[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29361-29362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12461]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCOS06000-L91310000-EI0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the 
Proposed Competitive Geothermal Lease Sale, Gunnison County, CO and 
Land Use Plan Amendment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Gunnison Field Office, Gunnison, Colorado intends to prepare an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) to consider whether, and under what 
conditions, to issue geothermal leases under pending nominations, which 
may include an amendment to the Gunnison Resource Area Approved 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) of February 1993, as amended by the RMP 
Amendments for Geothermal Leasing in the Western United States (2008). 
While the area nominated for geothermal leasing is allocated as open to 
consideration for geothermal leasing under the amended Plan, and the 
proposed level of development contemplated in the amended Plan will not 
be exceeded by issuance of the proposed leases, the Reasonably 
Foreseeable Development scenario for the resource area has been refined 
and updated since that time, and additional stipulations to protect 
other resources and uses may be developed through this process and 
adopted into the Plan. The BLM proposes to amend the existing Gunnison 
Resource Area RMP using the NEPA analysis to support its decision. 
Review of the RMP is necessary due to recently updated information 
regarding the presence of Gunnison sage-grouse and Canada lynx habitat 
that was not analyzed in the existing RMP. The BLM, by this notice, is 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EA and 
RMP amendment. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until 
June 24, 2010. A joint public scoping meeting was held by the BLM and 
the U.S. Forest Service (FS) in Gunnison, Colorado on March 11, 2010. 
The date(s) and location(s) of any additional scoping meetings will be 
announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers 
and the following BLM Web site: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gfo.html. In order to be included in the EA, all comments must be 
received prior to the close of the scoping period or 30 days after the 
last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will provide 
additional opportunities for public participation upon publication of 
the EA.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to Competitive Geothermal Lease Nomination, Gunnison County by 
any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gfo.html.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (970) 642-4425.
     Mail: BLM, Gunnison Field Office, 216 N. Colorado St., 
Gunnison, Colorado 81230.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Gunnison Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Marnie Medina, Realty 
Specialist, telephone (970) 642-4457; address 216 N. Colorado St., 
Gunnison, Colorado 81230; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM has received two block nominations 
of lands for competitive geothermal leasing. One block includes 
approximately 4,586 acres of public lands and 400 acres of split estate 
lands, i.e., private surface overlying the Federal mineral estate. The 
second block includes approximately 3,765 acres of FS lands. The 
proposed lease of that block will be included in the study area for 
BLM's EA, but also will be analyzed by the FS in a separate 
environmental analysis. The FS will use its own NEPA process to decide 
whether, and under what conditions, to consent to the issuance of 
geothermal leases on its lands. In addition, the Colorado State Land 
Board has received an application for a geothermal lease on State lands 
adjacent to some of the nominated FS lands. The nominated lands are 
located in southeastern Gunnison County, north of Highway 50, in the 
general vicinity of Tomichi Dome east of Gunnison, Colorado. While the 
BLM lands at issue are currently open to geothermal leasing, current 
RMP-level use restrictions and stipulations designed to protect other 
resources, in particular Gunnison sage-grouse (a BLM special status 
species) and Canada lynx (recently listed under the Endangered Species 
Act), may not be adequate or have not been formally adopted into the 
RMP. The nominated BLM lands are within occupied sage-grouse habitat 
and include about 200 acres of potential lynx habitat. The decision to 
be made is whether to offer the lands in the study area for geothermal 
lease, and if so, to identify the constraints, major and minor, under 
which geothermal leasing and development could occur. The planning 
level decisions could include, among other things, development of 
adequate protective measures for cultural resources, sage-grouse, and 
lynx, and other resources, which may involve some minor resource-
specific land use plan amendments. Individual lease issuance decisions 
for the nominated lands will be made based on this NEPA process. A 
geothermal lease provides a non-exclusive right to future exploration 
and an exclusive right to produce and use the geothermal resources 
within the lease area, subject

[[Page 29362]]

to existing laws, regulations, formal orders, terms, conditions, and 
stipulations in or attached to the lease form, or included as 
conditions of approval to permits.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to: (1) Determine 
relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental 
analysis, including alternatives, and guide the process for amending 
the land use plan to adopt new stipulations and other conservation 
measures, and (2) decide whether, and under what conditions, to issue 
geothermal leases in the study area. At present, the BLM has identified 
the following preliminary issues:
     Conservation of Gunnison sage-grouse population and 
habitat;
     Conservation of Canada lynx seasonal habitat;
     Impacts to cultural resources;
     Impacts to known geothermal resources and features in and 
near the lease nomination area;
     Demand for renewable energy and local economic impacts;
     Access to and across private lands;
     Impacts to critical big game winter range and other 
wildlife habitat;
     Visual impacts from potential development; and
     Cumulative impacts associated with geothermal leasing 
including the potential for exploration and development operations.
    By this notice, the BLM is complying with requirements in 43 CFR 
1610.2(c) to notify the public of potential amendments to land use 
plans, predicated on the findings of the EA. If a land use plan 
amendment is necessary, the BLM will integrate the land use planning 
process with the NEPA process for this project.
    The BLM may use a combination of scoping periods, public meetings, 
and the NEPA process to supplement the public involvement process 
required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Native 
American Tribal consultations will be conducted and Tribal concerns, 
including impacts on Indian trust assets will be given due 
consideration. Federal, state, and local agencies, along with other 
stakeholders that may be interested or affected by the BLM's decision 
on this project are invited to participate in the scoping process and, 
if eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to participate as a 
Cooperating Agency. Agencies or organizations with technical expertise 
or jurisdictional authority will be invited to participate as 
Cooperating Agencies in the NEPA analysis and environmental review. 
Likely cooperating agencies identified thus far include the County of 
Gunnison, the City of Gunnison, the State of Colorado Governor's Energy 
Office and Department of Natural Resources (Division of Wildlife, 
Division of Water Resources, State Land Board, and Colorado Geological 
Survey), the FS, the Western Area Power Administration, the 
Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
the Southern Ute Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the Northern Ute 
Tribe.
    An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop any plan 
amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified during public scoping. Notification of the planning 
process will be made to the Governor of Colorado, County Commissioners, 
local tribes and potentially affected members of the public. The public 
is encouraged to help identify questions and concerns during the 
scoping phase.
    Preliminary planning criteria are:
    1. The BLM will continue to manage the public land within the 
planning area in accordance with FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 (et seq.), other 
applicable laws and regulations, and all existing public land laws.
    2. The BLM will use a collaborative and multi-jurisdictional 
approach, where possible, to jointly determine the desired future 
condition of public lands.
    3. The socio-economic impacts of the alternatives will be 
addressed.
    4. The amendment process will follow the FLPMA planning process and 
include an EA that will comply with NEPA standards and an Environmental 
Impact Statement if a Finding of No Significant Impact cannot be 
reached.
    5. Decisions in the Amendment will strive to be compatible with 
existing plans and policies of adjacent local, State, Federal and 
Tribal agencies to the extent that those plans and policies are 
consistent with Federal law governing the administration of public 
land.
    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 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Helen M. Hankins,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-12461 Filed 5-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P