[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 14 (Friday, January 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3755-3756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-976]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVS01000 L58530000 EU0000; 09-08807; TAS: 14X5232]


Notice of Availability of Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Upper Las Vegas Wash Conservation Transfer Area, Las 
Vegas, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
establishing a final boundary for the Upper Las Vegas Wash Conservation 
Transfer Area, Las Vegas, Nevada, and by this Notice is announcing the 
opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Upper Las Vegas Wash Conservation Transfer Area 
Draft Supplemental EIS within 60 days following the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in 
the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings 
and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance 
through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Upper Las Vegas Wash 
Conservation Transfer Area by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 702-515-5023.
     Mail: Bob Ross, Field Manager, BLM Las Vegas Field Office, 
4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130-2301.

Copies of the Draft Supplemental EIS for the Upper Las Vegas Wash 
Conservation Transfer Area are available in the Las Vegas Field Office 
at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Gayle 
Marrs-Smith, telephone (702) 515-5156 or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft Supplemental EIS describes and 
analyzes possible boundary adjustments to the Upper Las Vegas Wash 
Conservation Transfer Area (CTA) referenced in the 2004 Final Las Vegas 
Valley Disposal Boundary

[[Page 3756]]

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision. Because of 
the significance of paleontological, botanical, hydrological, and 
cultural resources present within the CTA study area and the need for 
additional public input, the BLM is preparing a Supplemental EIS. The 
BLM proposes to establish a final boundary for the CTA. This decision 
was not made in the 2004 Record of Decision. The CTA study area is 
located in the northern portion of the Las Vegas Valley. A defined 
final boundary is needed to ensure protection of sensitive resources, 
including fossils, cultural resources, the natural functioning of the 
wash, and endemic plants on public lands available for disposal within 
the CTA study area, in accordance with applicable laws.
    Six alternatives for boundaries are analyzed, ranging from 
approximately 13,000 acres to less than 1,500 acres. Alternative A, at 
12,953 acres, includes the fossil formation, sensitive cultural and 
plant resources, active wash, the adjacent alluvial fan, and a one mile 
resource protection zone around northern and eastern boundaries of the 
Las Vegas Paiute reservation. Alternative B, at 11,008 acres, includes 
the fossil formation, sensitive cultural and plant resources, active 
wash, and the adjacent alluvial fan. Alternative B is the BLM's 
Preferred Alternative. Alternative C, at 6,362 acres, includes the 
fossil formation, sensitive cultural and plant resources, active wash, 
and a portion of the adjacent alluvial fan. Alternative D, at 5,301 
acres, includes most of the fossil formation, the sensitive cultural 
and rare plant resources, and the active wash. Alternative E, at 3,314 
acres, includes some of the fossil formation, the sensitive cultural 
and rare plant resources, and part of the active wash. The No Action 
alternative, at 1,448 acres, includes the Tule Spring cultural site and 
the 300-acre Eglington Preserve. Scoping of the project occurred from 
June 6 to August 20, 2007, and was extended to September 4, 2007. A 
total of 1,183 individuals submitted comments. Comments received 
pertained to a variety of broad categories, including alternatives, 
boundaries, management, and physical/natural resources. Additional 
stakeholder involvement has been achieved through the BLM's newsletters 
that provided updates on the Supplemental EIS process.
    The Draft Supplemental EIS addresses the following issues 
identified during scoping: NEPA process (consultation/coordination, 
proposal description, alternatives, and connected actions/cumulative 
impacts); social resources (cultural resources, visual resources, 
noise, land use, recreation, transportation, and socioeconomic 
resources); and physical/natural resources (botanical resources, water 
resources, paleontological resources, and geologic/soil resources).
    Maps of the CTA study area and the alternatives being analyzed in 
the Supplemental EIS are available at the BLM Las Vegas Field Office. 
Please note that public comments and information submitted including 
names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of persons who submit 
comments will be available for public review and disclosure at the 
above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday 
through Friday, except holidays.
    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.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

Angie Lara,
Associate District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-976 Filed 1-21-10; 8:45 am]
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