[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 129 (Friday, July 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37047-37048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13102]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-050-5853-EU]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement to the Las Vegas Valley Disposal Boundary Final Environmental 
Impact Statement to Analyze Boundary Adjustments to and Management of 
the Conservation Transfer Area

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) Las Vegas Field Office, Nevada intends to prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to the Las Vegas Disposal 
Boundary Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to analyze a 
possible adjustment of the boundary of the Conservation Transfer Area 
(CTA) referenced in the December 2004 FEIS and Record of Decision 
(ROD). Analysis of this possible boundary adjustment will include the 
management of approximately 13,400 acres of lands managed by the BLM. 
Under the ROD for the 2004 FEIS, approximately 5,000 acres were 
determined to be subject to a process of more study, collaboration, 
further NEPA analysis, and approval of a conservation agreement, prior 
to the transfer of title. The conservation agreement would determine 
the allowable uses to protect the resources within the CTA. 
Furthermore, the ROD stated that the boundary of the CTA would be 
adaptable to the needs and concerns of interested parties. The option 
was open to increase or decrease the size of the CTA with additional 
analysis. The SEIS to be prepared will analyze the effects of a variety 
of options for a final boundary for the CTA, as well as the impacts of 
several proposed uses, and the effect of retention of the CTA by the 
United States for management by the BLM. This analysis, and any 
decision made on the basis of this analysis, will ensure the direction 
reflected in the 2004 FEIS and ROD is met. This action is consistent 
with the Las Vegas Resource Management Plan of 1998, as superseded by 
the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) of 1998 and 
the Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act 
(Clark County Act) of 2002.

DATES: Publication of this notice initiates the public scoping process. 
Scoping meetings will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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.

ADDRESSES: Comments and information should be submitted to the BLM 
within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. 
You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 702-515-5023.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Las Vegas Field Office, 
Attention: Jeffrey Steinmetz, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, 
Nevada 89130-2301. Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined 
at the Las Vegas Field Office.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM conducted 10 public stakeholder 
meetings from November, 2004 to August, 2005. More than 160 members of 
the public participated in this process. Input was received on behalf 
of (1) the City of Las Vegas, (2) the City of North Las Vegas, (3) 
conservation groups, (4) recreation groups, (5) regional governmental 
entities (flood, water, transportation), (6) State of Nevada, (7) U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (both Ecological Services and Refuge), (8) 
Clark County, (9) education institutions, (10) utilities, (11) 
builders/developers, and (12) Native American Tribes. All meetings were 
open to the public. The BLM received preliminary input on a variety of 
topics, including vision statements, goals and objectives, boundaries, 
infrastructure, recreation, education, and management options. By the 
end of this process, the BLM determined that a SEIS was warranted to 
analyze proposed boundaries and management of the CTA because the 
complexity of issues surrounding the CTA and the interest of local 
governments and citizens necessitates a comprehensive analysis of any 
adjustment to the boundary and/or management of the CTA, as referenced 
in the 2004 FEIS and ROD. The major issue themes anticipated to be 
addressed in the SEIS include: Impacts to air quality; impacts to 
surface water hydrology and water quality; protection of fossil-bearing 
formations; protection of federally-listed species, state-listed 
species, and BLM sensitive species; analysis of development scenarios 
based on updated local community development land use plans; impacts to 
visual resources; balancing conflicting and compatible land uses; 
protection of cultural and paleontological resources; environmental 
justice, social and economic impacts, cumulative impacts of the project 
based on build-out (build-out will include land sales and other land 
use authorizations); and assessment of land surface conditions.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis as 
well as alternatives analyzed in the SEIS. You may submit comments on 
issues and planning criteria in writing to the BLM at any public 
scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the BLM using one of the 
methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To be most helpful, you 
should submit formal scoping comments within 30 days after publication 
of this notice in the Federal Register. Before including your address, 
phone number, e-mail 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. 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. 
The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping meeting will be 
available to the public and open for 30 days after the meeting to any 
participant who wishes to clarify the view he or she expressed.

[[Page 37048]]

    After gathering public comments on what additional issues the SEIS 
should address, the suggested issues will be placed in one of two 
categories:
    1. Issues to be analyzed in the SEIS and
    2. Issues beyond the scope of the SEIS.
    Rationale for the placement of each issue in category one or two, 
as well as for the resolution of such issue(s) will be included in the 
SEIS and/or ROD for the CTA. During the scoping phase, the public is 
encouraged to help identify questions and concerns to be addressed 
through the management of the CTA.
    An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the SEIS in 
order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Disciplines involved in the SEIS 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, including community development.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.

    Dated: April 3, 2007.
Juan Palma,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. E7-13102 Filed 7-5-07; 8:45 am]
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