Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan and Prepare an Associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Esmeralda Solar Projects, Esmeralda County, Nevada, 77605-77607 [2023-24884]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 217 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77605-77607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24884]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500174054]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan and 
Prepare an Associated Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Esmeralda Solar Projects, Esmeralda County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance 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)

[[Page 77606]]

Nevada State Director intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan 
(RMP) amendment with an associated Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS) for public lands in Esmeralda County, Nevada, and by 
this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping period to 
solicit public comments and identify issues, providing the planning 
criteria for public review, and announcing a comment period of 30 days.

DATES: The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the 
scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of 
relevant information and studies by December 13, 2023. To afford the 
BLM the opportunity to consider issues raised by commenters in the 
Draft RMP Amendment/PEIS, please ensure your comments are received 
prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the 
last public meeting, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the RMP Amendment and associated PEIS by any of the 
following methods:
     https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020804/510.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 775-482-7810.
     Mail: BLM, Tonopah Field Office, P.O. Box 911,1553 South 
Main Street, Tonopah, NV 89049.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020804/510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to the mailing list, send requests to: Perry B. 
Wickham, Field Manager, at telephone (775) 482-7801; address P.O. Box 
911, 1553 South Main Street, Tonopah, NV 89049; or 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: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Nevada State Director intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an 
associated PEIS for the Esmeralda Solar Projects in Esmeralda County, 
Nevada, announces the beginning of the scoping process, and seeks 
public input on issues and planning criteria. The RMP amendment would 
change the existing 1997 Tonopah Field Office Record of Decision and 
Approved RMP. The RMP amendment is being considered in order to change 
the management direction for visual resources and slope in order to 
allow for the consideration of the proposed solar development projects.
    The planning area is in Esmeralda County, Nevada, and encompasses 
approximately 118,630.90 acres of public land.

Purpose and Need

    The BLM's purpose for this Federal action is to respond to the 
solar project FLPMA right-of-way applications submitted under Title V 
of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1761) and to amend the visual and slope management 
direction in the Tonopah RMP in compliance with the FLPMA BLM right-of-
way regulations (43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 2800) and other 
applicable Federal and State laws and policies. In accordance with 
FLPMA, there is a need to consider the long-term needs of future 
generations for renewable and non-renewable resources in the context of 
the multiple resource objectives in the Tonopah RMP planning area.

Preliminary Alternatives

    Under the No Action alternative, the BLM would not amend the visual 
and slope management direction in the Tonopah RMP and would not 
consider design features for use in solar development projects in the 
planning area. Under the proposed action alternative, the BLM would 
change the visual and slope management direction in the Tonopah RMP 
Amendment and consider design features for use in future analyses of 
the individual solar projects in the planning area. The BLM welcomes 
comments and suggestions for additional alternatives.

Planning Criteria

    The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the 
groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues 
and their analytical frameworks. The planning criteria are available 
for public review and comment at the ePlanning website (see ADDRESSES).

Summary of Expected Impacts

    Through this RMP Amendment and PEIS, the BLM would change the 
visual and slope management direction in the Tonopah RMP Amendment and 
consider best management practices for use in future analyses of the 
individual projects. Prior to implementation of the individual solar 
projects, site-specific NEPA analysis would be required. Preliminary 
issues for the planning area have been identified by BLM personnel and 
from feedback received during early engagement conducted for this 
planning effort with Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribes; and 
stakeholders. The PEIS will analyze the effects of the proposed changes 
in RMP management direction, the cumulative effects of the seven 
proposed solar projects, and the implementation of design features on:

 Air Resources
 Biological Resources
 Cultural and Native American Concerns
 Hydrologic Resources
 Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice
 Visual Resources

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes, 
including a 90-day comment period on the Draft RMP Amendment/PEIS and 
concurrent 30-day public protest period and 60-day Governor's 
consistency review on the Proposed RMP Amendment. The Draft RMP 
Amendment/PEIS is anticipated to be available for public review in the 
winter of 2024 and the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final PEIS is anticipated 
to be available for public protest in the summer of 2024 with an 
Approved RMP Amendment and Record of Decision in late December 2024.

Public Scoping Process

    Two virtual public meetings will be held. The dates of the meetings 
and information on how to participate will be announced at least 15 
days in advance through the ePlanning page (see ADDRESSES) and 
applicable local newspapers.
    This notice of intent initiates the scoping period and public 
review of the planning criteria, which guide the development and 
analysis of the Draft RMP Amendment/PEIS.
    Through the scoping process the BLM is requesting input on the 
scope of the environmental analysis, alternatives that should be 
considered, issues that should be analyzed, measures to minimize and/or 
avoid adverse environmental impacts, and any other information relevant 
to the proposed area of effect.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The BLM Battle Mountain District Office is the lead agency for this 
RMP Amendment and PEIS. The BLM has initially identified the following 
agencies and organizations as potential cooperating agencies: Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Department of the Air Force,

[[Page 77607]]

Department of Defense, National Park Service, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Region 9, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest 
Service, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of 
Wildlife, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Nevada Division 
of Minerals, Nevada Division of State Lands, Nevada State Historic 
Preservation Office, Esmeralda County, and Nye County. Additional 
agencies and organizations may be identified as potential cooperating 
agencies to participate in the environmental analysis for the RMP 
Amendment/PEIS.

Responsible Official

    The Nevada State Director is the deciding official for this 
planning effort.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The nature of the decision to be made will be the Nevada State 
Director's selection of land use planning decisions for managing BLM-
administered lands under the principles of multiple use and sustained 
yield in a manner that best addresses the purpose and need.

Interdisciplinary Team

    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the plan 
amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the following 
disciplines will be involved in this planning effort: geology and 
soils, vegetation and noxious and invasive species, wildlife, 
hydrology, air quality, minerals, paleontology, visual resources, 
cultural resources, socioeconomics, public health and safety, land use 
and recreation, special designations, and others deemed necessary based 
on the results of the scoping process.

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed plan 
amendment and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance 
with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not 
already included in the proposed plan amendment or 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 and coordinate the NEPA and land use planning 
processes for this planning effort to help support compliance with 
applicable procedural requirements under the Endangered Species Act (16 
U.S.C. 1536) and 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 plan will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Indian Tribes 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. Federal, State, and local agencies, along 
with Indian Tribal Nations and other stakeholders that may be 
interested in or affected by the proposed RMP Amendment and PEIS that 
the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the scoping 
process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to 
participate in the development of the environmental analysis as a 
cooperating agency. The BLM intends to hold a series of government-to-
government consultation meetings. The BLM will send invites to 
potentially affected 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 43 CFR 1610.2)

Jon K. Raby,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-24884 Filed 11-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P