Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement for the Bonanza Solar Project, Nevada, 72887-72888 [2024-19552]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 173 / Friday, September 6, 2024 / Notices
While you can request in your comment
that we withhold your personal
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review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so. All submissions
from organizations or businesses, and
from individuals identifying themselves
as representatives or officials, will be
made available for public disclosure in
their entirety.
Next Steps
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we will publish a notice in the Federal
Register.
Authority
We publish this notice under section
10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).
Angela Picco,
Regional Threatened and Endangered Species
Lead, Ecological Services, Pacific Southwest
Region, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2024–20076 Filed 9–5–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500179144]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Resource Management Plan
Amendment and Environmental Impact
Statement for the Bonanza Solar
Project, Nevada
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)
Nevada State Office has prepared a Draft
Resource Management Plan (RMP)
Amendment with an associated Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to consider the effects of a right-of-way
(ROW) application from Bonanza Solar,
LLC for the Bonanza Solar Project and
by this notice is announcing the
opening of the comment period on the
Draft RMP Amendment/EIS.
DATES: This notice announces the
opening of a 90-day comment period for
the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS
beginning with the date following the
Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) publication of its Notice of
Availability (NOA) in the Federal
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:42 Sep 05, 2024
Jkt 262001
Register. The EPA usually publishes its
NOAs on Fridays.
To afford the BLM the opportunity to
consider comments in the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS, 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
holding a combination of virtual and inperson public meetings. The specific
date(s) and location(s) of these meetings
will be announced at least 15 days in
advance through the Project website.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the Bonanza Solar Project and
RMP Amendment by any of the
following methods:
• Project website: https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2020905/510.
• Email: Bonanzasolar@blm.gov.
• Mail: BLM, Nevada State Office,
Attn: Renewable Energy Coordination
Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno,
Nevada 89502.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined online at https://
eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2020905/510 and at the
Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N
Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada
89130.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katy
Paiva, Project Manager, telephone (775)
861–6723; address 1340 Financial
Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502; email
Bonanzasolar@blm.gov. Contact us at
this email address to have your name
added to our mailing list. 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 Katy Paiva. 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.
This
document provides notice that the BLM
has prepared a Draft RMP Amendment/
EIS and announces the opening of the
comment period on the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS. The Draft RMP
amendments evaluated changes to the
existing 1998 Las Vegas RMP to modify
an existing utility corridor and
reclassify the visual resources
management class in the project area.
The project area is in Clark County,
Nevada, and encompasses
approximately 5,131 acres of public
lands with a gen-tie transmission going
into Nye County for 10 acres.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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72887
Purpose and Need
The BLM’s purpose is to respond
under title V of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1761)
to an application submitted by Bonanza
Solar, LLC on December 1, 2020, to
construct, operate, maintain, and
eventually decommission a solar
photovoltaic electric generating facility
and associated facilities with a capacity
of 300 megawatts.
The need for this action is established
by BLM’s responsibilities under FLPMA
and its ROW regulations to consider the
application. The BLM is required by
FLPMA Section 103(c) to manage public
lands for multiple uses that consider the
long-term needs of future generations
for renewable and non-renewable
resources. The Secretary of the Interior
authorized the BLM to grant ROWs on
public lands for systems of generation,
transmission, and distribution of
electric energy (43 U.S.C. 1761(a)(4)).
Alternatives Including the Preferred
Alternative
The BLM analyzed five alternatives in
detail, including the no action
alternative. Under the no action
alternative, the project would not be
authorized or constructed. The BLM
evaluated four action alternatives,
including the Proposed Action, a
Resource Integration Alternative
(Alternative 1), a BLM Preferred
Alternative (Alternative 2), and a
Modified Layout Alternative
(Alternative 3), with variations on
management objectives for vegetation
cover and grading limits, measures to
maintain the area for Mojave desert
tortoise connectivity, and the source of
the water for construction, operations
and maintenance. The BLM further
considered six additional alternatives
but dismissed these from detailed
analysis as explained in the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS.
The BLM has identified Alternative 2
as the BLM Preferred Alternative.
Alternative 2 was found to best meet the
planning guidance and, therefore,
selected as the preferred alternative
because it provides the best opportunity
for solar energy development while
allowing for the maintenance of habitat
for Mojave desert tortoise connectivity.
Mitigation
The BLM Preferred Alternative
includes measures to maintain and/or
improve connectivity along U.S.
Highway 95 for connectivity for the
Mojave desert tortoise through the
requirement of minimum vegetation
retention standards and grading limits.
The BLM Preferred Alternative also
includes anti-perching/nesting
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
72888
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 173 / Friday, September 6, 2024 / Notices
deterrents to minimize predation by
ravens. Bonanza Solar, LLC will also be
required to pay remuneration fees for
impacts to Mojave desert tortoise
habitats.
Area of Critical Environmental Concern
On September 22, 2020, the BLM
received a nomination from the public
to designate an Area of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACEC)
consisting of approximately 58,000
acres in the Cactus Springs area. The
nominated ACEC overlaps the entire
project area. In this Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS, the BLM is not
considering the ACEC nomination
because designation of ACECs is not
within the scope of the current planning
process. Consistent with policy (HQ IM
2023–013), the BLM has prepared a
relevance and importance values report
for the nominated ACEC area and
determined that special management
attention is needed. The BLM has
provided temporary management and
implementation actions to protect
values in the area, which have been
incorporated into the BLM Preferred
Alternative.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
The BLM will provide additional
opportunities for public participation
consistent with the NEPA and land use
planning processes, including a 30-day
public protest period and a 60-day
Governor’s consistency review of the
Proposed RMP Amendment. The
Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS is
anticipated to be available for public
protest in April 2025 with a Record of
Decision in August 2025.
To afford the BLM the opportunity to
consider comments in the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS, 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 has utilized and
coordinated 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
(NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108). The BLM
has elected to comply with NHPA
Section 106 requirements through the
NEPA process (36 CFR 800.8(c)). The
information about historic and cultural
resources and threatened and
endangered species within the area
potentially affected by the proposed
plan has assisted the BLM in identifying
16:42 Sep 05, 2024
Jkt 262001
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2,
and 43 CFR 2800)
Jon K. Raby,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024–19552 Filed 9–5–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–21–P
Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
VerDate Sep<11>2014
and evaluating impacts to such
resources.
The BLM will continue to consult
with Indian Tribes on a government-togovernment basis in accordance with
Executive Order 13175, BLM MS 1780,
and other Departmental policies. Tribal
concerns, including potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Additional governmentto-government meetings will occur
during this review period.
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.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLAK931000.L10200000.EE0000.245; OMB
Control No. 1004–0182]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Alaska Reindeer Grazing
Requirements
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
proposes to reinstate an expired
information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before
November 5, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send your written
comments on this information
collection request (ICR) by mail to
Darrin King, Information Collection
Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of
the Interior, Bureau of Land
Management, Attention PRA Office, 440
W 200 S #500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101;
or by email to BLM_HQ_PRA_
Comments@blm.gov. Please reference
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Control Number 1004–0182 in
the subject line of your comments.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Please note that the electronic
submission of comments is
recommended.
To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Aliza D. DuComb, by
email at aducomb@blm.gov, or by
telephone at (907) 267–1398 or Ann
Erickson, by email at aerickson@
bml.gov, or by telephone at (907) 271–
1985. 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: In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all
information collections require approval
under the PRA. We may not conduct or
sponsor, and you are not required to
respond to a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
As part of our continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other
Federal agencies to comment on new,
proposed, revised, and continuing
collections of information. This helps us
assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. It also
helps the public understand our
information collection requirements and
provide the requested data in the
desired format.
We are especially interested in public
comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether the 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 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 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
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 173 (Friday, September 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72887-72888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19552]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500179144]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan
Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement for the Bonanza Solar
Project, Nevada
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) Nevada
State Office has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP)
Amendment with an associated Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to consider the effects of a right-of-way (ROW) application from
Bonanza Solar, LLC for the Bonanza Solar Project and by this notice is
announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS.
DATES: This notice announces the opening of a 90-day comment period for
the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS 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
RMP Amendment/EIS, 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 holding a combination of
virtual and in-person public meetings. The specific date(s) and
location(s) of these meetings will be announced at least 15 days in
advance through the Project website.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Bonanza Solar Project
and RMP Amendment by any of the following methods:
Project website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020905/510.
Email: [email protected].
Mail: BLM, Nevada State Office, Attn: Renewable Energy
Coordination Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada 89502.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020905/510 and at the
Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas,
Nevada 89130.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katy Paiva, Project Manager, telephone
(775) 861-6723; address 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502; email
[email protected]. Contact us at this email address to have your
name added to our mailing list. 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 Katy Paiva. 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
has prepared a Draft RMP Amendment/EIS and announces the opening of the
comment period on the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS. The Draft RMP amendments
evaluated changes to the existing 1998 Las Vegas RMP to modify an
existing utility corridor and reclassify the visual resources
management class in the project area.
The project area is in Clark County, Nevada, and encompasses
approximately 5,131 acres of public lands with a gen-tie transmission
going into Nye County for 10 acres.
Purpose and Need
The BLM's purpose is to respond under title V of FLPMA (43 U.S.C.
1761) to an application submitted by Bonanza Solar, LLC on December 1,
2020, to construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a
solar photovoltaic electric generating facility and associated
facilities with a capacity of 300 megawatts.
The need for this action is established by BLM's responsibilities
under FLPMA and its ROW regulations to consider the application. The
BLM is required by FLPMA Section 103(c) to manage public lands for
multiple uses that consider the long-term needs of future generations
for renewable and non-renewable resources. The Secretary of the
Interior authorized the BLM to grant ROWs on public lands for systems
of generation, transmission, and distribution of electric energy (43
U.S.C. 1761(a)(4)).
Alternatives Including the Preferred Alternative
The BLM analyzed five alternatives in detail, including the no
action alternative. Under the no action alternative, the project would
not be authorized or constructed. The BLM evaluated four action
alternatives, including the Proposed Action, a Resource Integration
Alternative (Alternative 1), a BLM Preferred Alternative (Alternative
2), and a Modified Layout Alternative (Alternative 3), with variations
on management objectives for vegetation cover and grading limits,
measures to maintain the area for Mojave desert tortoise connectivity,
and the source of the water for construction, operations and
maintenance. The BLM further considered six additional alternatives but
dismissed these from detailed analysis as explained in the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS.
The BLM has identified Alternative 2 as the BLM Preferred
Alternative. Alternative 2 was found to best meet the planning guidance
and, therefore, selected as the preferred alternative because it
provides the best opportunity for solar energy development while
allowing for the maintenance of habitat for Mojave desert tortoise
connectivity.
Mitigation
The BLM Preferred Alternative includes measures to maintain and/or
improve connectivity along U.S. Highway 95 for connectivity for the
Mojave desert tortoise through the requirement of minimum vegetation
retention standards and grading limits. The BLM Preferred Alternative
also includes anti-perching/nesting
[[Page 72888]]
deterrents to minimize predation by ravens. Bonanza Solar, LLC will
also be required to pay remuneration fees for impacts to Mojave desert
tortoise habitats.
Area of Critical Environmental Concern
On September 22, 2020, the BLM received a nomination from the
public to designate an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)
consisting of approximately 58,000 acres in the Cactus Springs area.
The nominated ACEC overlaps the entire project area. In this Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS, the BLM is not considering the ACEC nomination because
designation of ACECs is not within the scope of the current planning
process. Consistent with policy (HQ IM 2023-013), the BLM has prepared
a relevance and importance values report for the nominated ACEC area
and determined that special management attention is needed. The BLM has
provided temporary management and implementation actions to protect
values in the area, which have been incorporated into the BLM Preferred
Alternative.
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 30-day public protest period and a 60-day Governor's
consistency review of the Proposed RMP Amendment. The Proposed RMP
Amendment/Final EIS is anticipated to be available for public protest
in April 2025 with a Record of Decision in August 2025.
To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the Draft
RMP Amendment/EIS, 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 has utilized and coordinated 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
(NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108). The BLM has elected to comply with NHPA
Section 106 requirements through the NEPA process (36 CFR 800.8(c)).
The information about historic and cultural resources and threatened
and endangered species within the area potentially affected by the
proposed plan has assisted the BLM in identifying and evaluating
impacts to such resources.
The BLM will continue to 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 potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Additional government-to-government meetings will occur
during this review period.
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, 43 CFR 1610.2, and 43 CFR 2800)
Jon K. Raby,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-19552 Filed 9-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
