[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 144 (Friday, July 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43469-43470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-17071]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTEROR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-030-5101-ER-K103; WYW-167155]


Notice of Intent To Announce a Proposed Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy 
Project, Announce a Proposed EIS To Amend Rawlins Resource Management 
Plan, and Announce a Public Comment Period and Public Meetings for 
Obtaining Comments

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to (1) announce a proposed Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy 
Project; (2) announce a proposed EIS to amend Rawlins Resource 
Management Plan; and (3) announce a public comment period and public 
meetings for obtaining comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, an EIS will be prepared by the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM), Rawlins Field Office, Wyoming, for the 
Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project in Carbon County, 
Wyoming. The EIS will analyze the impacts of issuing rights-of-way for 
a wind energy project and ancillary facilities (consisting of access 
roads, electric power gathering cables, an electric transmission line, 
and electric substations).

DATES: Public meetings will be held to inform the public and obtain 
comments. Dates, times, and locations of meetings will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through local media, news releases, and 
posting to the BLM Web

[[Page 43470]]

site. The public comment period will close 45 days after publication in 
the Federal Register. The BLM Field Manager, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 
N. Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301 will receive comments submitted 
via mail or overnight delivery from the general public and interested 
parties. Facsimiles, telephone calls, or electronic mail via the 
Internet will not be considered as validly submitted comments. 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Nino, Realty Specialist, 
Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 North Third 
Street, Rawlins, WY 82301 or [email protected], or Jerry Crockford 
at cellular telephone (505) 360-0473.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will address the proposed action and 
a range of reasonable alternatives including a no action alternative.
    The proposed action can be summarized as: construction, operation 
and maintenance of a nominal 2,000 megawatt (MW) wind energy project 
and ancillary facilities. The wind energy project area comprises 
approximately 98,500 acres located within Townships 19 and 20 North, 
Ranges 85 through 87 West for the Chokecherry area, and Townships 16 
through 18 North, Ranges 87 through 89 West for the Sierra Madre area. 
The project occurs in a ``checker board'' land ownership pattern area 
with approximately half of the land being BLM public land, and 
approximately half being private and State of Wyoming ownership.
    The proposed 2,000 MWs will be provided by approximately 675 2-MW 
turbines to be constructed in the Chokecherry area portion of the 
project, and approximately 325 2-MW turbines to be constructed in the 
Sierra Madre portion of the project area. Other associated facilities 
required by the project will include access roads, underground electric 
gathering lines, an overhead electric transmission line, and electric 
substations to interconnect the generated power to the electric grid. 
The project will utilize existing roads.
    The project will require approximately three to five years for 
construction, with an in-service target date of late-2012. The project 
will operate continuously, except for maintenance shutdowns on 
individual wind turbine generators, with a projected 30-year life. 
Power would interconnect with the national electric grid.
    Under the No Action Alternative, BLM would not issue right-of-way 
grants for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project and 
ancillary facilities. The project including the wind generating 
turbines, access roads, gathering cables, substations, and transmission 
line would not be constructed. The areas proposed for the Chokecherry 
and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project and ancillary facilities would 
remain undeveloped. An energy need would not be met by the proposed 
generated power.
    Public participation is encouraged throughout the processing of 
this project. Comments presented throughout the process will be 
considered.

    Dated: July 9, 2008.
Patrick Madigan,
Field Manager, Rawlins Field Office, Wyoming.
[FR Doc. E8-17071 Filed 7-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P