[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 190 (Friday, October 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 60804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24557]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLOPRP0600 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWH09H0600; HAG 10-0338]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the West Butte Wind Power Right-of-Way, Crook and 
Deschutes Counties, OR

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Deschutes Resource 
Area, Prineville, Oregon, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the West Butte Wind Power Right-of-Way and by this 
Notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: A Record of Decision (ROD) may be signed no sooner than 30 days 
after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of 
Availability of the Final EIS in the Federal Register. The availability 
of the ROD will be announced through a subsequent Federal Register 
notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Storo, BLM West Butte Wind Power 
Right of Way Project Lead: telephone (541) 416-6885; address 3050 NE. 
3rd Street, Prineville, Oregon 97754; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, West Butte Wind Power, LLC, 
has requested a right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct 3.9 miles 
of road and an adjacent power transmission line on public land to 
support the construction of up to 52 wind turbines and ancillary 
facilities on adjacent private land. The portion of the project on 
public lands is the ``Proposed Action.'' Actions occurring on private 
land are called ``connected actions.'' The project is 25 air miles 
southeast of Bend, Oregon, located on the north side of US Highway 20. 
The Draft EIS analyzing impacts of the project was released for public 
comment on April 2, 2010 [75 FR 16828]. Approximately 36 comments were 
received on the Draft EIS. The comments were incorporated, where 
appropriate, to clarify the analysis presented in the Final EIS. The 
Final EIS analyzes a No Action Alternative, the Proposed Action, and 
one other alternative. These alternatives were shaped in part by 
comments received from the public and internal BLM review.
    Alternative 1--Proposed Action. This alternative includes the 
granting of a ROW for construction and operation of an access road and 
transmission line across lands administered by the BLM. Consideration 
of this alternative includes an analysis of the connected action of 
West Butte Wind Power constructing and operating a wind farm and 
associated facilities (e.g., access road, transmission line, 
substation, and an operations and maintenance building) on privately 
held lands.
    Alternative 2--Northern Access Road Alternative. This alternative 
includes an analysis of an alternate main access road through the 
Juniper Acres Development, the facilities related to the connected 
action as described in Alternative 1, and a ROW through BLM-
administered public land for a 3.9-mile transmission line.
    Alternative 3--No Action Alternative. This alternative includes 
denying a ROW for construction and operation of an access road and 
transmission line across lands administered by the BLM.
    The preferred alternative is Alternative 1, the Proposed Action.
    Coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is occurring 
to ensure that an Avian Protection Plan is prepared that will 
sufficiently address overall project impacts to golden eagles.

Deborah J. Henderson-Norton,
BLM Prineville District Manager.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10

[FR Doc. 2010-24557 Filed 9-30-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P