Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendments for the Greenlink West Project in Clark, Esmeralda, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Storey, and Washoe Counties, NV, 34180-34182 [2023-11102]
Download as PDF
34180
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 102 / Friday, May 26, 2023 / Notices
Colony, Yerington Paiute Tribe, and
Yomba Shoshone Tribe. These and other
federally recognized T‘ribes may request
Cooperating Agency status during
preparation and review of the Draft EIS.
Responsible Official
The Nevada State Office Director is
the deciding official for the proposed
Greenlink North Project.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The BLM will decide whether to
grant, grant with conditions, or deny the
right-of-way application. Pursuant to 43
CFR 2805.10, if the BLM issues a rightof-way grant(s), the BLM decision maker
may include terms, conditions, and
stipulations determined to be in the
public interest.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Interdisciplinary Team
The BLM will use an interdisciplinary
approach to develop the EIS to consider
the variety of resource issues and
concerns identified. Specialists with
expertise in the following disciplines
will be involved in this process: air
quality, archaeology, botany, climate
change (greenhouse gases),
environmental justice, fire and fuels,
geology/mineral resources, hydrology,
invasive/non-native species, lands and
realty, National Conservation Lands,
National Trails System, public health
and safety, recreation/transportation,
socioeconomics, soils, visual resources,
and wildlife.
Additional Information
The BLM will identify, analyze, and
consider mitigation to address the
reasonably foreseeable impacts to
resources from all analyzed reasonable
alternatives and, in accordance with 40
CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate
mitigation measures not already
included in the proposed alternatives.
Mitigation may include avoidance,
minimization, rectification, reduction or
elimination over time, and
compensation; and may be considered
at multiple scales, including the
landscape scale.
The BLM will utilize the NEPA
process to help support compliance
with applicable procedural
requirements under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (54
U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3), including public
involvement requirements of section
106. The information about historic and
cultural resources and threatened and
endangered species within the area
potentially affected by the proposed
Project will assist the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to
such resources.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 May 25, 2023
Jkt 259001
The BLM will consult with Indian
Tribal Nations on a government-togovernment basis in accordance with
Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual
Section 1780, and other policies. Tribal
concerns, including impacts on Indian
trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. The BLM intends to hold
government-to-government consultation
meetings. The BLM will send
invitations to potentially impacted
Indian Tribal Nations prior to the
meetings. The BLM will provide
additional opportunities for
government-to-government consultation
during the NEPA process.
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 and 2800.)
Jon K. Raby,
Nevada State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023–11070 Filed 5–25–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–21–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN; MO #4500170409]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement and
Resource Management Plan
Amendments for the Greenlink West
Project in Clark, Esmeralda, Lyon,
Mineral, Nye, Storey, and Washoe
Counties, NV
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance 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) has
prepared a draft environmental impact
statement (Draft EIS)/resource
management plan amendments (RMPA)
for the Greenlink West Project and by
this notice is providing information
announcing the opening of the comment
period on the Draft EIS/RMPA. The
BLM Nevada State Office is the lead
agency for purposes of the NEPA
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00055
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
analysis with the U.S. National Park
Service (NPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA), and other agencies serving as
cooperating agencies.
DATES: This notice announces the
opening of a 90-day comment period for
the Draft EIS/RMPA beginning with the
date following the Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA) publication
of its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the
Federal Register. The EPA usually
publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
To afford the BLM the opportunity to
consider comments in the Draft EIS/
RMPA, please ensure your comments
are received prior to the close of the 90day comment period or 15 days after the
last public meeting, whichever is later.
The BLM will be hosting both virtual
and in-person public meetings during
the 90-public comment period. The
dates and locations of any public
meetings will be announced at least 15
days in advance through local media,
newspapers, and the BLM website at:
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2017391/510.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the Greenlink West Project
Draft EIS/RMPA by any of the following
methods:
• ePlanning Website: https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2017391/510.
• Email: BLM_NV_greenlinkwest@
blm.gov.
• Mail: BLM Nevada State Office,
Attn: Brian Buttazoni, Planning &
Environmental Specialist, Branch of
Renewable Energy, BLM Nevada State
Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno,
Nevada 89502.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brian Buttazoni, Planning &
Environmental Specialist, telephone
(775) 861–6491; address: 1340 Financial
Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502; email: blm_
nv_greenlinkwest@blm.gov. Individuals
in the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY,
TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July
22, 2020, Nevada Power Company and
Sierra Pacific Power Company dba NV
Energy (NV Energy or Proponent) filed
an Application for Transportation,
Utility Systems, Telecommunications,
and Facilities on Federal Lands and
Property (Standard Form 299) and a
preliminary Plan of Development with
the BLM Nevada State Office for a
E:\FR\FM\26MYN1.SGM
26MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 102 / Friday, May 26, 2023 / Notices
FLPMA Right-of-Way and Short-Term
Right-of-Way authorization for the
Greenlink West Project (NVN–99863
and NVN–99863–01).
The Draft EIS/RMPA analyzes the
environmental impacts of the
authorization of a 200-foot-wide rightof-way (ROW) by the BLM for the
construction, operations, and
decommissioning of the 525-kV line, a
160-foot-wide ROW for the 345-kV
lines, and a 600-foot short-term ROW for
construction and staging to NV Energy
for a 474-mile system of new 525kilovolt (kV), 345-kV, and 120-kV
overhead electric transmission lines.
The proposal also includes transmission
and distribution lines, substations,
microwave radio facilities, amplifier
sites, access roads, and construction/
material yards. The Draft EIS/RMPA
analyzes the impacts of potential RMP
amendments together with the impacts
of the various alternative routes.
A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS
for the Greenlink West Project
published in the Federal Register on
May 2, 2022 (87 FR 25658), providing
notice to the public of potential
amendments to RMPs, as required by 43
CFR 1610.2(c). The public scoping
period closed on June 1, 2022. The BLM
held four public scoping meetings and
received approximately 81 public
scoping comment letters during the 30day scoping period. The scoping
comments focused on biological
resources, alternatives development,
visual resources, cultural resources,
impacts to general and special-status
wildlife species, including threatened
and endangered species and their
habitat, social and economic conditions,
vegetation/riparian/noxious and
invasive weeds/special status plant
species, including threatened and
endangered species and their habitat,
water resources, wilderness, wilderness
study areas, lands with wilderness
characteristics, special designations,
recreation, socioeconomic concerns, and
Native American cultural/sacred sites.
The BLM prepared a scoping report,
which is available on the project’s
ePlanning website—https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2017391/510.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Purpose and Need
The BLM’s purpose is to respond to
the ROW application submitted by the
Proponent to construct, operate,
maintain, and decommission a system
of transmission facilities and associated
infrastructure that would transmit
electricity between the Harry Allen
Substation in Clark County and the Mira
Loma and Comstock Meadows
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 May 25, 2023
Jkt 259001
substations in Washoe County and
Storey County, respectively.
The need for this action is to fulfill
the BLM’s responsibility under FLPMA
and its ROW regulations to manage the
public lands for multiple uses,
including the transmission of electric
energy. FLPMA, as amended,
established a multiple-use mandate for
the BLM’s management of federal lands,
including ‘‘systems for generation,
transmission, and distribution of
electric energy, except that the
Proponent shall also comply with all
applicable requirements of the FERC
under the Federal Power Act, including
Part I thereof (41 Stat. 1063, 16 U.S.C.
791a–825r).’’ (43 U.S.C. 1761(a)(4))
The BIA’s purpose, as a Department of
the Interior (DOI) bureau with a NEPA
compliance need, is to respond to the
ROW application submitted by the
Proponent to construct, operate,
maintain, and decommission a
transmission line over or across lands
held in trust for the Las Vegas and
Walker River Paiute Tribes, and the
Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.
The BIA’s need for this action is to
fulfill its responsibility under 25 CFR
part 169 (Rights-of-Way over Indian
Land) regulations to review and approve
actions on Tribal trust lands. The BIA’s
purpose and need, pursuant to 25 U.S.C.
415, is to deny, grant, or grant with
modifications the ROW agreements
between the Walker River and Las Vegas
Paiute Tribes, Timbisha Shoshone
Tribe, and the Proponent. The final
ROW grant would include any
restrictions or conditions imposed in a
consent document between the
applicant and both the Las Vegas and
Walker River Paiute Tribes, and the
Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.
The NPS’s purpose, as a DOI bureau
with a NEPA compliance need, is to
respond to the ROW application
submitted by the Proponent to operate
and maintain a transmission line over or
across NPS-administered lands
designated to conserve and protect
unique and nationally important
paleontological resources.
The need for this action is to fulfill
the NPS responsibility under NPS ROW
regulations to manage Tule Springs
Fossil Beds National Monument in
compliance with the 2015 National
Defense Authorization Act (Pub. L. 113–
291) enabling legislation and the NPS
2006 Management Policies. The NPS
ROW permits are discretionary and
revocable and do not convey an interest
in land. All NPS ROW permit
applications will be processed in
accordance with the NPS ROW
permitting guidance document,
Reference Manual 53–B, and all other
PO 00000
Frm 00056
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
34181
applicable regulations and policy. All
new NPS ROW permits must be
approved by the NPS Director or NPS
Regional Director. Proposed uses of
NPS-administered lands and waters may
not be incompatible with the public
interest or the NPS responsibilities
under 54 U.S.C. 100101 (the 1916
Organic Act, expanded upon in 36 CFR
14). Under 54 U.S.C. 100902, the NPS
has the authority to issue a ROW permit
for utilities.
Proposed Action and Alternatives,
Including the Preferred Alternative
The BLM has analyzed the No Action
Alternative, the Proposed Action as
submitted by NV Energy, and the
Preferred Alternative. In addition, the
BLM has also analyzed several
transmission route groups that it
developed to address concerns by the
public about impacts to cultural,
biological, and socioeconomic
resources. The BLM has identified a
Preferred Alternative, which is a
modification of the Proposed Action
with the inclusion of transmission line,
substation, and microwave alternatives.
The BLM also considered 21 additional
alternatives but dismissed these from
detailed analysis as explained in
Section 2.3 of the Draft EIS/RMPA.
Under the No Action Alternative, the
BLM would not authorize the ROW for
the construction, operation,
maintenance, and decommissioning of a
system of transmission facilities and
associated infrastructure. The agency
purpose and need would not be met by
the No Action Alternative.
Under the Proposed Action and
Preferred Alternative, the BLM, NPS
and BIA would authorize ROWs for the
construction, operation, maintenance,
and decommissioning of a system of
transmission facilities and associated
infrastructure. Both alternatives would
meet the agency purpose and need,
however the Preferred Alternative
would utilize certain different
transmission line, substation, and
microwave alternatives.
The BLM determined that two plan
amendments to the 1998 Las Vegas RMP
warranted evaluation in the Proposed
Action. The Greenlink West Project area
includes Visual Resource Management
(VRM) Classes II, III, and IV. The BLM
has evaluated the re-classification of a
part of the alignment from VRM Class II
to Class IV. The Greenlink West Project
area also crosses a West-Wide Energy
Corridor (WWEC). Portions of that
WWEC that are unoccupied by utility
infrastructure would be re-aligned to
match that of the Greenlink West Project
transmission line.
E:\FR\FM\26MYN1.SGM
26MYN1
34182
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 102 / Friday, May 26, 2023 / Notices
Mitigation
The BLM added an anti-perching/
nesting mitigation measure to the
Proposed Action to reduce the potential
for raven predation on Bi-State sagegrouse and the Mohave desert tortoise
through installation of tubular (nolattice) transmission structures (e.g.,
tubular H-frame, three-pole dead end, or
monopole structures). Perch and nest
deterrent devices would also be
installed on all transmission and
distribution structures within Mojave
desert tortoise recovery units and within
two miles of Bi-State sage-grouse
Priority Areas for Conservation.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
If approved, the BLM, NPS, and BIA
would issue a ROWs for their
jurisdiction. The term of the ROWs
would be for 30-years.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Consultation Efforts
The BLM is utilizing the NEPA
substitution process to comply with the
requirements of Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA), 54 U.S.C. 306108, consistent
with 36 CFR 800.8(c). The BLM, as lead
federal agency, has incorporated
information and the steps of the Section
106 process into the Draft EIS, and
publication of the Draft EIS will allow
the consulting parties and the public an
opportunity to review and comment on
the process as provided in 36 CFR
800.8(c)(2).
The BLM will continue to consult
with Indian Tribal Nations on a
government-to-government basis in
accordance with Executive Order 13175,
BLM MS 1780, and other Departmental
policies. Tribal concerns, including
impacts on Indian trust assets and
potential impacts to cultural resources,
will be given due consideration.
Additional government-to-government
meetings are planned, and coordination
will continue through project
implementation.
Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
Consistent with the NEPA and BLM’s
land use planning regulations, the BLM
will include a 30-day public protest
period and a concurrent 60-day
Governor’s consistency review when the
BLM publishes the Final EIS/Proposed
RMPA. The Final EIS/Proposed RMPA
is anticipated to be available in winter
2024 with an approved RMPA and
Record of Decision in spring 2024.
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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 May 25, 2023
Jkt 259001
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,
43 CFR 1610.2)
Jon K. Raby,
Nevada State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023–11102 Filed 5–25–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–21–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[OMB Control Number 1010–0191; Docket
ID: BOEM–2023–0004]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Negotiated Noncompetitive
Agreement for the Use of Sand, Gravel,
and Shell Resources on the Outer
Continental Shelf
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) proposes this information
collection request (ICR) to renew Office
of Management and Budget (OMB)
control number 1010–0191.
DATES: Comments must be received by
BOEM no later than July 25, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on
this ICR by mail to the BOEM
Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Anna Atkinson, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, 45600
Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia
20166; or by email to anna.atkinson@
boem.gov. Please reference OMB control
number 1010–0191 in the subject line of
your comments. You may also view the
ICR and its related documents by
searching the docket number ‘‘BOEM–
2023–0004’’ at https://
www.regulations.gov.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anna Atkinson by email at
anna.atkinson@boem.gov, or by
telephone at 703–787–1025. Individuals
in the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY,
TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside of the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
PO 00000
Frm 00057
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, BOEM provides
the general public and other Federal
agencies with an opportunity to
comment on new, proposed, revised,
and continuing collections of
information. This helps BOEM assess
the impact of its information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. It also helps the
public understand BOEM’s information
collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format.
BOEM is soliciting comments on the
proposed ICR described below. BOEM is
especially interested in public
comments addressing the following
issues: (1) is the collection necessary to
the proper functions of BOEM; (2) what
can BOEM do to ensure that this
information is processed and used in a
timely manner; (3) is the burden
estimate accurate; (4) how might BOEM
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and
(5) how might BOEM minimize the
burden of this collection on the
respondents, including minimizing the
burden through the use of information
technology?
Comments submitted in response to
this notice are a matter of public record.
BOEM will include or summarize each
comment in its ICR to OMB for approval
of this information collection. You
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your address,
phone number, email address, or other
personally identifiable information
included in your comment—may be
made publicly available at any time.
For BOEM to consider withholding
from disclosure your personally
identifiable information, you must
identify, in a cover letter, any
information contained in your comment
that, if released, would constitute a
clearly unwarranted invasion of your
privacy. You must also briefly describe
any possible harmful consequences of
the disclosure of information, such as
embarrassment, injury, or other harm.
Even if BOEM withholds your
personally identifiable information in
the context of this ICR, your comment
is subject to the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552). If your
comment is requested under FOIA, your
information will only be withheld if a
determination is made that one of the
FOIA exemptions to disclosure applies.
Such a determination will be made in
accordance with the Department of the
Interior’s (DOI) FOIA implementing
regulations (43 CFR part 2) and
applicable law.
E:\FR\FM\26MYN1.SGM
26MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34180-34182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11102]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN; MO #4500170409]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendments for the Greenlink
West Project in Clark, Esmeralda, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Storey, and
Washoe Counties, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance 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) has
prepared a draft environmental impact statement (Draft EIS)/resource
management plan amendments (RMPA) for the Greenlink West Project and by
this notice is providing information announcing the opening of the
comment period on the Draft EIS/RMPA. The BLM Nevada State Office is
the lead agency for purposes of the NEPA analysis with the U.S.
National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and other
agencies serving as cooperating agencies.
DATES: This notice announces the opening of a 90-day comment period for
the Draft EIS/RMPA beginning with the date following the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) publication of its Notice of Availability
(NOA) in the Federal Register. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on
Fridays.
To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the Draft
EIS/RMPA, please ensure your comments are received prior to the close
of the 90-day comment period or 15 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later.
The BLM will be hosting both virtual and in-person public meetings
during the 90-public comment period. The dates and locations of any
public meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through
local media, newspapers, and the BLM website at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017391/510.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Greenlink West
Project Draft EIS/RMPA by any of the following methods:
ePlanning Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017391/510.
Email: [email protected].
Mail: BLM Nevada State Office, Attn: Brian Buttazoni,
Planning & Environmental Specialist, Branch of Renewable Energy, BLM
Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada 89502.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Buttazoni, Planning &
Environmental Specialist, telephone (775) 861-6491; address: 1340
Financial Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502; email:
[email protected] Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 22, 2020, Nevada Power Company and
Sierra Pacific Power Company dba NV Energy (NV Energy or Proponent)
filed an Application for Transportation, Utility Systems,
Telecommunications, and Facilities on Federal Lands and Property
(Standard Form 299) and a preliminary Plan of Development with the BLM
Nevada State Office for a
[[Page 34181]]
FLPMA Right-of-Way and Short-Term Right-of-Way authorization for the
Greenlink West Project (NVN-99863 and NVN-99863-01).
The Draft EIS/RMPA analyzes the environmental impacts of the
authorization of a 200-foot-wide right-of-way (ROW) by the BLM for the
construction, operations, and decommissioning of the 525-kV line, a
160-foot-wide ROW for the 345-kV lines, and a 600-foot short-term ROW
for construction and staging to NV Energy for a 474-mile system of new
525-kilovolt (kV), 345-kV, and 120-kV overhead electric transmission
lines. The proposal also includes transmission and distribution lines,
substations, microwave radio facilities, amplifier sites, access roads,
and construction/material yards. The Draft EIS/RMPA analyzes the
impacts of potential RMP amendments together with the impacts of the
various alternative routes.
A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the Greenlink West Project
published in the Federal Register on May 2, 2022 (87 FR 25658),
providing notice to the public of potential amendments to RMPs, as
required by 43 CFR 1610.2(c). The public scoping period closed on June
1, 2022. The BLM held four public scoping meetings and received
approximately 81 public scoping comment letters during the 30-day
scoping period. The scoping comments focused on biological resources,
alternatives development, visual resources, cultural resources, impacts
to general and special-status wildlife species, including threatened
and endangered species and their habitat, social and economic
conditions, vegetation/riparian/noxious and invasive weeds/special
status plant species, including threatened and endangered species and
their habitat, water resources, wilderness, wilderness study areas,
lands with wilderness characteristics, special designations,
recreation, socioeconomic concerns, and Native American cultural/sacred
sites. The BLM prepared a scoping report, which is available on the
project's ePlanning website--https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017391/510.
Purpose and Need
The BLM's purpose is to respond to the ROW application submitted by
the Proponent to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a
system of transmission facilities and associated infrastructure that
would transmit electricity between the Harry Allen Substation in Clark
County and the Mira Loma and Comstock Meadows substations in Washoe
County and Storey County, respectively.
The need for this action is to fulfill the BLM's responsibility
under FLPMA and its ROW regulations to manage the public lands for
multiple uses, including the transmission of electric energy. FLPMA, as
amended, established a multiple-use mandate for the BLM's management of
federal lands, including ``systems for generation, transmission, and
distribution of electric energy, except that the Proponent shall also
comply with all applicable requirements of the FERC under the Federal
Power Act, including Part I thereof (41 Stat. 1063, 16 U.S.C. 791a-
825r).'' (43 U.S.C. 1761(a)(4))
The BIA's purpose, as a Department of the Interior (DOI) bureau
with a NEPA compliance need, is to respond to the ROW application
submitted by the Proponent to construct, operate, maintain, and
decommission a transmission line over or across lands held in trust for
the Las Vegas and Walker River Paiute Tribes, and the Timbisha Shoshone
Tribe.
The BIA's need for this action is to fulfill its responsibility
under 25 CFR part 169 (Rights-of-Way over Indian Land) regulations to
review and approve actions on Tribal trust lands. The BIA's purpose and
need, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 415, is to deny, grant, or grant with
modifications the ROW agreements between the Walker River and Las Vegas
Paiute Tribes, Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the Proponent. The final
ROW grant would include any restrictions or conditions imposed in a
consent document between the applicant and both the Las Vegas and
Walker River Paiute Tribes, and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.
The NPS's purpose, as a DOI bureau with a NEPA compliance need, is
to respond to the ROW application submitted by the Proponent to operate
and maintain a transmission line over or across NPS-administered lands
designated to conserve and protect unique and nationally important
paleontological resources.
The need for this action is to fulfill the NPS responsibility under
NPS ROW regulations to manage Tule Springs Fossil Beds National
Monument in compliance with the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act
(Pub. L. 113-291) enabling legislation and the NPS 2006 Management
Policies. The NPS ROW permits are discretionary and revocable and do
not convey an interest in land. All NPS ROW permit applications will be
processed in accordance with the NPS ROW permitting guidance document,
Reference Manual 53-B, and all other applicable regulations and policy.
All new NPS ROW permits must be approved by the NPS Director or NPS
Regional Director. Proposed uses of NPS-administered lands and waters
may not be incompatible with the public interest or the NPS
responsibilities under 54 U.S.C. 100101 (the 1916 Organic Act, expanded
upon in 36 CFR 14). Under 54 U.S.C. 100902, the NPS has the authority
to issue a ROW permit for utilities.
Proposed Action and Alternatives, Including the Preferred Alternative
The BLM has analyzed the No Action Alternative, the Proposed Action
as submitted by NV Energy, and the Preferred Alternative. In addition,
the BLM has also analyzed several transmission route groups that it
developed to address concerns by the public about impacts to cultural,
biological, and socioeconomic resources. The BLM has identified a
Preferred Alternative, which is a modification of the Proposed Action
with the inclusion of transmission line, substation, and microwave
alternatives. The BLM also considered 21 additional alternatives but
dismissed these from detailed analysis as explained in Section 2.3 of
the Draft EIS/RMPA.
Under the No Action Alternative, the BLM would not authorize the
ROW for the construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning
of a system of transmission facilities and associated infrastructure.
The agency purpose and need would not be met by the No Action
Alternative.
Under the Proposed Action and Preferred Alternative, the BLM, NPS
and BIA would authorize ROWs for the construction, operation,
maintenance, and decommissioning of a system of transmission facilities
and associated infrastructure. Both alternatives would meet the agency
purpose and need, however the Preferred Alternative would utilize
certain different transmission line, substation, and microwave
alternatives.
The BLM determined that two plan amendments to the 1998 Las Vegas
RMP warranted evaluation in the Proposed Action. The Greenlink West
Project area includes Visual Resource Management (VRM) Classes II, III,
and IV. The BLM has evaluated the re-classification of a part of the
alignment from VRM Class II to Class IV. The Greenlink West Project
area also crosses a West-Wide Energy Corridor (WWEC). Portions of that
WWEC that are unoccupied by utility infrastructure would be re-aligned
to match that of the Greenlink West Project transmission line.
[[Page 34182]]
Mitigation
The BLM added an anti-perching/nesting mitigation measure to the
Proposed Action to reduce the potential for raven predation on Bi-State
sage-grouse and the Mohave desert tortoise through installation of
tubular (no-lattice) transmission structures (e.g., tubular H-frame,
three-pole dead end, or monopole structures). Perch and nest deterrent
devices would also be installed on all transmission and distribution
structures within Mojave desert tortoise recovery units and within two
miles of Bi-State sage-grouse Priority Areas for Conservation.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
If approved, the BLM, NPS, and BIA would issue a ROWs for their
jurisdiction. The term of the ROWs would be for 30-years.
Consultation Efforts
The BLM is utilizing the NEPA substitution process to comply with
the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act (NHPA), 54 U.S.C. 306108, consistent with 36 CFR 800.8(c). The BLM,
as lead federal agency, has incorporated information and the steps of
the Section 106 process into the Draft EIS, and publication of the
Draft EIS will allow the consulting parties and the public an
opportunity to review and comment on the process as provided in 36 CFR
800.8(c)(2).
The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order
13175, BLM MS 1780, and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns,
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Additional
government-to-government meetings are planned, and coordination will
continue through project implementation.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
Consistent with the NEPA and BLM's land use planning regulations,
the BLM will include a 30-day public protest period and a concurrent
60-day Governor's consistency review when the BLM publishes the Final
EIS/Proposed RMPA. The Final EIS/Proposed RMPA is anticipated to be
available in winter 2024 with an approved RMPA and Record of Decision
in spring 2024.
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, 43 CFR 1610.2)
Jon K. Raby,
Nevada State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-11102 Filed 5-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P