is the
protection of life and property and to
reduce the threat and size of wildfires
on western rangelands. The purpose of
the Fuels Reduction and Rangeland
Restoration Programmatic EIS is to
restore the rangelands habitat so they
provide multiple use opportunities for
all user groups and habitat for the
hundreds of plants and animals that
define this iconic landscape.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:59 Dec 21, 2017
Jkt 244001
The BLM is proposing to prepare
these analyses concurrently to gain
efficiencies in scoping and effects
analyses. The goal of these
programmatic EISs is to analyze the
region-wide and cumulative impacts of
the proposed actions and to gain
efficiencies in subsequent National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
analyses required for individual
projects.
Purpose
The programmatic EISs would
expedite the development,
enhancement, maintenance and
utilization of fuel breaks, fuels
reduction, and rangeland restoration for
the protection, recovery, and
conservation of natural western habitats
in the Great Basin region. The projects
would reduce the threat of habitat loss
from fires and restore habitat to
maintain the rangeland’s productivity
and support the western lifestyle. Fuel
breaks act as fire-anchor points and
firefighter staging areas; provide
protection of ongoing and pending
habitat restoration projects; and assist in
quicker and earlier fire suppression
response times, thereby reducing
wildfire risk, aiding in the protection of
human life and property, protecting
taxpayer investment in habitat
restoration projects, and improving
western landscapes by offering multiple
use opportunities. The restoration will
replace invasive species with native
habitat, decreasing the continuous cover
of annual grasses that fuel large
wildfires.
Need
Large-scale wildfires have increased
significantly throughout the western
United States in recent years,
particularly in sagebrush-steppe
ecosystems, resulting in the widespread
loss of sagebrush-steppe vegetation.
These wildfires are largely a result of
continuous fuel loading, caused by
widespread increases in invasive annual
grasses and very large areas of
continuous sagebrush cover. In the last
decade, fires have exceeded 100,000
acres on a regular basis, and the number
of areas that burn again before habitat
can establish has increased. These largescale wildfires, with very high to
extreme burning conditions, have
resulted in increased numbers of
injuries and deaths among wildland
firefighters and increased destruction of
private property and habitat loss for a
variety of species. Wildfires have
resulted in widespread impacts to
healthy sage-lands quality, and have
hampered BLM’s ability to maintain
productive lands. These large-scale,
PO 00000
Frm 00065
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
repeated wildfires facilitate the spread
of invasive annual grasses, further
reducing rangeland quality and
availability, thereby adversely affecting
sagebrush-recovery rates or, in some
instances, preventing recovery
altogether. In warm, dry settings,
sagebrush-steppe usually takes, at a
minimum, many decades to recover,
even where invasive annual grasses or
other invasive plant species do not
become dominant. Invasive species and
conifer encroachment can be
exacerbated as a result of wildfires in
sagebrush ecosystems, resulting in an
increased risk of wildfires (positive
feedback loop). By compartmentalizing
desirable vegetation and providing safer
access for firefighters, fuel breaks aid in
decreasing potential habitat loss from
wildfires, protecting habitat restoration
areas, and combatting the spread of
invasive species, i.e., decreasing or
eliminating this positive feedback loop.
By restoring native habitat, invasive
species that are helping to fuel these
unnaturally large fires will be reduced
or removed, making the rangelands
more resistant to future wildfires.
The programmatic EISs, once
implemented, will provide for increased
firefighter safety in the event of
wildfires and faster response times to
wildfires. They will also assist in the
maintenance, protection and restoration
of the iconic sagebrush western
landscape.
The programmatic EISs will provide a
mechanism for the BLM to streamline
any future NEPA processes pertaining to
fuel breaks, fuels reduction, and
rangeland restoration proposals in the
Great Basin region.
Scoping and Preliminary Issues
The public scoping process is
conducted to determine relevant issues
that will influence the scope of the
environmental analysis, including
alternatives, and guide the process for
developing the programmatic EISs. At
present, the BLM has identified the
following preliminary issues:
1. Fuel break construction and
associated road improvement for
firefighter access could increase human
activity in remote areas and introduce
noxious and invasive weeds and
increase the incidence of human-caused
wildfires.
2. Fuel break construction could
remove or alter sagebrush habitat,
rendering it unusable for some species.
3. Fuel break construction on either
side of existing roads may create
movement barriers to small-sized
wildlife species by reducing hiding
cover.
E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM
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sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 245 / Friday, December 22, 2017 / Notices
4. Fuel break construction in highly
resistant and resilient habitats may not
be necessary because those sites are less
likely to burn or will respond favorably
to natural regeneration.
5. After habitat restoration treatments,
historic uses such as livestock grazing
and recreation activities may be
temporarily halted until the treatment
becomes established and objectives are
met.
6. Fuel reduction treatments in
pinyon/juniper could disrupt traditional
tribal use of these sites.
7. The use of non-native species in
fuel breaks could affect listed species
and affect species composition in
adjacent native plant communities.
Project design features would be used
to minimize impacts to rangelands,
sensitive species habitat, cultural sites
and watersheds, and to limit
introduction and spread of noxious and
invasive weeds.
The BLM will use and coordinate the
NEPA scoping process to help fulfill the
public involvement requirements 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 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 fuel break, fuel
reduction, and rangeland restoration
programmatic proposals 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.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:59 Dec 21, 2017
Jkt 244001
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Timothy M. Murphy,
BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2017–27595 Filed 12–21–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–AK–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 337–TA–1010]
Certain Semiconductor Devices,
Semiconductor Device Packages, and
Products Containing Same;
Termination of Investigation on the
Basis of Settlement
U.S. International Trade
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
the U.S. International Trade
Commission has determined in the
above-captioned investigation to grant a
motion to terminate the investigation on
the basis of settlement, resulting in
termination of the investigation in its
entirety.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sidney A. Rosenzweig, Esq., Office of
the General Counsel, U.S. International
Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202)
708–2532. Copies of non-confidential
documents filed in connection with this
investigation are or will be available for
inspection during official business
hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in the
Office of the Secretary, U.S.
International Trade Commission, 500 E
Street SW, Washington, DC 20436,
telephone (202) 205–2000. General
information concerning the Commission
may also be obtained by accessing its
internet server at https://www.usitc.gov.
The public record for this investigation
may be viewed on the Commission’s
electronic docket (EDIS) at https://
edis.usitc.gov. Hearing-impaired
persons are advised that information on
this matter can be obtained by
contacting the Commission’s TDD
terminal on (202) 205–1810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Commission instituted this investigation
on June 24, 2016, based on a complaint
filed on behalf of Tessera Technologies,
Inc.; Tessera, Inc.; and Invensas
Corporation, all of San Jose, California
(collectively, ‘‘Tessera’’). 81 FR 41344
(Jun. 24, 2016). The complaint alleges
violations of section 337 of the Tariff
Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C.
1337, by reason of infringement of
certain claims of U.S. Patent No.
6,856,007 (‘‘the ’007 patent’’); U.S.
PO 00000
Frm 00066
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
60761
Patent No. 6,849,946 (‘‘the ’946 patent’’);
and U.S. Patent No. 6,133,136 (‘‘the ’136
patent’’). The notice of investigation
names 24 respondents. Those
respondents are Broadcom Limited of
Singapore, and Broadcom Corporation
of Irvine, California (collectively,
‘‘Broadcom’’), as well 22 other
manufacturers and importers of
products containing Broadcom’s
semiconductor devices: Avago
Technologies Limited of Singapore, and
Avago Technologies U.S. Inc. of San
Jose, California (collectively, ‘‘Avago’’);
Arista Networks, Inc. of Santa Clara,
California; ARRIS International plc,
ARRIS Group, Inc., ARRIS Solutions,
Inc., ARRIS Enterprises, and Pace Ltd.,
all of Suwanee, Georgia, as well as Pace
Americas LLC and Pace USA LLC, both
of Boca Raton, Florida, and ARRIS
Technology, Inc. of Horsham,
Pennsylvania (collectively ‘‘ARRIS’’);
ASUSTek Computer, Inc. of Taipei,
Taiwan, and ASUS Computer
International of Fremont, California
(collectively, ‘‘ASUS’’); Comcast Cable
Communications, LLC, Comcast Cable
Communications Management, LLC,
and Comcast Business Communications,
LLC, each of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(collectively, ‘‘Comcast’’); HTC
Corporation of Taoyuan, Taiwan, and
HTC America Inc. of Bellevue,
Washington (collectively, ‘‘HTC’’);
NETGEAR, Inc. of San Jose, California;
Technicolor S.A. of Issy-LesMoulineaux, France, as well as
Technicolor USA, Inc. and Technicolor
Connected Home USA LLC, both of
Indianapolis, Indiana (collectively,
‘‘Technicolor’’). The Office of Unfair
Import Investigations is not
participating in the investigation.
Earlier in Commission proceedings,
Avago was terminated from the
investigation. Order No. 70 (Feb. 27,
2017), not reviewed, Notice (Mar. 27,
2017). In addition, certain accused
products were adjudicated not to
infringe the ’007 patent. Order No. 77
(Mar. 15, 2017), reviewed and affirmed
with modifications, Notice (Apr. 14,
2017). Certain asserted claims have been
withdrawn from the investigation. Order
No. 82 (Mar. 22, 2017), not reviewed,
Notice (Apr. 21, 2017).
On June 30, 2017, the ALJ issued the
final initial determination (‘‘final ID’’).
The final ID finds a violation of section
337 as to claims 16, 17, 20, and 22 of
the ’946 patent. Final ID at 262. The
final ID finds that for claims 1, 2, 11, 12,
16, 24–26, and 34 of the ’136 patent, the
claims are infringed, and not invalid,
but that the existence of a domestic
industry was not shown. Id. at 262–63.
For the ’007 patent, the final ID finds
that infringement was shown only as to
E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 245 (Friday, December 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60759-60761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27595]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[17XL LLID930000 L11100000.DF0000 LXSGPL000000 4500103385]
Notice of Intent To Prepare Two Great-Basin-Wide Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statements to Reduce the Threat of Wildfire and
Support Rangeland Productivity
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance 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)
intends to prepare two programmatic Environmental Impact Statements
(EISs) for BLM Districts in the Great Basin region. By this Notice BLM
is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues to be addressed in the environmental
analyses.
DATES: This Notice initiates the public scoping process for the two
programmatic EISs. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until
February 20, 2018. The date(s) and
[[Page 60760]]
location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days
in advance through local media, newspapers and the BLM website at:
https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG. In order for comments to be considered for
the draft programmatic EISs, all comments must be received prior to the
close of the 60-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public
meeting, whichever is later. We will provide additional opportunities
for public participation upon publication of the draft programmatic
EISs.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the programmatic EISs by
any of the following methods:
Website: https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: 208-373-3805.
Mail: Jonathan Beck, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Beck, Project Manager Boise
Support Team, telephone 208-373-3841; address 1387 S. Vinnell Way,
Boise ID 83709; email [email protected]. Contact Mr. Beck to add your name
to our mailing list. 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 individual. The FRS is available 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with Mr. Beck. You
will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM is proposing to develop two
programmatic EISs: (1) Fuel Breaks Programmatic EIS and (2) Fuels
Reduction and Rangeland Restoration Programmatic EIS. One EIS will
analyze potential effects of constructing fuel breaks and the other EIS
will analyze potential effects of reducing fuel loading, and restoring
rangeland productivity within the Great Basin region, which includes
portions of the states of Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, California, Utah, and
Washington.
Both projects would protect and conserve natural habitats from loss
resulting from wildfires and the spread of invasive species. Although
these proposals are similar, they have different purposes. The purpose
of the Fuel Breaks Programmatic EIS is the protection of life and
property and to reduce the threat and size of wildfires on western
rangelands. The purpose of the Fuels Reduction and Rangeland
Restoration Programmatic EIS is to restore the rangelands habitat so
they provide multiple use opportunities for all user groups and habitat
for the hundreds of plants and animals that define this iconic
landscape.
The BLM is proposing to prepare these analyses concurrently to gain
efficiencies in scoping and effects analyses. The goal of these
programmatic EISs is to analyze the region-wide and cumulative impacts
of the proposed actions and to gain efficiencies in subsequent National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses required for individual
projects.
Purpose
The programmatic EISs would expedite the development, enhancement,
maintenance and utilization of fuel breaks, fuels reduction, and
rangeland restoration for the protection, recovery, and conservation of
natural western habitats in the Great Basin region. The projects would
reduce the threat of habitat loss from fires and restore habitat to
maintain the rangeland's productivity and support the western
lifestyle. Fuel breaks act as fire-anchor points and firefighter
staging areas; provide protection of ongoing and pending habitat
restoration projects; and assist in quicker and earlier fire
suppression response times, thereby reducing wildfire risk, aiding in
the protection of human life and property, protecting taxpayer
investment in habitat restoration projects, and improving western
landscapes by offering multiple use opportunities. The restoration will
replace invasive species with native habitat, decreasing the continuous
cover of annual grasses that fuel large wildfires.
Need
Large-scale wildfires have increased significantly throughout the
western United States in recent years, particularly in sagebrush-steppe
ecosystems, resulting in the widespread loss of sagebrush-steppe
vegetation. These wildfires are largely a result of continuous fuel
loading, caused by widespread increases in invasive annual grasses and
very large areas of continuous sagebrush cover. In the last decade,
fires have exceeded 100,000 acres on a regular basis, and the number of
areas that burn again before habitat can establish has increased. These
large-scale wildfires, with very high to extreme burning conditions,
have resulted in increased numbers of injuries and deaths among
wildland firefighters and increased destruction of private property and
habitat loss for a variety of species. Wildfires have resulted in
widespread impacts to healthy sage-lands quality, and have hampered
BLM's ability to maintain productive lands. These large-scale, repeated
wildfires facilitate the spread of invasive annual grasses, further
reducing rangeland quality and availability, thereby adversely
affecting sagebrush-recovery rates or, in some instances, preventing
recovery altogether. In warm, dry settings, sagebrush-steppe usually
takes, at a minimum, many decades to recover, even where invasive
annual grasses or other invasive plant species do not become dominant.
Invasive species and conifer encroachment can be exacerbated as a
result of wildfires in sagebrush ecosystems, resulting in an increased
risk of wildfires (positive feedback loop). By compartmentalizing
desirable vegetation and providing safer access for firefighters, fuel
breaks aid in decreasing potential habitat loss from wildfires,
protecting habitat restoration areas, and combatting the spread of
invasive species, i.e., decreasing or eliminating this positive
feedback loop. By restoring native habitat, invasive species that are
helping to fuel these unnaturally large fires will be reduced or
removed, making the rangelands more resistant to future wildfires.
The programmatic EISs, once implemented, will provide for increased
firefighter safety in the event of wildfires and faster response times
to wildfires. They will also assist in the maintenance, protection and
restoration of the iconic sagebrush western landscape.
The programmatic EISs will provide a mechanism for the BLM to
streamline any future NEPA processes pertaining to fuel breaks, fuels
reduction, and rangeland restoration proposals in the Great Basin
region.
Scoping and Preliminary Issues
The public scoping process is conducted to determine relevant
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis,
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the
programmatic EISs. At present, the BLM has identified the following
preliminary issues:
1. Fuel break construction and associated road improvement for
firefighter access could increase human activity in remote areas and
introduce noxious and invasive weeds and increase the incidence of
human-caused wildfires.
2. Fuel break construction could remove or alter sagebrush habitat,
rendering it unusable for some species.
3. Fuel break construction on either side of existing roads may
create movement barriers to small-sized wildlife species by reducing
hiding cover.
[[Page 60761]]
4. Fuel break construction in highly resistant and resilient
habitats may not be necessary because those sites are less likely to
burn or will respond favorably to natural regeneration.
5. After habitat restoration treatments, historic uses such as
livestock grazing and recreation activities may be temporarily halted
until the treatment becomes established and objectives are met.
6. Fuel reduction treatments in pinyon/juniper could disrupt
traditional tribal use of these sites.
7. The use of non-native species in fuel breaks could affect listed
species and affect species composition in adjacent native plant
communities.
Project design features would be used to minimize impacts to
rangelands, sensitive species habitat, cultural sites and watersheds,
and to limit introduction and spread of noxious and invasive weeds.
The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to help
fulfill the public involvement requirements 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 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 fuel break, fuel reduction, and rangeland restoration
programmatic proposals 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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Timothy M. Murphy,
BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2017-27595 Filed 12-21-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-AK-P
