Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments, 70660-70662 [2024-19478]
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ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
70660
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 169 / Friday, August 30, 2024 / Notices
agency, including whether or not the
information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. 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.
Abstract: The Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) is seeking renewal of the approval
for the information collection conducted
under 25 CFR 11.600(c) and 11.606(c).
This information collection allows the
Clerk of the Court of Indian Offenses to
collect personal information necessary
for a Court of Indian Offenses to issue
a marriage license or dissolve a
marriage. Courts of Indian Offenses have
been established on certain Indian
reservations under the authority vested
in the Secretary of the Interior by 5
U.S.C. 301 and 25 U.S.C. 2, 9, and 13,
which authorize appropriations for
‘‘Indian judges.’’ The courts provide for
the administration of justice for Indian
tribes in those areas where the tribes
retain jurisdiction over Indians,
exclusive of State jurisdiction, but
where tribal courts have not been
established to exercise that jurisdiction
and the tribes has, by resolution or
constitutional amendment, chosen to
use the Court of Indian Offenses.
Accordingly, Courts of Indian Offenses
exercise jurisdiction under 25 CFR 11.
Domestic relations are governed by 25
CFR 11.600, which authorizes the Court
of Indian Offenses to conduct and
dissolve marriages.
In order to obtain a marriage licenses
in a Court of Indian Offenses, applicants
must provide the six items of
information listed in 25 CFR 11.600(c),
including identifying information, such
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20:35 Aug 29, 2024
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a Social Security number, information
on previous marriage, relationship to
the other applicant, and a certificate of
the results of any medical examination
required by applicable tribal ordinances
or the laws of the State in which the
Indian country under the jurisdiction of
the Court of Indian Offenses is located.
To dissolve a marriage, applicants must
provide the six items of information
listed in 25 CFR 11.606(c), including
information on occupation and
residency (to establish jurisdiction),
information on whether the parties have
lives apart for at least 180 days or if
there is serious marital discord
warranting dissolution, and information
on the children of the marriage and
whether the wife is pregnant (for the
court to determine the appropriate level
of support that may be required from the
non-custodial parent). See 25 CFR
11.601. Two forms are used as part of
this information collection, the Marriage
License Application and the Dissolution
of Marriage Application.
Title of Collection: Law and Order on
Indian Reservations—Marriage &
Dissolution Applications, 25 CFR 11.
OMB Control Number: 1076–0094.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 260 per year, on average.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 260 per year, on average.
Estimated Completion Time per
Response: 15 minutes.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 65 hours.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
Obtain or Retain a Benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: $6,500 (approximately $25
per application for processing fees).
Authority
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor and a person is not required to
respond to a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
The authority for this action is the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Steven Mullen,
Information Collection Clearance Officer,
Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative
Action—Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024–19485 Filed 8–29–24; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_HQ_FRN_MO 4500181783]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for Utility-Scale Solar
Energy Development and Proposed
Resource Management Plan
Amendments
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
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) has
prepared a Final Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and Proposed Resource Management
Plan (RMP) Amendments for Utilityscale Solar Energy Development and by
this notice is announcing the start of a
30-day protest period.
DATES: This notice announces the
beginning of a 30-day protest period to
the BLM on the Proposed RMP
Amendments. Protests must be
postmarked or electronically submitted
on the BLM’s ePlanning site within 30
days of the date that the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its
Notice of Availability (NOA) in the
Federal Register. The EPA usually
publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
ADDRESSES: The Final Programmatic
EIS, Proposed RMP Amendments, and
associated documents are available for
review on the BLM ePlanning project
website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/
eplanning-ui/project/2022371/510.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the BLM can be found at: https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/filing-a-planprotest and at 43 CFR 1610.5–2.
All protests must be submitted in
writing through one of the following
two methods:
• Project website: https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2022371/510.
• Regular Mail and Overnight
Delivery: BLM Director, Attention:
Protest Coordinator (HQ210), Denver
Federal Center, Building 40 (Door W–4),
Lakewood, CO 80215.
Emailed protests will not be accepted
as valid protests unless the protesting
party also provides the original letter by
either regular mail or overnight delivery
postmarked by the close of the protest
period. Under these conditions, the
SUMMARY:
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ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 169 / Friday, August 30, 2024 / Notices
BLM will consider an emailed protest as
an advance copy, and it will receive full
consideration. If you wish to provide
the BLM with such advance
notifications, please direct emails to
protest@blm.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeremy Bluma, Senior Advisor, National
Renewable Energy Coordination Office,
BLM Headquarters, email: solar@
blm.gov or telephone: (208) 789–6014.
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 for
contacting Mr. Bluma. 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: The
Proposed RMP Amendments would
change existing land use plans as
described in the Final Programmatic
EIS/Proposed RMP Amendments. On
January 19, 2024 (89 FR 3687), the BLM
published a Draft Programmatic EIS for
Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development.
Public comments were accepted through
April 18, 2024. The public and
cooperating agencies provided
comments that informed revisions to the
Final Programmatic EIS/Proposed RMP
Amendments. The Final Programmatic
EIS/Proposed RMP Amendments would
support an updated planning framework
for the BLM’s management of utilityscale solar energy development on
public lands.
The planning area is located within
the States of Arizona, California
(excluding the lands covered by the
Desert Renewable Energy Conservation
Plan in 7 southern California counties),
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New
Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and
Wyoming (hereinafter referred to as the
11 Western States) and encompasses
approximately 162 million acres of
public land.
The BLM has assessed the potential
environmental, cultural, and economic
impacts of modifying its current
management of utility-scale solar energy
development across the 11 Western
States. It is considering the Proposed
RMP Amendments to improve its
management consistency with respect to
utility-scale solar energy development,
address changes in solar energy
technology that have occurred since the
BLM’s last solar energy planning effort
in 2012 (2012 Western Solar Plan),
support national renewable energy and
climate goals, and incorporate updated
information about important resource
values. As the BLM seeks to advance its
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solar energy program, it does so while
managing other important land uses.
These include recreational use;
agricultural use, such as grazing; other
energy and mineral development;
resource protection, including National
Monuments and National Conservation
Areas, wilderness areas and wilderness
study areas, other specially designated
areas, wildlife and big game, water
resources, and cultural, historical, and
paleontological resources; and the
restoration of lands and resources, in all
cases where appropriate and consistent
with the principles of multiple use and
sustained yield, as defined by FLPMA.
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the proposed action is
to improve initial siting of utility-scale
photovoltaic (PV) solar energy
development proposals by identifying
‘‘solar application areas,’’ which are
broad areas of BLM-administered lands
where proposals for solar energy
projects are anticipated to encounter
fewer resource conflicts compared to
areas unsuitable for solar development
due to significant resource conflicts.
There is a need to improve the solar
development application process by
providing development opportunities in
specified solar application areas while
maintaining sufficient flexibility to
account for site-specific resource
considerations on a case-by-case basis
during consideration of specific project
applications and associated NEPA
analysis.
This programmatic effort evaluates
potential updates that respond to key
changes since the BLM issued the 2012
Western Solar Plan. First, there has been
an increase in utility-scale solar energy
development, both on and off public
lands, driven by the urgent need to
replace fossil fuel energy sources with
renewable energy sources in order to
reduce the impacts of climate change.
Second, advancements in technology
and economic factors have shifted the
focus to the use of PV technology.
Third, the BLM is seeing increasing
interest (represented through
applications for PV solar energy
development) on public lands in the 5
northern states not covered by the 2012
Western Solar Plan (Idaho, Montana,
Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming).
In response, the BLM needs to update
its planning framework for public lands
to help guide responsible solar energy
development. This includes amending
land use plans in the 11 Western States
to exclude solar energy development in
areas that need protection. The
amendments would also update design
features and environmental evaluation
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70661
processes and incorporate new
information and analysis.
Alternatives Evaluated and the
Proposed Plan
The BLM analyzed 6 alternatives in
detail, including the no action
alternative. The BLM evaluated making
varying amounts of public lands
available for solar energy project
applications. The BLM also considered
7 additional alternatives but did not
include those alternatives for detailed
analysis for the reasons discussed in the
Final Programmatic EIS.
The BLM developed the Proposed
RMP based on public comment and
cooperating agency feedback on the
Draft Programmatic EIS. The Proposed
RMP, which is a blend of elements from
the range of alternatives analyzed in the
Draft Programmatic EIS, describes the
BLM’s proposed approach for
implementing utility-scale PV solar
energy development on BLMadministered land. The Proposed RMP
would exclude approximately 131
million acres of public lands from solar
applications to protect sensitive
resources as described in the exclusion
criteria in the Final Programmatic EIS.
Approximately 31 million acres of
public lands would be available for
solar applications under the Proposed
RMP. Public lands would be available if,
after accounting for the resource-based
exclusions and the exclusion for slopes
exceeding 10 percent, they are within 15
miles of an existing or planned
transmission line with capacity of at
least 69 kilovolts, or they are identified
as ‘‘previously disturbed’’ based on
criteria described in the Final
Programmatic EIS. The Proposed RMP
would improve the solar energy project
application process by excluding project
applications from areas where
protection is warranted and providing
development siting opportunities in
solar application areas while
maintaining sufficient siting flexibility
to account for site-specific resource
considerations on a case-by-case basis
under subsequent project-specific
decisions.
Mitigation
Mitigation in the Final Programmatic
EIS generally involves avoidance and
minimization strategies. Avoidance is
achieved by excluding specific public
lands from solar energy development
applications, based on the likelihood
that projects in those locations would
cause unacceptable resource impacts.
Minimization is accomplished by
requiring that various programmatic
design features be incorporated into
solar project proposals. At the project
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70662
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 169 / Friday, August 30, 2024 / Notices
review stage, the BLM may determine
that additional mitigation—such as
further avoidance, minimization, and
compensation—is required.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
The Record of Decision and Approved
RMP Amendments are anticipated to be
finalized in December 2024.
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.
Consultation will continue on an
individual basis with interested Tribes.
Protest of the Proposed RMP
Amendments
BLM planning regulations state that
any person who participated in the
preparation of the RMP and has an
interest that will or might be adversely
affected by approval of the Proposed
RMP Amendments may protest its
approval to the BLM. Protest on the
Proposed RMP Amendments constitutes
the final opportunity for administrative
review of the proposed land use
planning decisions prior to the BLM
approving RMP Amendments.
Instructions for filing a protest with the
BLM regarding the Proposed RMP
Amendments may be found online (see
ADDRESSES). All protests must be in
writing and mailed to the appropriate
address or submitted electronically
through the BLM ePlanning project
website (see ADDRESSES). Protests
submitted electronically by any means
other than the ePlanning project website
will be invalid unless a hard copy of the
protest is also submitted. The BLM will
render a written decision on each
protest. The protest decision of the BLM
shall be the final decision of the
Department of the Interior. Responses to
valid protest issues will be compiled
and documented in a Protest Resolution
Report made available following the
protest resolution online at: https://
www.blm.gov/programs/planning-andnepa/public-participation/protestresolution-reports. Upon resolution of
protests, the BLM will issue a Record of
Decision and Approved RMP
Amendments.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
protest, you should be aware that your
entire protest—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
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you may ask us in your protest to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9; 40 CFR 1506.9; 43
CFR 1610.2; 43 CFR 1610.5)
David Rosenkrance,
Assistant Director, Energy, Minerals, and
Realty Management.
[FR Doc. 2024–19478 Filed 8–29–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–29–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_UT_FRN_MO4500181099]
Notice of Availability of the Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument in Utah
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
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) has
prepared a Proposed Resource
Management Plan (RMP) and Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument (GSENM) and by
this notice is announcing the start of a
30-day protest period of the Proposed
RMP.
DATES: This notice announces a 30-day
protest period to the BLM on the
Proposed RMP. Protests must be
postmarked or electronically submitted
on the BLM’s ePlanning site within 30
days of the date that the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the
Proposed RMP and Final EIS in the
Federal Register. The EPA usually
publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
ADDRESSES: The Proposed RMP and
Final EIS is available on the BLM
ePlanning project website at https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2020343/510. Documents
pertinent to this proposal may be
examined online at: https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2020343/570 and at the BLM
Paria River District Office, 669 US–89A,
Kanab, Utah 84741.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the BLM for the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument RMP/EIS
SUMMARY:
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can be found at: https://www.blm.gov/
programs/planning-and-nepa/publicparticipation/filing-a-plan-protest and
at 43 CFR 1610.5–2.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Scott M. Whitesides, Project Manager,
telephone: 801–539–4054; address:
Bureau of Land Management Utah, 440
West 200 South Suite 500, Salt Lake
City, Utah 84101; email: swhitesides@
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 for contacting Mr. Whitesides.
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: The
planning area includes approximately
1.87 million acres of public land in
Kane and Garfield counties in southern
Utah. Management of GSENM is
currently guided by the GSENM and
Kanab Escalante Planning Area (KEPA)
RMPs to the extent consistent with
Presidential Proclamation 10286. Where
the GSENM and KEPA RMPs conflict
with Proclamation 10286, Proclamation
10286 controls.
The Final EIS evaluates five
alternatives: the no action alternative
(Alternative A) and four action
alternatives (Alternatives B, C, D, and E)
that are based on known use and issues
in the planning area. Alternative B
emphasizes flexibility in planning-level
direction to maximize the potential for
an array of discretionary actions that
may be compatible with the protection
of GSENM objects. Alternative C
emphasizes the protection and
maintenance of intact and resilient
landscapes using a management area
approach to selectively allow for
discretionary uses in appropriate
settings. Four management areas,
similar to those used in the 2000
GSENM Monument Management Plan,
would be established: the front country,
passage, outback, and primitive. The
BLM would use these areas to identify
the allowable uses that meet the goals
and objectives of the areas while also
protecting GSENM objects. Alternative
D strives to maximize natural processes
by minimizing active management and
limiting discretionary uses. Land use
allocations would curtail discretionary
uses, including recreation, livestock
grazing, rights-of-ways, and activities
under special recreation permits. This
alternative would also constrain
management actions to emphasize
natural conditions, such as passive
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70660-70662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19478]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_HQ_FRN_MO 4500181783]
Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development and
Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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) has
prepared a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and
Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments for Utility-scale
Solar Energy Development and by this notice is announcing the start of
a 30-day protest period.
DATES: This notice announces the beginning of a 30-day protest period
to the BLM on the Proposed RMP Amendments. Protests must be postmarked
or electronically submitted on the BLM's ePlanning site within 30 days
of the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes
its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The EPA
usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
ADDRESSES: The Final Programmatic EIS, Proposed RMP Amendments, and
associated documents are available for review on the BLM ePlanning
project website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022371/510.
Instructions for filing a protest with the BLM can be found at:
https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2.
All protests must be submitted in writing through one of the
following two methods:
Project website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022371/510.
Regular Mail and Overnight Delivery: BLM Director,
Attention: Protest Coordinator (HQ210), Denver Federal Center, Building
40 (Door W-4), Lakewood, CO 80215.
Emailed protests will not be accepted as valid protests unless the
protesting party also provides the original letter by either regular
mail or overnight delivery postmarked by the close of the protest
period. Under these conditions, the
[[Page 70661]]
BLM will consider an emailed protest as an advance copy, and it will
receive full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such
advance notifications, please direct emails to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeremy Bluma, Senior Advisor, National
Renewable Energy Coordination Office, BLM Headquarters, email:
[email protected] or telephone: (208) 789-6014. 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 for contacting Mr. Bluma. 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: The Proposed RMP Amendments would change
existing land use plans as described in the Final Programmatic EIS/
Proposed RMP Amendments. On January 19, 2024 (89 FR 3687), the BLM
published a Draft Programmatic EIS for Utility-Scale Solar Energy
Development. Public comments were accepted through April 18, 2024. The
public and cooperating agencies provided comments that informed
revisions to the Final Programmatic EIS/Proposed RMP Amendments. The
Final Programmatic EIS/Proposed RMP Amendments would support an updated
planning framework for the BLM's management of utility-scale solar
energy development on public lands.
The planning area is located within the States of Arizona,
California (excluding the lands covered by the Desert Renewable Energy
Conservation Plan in 7 southern California counties), Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
(hereinafter referred to as the 11 Western States) and encompasses
approximately 162 million acres of public land.
The BLM has assessed the potential environmental, cultural, and
economic impacts of modifying its current management of utility-scale
solar energy development across the 11 Western States. It is
considering the Proposed RMP Amendments to improve its management
consistency with respect to utility-scale solar energy development,
address changes in solar energy technology that have occurred since the
BLM's last solar energy planning effort in 2012 (2012 Western Solar
Plan), support national renewable energy and climate goals, and
incorporate updated information about important resource values. As the
BLM seeks to advance its solar energy program, it does so while
managing other important land uses. These include recreational use;
agricultural use, such as grazing; other energy and mineral
development; resource protection, including National Monuments and
National Conservation Areas, wilderness areas and wilderness study
areas, other specially designated areas, wildlife and big game, water
resources, and cultural, historical, and paleontological resources; and
the restoration of lands and resources, in all cases where appropriate
and consistent with the principles of multiple use and sustained yield,
as defined by FLPMA.
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the proposed action is to improve initial siting of
utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar energy development proposals by
identifying ``solar application areas,'' which are broad areas of BLM-
administered lands where proposals for solar energy projects are
anticipated to encounter fewer resource conflicts compared to areas
unsuitable for solar development due to significant resource conflicts.
There is a need to improve the solar development application process by
providing development opportunities in specified solar application
areas while maintaining sufficient flexibility to account for site-
specific resource considerations on a case-by-case basis during
consideration of specific project applications and associated NEPA
analysis.
This programmatic effort evaluates potential updates that respond
to key changes since the BLM issued the 2012 Western Solar Plan. First,
there has been an increase in utility-scale solar energy development,
both on and off public lands, driven by the urgent need to replace
fossil fuel energy sources with renewable energy sources in order to
reduce the impacts of climate change. Second, advancements in
technology and economic factors have shifted the focus to the use of PV
technology. Third, the BLM is seeing increasing interest (represented
through applications for PV solar energy development) on public lands
in the 5 northern states not covered by the 2012 Western Solar Plan
(Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming).
In response, the BLM needs to update its planning framework for
public lands to help guide responsible solar energy development. This
includes amending land use plans in the 11 Western States to exclude
solar energy development in areas that need protection. The amendments
would also update design features and environmental evaluation
processes and incorporate new information and analysis.
Alternatives Evaluated and the Proposed Plan
The BLM analyzed 6 alternatives in detail, including the no action
alternative. The BLM evaluated making varying amounts of public lands
available for solar energy project applications. The BLM also
considered 7 additional alternatives but did not include those
alternatives for detailed analysis for the reasons discussed in the
Final Programmatic EIS.
The BLM developed the Proposed RMP based on public comment and
cooperating agency feedback on the Draft Programmatic EIS. The Proposed
RMP, which is a blend of elements from the range of alternatives
analyzed in the Draft Programmatic EIS, describes the BLM's proposed
approach for implementing utility-scale PV solar energy development on
BLM-administered land. The Proposed RMP would exclude approximately 131
million acres of public lands from solar applications to protect
sensitive resources as described in the exclusion criteria in the Final
Programmatic EIS. Approximately 31 million acres of public lands would
be available for solar applications under the Proposed RMP. Public
lands would be available if, after accounting for the resource-based
exclusions and the exclusion for slopes exceeding 10 percent, they are
within 15 miles of an existing or planned transmission line with
capacity of at least 69 kilovolts, or they are identified as
``previously disturbed'' based on criteria described in the Final
Programmatic EIS. The Proposed RMP would improve the solar energy
project application process by excluding project applications from
areas where protection is warranted and providing development siting
opportunities in solar application areas while maintaining sufficient
siting flexibility to account for site-specific resource considerations
on a case-by-case basis under subsequent project-specific decisions.
Mitigation
Mitigation in the Final Programmatic EIS generally involves
avoidance and minimization strategies. Avoidance is achieved by
excluding specific public lands from solar energy development
applications, based on the likelihood that projects in those locations
would cause unacceptable resource impacts. Minimization is accomplished
by requiring that various programmatic design features be incorporated
into solar project proposals. At the project
[[Page 70662]]
review stage, the BLM may determine that additional mitigation--such as
further avoidance, minimization, and compensation--is required.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
The Record of Decision and Approved RMP Amendments are anticipated
to be finalized in December 2024.
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. Consultation will
continue on an individual basis with interested Tribes.
Protest of the Proposed RMP Amendments
BLM planning regulations state that any person who participated in
the preparation of the RMP and has an interest that will or might be
adversely affected by approval of the Proposed RMP Amendments may
protest its approval to the BLM. Protest on the Proposed RMP Amendments
constitutes the final opportunity for administrative review of the
proposed land use planning decisions prior to the BLM approving RMP
Amendments. Instructions for filing a protest with the BLM regarding
the Proposed RMP Amendments may be found online (see ADDRESSES). All
protests must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address or
submitted electronically through the BLM ePlanning project website (see
ADDRESSES). Protests submitted electronically by any means other than
the ePlanning project website will be invalid unless a hard copy of the
protest is also submitted. The BLM will render a written decision on
each protest. The protest decision of the BLM shall be the final
decision of the Department of the Interior. Responses to valid protest
issues will be compiled and documented in a Protest Resolution Report
made available following the protest resolution online at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports. Upon resolution of protests, the BLM will issue a
Record of Decision and Approved RMP Amendments.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be
aware that your entire protest--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you may
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9; 40 CFR 1506.9; 43 CFR 1610.2; 43 CFR
1610.5)
David Rosenkrance,
Assistant Director, Energy, Minerals, and Realty Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-19478 Filed 8-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-29-P
