Notice of Intent To Amend a Portion of the Arizona Strip Field Office Resource Management Plan Related to the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern, Arizona, 29134-29135 [2018-13432]
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29134
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 121 / Friday, June 22, 2018 / Notices
Authority: The HSA of 2013 (Pub. L. 113–
40) codified to various sections in 50 U.S.C.
167–167q.
Aden L. Seidlitz,
Bureau of Land Management, Acting State
Director, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2018–13469 Filed 6–21–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–FB–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[16X.LLUT920000.L71220
0000.ER0000.LVTFJX496770.241A; AZA–
34941]
Notice of Intent To Amend a Portion of
the Arizona Strip Field Office Resource
Management Plan Related to the
Kanab Creek Area of Critical
Environmental Concern, Arizona
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
Arizona Strip Field Office, St. George,
Utah, intends to amend a portion of the
Arizona Strip Field Office (ASFO)
Resource Management Plan (RMP)
related to the Kanab Creek Area of
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).
The BLM will incorporate the analysis
for the RMP amendment into a Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the Lake Powell Pipeline Project.
FERC is the lead agency and the BLM
is a cooperating agency. FERC’s EIS will
analyze the proposed Lake Powell
Pipeline Project and the proposed RMP
amendment to consider allowing
development of the Lake Powell
Pipeline within the Kanab Creek ACEC.
By this notice the BLM is announcing
the beginning of the scoping process to
solicit public comments and identify
issues pursuant to BLM’s land use
planning regulations.
DATES: This notice initiates the public
scoping process for the RMP
amendment with an associated EIS.
Comments on issues may be submitted
in writing until July 23, 2018. The
date(s) and 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://www.blm.gov/arizona. In order to
be included in the analysis, all
comments must be received prior to the
close of the 30-day public scoping
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SUMMARY:
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17:16 Jun 21, 2018
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period or 15 days after the last public
meeting, whichever is later. The BLM
will provide additional opportunities
for public participation as appropriate.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on issues and planning criteria related
to the Kanab Creek ACEC RMP
amendment by any of the following
methods:
• Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/
epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_
register.do.
• Email: BLM_AZ_ASFO_comments@
blm.gov.
• Fax: 435–688–3258.
• Mail: BLM, Arizona Strip Field
Office, Attention: Lorraine Christian/
Kanab Creek ACEC RMP Amendment,
345 East Riverside Drive, St. George,
Utah 84790–6714.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the Arizona Strip
Field Office at the address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lorraine Christian, BLM Arizona Strip
Field Manager, telephone: 435–688–
3200; email: lmchrist@blm.gov. Contact
Ms. Christian to have your name added
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 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: The
planning area is located in Coconino
and Mohave Counties, Arizona. Only a
small portion (900 acres) of the Kanab
Creek ACEC would be affected by the
proposed Lake Powell Pipeline route,
but an RMP amendment is required in
order to address inconsistencies
between the management direction in
the current RMP, the proposed route for
the pipeline, and an existing utility
corridor designated under the Energy
Policy Act of 2005.
Approximately 1 mile of the proposed
pipeline would run within an existing
utility corridor, designated by the BLM
pursuant to Section 368 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005, which overlaps a
portion of the ACEC. Approximately 0.5
mile of the proposed pipeline would
run inside the ACEC, but outside the
existing utility corridor; this pipeline
route is proposed due to steep rugged
terrain which could be avoided by
routing the pipeline outside of the
utility corridor. The ASFO RMP
encourages new utility rights-of-way
(ROW) to be located within the utility
corridor to the greatest extent possible.
However, the ASFO RMP also
PO 00000
Frm 00047
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
established ACECs as ‘‘avoidance areas’’
for new ROWs. The BLM proposes to
amend the ASFO RMP to: (1) Resolve
the conflict between the designated
Section 368 utility corridor and the
ACEC decisions; and (2) Determine
whether to allow the proposed Lake
Powell Pipeline outside of the utility
corridor, and if so, change the visual
resource management class for that
portion of the ACEC from Class II
(where changes to the landscape should
be low) to either Class III or Class IV in
order to be compatible with utility
development.
The purpose of the public scoping
process is to determine relevant issues
that will influence the scope of the
environmental analysis, including
alternatives, and guide the planning
process. Preliminary issues for the RMP
amendment area have been identified by
BLM personnel; Federal, State, and local
agencies; and other stakeholders. These
issues include: Cultural resources,
specifically tribal resources and values;
special status species; riparian habitat;
visual resources; special designations
(i.e., Kanab Creek ACEC); and lands and
realty, specifically the existing
designated utility corridor—Corridor
No. 113–116. The analysis will also
consider mitigation.
Preliminary planning criteria include:
(1) The BLM will continue to manage
the Kanab Creek ACEC in accordance
with FLPMA and other applicable laws
and regulations; (2) The BLM will
continue to manage Utility Corridor No.
113–116 in accordance with FLPMA
and other applicable laws and
regulations; and (3) The amendment
process will follow the FLPMA
planning process.
You may submit comments on issues
and planning criteria in writing to the
BLM at any ASFO RMP amendment
public-scoping meeting, or you may
submit them to the BLM using one of
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
section above. You should submit
comments by the close of the 30-day
scoping period or within 15 days after
the last public meeting, whichever is
later.
The BLM will coordinate the
processes of fulfilling requirements of
NEPA and Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C.
306108), as provided in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3).
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
E:\FR\FM\22JNN1.SGM
22JNN1
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 121 / Friday, June 22, 2018 / Notices
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
personally identifying information—
may be made publicly available at any
time. While you can ask the BLM in
your comment to withhold your
personally-identifying information from
public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so.
The minutes and list of attendees for
each scoping meeting will be available
to the public and open for 30 days after
the meeting to any participant who
wishes to clarify the views he or she
expressed. The BLM will evaluate all
identified issues, and will place them
into one of three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the RMP
amendment;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy
or administrative action; or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this
RMP amendment.
An explanation will be provided in
FERC’s Draft EIS as to why an issue was
placed in category two or three. The
public is also encouraged to help
identify any issues that should be
addressed in the RMP. 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 RMP
amendment in order to consider the
variety of resource issues and concerns
identified, as well as to develop
alternatives to the proposed RMP
amendment. Specialists with expertise
in the following disciplines will be
involved in the planning process:
Archaeology and cultural resources,
tribal issues, wildlife, visual resources,
lands, realty, and special area
designations.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR
1610.2.
Lorraine M. Christian,
Arizona Strip Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2018–13432 Filed 6–21–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–32–P
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17:16 Jun 21, 2018
Jkt 244001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWYD0100000 L13140000.NB0000 18X]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Normally Pressured Lance (NPL)
Natural Gas Development Project
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended, the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared the
NPL Final Environmental Impact
Statement (Final EIS) for the NPL
project in the BLM Pinedale and Rock
Springs Field Offices.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final
decision on the proposal for a minimum
of 30 days after the date that the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes its Notice of Availability
(NOA) in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: The NPL Final EIS is
available for public review at the BLM
Pinedale Field Office, 1625 West Pine
Street, Pinedale, Wyoming; the BLM
High Desert District Office, 280
Highway 191 North, Rock Springs,
Wyoming; and the BLM Wyoming State
Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road,
Cheyenne, Wyoming. The document
may also be reviewed online at https://
tinyurl.com/hloulms.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kellie Roadifer, NPL EIS Project
Manager, BLM Pinedale Field Office, PO
Box 768, Pinedale, WY 82941, (307)
367–5309, kroadife@blm.gov. Persons
who use telecommunications device for
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339
to contact the above individual 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: The NPL
project is located immediately south
and west of the existing Jonah Gas Field
in Sublette County, Wyoming. The
project area lies within the BLM
Wyoming High Desert District (HDD)
and spans the Pinedale Field Office
(PFO) in the north and Rock Springs
Field Office (RSFO) to the south.
The project encompasses
approximately 141,000 acres of public,
State, and private lands. Approximately
96% of the project area is on BLMSUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00048
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
29135
administered public lands. Within the
NPL project area, there are both unitized
and non-unitized development areas.
Jonah Energy LLC, the current
operator after purchasing Encana Oil
and Gas Inc.’s leasehold interest in the
project, is proposing up to 3,500
directionally drilled wells (depth range
from 6,500 to 13,500 feet) over a 10-year
period. Under Jonah Energy’s proposal,
most wells would be co-located on
multi-well pads, with no more than four
well pads per 640 acres in areas outside
of Greater Sage-grouse Priority Habitat
Management Areas (PHMA). There
would be only one disturbance per 640
acres inside PHMA. On average, each
well pad would be 18 acres in size.
Regional gathering facilities would be
utilized instead of placing compressors
at each well pad. Associated access
roads, pipelines, and other ancillary
facilities would be co-located where
possible to further minimize surface
disturbance.
There are approximately 48,036 acres
of PHMA, 27,292 acres of Greater Sagegrouse Winter Concentration Area
(WCA), and 1,259 acres of Sagebrush
Focal Areas (SFAs) within the NPL
project area. All of the SFA is within the
Rock Springs Field Office.
Cooperating agencies for this EIS
include the State of Wyoming, with
active participation from many state
agencies including the Wyoming Game
and Fish Department, State Historic
Preservation Office, the Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality
and the Wyoming Department of
Agriculture. Local cooperating agencies
include Sweetwater, Lincoln and
Sublette Counties, and the Sublette
County Conservation District.
The Notice of Intent to prepare the
EIS was published on April 12, 2011 (70
FR 20370), initiating a 30-day formal
public scoping period. Public scoping
meetings were held in Pinedale, Rock
Springs, and Marbleton, WY. Public
scoping comments were used to identify
issues that informed the formulation of
alternatives and framed the scope of
analysis for the NPL EIS.
A total of 1,238 scoping comments
were received, with 29 resource issues
identified. Key issues identified during
scoping informed the formulation of
alternatives and framed the scope of
analysis for the NPL Final EIS. The
issues include:
D Air Quality: Potential project and
cumulative impacts on air quality,
including air quality-related values.
D Regulatory Setting: Permits,
authorization, conformance with other
plans, laws, policies and guidance.
E:\FR\FM\22JNN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 121 (Friday, June 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29134-29135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13432]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[16X.LLUT920000.L712200000.ER0000.LVTFJX496770.241A; AZA-34941]
Notice of Intent To Amend a Portion of the Arizona Strip Field
Office Resource Management Plan Related to the Kanab Creek Area of
Critical Environmental Concern, Arizona
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
Arizona Strip Field Office, St. George, Utah, intends to amend a
portion of the Arizona Strip Field Office (ASFO) Resource Management
Plan (RMP) related to the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACEC). The BLM will incorporate the analysis for the RMP
amendment into a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lake Powell Pipeline
Project. FERC is the lead agency and the BLM is a cooperating agency.
FERC's EIS will analyze the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline Project and
the proposed RMP amendment to consider allowing development of the Lake
Powell Pipeline within the Kanab Creek ACEC. By this notice the BLM is
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues pursuant to BLM's land use planning
regulations.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP
amendment with an associated EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted
in writing until July 23, 2018. The date(s) and 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://www.blm.gov/arizona. In order to be included in the analysis, all comments must be
received prior to the close of the 30-day public scoping period or 15
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will
provide additional opportunities for public participation as
appropriate.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the Kanab Creek ACEC RMP amendment by any of the following
methods:
Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: 435-688-3258.
Mail: BLM, Arizona Strip Field Office, Attention: Lorraine
Christian/Kanab Creek ACEC RMP Amendment, 345 East Riverside Drive, St.
George, Utah 84790-6714.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Arizona
Strip Field Office at the address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorraine Christian, BLM Arizona Strip
Field Manager, telephone: 435-688-3200; email: [email protected].
Contact Ms. Christian to have your name added 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 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: The planning area is located in Coconino and
Mohave Counties, Arizona. Only a small portion (900 acres) of the Kanab
Creek ACEC would be affected by the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline
route, but an RMP amendment is required in order to address
inconsistencies between the management direction in the current RMP,
the proposed route for the pipeline, and an existing utility corridor
designated under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Approximately 1 mile of the proposed pipeline would run within an
existing utility corridor, designated by the BLM pursuant to Section
368 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which overlaps a portion of the
ACEC. Approximately 0.5 mile of the proposed pipeline would run inside
the ACEC, but outside the existing utility corridor; this pipeline
route is proposed due to steep rugged terrain which could be avoided by
routing the pipeline outside of the utility corridor. The ASFO RMP
encourages new utility rights-of-way (ROW) to be located within the
utility corridor to the greatest extent possible. However, the ASFO RMP
also established ACECs as ``avoidance areas'' for new ROWs. The BLM
proposes to amend the ASFO RMP to: (1) Resolve the conflict between the
designated Section 368 utility corridor and the ACEC decisions; and (2)
Determine whether to allow the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline outside of
the utility corridor, and if so, change the visual resource management
class for that portion of the ACEC from Class II (where changes to the
landscape should be low) to either Class III or Class IV in order to be
compatible with utility development.
The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis,
including alternatives, and guide the planning process. Preliminary
issues for the RMP amendment area have been identified by BLM
personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; and other stakeholders.
These issues include: Cultural resources, specifically tribal resources
and values; special status species; riparian habitat; visual resources;
special designations (i.e., Kanab Creek ACEC); and lands and realty,
specifically the existing designated utility corridor--Corridor No.
113-116. The analysis will also consider mitigation.
Preliminary planning criteria include: (1) The BLM will continue to
manage the Kanab Creek ACEC in accordance with FLPMA and other
applicable laws and regulations; (2) The BLM will continue to manage
Utility Corridor No. 113-116 in accordance with FLPMA and other
applicable laws and regulations; and (3) The amendment process will
follow the FLPMA planning process.
You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing
to the BLM at any ASFO RMP amendment public-scoping meeting, or you may
submit them to the BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
section above. You should submit comments by the close of the 30-day
scoping period or within 15 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later.
The BLM will coordinate the processes of fulfilling requirements of
NEPA and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54
U.S.C. 306108), as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
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
[[Page 29135]]
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 personally identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personally-identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping meeting will be
available to the public and open for 30 days after the meeting to any
participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she expressed. The
BLM will evaluate all identified issues, and will place them into one
of three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the RMP amendment;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this RMP amendment.
An explanation will be provided in FERC's Draft EIS as to why an
issue was placed in category two or three. The public is also
encouraged to help identify any issues that should be addressed in the
RMP. 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 RMP
amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and
concerns identified, as well as to develop alternatives to the proposed
RMP amendment. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines
will be involved in the planning process: Archaeology and cultural
resources, tribal issues, wildlife, visual resources, lands, realty,
and special area designations.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.
Lorraine M. Christian,
Arizona Strip Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2018-13432 Filed 6-21-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P
