Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Amendment and Associated Environmental Assessment for an Alternate Route for the Gateway South Transmission Line at the Colorado/Utah Border, 72269-72271 [2021-27554]
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72269
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 21, 2021 / Notices
Dated: December 16, 2021.
Christina A. Walsh,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Office
of Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2021–27597 Filed 12–20–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–7039–N–08]
60-Day Notice of Proposed Information
Collection: Federal Labor Standards
Monitoring Review Guides; OMB
Control No.: 2501–Pending
Office of Davis-Bacon and
Labor Standards, Field Policy and
Management, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
HUD is seeking approval from
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for the new information
collection described below. In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act, HUD is requesting
comment from all interested parties on
the proposed collection of information.
The purpose of this notice is to allow for
60 days of public comment.
DATES: Comments Due Date: February
22, 2022.
SUMMARY:
Information collection
Number of
respondents
HUD–4741 On-Site
Monitoring Review
Guide ........................
HUD–4742 Remote
Monitoring Review
Guide ........................
HUD–4743 State
CDBG/HOME Monitoring Review Guide
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Total ......................
18:02 Dec 20, 2021
A. Overview of Information Collection
Title of Information Collection:
Federal Labor Standards Monitoring
Review Guides.
OMB Approval Number: Pending.
Type of Request: New.
Form Number:
• HUD–4741 Federal Labor Standards
Agency On-Site Monitoring Review
Guide.
Frequency
of response
Responses
per annum
Burden hours
per response
• HUD–4742 Federal Labor Standards
Agency Remove Monitoring Review
Guide.
• HUD–4743 Federal Labor Standards
State CDBG and HOME Monitoring
Review Guide.
Description of the need for the
information and proposed use: HUD
will use the information collected to
ensure Local Contracting Agencies
(Public Housing Agencies, Tribally
Designated Housing Entities,
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands,
and HUD grantees) are compliant with
Federal labor standards provisions.
Based on the information provided, a
HUD labor standards specialist
determines if there are any findings or
concerns (non-compliance with
statutory, regulatory, and program
requirements) that need to be addressed.
If there are findings or concerns, the
labor standards specialist will work
with the Local Contracting Agency
(LCA) to resolve the violation until the
LCA is compliant again.
Respondents: HUD recipients of
public housing financial assistance,
certain HUD. recipients of housing and
community development financial
assistance, certain other HUD grantees.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
Annual
burden hours
Hourly cost
per response
Total cost
66.00
1.00
66.00
0.50
33.00
$42.01
$1,386.33
66.00
1.00
66.00
8.00
528.00
42.01
22,181.28
65.00
1.00
65.00
0.50
32.50
42.01
1,365.33
197.00
........................
197.00
9.00
593.50
........................
24,932.94
B. Solicitation of Public Comment
This notice is soliciting comments
from members of the public and affected
parties concerning the collection of
information described in Section A on
the following:
(1) Whether the proposed collection
of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of the agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) Ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on those
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Interested persons are
invited to submit comments regarding
this proposal. Comments should refer to
the proposal by name and/or OMB
Control Number and should be sent to:
Patricia Wright, Program Analyst, Office
of Field Policy and Management,
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 7th Street SW,
Washington, DC 20410, Room 7108, or
by email at patricia.wright@hud.gov for
a copy of the proposed forms or other
available information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anna Guido, Reports Management
Officer, QMAC, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451
7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20410,
telephone (202) 402–5535 (this is not a
toll free number) or email Anna Guido
at anna.p.guido@hud.gov for copies of
the proposed forms and other available
information.
ADDRESSES:
Jkt 256001
who are to respond; including through
the use of appropriate automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses.
HUD encourages interested parties to
submit comment in response to these
questions.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C., Chapter 35, as
amended.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Krista Mills,
Director, Office of Field Policy and
Management.
AGENCY:
[FR Doc. 2021–27627 Filed 12–20–21; 8:45 am]
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[LLCON05000.L16100000.DU0000; COC
72907]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource
Management Plan Amendment and
Associated Environmental
Assessment for an Alternate Route for
the Gateway South Transmission Line
at the Colorado/Utah Border
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
SUMMARY:
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
PO 00000
Bureau of Land Management
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 21, 2021 / Notices
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of this Federal action is
to respond to a right-of-way (ROW)
application for construction, operation,
maintenance, and termination of a
proposed transmission line re-route and
associated facilities on Federal land.
The Applicant is PacifiCorp, doing
business as Rocky Mountain Power.
a 30-year renewable ROW grant to the
Applicant for this project and a 10-year
ROW grant for temporary construction
sites.
The route alignment approved in the
ROD follows the Agency Preferred
Alternative in the Final Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The ROD also
authorized relocating an approximate 2mile portion of an existing power line
to eliminate multiple line crossings in a
short distance and avoid the Raven
Ridge Area of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACEC). Specifically, the ROD
approved relocating the Bears Ears to
Bonanza 345 kV transmission line
(operated by the Western Area Power
Administration (WAPA)) to the north
side of the approved GWS ROW.
During public review of the Draft EIS
in 2014, WAPA submitted comments
related to safety and reliability ‘‘since it
appears likely that the proposed 500 kV
transmission line will intersect and
cross [WAPA] facilities and/or share a
right-of-way corridor.’’ Comments
focused on the proposed GWS project’s
potential for interaction with existing
WAPA lines, including maintaining
electrical safety clearances during
construction, structural review of any
new structures that would be placed
within 100 feet of a WAPA tower
foundation, and ensuring uninterrupted
access to WAPA structures during
construction of the GWS line. The BLM
provided a copy of WAPA’s comments
to the Applicant (GWS Final EIS,
Appendix P, page P1–58 to P1–66) and
assumed that these issues were
resolved.
However, after the BLM issued the
ROW grant for the GWS line, the
Applicant began detailed engineering
designs in preparation for construction
of the power line. It became clear that
the complexities of moving or crossing
the Bears Ears line may have been
underestimated, especially when
compared to amending the White River
RMP to allow for the GWS line to span
the Raven Ridge ACEC (from tower
locations placed outside of the ACEC).
The Raven Ridge ACEC was
designated to provide additional
management for special status plant
species, remnant vegetation
associations, paleontological resources,
and fragile soils.
Background
In December 2016, the BLM issued a
Record of Decision (ROD) to approve the
Energy Gateway South Transmission
Line Project (GWS), which includes a
416-mile, single circuit 500-kilovolt (kV)
alternating current transmission line
that traverses Wyoming, Colorado, and
Utah. In January 2017, the BLM issued
Proposed Action
In March 2021, the Applicant
submitted a proposal to the BLM for an
alternate route for the GWS line at the
Colorado-Utah border. Under this
scenario, there would be no change to
the location of the existing Bears-Ears
line. Rather, approximately 3 miles of
the approved GWS line would be re-
jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended, the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) White River Field
Office, Meeker, Colorado, intends to
prepare a Resource Management Plan
(RMP) amendment with an associated
Environmental Assessment (EA) for an
Alternate Route for the Gateway South
Transmission Line at the Colorado/Utah
Border. This notice announces the
beginning of the scoping process to
solicit public comments on the scope of
the analysis, including issues and
alternatives, and to provide comments
on the planning criteria.
DATES: Comments on the planning
criteria must be received by January 20,
2022. Information about the project,
including issues, alternatives, and the
planning criteria, is available on
ePlanning at: https://go.usa.gov/
xHM8U.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the issues, alternatives, or planning
criteria by either of the following
methods:
• Online via ePlanning: https://
go.usa.gov/xHM8U.
• Mail: ATTN: Heather Sauls, BLM
White River Field Office, 220 E Market
St., Meeker, CO 81641.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Heather Sauls, Planning &
Environmental Coordinator; telephone:
970–878–3855; address: 220 E Market
St., Meeker, CO 81641; email: hsauls@
blm.gov.
Individuals who use a
telecommunication device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to
contact Ms. Sauls 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:
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18:02 Dec 20, 2021
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routed to the south of the Bears-Ears
line and span the Raven Ridge ACEC (a
shift in the approved ROW alignment to
the south).
Possible Alternatives
The analysis in this EA is focused on
potential alignments of an
approximately 3-mile section of the
GWS transmission line at the ColoradoUtah border. The GWS transmission line
has not yet been constructed.
Alternative A is the No Action
Alternative and would implement the
BLM’s decision from the ROD for the
Energy Gateway South Transmission
Project (2016). Under Alternative A, the
GWS 500 kV transmission line would be
routed around the Raven Ridge ACEC
(northwest), and the Bears Ears 345 kV
transmission line would be relocated
outside of the Raven Ride ACEC to the
north of the approved location of the
GWS line.
Alternative B is the Applicant’s
Preferred Alternative. Like Alternative
C, there would be no change to the
location of the existing Bears-Ears line.
Under Alternative B, the GWS line
would parallel the Bears-Ears line (to
the south) and span the Raven Ridge
ACEC. Alternative B would require an
amendment to the ROW grant as well as
an amendment to the White River RMP
since the Raven Ridge ACEC is managed
as a ROW exclusion area. The RMP
amendment would be to change the
management within the ACEC along the
proposed GWS ROW corridor from a
ROW exclusion area to a ROW
avoidance area to allow for the GWS
power line to span the Raven Ridge
ACEC from tower locations outside of
the ACEC. There would be no change to
the Raven Ridge ACEC boundary (43
CFR 1610.4–2).
Alternative C would have the GWS
line follow an almost identical
alignment to what was approved in the
ROD, but without moving the Bears-Ears
line out of the Raven Ridge ACEC. Thus,
Alternative C would require the GWS
line to cross the Bears-Ears line at two
locations within approximately 1.5
miles, which would result in additional
surface disturbance and may require an
amendment to the temporary
construction ROW.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The BLM is the lead Federal agency
for the EA. The BLM has invited the
following agencies to participate as
Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Western Area Power
Administration, National Park Service,
State of Colorado, State of Utah, Rio
Blanco County (Colorado), and Uintah
County (Utah). The National Park
E:\FR\FM\21DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 21, 2021 / Notices
Service and the State of Colorado
declined cooperating agency status due
to relatively limited potential impacts to
resources of interest.
Responsible Officials
The project area includes the BLM’s
White River Field Office in Rio Blanco
County, Colorado and the Vernal Field
Office in Uintah County, Utah.
Since only the White River RMP
would require an amendment, the BLM
Colorado State Director is the
responsible official who will decide
whether to amend the 1997 White River
RMP to allow the power line to span the
Raven Ridge ACEC. After a decision is
made concerning the ROW exclusion
area, the BLM Wyoming State Director
is the responsible official who will
decide whether to amend the existing
right-of-way grants for the GWS power
line (since this is the responsible official
who issued the original GWS ROW
grants in Wyoming, Colorado, and
Utah).
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The BLM will use the analysis in this
EA to inform the following:
Identification of any significant
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action that may warrant
further analysis in a Supplemental EIS;
the decision on whether to approve or
deny the proposed amendment to the
White River RMP to allow the GWS
power line to span the Raven Ridge
ACEC; and the decision on whether to
approve or deny the proposed GWS
ROW grant amendment.
jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
Preliminary Issues
Permits or Licenses Required
Alternatives B and C would require an
amendment to the approved Gateway
South ROW grant.
18:02 Dec 20, 2021
This Notice of Intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the EA. The BLM is also
seeking substantive comments on the
planning criteria. It is important that
reviewers provide their comments at
such times and in such manner that
they are useful to the agency’s
environmental analysis of the proposed
re-route of the power line. Therefore,
comments should be provided prior to
the close of the comment period and
should clearly articulate the reviewer’s
concerns and contentions.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifiable information in
your comment, you should be aware
that your entire comment, including
your personal identifiable information,
may be made publicly available at any
time, and we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to withhold this
information from public view.
(Authority: 43 CFR 1610.2(c)).
Jamie E. Connell,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2021–27554 Filed 12–20–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLOR957000.L1440000.BJ0000.212.HAG
22–0006]
Filing of Plats of Survey: Oregon/
Washington
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior
ACTION: Notice of official filing.
AGENCY:
The BLM has identified the following
primary issues to consider in the EA:
• Would moving or crossing the
existing Bears Ears to Bonanza 345 kV
power line result in service
interruptions?
• How would surface-disturbing
activities associated with power line
construction affect vegetation and
noxious/invasive weeds?
• Would power-line construction
activities affect habitat for special status
plant species?
• How would surface-disturbing
activities associated with power-line
construction affect scientifically
important paleontological resources?
• Would the various power-line
alignments affect the resources managed
for in the Raven Ridge ACEC?
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Scoping Process
Jkt 256001
The plats of survey of the
following described lands are scheduled
to be officially filed in the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), Oregon State
Office, Portland, Oregon, 30 calendar
days from the date of this publication.
DATES: Protests must be received by the
BLM prior to the scheduled date of
official filing, January 20, 2022.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the plats may be
obtained from the Public Room at the
BLM, Oregon State Office, 1220 SW 3rd
Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204, upon
required payment. The plats may be
viewed at this location at no cost.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Hartel, telephone: (503) 808–6131,
email: mhartel@blm.gov, Branch of
Geographic Sciences, Bureau of Land
Management, 1220 SW 3rd Avenue,
Portland, Oregon 97204. Persons who
use a telecommunications device for the
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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72271
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service at 1–800–877–8339 to contact
Ms. Hartel during normal business
hours. The service 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 plats
of survey of the following described
lands are scheduled to be officially filed
in the BLM, Oregon State Office,
Portland, Oregon:
Willamette Meridian, Oregon
T. 34 S., R. 3 E. accepted November 23, 2021
T. 20 S., R. 4 W., accepted November 23,
2021
T. 37 S., R. 3 W., accepted November 23,
2021
T. 15 S., R. 7 W., accepted November 23,
2021
T. 24 S., R. 6 W., accepted November 23,
2021
T. 33 S., R. 1 W., accepted November 23,
2021
A person or party who wishes to
protest one or more plats of survey
identified above must file a written
notice of protest with the Chief
Cadastral Surveyor for Oregon/
Washington, Bureau of Land
Management. The notice of protest must
identify the plat(s) of survey that the
person or party wishes to protest. The
notice of protest must be filed before the
scheduled date of official filing for the
plat(s) of survey being protested. Any
notice of protest filed after the
scheduled date of official filing will be
untimely and will not be considered. A
notice of protest is considered filed on
the date it is received by the Chief
Cadastral Surveyor for Oregon/
Washington during regular business
hours; if received after regular business
hours, a notice of protest will be
considered filed the next business day.
A written statement of reasons in
support of a protest, if not filed with the
notice of protest, must be filed with the
Chief Cadastral Surveyor for Oregon/
Washington within 30 calendar days
after the notice of protest is filed. If a
notice of protest against a plat of survey
is received prior to the scheduled date
of official filing, the official filing of the
plat of survey identified in the notice of
protest will be stayed pending
consideration of the protest. A plat of
survey will not be officially filed until
the next business day following
dismissal or resolution of all protests of
the plat.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in a
notice of protest or statement of reasons,
you should be aware that the documents
you submit—including your personal
E:\FR\FM\21DEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72269-72271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27554]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCON05000.L16100000.DU0000; COC 72907]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Amendment
and Associated Environmental Assessment for an Alternate Route for the
Gateway South Transmission Line at the Colorado/Utah Border
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
[[Page 72270]]
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) White River Field
Office, Meeker, Colorado, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan
(RMP) amendment with an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for an
Alternate Route for the Gateway South Transmission Line at the
Colorado/Utah Border. This notice announces the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public comments on the scope of the
analysis, including issues and alternatives, and to provide comments on
the planning criteria.
DATES: Comments on the planning criteria must be received by January
20, 2022. Information about the project, including issues,
alternatives, and the planning criteria, is available on ePlanning at:
https://go.usa.gov/xHM8U.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the issues, alternatives, or
planning criteria by either of the following methods:
Online via ePlanning: https://go.usa.gov/xHM8U.
Mail: ATTN: Heather Sauls, BLM White River Field Office,
220 E Market St., Meeker, CO 81641.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Sauls, Planning &
Environmental Coordinator; telephone: 970-878-3855; address: 220 E
Market St., Meeker, CO 81641; email: [email protected].
Individuals who use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact
Ms. Sauls 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:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of this Federal action is to respond to a right-of-way
(ROW) application for construction, operation, maintenance, and
termination of a proposed transmission line re-route and associated
facilities on Federal land. The Applicant is PacifiCorp, doing business
as Rocky Mountain Power.
Background
In December 2016, the BLM issued a Record of Decision (ROD) to
approve the Energy Gateway South Transmission Line Project (GWS), which
includes a 416-mile, single circuit 500-kilovolt (kV) alternating
current transmission line that traverses Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.
In January 2017, the BLM issued a 30-year renewable ROW grant to the
Applicant for this project and a 10-year ROW grant for temporary
construction sites.
The route alignment approved in the ROD follows the Agency
Preferred Alternative in the Final Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS). The ROD also authorized relocating an approximate 2-mile portion
of an existing power line to eliminate multiple line crossings in a
short distance and avoid the Raven Ridge Area of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACEC). Specifically, the ROD approved relocating the Bears
Ears to Bonanza 345 kV transmission line (operated by the Western Area
Power Administration (WAPA)) to the north side of the approved GWS ROW.
During public review of the Draft EIS in 2014, WAPA submitted
comments related to safety and reliability ``since it appears likely
that the proposed 500 kV transmission line will intersect and cross
[WAPA] facilities and/or share a right-of-way corridor.'' Comments
focused on the proposed GWS project's potential for interaction with
existing WAPA lines, including maintaining electrical safety clearances
during construction, structural review of any new structures that would
be placed within 100 feet of a WAPA tower foundation, and ensuring
uninterrupted access to WAPA structures during construction of the GWS
line. The BLM provided a copy of WAPA's comments to the Applicant (GWS
Final EIS, Appendix P, page P1-58 to P1-66) and assumed that these
issues were resolved.
However, after the BLM issued the ROW grant for the GWS line, the
Applicant began detailed engineering designs in preparation for
construction of the power line. It became clear that the complexities
of moving or crossing the Bears Ears line may have been underestimated,
especially when compared to amending the White River RMP to allow for
the GWS line to span the Raven Ridge ACEC (from tower locations placed
outside of the ACEC).
The Raven Ridge ACEC was designated to provide additional
management for special status plant species, remnant vegetation
associations, paleontological resources, and fragile soils.
Proposed Action
In March 2021, the Applicant submitted a proposal to the BLM for an
alternate route for the GWS line at the Colorado-Utah border. Under
this scenario, there would be no change to the location of the existing
Bears-Ears line. Rather, approximately 3 miles of the approved GWS line
would be re-routed to the south of the Bears-Ears line and span the
Raven Ridge ACEC (a shift in the approved ROW alignment to the south).
Possible Alternatives
The analysis in this EA is focused on potential alignments of an
approximately 3-mile section of the GWS transmission line at the
Colorado-Utah border. The GWS transmission line has not yet been
constructed.
Alternative A is the No Action Alternative and would implement the
BLM's decision from the ROD for the Energy Gateway South Transmission
Project (2016). Under Alternative A, the GWS 500 kV transmission line
would be routed around the Raven Ridge ACEC (northwest), and the Bears
Ears 345 kV transmission line would be relocated outside of the Raven
Ride ACEC to the north of the approved location of the GWS line.
Alternative B is the Applicant's Preferred Alternative. Like
Alternative C, there would be no change to the location of the existing
Bears-Ears line. Under Alternative B, the GWS line would parallel the
Bears-Ears line (to the south) and span the Raven Ridge ACEC.
Alternative B would require an amendment to the ROW grant as well as an
amendment to the White River RMP since the Raven Ridge ACEC is managed
as a ROW exclusion area. The RMP amendment would be to change the
management within the ACEC along the proposed GWS ROW corridor from a
ROW exclusion area to a ROW avoidance area to allow for the GWS power
line to span the Raven Ridge ACEC from tower locations outside of the
ACEC. There would be no change to the Raven Ridge ACEC boundary (43 CFR
1610.4-2).
Alternative C would have the GWS line follow an almost identical
alignment to what was approved in the ROD, but without moving the
Bears-Ears line out of the Raven Ridge ACEC. Thus, Alternative C would
require the GWS line to cross the Bears-Ears line at two locations
within approximately 1.5 miles, which would result in additional
surface disturbance and may require an amendment to the temporary
construction ROW.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the EA. The BLM has invited
the following agencies to participate as Cooperating Agencies: U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Area Power Administration, National
Park Service, State of Colorado, State of Utah, Rio Blanco County
(Colorado), and Uintah County (Utah). The National Park
[[Page 72271]]
Service and the State of Colorado declined cooperating agency status
due to relatively limited potential impacts to resources of interest.
Responsible Officials
The project area includes the BLM's White River Field Office in Rio
Blanco County, Colorado and the Vernal Field Office in Uintah County,
Utah.
Since only the White River RMP would require an amendment, the BLM
Colorado State Director is the responsible official who will decide
whether to amend the 1997 White River RMP to allow the power line to
span the Raven Ridge ACEC. After a decision is made concerning the ROW
exclusion area, the BLM Wyoming State Director is the responsible
official who will decide whether to amend the existing right-of-way
grants for the GWS power line (since this is the responsible official
who issued the original GWS ROW grants in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah).
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The BLM will use the analysis in this EA to inform the following:
Identification of any significant environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action that may warrant further analysis in a Supplemental
EIS; the decision on whether to approve or deny the proposed amendment
to the White River RMP to allow the GWS power line to span the Raven
Ridge ACEC; and the decision on whether to approve or deny the proposed
GWS ROW grant amendment.
Preliminary Issues
The BLM has identified the following primary issues to consider in
the EA:
Would moving or crossing the existing Bears Ears to
Bonanza 345 kV power line result in service interruptions?
How would surface-disturbing activities associated with
power line construction affect vegetation and noxious/invasive weeds?
Would power-line construction activities affect habitat
for special status plant species?
How would surface-disturbing activities associated with
power-line construction affect scientifically important paleontological
resources?
Would the various power-line alignments affect the
resources managed for in the Raven Ridge ACEC?
Permits or Licenses Required
Alternatives B and C would require an amendment to the approved
Gateway South ROW grant.
Scoping Process
This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the EA. The BLM is also seeking substantive comments
on the planning criteria. It is important that reviewers provide their
comments at such times and in such manner that they are useful to the
agency's environmental analysis of the proposed re-route of the power
line. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns
and contentions.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifiable information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifiable
information, may be made publicly available at any time, and we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to withhold this information from public
view.
(Authority: 43 CFR 1610.2(c)).
Jamie E. Connell,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2021-27554 Filed 12-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P
