Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Fuels Reduction and Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin; California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, 19018 [2020-06890]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 65 / Friday, April 3, 2020 / Notices
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The Department previously
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That letter also announced sessions on
April 6, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee,
and April 28, 2020, in Burlingame,
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Annual Conference and the 2020 Tribal
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as appropriate.
Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020–06953 Filed 4–2–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[19X.LLID930000.L11700000.DF0000.
LXSGPL000000.241A.4500132602]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for Fuels Reduction and
Rangeland Restoration in the Great
Basin; California, Idaho, Nevada,
Oregon, Utah, and Washington
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for Fuels Reduction and
Rangeland Restoration in the Great
Basin and by this notice is announcing
for the opening of the comment period.
The BLM will hold public meetings
throughout the project area to share
information with the public and answer
questions.
DATES: To ensure comments will be
considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft
Programmatic EIS for Fuels Reduction
and Rangeland Restoration in the Great
Basin within 60 days following the date
the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes its Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register. The BLM will
announce future meetings or hearings
and any other public involvement
activities at least 15 days in advance
through public notices, media releases,
and/or mailings and will ensure that the
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:45 Apr 02, 2020
Jkt 250001
last public meeting is held at least 15
days before the public comment period
ends.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the Draft Programmatic EIS for
Fuels Reduction and Rangeland
Restoration in the Great Basin by any of
the following methods:
• Website: https://go.usa.gov/xdfgV.
• Email: BLM_PEIS_Comments@
blm.gov.
• Fax: 208–373–3805.
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
Idaho State Office, ATTN: Fuels
Reduction Draft PEIS, 1387 South
Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709.
Copies of the Draft Programmatic EIS
for Fuels Reduction and Rangeland
Restoration in the Great Basin are
available for public inspection during
regular business hours at the BLM Idaho
State Office, 1387 South Vinnell Way,
Boise, ID 83709. Interested persons may
also review the Draft Programmatic EIS
online at: https://go.usa.gov/xdfgV.
Additional copies are available upon
request at the BLM California, Nevada,
Oregon/Washington, and Utah State
Offices.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ammon Wilhelm, telephone 208–373–
3824; address BLM Idaho State Office,
1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID
83709; email awilhelm@blm.gov.
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
sagebrush communities in the Great
Basin are home to over 350 species of
plants and wildlife and are a vital part
of Western working landscapes.
Wildfire and cheatgrass invasions are
threatening these vegetative
communities; approximately 45% of the
historical range of sagebrush has been
lost. Between 2009 and 2018, over 13.5
million acres burned on BLM land
within the project area. Many sagebrush
communities, both burned and
unburned, are being overtaken by
invasive annual grasses and encroaching
pinyon-juniper. Fuels reduction and
rangeland restoration treatments can
reduce fire severity, which increases the
vegetative communities’ resistance to
invasive annual grasses and improves
their ability to recover after wildfire.
The Project Area covers
approximately 223 million acres,
including portions of California, Idaho,
PO 00000
Frm 00106
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Restoration projects would be
implemented within an analysis area
covering approximately 38.5 million
acres of sagebrush communities
managed by the BLM within the project
area boundary. The analysis area is
defined by the current and historical
presence of sagebrush on BLMadministered lands.
The purpose of future treatments is to
enhance the long-term function,
viability, resistance, and resilience of
vegetative communities and to protect,
conserve, and restore sagebrush
communities within the project area.
Functioning and viable sagebrush
communities provide multiple-use
opportunities for all user groups as well
as habitat for sagebrush-dependent
species.
Intact sagebrush communities are
disappearing within the Great Basin due
to increased wildfires, the spread of
invasive annual grasses, and the
encroachment of pinyon-juniper.
Restoration treatments such as fuels
reduction and revegetation are needed
to increase intact sagebrush
communities and improve their ability
to resist annual grass invasion and
recover from disturbance such as
wildfire.
The preferred alternative (Alternative
B) analyzes a full suite of manual,
chemical and mechanical treatments,
including prescribed fire, seeding, and
targeted grazing, to restore degraded
vegetative communities within the 38.5
million-acre sagebrush analysis area.
Please note that public comments and
information submitted including names,
street addresses, and email addresses of
persons who submit comments will be
available for public review and
disclosure at the above address during
regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.),
Monday through Friday, except
holidays.
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 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.
John F. Ruhs,
Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2020–06890 Filed 4–2–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P
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[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 65 (Friday, April 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 19018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06890]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[19X.LLID930000.L11700000.DF0000.LXSGPL000000.241A.4500132602]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for Fuels Reduction and Rangeland Restoration in the
Great Basin; California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Fuels
Reduction and Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin and by this
notice is announcing for the opening of the comment period. The BLM
will hold public meetings throughout the project area to share
information with the public and answer questions.
DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft Programmatic EIS for Fuels Reduction and
Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin within 60 days following the
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of
Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future
meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities at
least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases, and/or
mailings and will ensure that the last public meeting is held at least
15 days before the public comment period ends.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Draft Programmatic
EIS for Fuels Reduction and Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin by
any of the following methods:
Website: https://go.usa.gov/xdfgV.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: 208-373-3805.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, ATTN:
Fuels Reduction Draft PEIS, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709.
Copies of the Draft Programmatic EIS for Fuels Reduction and
Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin are available for public
inspection during regular business hours at the BLM Idaho State Office,
1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709. Interested persons may also
review the Draft Programmatic EIS online at: https://go.usa.gov/xdfgV.
Additional copies are available upon request at the BLM California,
Nevada, Oregon/Washington, and Utah State Offices.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ammon Wilhelm, telephone 208-373-3824;
address BLM Idaho State Office, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID
83709; email [email protected]. 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 sagebrush communities in the Great Basin
are home to over 350 species of plants and wildlife and are a vital
part of Western working landscapes. Wildfire and cheatgrass invasions
are threatening these vegetative communities; approximately 45% of the
historical range of sagebrush has been lost. Between 2009 and 2018,
over 13.5 million acres burned on BLM land within the project area.
Many sagebrush communities, both burned and unburned, are being
overtaken by invasive annual grasses and encroaching pinyon-juniper.
Fuels reduction and rangeland restoration treatments can reduce fire
severity, which increases the vegetative communities' resistance to
invasive annual grasses and improves their ability to recover after
wildfire.
The Project Area covers approximately 223 million acres, including
portions of California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Restoration projects would be implemented within an analysis area
covering approximately 38.5 million acres of sagebrush communities
managed by the BLM within the project area boundary. The analysis area
is defined by the current and historical presence of sagebrush on BLM-
administered lands.
The purpose of future treatments is to enhance the long-term
function, viability, resistance, and resilience of vegetative
communities and to protect, conserve, and restore sagebrush communities
within the project area. Functioning and viable sagebrush communities
provide multiple-use opportunities for all user groups as well as
habitat for sagebrush-dependent species.
Intact sagebrush communities are disappearing within the Great
Basin due to increased wildfires, the spread of invasive annual
grasses, and the encroachment of pinyon-juniper. Restoration treatments
such as fuels reduction and revegetation are needed to increase intact
sagebrush communities and improve their ability to resist annual grass
invasion and recover from disturbance such as wildfire.
The preferred alternative (Alternative B) analyzes a full suite of
manual, chemical and mechanical treatments, including prescribed fire,
seeding, and targeted grazing, to restore degraded vegetative
communities within the 38.5 million-acre sagebrush analysis area.
Please note that public comments and information submitted
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at
the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.),
Monday through Friday, except holidays.
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 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.
John F. Ruhs,
Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-06890 Filed 4-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P
