Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Competitive Mineral Materials Sale (COC-078119) at Parkdale, Fremont County, CO, 35949-35950 [2020-12608]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 114 / Friday, June 12, 2020 / Notices
requirements for conformity
determinations.
Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020–12697 Filed 6–11–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCOF02000 L51100000.GL0000
LVEMC2000600 20X]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Competitive Mineral
Materials Sale (COC–078119) at
Parkdale, Fremont County, CO
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
(FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Royal Gorge
Field Office, Canon City, Colorado, has
prepared a Final Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for a proposed
competitive mineral materials sale at
Parkdale, Freemont County, Colorado,
and by this notice is announcing its
availability.
SUMMARY:
The BLM will not issue a final
decision until July 13, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for
the Proposed Competitive Mineral
Materials Sale (COC–078119) at
Parkdale, Fremont County, Colorado are
available for review by appointment at
the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office, 3028
East Main Street, Canon City, CO 81212.
Please call (719) 269–8500 to request an
appointment. The Final EIS is also
available online at https://go.usa.gov/
xy6tn. Click the ‘‘Documents’’ link on
the left side of the screen to find the
electronic version of the document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephanie Carter, Geologist; telephone:
(719) 269–8551; address: 3028 East
Main Street, Canon City, CO 81212;
email: sscarter@blm.gov. Persons who
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to
contact Ms. Carter during normal
business hours. The FRS is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM
has prepared a Final EIS to evaluate an
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:43 Jun 11, 2020
Jkt 250001
application from Martin Marietta
Materials, Inc. for a contract to mine
400-million net tons of aggregate
reserves located on BLM managed
lands, adjacent to their existing hard
rock quarry northwest of Canon City,
Colorado. The aggregate reserves consist
of a granodiorite bedrock that will be
mined utilizing blasting, crushing, and
screening methods. The mining activity
would be conducted on up to
approximately 700 acres of BLM lands
for up to 100 years, at a production of
4-million tons annually. The aggregate
would be used in the production of
asphalt and concrete, as well as a source
of railroad ballast.
On July 31, 2019, the BLM published
a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS,
initiating public scoping to identify
issues through public participation and
collaboration with partners (84 FR
37334). Initial scoping with internal
staff, cooperating agencies and the
public identified concerns related to air
quality, inventoried lands with
wilderness characteristics, wildlife and
plant habitat, visual resources, as well
as local and regional economies.
The purpose of this action is to
respond to the applicant’s request to
obtain a renewable competitive contract
to sell mineral materials located
immediately adjacent to the existing
Parkdale Quarry in Fremont County,
Colorado. The need for the action is
based on the BLM’s multiple-use
mission as set forth in FLPMA, which
mandates that the public land resources
be managed for a variety of uses,
including mining. Pursuant to 30 U.S.C.
1602, the project would assist in the
pursuit of measures that would assure
the availability of materials critical to
commerce, the economy and national
security, and facilitate development of
domestic resources to meet critical
materials needs.
The BLM published a Notice of
Availability on February 7, 2020,
announcing the public comment period
for the Draft EIS (85 FR 7329). The Draft
EIS included alternatives that
responded to the purpose and need,
quantified the impacts to visual
resources and air quality, and addressed
strategies to minimize impacts to
bighorn sheep populations. The Draft
EIS was available for a 45-day public
comment period. The BLM hosted a
public meeting on February 26, in
Canon City, Colorado, and received 145
comment submissions.
The Draft EIS evaluated in detail the
Proposed Action (Alternative A), the No
Action Alternative (Alternative B) and
one action alternative (Alternative C).
After the public comment period closed,
the BLM prepared a Final EIS, which
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Frm 00054
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
35949
reflects changes and adjustments based
on information received during both
internal and public comment on the
Draft EIS. These changes specifically
target surface and groundwater
monitoring, design features, the
mitigation framework, a more detailed
performance-based reclamation protocol
and revocation of two federal water
reserve withdrawals.
In all alternatives, reclamation would
be ongoing, following mining activity in
an area, as soon as conditions would be
feasible. Details of Alternative A
include: Mined material would be used
for concrete, asphalt, and railroad
ballast products and would take place
on approximately 700 acres of BLMadministered public lands for up to 100
years; the southwestern boundary of the
proposed mining area would border the
Arkansas River Canyonlands Area of
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC);
surface mining would progress in five
phases; mining direction for each phase
would be from northwest to southeast,
creating a ‘‘mine from behind’’ visual
scenario from the Highway 50 corridor.
Alternative B (no action) does not
include any Federal interests and
involves the continuation of surface
mining on the existing private aggregate
reserves, anticipated to last 15–30 years,
with aggregate produced only for
concrete and asphalt products.
Alternative B consists of three phases,
with the mining direction for phases 1
and 2 being west to east and phase 3
being north to south. Details on
Alternative C include: Mined material
would be used for concrete, asphalt, and
railroad ballast products and would take
place on approximately 633 acres of
BLM-administered public lands for up
to 100 years; the boundary of this
footprint would not border the Arkansas
River Canyonlands ACEC; surface
mining would progress in six phases;
mining direction for each phase would
vary, so a ‘‘mine from behind’’ visual
scenario from the Highway 50 corridor
may not always be achieved.
The BLM did not identify a preferred
alternative in the Draft EIS, but has
identified a preferred alternative
(Alternative A) in the Final EIS, as
required by the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations.
Alternative A includes the footprint that
appears to minimize the effects to visual
resources from key observation points,
and groundwater in areas to the south,
as it relates to the proposed mining.The
BLM considered comments on the Draft
EIS received from the public,
cooperating agencies and internal BLM
review, and made changes in the Final
EIS as appropriate. Public comments
resulted in adding clarifying text and
E:\FR\FM\12JNN1.SGM
12JNN1
35950
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 114 / Friday, June 12, 2020 / Notices
correcting data discrepancies in the EIS
but did not significantly change the
alternatives.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
Jamie E. Connell,
Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2020–12608 Filed 6–11–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Fish and Wildlife Service
[20XL1109AF LLUTC03000
L16100000.DS0000 LXSSJ0740000; UTU–
93620; 13–08807]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement to
Consider a Highway Right-of-Way,
Draft Amended Habitat Conservation
Plan and Issuance of an Incidental
Take Permit for the Mojave Desert
Tortoise, and Resource Management
Plan Amendments, Washington
County, UT and Notice of Intent for the
Proposed Closure of Certain Federal
Lands to Recreational Target Shooting,
Washington County, UT
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior; Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; notice of
ESA Section 10(a)(1)(B) permit
application; and notice of intent.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the
Omnibus Public Land Management Act
of 2009 (OPLMA), and the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended,
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
and the Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS), as co-lead agencies, announce
the availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to consider a right-of-way (ROW)
application submitted by the Utah
Department of Transportation (UDOT)
(referred to henceforth as the Northern
Corridor Project), and potential
amendments to the St. George Field
Office and Red Cliffs National
Conservation Area (NCA) Resource
Management Plans (RMPs).
DATES: To ensure comments will be
considered, the BLM and USFWS must
receive written comments on the
proposed Northern Corridor Project
Draft EIS, including potential
amendments to the St. George Field
Office and Red Cliffs NCA RMPs, the
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:43 Jun 11, 2020
Jkt 250001
Draft Amended HCP and ITP
application, and the potential closure of
certain Federal lands to recreational
target shooting by September 10, 2020.
The BLM and USFWS will announce
public involvement opportunities at
least 15 days in advance through media
releases, mailed notifications and/or the
project website set out in the ADDRESSES
section.
ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS, Draft
Amended HCP, and ESA section 10 ITP
application are available for review on
the BLM ePlanning project website at
https://go.usa.gov/xw8TX. Click the
Documents and Reports link on the left
side of the screen to find the electronic
versions of these materials.
You may submit written comments
related to the Northern Corridor Project
Draft EIS, Draft Amended HCP, and
proposed closure of certain Federal
lands to recreational target shooting by
either of the following methods:
• Email: BLM_UT_NorthernCorridor@
blm.gov.
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
Attn: Northern Corridor, 345 East
Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gloria Tibbetts, BLM Color Country
District Planning and Environmental
Coordinator, telephone (435) 865–3063;
address 176 DL Sargent Dr., Cedar City,
UT 84721; email BLM_UT_
NorthernCorridor@blm.gov. Persons
who use a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339
to leave a message or question for the
above individual. The FRS is available
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Replies
are provided during normal business
hours. If you would like to request to
view a hard copy, please call the St.
George Field Office for more
information at (435) 688–3200, Monday
through Friday, except holidays. For
information on the Draft Amended HCP
or ITP application, contact Laura
Romin, Acting Field Supervisor, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, telephone
(801) 554–7660; email utahfieldoffice_
esa@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
compliance with section 10(a)(1)(B) of
the ESA, the USFWS is considering the
issuance of an Incidental Take Permit
(ITP) to Washington County, Utah. The
ITP would authorize the take of the
federally threatened Mojave desert
tortoise incidental to covered activities
such as residential and commercial
development for a 25-year permit term.
The application for the permit requires
the County to amend their 1995 Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP) to current
standards and ensure impacts are
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Frm 00055
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
avoided, minimized, and mitigated to
the maximum extent practicable. The
62,000-acre Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
(Reserve), of which approximately 70
percent is now a National Conservation
Area (NCA), was established pursuant to
commitments in the 1995 HCP.
In accordance with the John D.
Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management,
and Recreation Act of 2019, Public Law
116–9, 16 U.S.C. 7913, and 43 CFR
8364.1, this notice also announces the
opening of a concurrent public
comment period regarding the proposed
permanent closure of recreational target
shooting within the proposed Reserve
Zone 6 area southwest of St. George,
Utah.
On September 4, 2018, UDOT
submitted an application for a ROW
grant for the Northern Corridor Project
north of the City of St. George, Utah, on
non-Federal and BLM-administered
public lands across the NCA and
Reserve, which was established for the
Mojave desert tortoise under the 1995
Washington County HCP. The 1995 HCP
expired in 2016 and was extended by
the USFWS to allow Washington
County (County) to amend the HCP
pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the
ESA. The Draft amended HCP includes
the proposed Northern Corridor as a
changed circumstance, with Zone 6 as
the primary proposed addition to the
conservation strategy. The USFWS
received an application for an ITP dated
January 30, 2015. The BLM is also
considering amendments to the St.
George Field Office and Red Cliffs NCA
RMPs that would allow consideration of
and mitigation (Zone 6) for the proposed
Northern Corridor Project.
The Draft EIS considers four proposed
actions: (1) Whether the BLM will
approve a 1.9-mile ROW section of the
approximately four-mile long Northern
Corridor project that crosses the 62,000acre Reserve, of which 45,000-acres
were congressionally established as the
Red Cliffs NCA; (2) Whether the BLM
will amend the Red Cliffs NCA RMP to
allow for a transportation ROW and/or
corridor within the NCA; (3) Whether
the USFWS will issue an ITP for the
Mojave desert tortoise for specific land
use and land development activities in
Washington County; and (4) Whether
the BLM will amend the St. George
Field Office RMP to modify
management on approximately 3,471
acres within a 6,800-acre area (Zone 6)
outside the Reserve and NCA to offset
the ROW impacts. The other half of
Zone 6 is owned by the Utah School and
Institutional Trust Lands
Administration.
The BLM is required to respond to
UDOT’s application for a ROW under
E:\FR\FM\12JNN1.SGM
12JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 114 (Friday, June 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35949-35950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12608]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCOF02000 L51100000.GL0000 LVEMC2000600 20X]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Competitive Mineral Materials Sale (COC-
078119) at Parkdale, Fremont County, CO
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Royal
Gorge Field Office, Canon City, Colorado, has prepared a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed competitive mineral
materials sale at Parkdale, Freemont County, Colorado, and by this
notice is announcing its availability.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision until July 13, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for the Proposed Competitive Mineral
Materials Sale (COC-078119) at Parkdale, Fremont County, Colorado are
available for review by appointment at the BLM Royal Gorge Field
Office, 3028 East Main Street, Canon City, CO 81212. Please call (719)
269-8500 to request an appointment. The Final EIS is also available
online at https://go.usa.gov/xy6tn. Click the ``Documents'' link on the
left side of the screen to find the electronic version of the document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Carter, Geologist;
telephone: (719) 269-8551; address: 3028 East Main Street, Canon City,
CO 81212; email: [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at
1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms. Carter during normal business hours. The
FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or
question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM has prepared a Final EIS to evaluate
an application from Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. for a contract to
mine 400-million net tons of aggregate reserves located on BLM managed
lands, adjacent to their existing hard rock quarry northwest of Canon
City, Colorado. The aggregate reserves consist of a granodiorite
bedrock that will be mined utilizing blasting, crushing, and screening
methods. The mining activity would be conducted on up to approximately
700 acres of BLM lands for up to 100 years, at a production of 4-
million tons annually. The aggregate would be used in the production of
asphalt and concrete, as well as a source of railroad ballast.
On July 31, 2019, the BLM published a Notice of Intent to prepare
an EIS, initiating public scoping to identify issues through public
participation and collaboration with partners (84 FR 37334). Initial
scoping with internal staff, cooperating agencies and the public
identified concerns related to air quality, inventoried lands with
wilderness characteristics, wildlife and plant habitat, visual
resources, as well as local and regional economies.
The purpose of this action is to respond to the applicant's request
to obtain a renewable competitive contract to sell mineral materials
located immediately adjacent to the existing Parkdale Quarry in Fremont
County, Colorado. The need for the action is based on the BLM's
multiple-use mission as set forth in FLPMA, which mandates that the
public land resources be managed for a variety of uses, including
mining. Pursuant to 30 U.S.C. 1602, the project would assist in the
pursuit of measures that would assure the availability of materials
critical to commerce, the economy and national security, and facilitate
development of domestic resources to meet critical materials needs.
The BLM published a Notice of Availability on February 7, 2020,
announcing the public comment period for the Draft EIS (85 FR 7329).
The Draft EIS included alternatives that responded to the purpose and
need, quantified the impacts to visual resources and air quality, and
addressed strategies to minimize impacts to bighorn sheep populations.
The Draft EIS was available for a 45-day public comment period. The BLM
hosted a public meeting on February 26, in Canon City, Colorado, and
received 145 comment submissions.
The Draft EIS evaluated in detail the Proposed Action (Alternative
A), the No Action Alternative (Alternative B) and one action
alternative (Alternative C). After the public comment period closed,
the BLM prepared a Final EIS, which reflects changes and adjustments
based on information received during both internal and public comment
on the Draft EIS. These changes specifically target surface and
groundwater monitoring, design features, the mitigation framework, a
more detailed performance-based reclamation protocol and revocation of
two federal water reserve withdrawals.
In all alternatives, reclamation would be ongoing, following mining
activity in an area, as soon as conditions would be feasible. Details
of Alternative A include: Mined material would be used for concrete,
asphalt, and railroad ballast products and would take place on
approximately 700 acres of BLM-administered public lands for up to 100
years; the southwestern boundary of the proposed mining area would
border the Arkansas River Canyonlands Area of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACEC); surface mining would progress in five phases; mining
direction for each phase would be from northwest to southeast, creating
a ``mine from behind'' visual scenario from the Highway 50 corridor.
Alternative B (no action) does not include any Federal interests and
involves the continuation of surface mining on the existing private
aggregate reserves, anticipated to last 15-30 years, with aggregate
produced only for concrete and asphalt products. Alternative B consists
of three phases, with the mining direction for phases 1 and 2 being
west to east and phase 3 being north to south. Details on Alternative C
include: Mined material would be used for concrete, asphalt, and
railroad ballast products and would take place on approximately 633
acres of BLM-administered public lands for up to 100 years; the
boundary of this footprint would not border the Arkansas River
Canyonlands ACEC; surface mining would progress in six phases; mining
direction for each phase would vary, so a ``mine from behind'' visual
scenario from the Highway 50 corridor may not always be achieved.
The BLM did not identify a preferred alternative in the Draft EIS,
but has identified a preferred alternative (Alternative A) in the Final
EIS, as required by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations.
Alternative A includes the footprint that appears to minimize the
effects to visual resources from key observation points, and
groundwater in areas to the south, as it relates to the proposed
mining.The BLM considered comments on the Draft EIS received from the
public, cooperating agencies and internal BLM review, and made changes
in the Final EIS as appropriate. Public comments resulted in adding
clarifying text and
[[Page 35950]]
correcting data discrepancies in the EIS but did not significantly
change the alternatives.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
Jamie E. Connell,
Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-12608 Filed 6-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P
