[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 135 (Friday, July 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40975-40977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13847]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Green Mountain National Forest; Vermont; Deerfield Wind Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service has accepted an application for a special 
use authorization from Deerfield Wind, LLC for the installation and 
operation of 20 to 30 wind turbines on National Forest System (NFS) 
lands managed by Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The project 
would utilize approximately 80 acres of National Forest land within the 
Manchester District.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by August 15, 2005. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected in August 2005 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected February 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Gina Owens, District Ranger, 
Manchester Ranger District, USDA Forest Service, 2538 Depot Street, 
Manchester Center, VT 05255.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Bayer, Project Coordinator, 
Manchester Ranger District, USDA Forest Service, 2538 Depot Street, 
Manchester Center, VT 05255; 802-362-2307 ext. 218; e-mail: 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purposed and Need for Action

    The purpose of the proposed action is to provide between 30 and 45 
megawatts (MW) of new wind energy and capacity by expanding the 
existing private land based wind power facility in Searsburg, Vermont 
onto National Forest System (NFS) lands. The new capacity will supply 
additional renewable power to the Vermont and New England electric 
supply grid. The use and occupancy of federal lands is an important 
element in facilitating the exploration, development, and transmission 
of affordable, renewable

[[Page 40976]]

and reliable energy in the region to meet the purpose.
    The projected project is needed to:
    1. Contribute to Vermont's and the region's growing demand for 
reliable sources of clean, cost-effective, renewable energy generated 
electricity.
    2. Contribute to a secure, reliable supply of electric generating 
capacity to address the regional and local need.
    3. Reduce the region's over-dependence on natural gas generation, 
thereby decreasing electric price volatility and providing potential 
cost savings to consumers.
    4. Reduce air emissions, and the associated negative environmental 
and human health effects, produced by fossil fuel-fired electric 
generation, thereby improving local and regional air quality.

Proposed Action

    The Deerfield Wind Project is proposed on two separate ridge lines 
east and west of Vermont Route 8. Approximately half of the 20 to 30 
new state-of-the-art turbines would be placed on the east side on Route 
8 on the same ridgeline as the existing Green Mountain Power 
Corporation (GMP) Searsburg Wind Farm, which was placed in service in 
1997 on 35 acres of private lands adjacent to GMNF land. It consists of 
eleven, 0.55 megawatt (MW) (550 kilowatts (kW)) wind turbines, each 
just under 200 feet in height, that together are capable of producing 6 
MW of electricity. Ten to fifteen new 1.5 to 2.0 MW (1,500 to 2,000 kW) 
turbines would be placed adjacent to the existing wind turbines on the 
east ridge (eastern project area). The remaining ten to fifteen 
turbines would be placed along the ridgeline to the west of Route 8 
(western project area). The wind turbines would be capable of producing 
30 to 45 MW of electricity. Each wind turbine consists of a tubular 
steel tower, a nacelle (which houses the turbine's mechanical 
components), and a three-bladed rotor. Total height of the wind turbine 
is expected to be approximately 340 to 370 feet. Along with the 
turbines, the project will include a storage and maintenance building 
that will be approximately 24 feet by 40 feet in dimension, 
approximately 4 miles of gravel access road, and approximately 4 miles 
of underground and overhead electrical lines. These lines will connect 
a new substation constructed in the northern section of the western 
project area on USFS lands. The new substation will be enclosed in a 
chain link fence and be approximately one-half acre in size and contain 
a transformer and other electrical equipment. An alternative 
interconnection point for electric lines would be an existing GMP 
substation on private land on the east side of Route 8. Construction of 
the proposed project would require clearing of up to 80 acres of 
National Forest land. The Forest Service has determined that an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) is required to fully and 
effectively evaluate this site-specific application.

Responsible Official

    Paul Brewster, Forest Supervisor, Green Mountain and Finger Lakes 
National Forests, 231 North Main Street, Rutland, VT 05071-2417.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Deerfield Wind LLC has made application to the Forest Service for a 
Special Use Authorization seeking authorization to occupy and use NSF 
lands for the purpose of constructing and operating a wind power 
facility on the Green Mountain National Forest. The decision to be made 
is whether to grant the authorization for the construction and 
operation activities as proposed, or as modified by an alternative to 
the proposed activities, or to defer granting of the authorization.

Scoping Process

    The GMNF plans to scope for information by contacting persons and 
organizations interested or potentially affected by the proposed action 
by using mailings, public announcements, and personal contacts. In 
addition, two separate public scoping meetings will be held to collect 
public input on the scope of the EIS:
    Scoping Meeting #1: August 3, 2005, Grand Summit Resort Hotel, 
Mount Snow, 12 Pisgah Road, West Dover, VT. An open house format will 
be used. The public is welcome between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
    Scoping Meeting #2: August 4, 2005, Whitingham Elementary School, 
Route 100 South, Jacksonville, VT. An open house format will be used. 
The public is welcome between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Comments Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The primary 
purpose is to gather public comments, issues, and concerns regarding 
the proposed action. Comments, issues and concerns will be used to help 
formulate alternatives to the proposed action. Please make your written 
comments as specific as possible as they relate to the proposed action, 
and include your name, address, and, if possible, telephone number and 
e-mail address. Comments received in response to this solicitation, 
including the names and addresses of those who comment, will be 
considered part of the public record and will be available for public 
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and 
considered. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may 
request that a submission be withheld from the public record by showing 
how the Freedom of Information Act permits such confidentiality. 
Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that 
confidentiality is granted in only very limited circumstances. The 
Forest Service will inform the requester of its decision regarding a 
request for confidentiality. Where the request is denied, the 
submission will be returned, and the requester notified that the 
comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: A draft environmental impact statement will be 
prepared for comment. The comment period on the draft environmental 
impact statement will be 45 days from the date the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability in the Federal 
Register.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important 
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
draft environmental impact statements must structure their 
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is 
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
533 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may 
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, 
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action 
participate by the close of the 45 day comment period so that 
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to 
them in the final environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, written comments on the draft 
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is 
also

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helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the draft 
statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft 
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives 
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer 
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: July 8, 2005.
Paul K. Brewster,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 05-13847 Filed 7-14-05; 8:45 am]
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