[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 188 (Monday, September 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55991-55992]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24666]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-050-5853-EU]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Las Vegas Valley Disposal Area as Expanded by the Clark County 
Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002, Pub. L. 
107-282, November 6, 2002, as Well as Other Designated Disposal Areas 
Within the Las Vegas Valley

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for land disposal and other land use authorizations in the Las 
Vegas Valley.

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the BLM intends to prepare 
a comprehensive EIS with the specific purpose to authorize transfer of 
title disposal actions or uses of public land in the Las Vegas Valley. 
The project area consists of all lands currently identified for 
disposal within the Las Vegas

[[Page 55992]]

Valley, including the Las Vegas Valley disposal area, the Valley West 
Disposal area and other legislatively authorized disposal areas. This 
does not preclude other authorized uses of public lands such as 
application for Rights-of-Way, Leases and Recreation and Public Purpose 
uses located in Clark County, Nevada, Hydrographic Basin 212. The EIS 
will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth by the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act (FLPMA), and BLM management policies. Completion of this EIS effort 
will ensure the intent of Congress as portrayed in the Southern Nevada 
Public Lands Management Act is met by providing land for organized 
local community development. The BLM will work collaboratively with all 
the interested public. The public scoping process will help identify 
issues and concerns based on potential build-out of the Las Vegas 
Valley as well as other potential uses of lands within Hydrographic 
Basin 212. This is critical as Basin 212 is currently classified as a 
serious non-attainment area for Particulate Matter 10 microns or less 
in size (PM10) and Carbon Monoxide (CO).

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. Comments and 
concerns on issues can be submitted in writing to the address listed 
below and will be accepted throughout the 30-day scoping period. All 
public meetings will be announced through the local news media, 
newsletters, and the BLM web site at http://www.nv.blm.gov at least 15 
days prior to the meeting. The minutes and list of attendees for each 
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days to any 
participant who wishes to clarify the views they expressed.
    Public Participation: Public meetings will be held throughout the 
EIS scoping and preparation period. The BLM will announce the locations 
and times for public scoping meetings at least fifteen days prior to 
the actual meeting dates. At this time, the BLM anticipates meetings 
will be held in late September and early October. Times and places will 
be posted on our web site as well as in notices in the local 
newspapers. Early participation is encouraged and will provide guidance 
and suggestions for future development within the Las Vegas Valley. In 
addition to the ongoing public participation process, formal 
opportunities for public participation will be provided upon 
publication of the BLM draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Bureau of Land 
Management, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las 
Vegas, Nevada 89130-2301; Fax (702) 515-5023. Documents pertinent to 
this proposal may be examined at the Las Vegas Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Jeffrey Steinmetz, BLM, 
Las Vegas Field Office, Telephone (702) 515-5097; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Law 107-282 added approximately 
22,000 acres to the existing Las Vegas Valley Disposal Area, by 
amending the existing boundary defined and approved in the Southern 
Nevada Public Lands Management Act, Pub. L. 105-263. Shortly after 
approval of Pub. L. 107-282, the BLM experienced a rapid increase in 
the requests for public land disposal. Public Law 107-282 significantly 
increased the amount of land available for disposal in the Las Vegas 
Valley. This created an immediate need to augment the impact analysis, 
especially the cumulative impact analysis contained in the Las Vegas 
Resource Management Plan, signed October 5, 1998.
    The changing needs and interests of the local governments and 
public relating to land for growth within the Las Vegas Valley 
necessitates a comprehensive update to the analysis in the existing Las 
Vegas Resource Management Plan, EIS. The major issue themes that will 
be addressed in the EIS include: Impacts to air quality; impacts to 
surface water hydrology and water quality; impacts to water use based 
on increased population; protection of federally-listed species, state-
listed species, and BLM sensitive species; analyze development 
scenarios based on local community development land use plans; 
minimizing visibility impacts; balancing conflicting and compatible 
land uses; protection of cultural and paleontological resources; 
environmental justice, social and economic impacts, cumulative impacts 
of the project for the entire 212 hydrologic basin based on build-out 
(build-out will include sales, and other land use authorizations); and 
assessment of land surface conditions.
    After gathering public comments on what issues the EIS should 
address, the suggested issues will be placed in one of three 
categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the EIS;
    2. Issues resolved through policy or administrative action; or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of the EIS.

Rationale will be provided in the EIS for each issue placed in category 
two or three. In addition to these major issues, a number of management 
questions and concerns will be addressed in the EIS. The public is 
encouraged to help identify these questions and concerns during the 
scoping phase.
    BLM is currently working with the Argonne National Laboratory to 
provide all baseline data as well as a predictive model for air impacts 
within the Las Vegas Valley. This analysis will be incorporated into 
the Las Vegas Valley Disposal EIS as the best available data to 
complete the cumulative impact analysis portion of the EIS.
    An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the EIS in 
order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Disciplines involved in the EIS process will include 
specialists with expertise in soils, minerals and geology; hydrology; 
botany; wildlife; transportation; visual resources; air quality; lands 
and realty; outdoor recreation; archaeology; paleontology; and 
sociology and economics.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the Las Vegas Field Office during 
regular business hours (7:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.), Monday through 
Friday, except holidays, and may be published as part of the EIS. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name or street address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests 
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from 
organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: August 14, 2003.
Angie C. Lara,
Acting Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-24666 Filed 9-25-03; 10:46 am]
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