[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62852-62853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-25724]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-49561 L51010000 FX0000 LVRWB09B3220 LLCAD08000]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Chevron 
Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project, California and the 
Approved Plan Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Plan Amendment (PA) to the 
California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan for the Chevron Energy 
Solutions (CES) Lucerne Valley Solar Project located in San Bernardino 
County, California. The Secretary of the Interior approved the ROD on 
October 5, 2010 which constitutes the final decision of the Department.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/Approved PA are available upon request at 
the BLM's California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de 
Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553 or via the Internet at 
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/fasttrack.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Greg 
Thomsen, Project Manager; telephone (951) 697-5237; address 22835 Calle 
San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553; e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Lucerne Valley Solar Project was 
proposed by CES. The Lucerne Valley Solar Project involves a 422-acre 
right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct and operate a 45-megawatt 
(MW) solar photovoltaic project which would connect to an existing 
Southern California Edison 33 kilovolt distribution system. The 
approved project will include the power generation facility, a new 
switchyard, control/maintenance building, parking area, and set-back 
area. A portion of Zircon Road will also be relocated.
    Pursuant to BLM's CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), sites associated 
with power generation or transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan 
will be considered through the plan amendment process. As a result, 
prior to approval of a ROW grant for the Lucerne Valley Solar Project, 
the BLM must amend the CDCA Plan to allow a solar

[[Page 62853]]

generating project on this site. The Approved PA revises the CDCA Plan 
to allow for the development of the Lucerne Valley Solar Project on 422 
acres of land managed by the BLM with other ancillary structures and 
facilities. The selected alternative (up to 45 MW of generated power) 
is a combination of Alternative 3, the Proposed Action, and Alternative 
4, Modified Site Layout. This combination of alternatives includes all 
of the features in Alternative 4, with the exception of rerouting some 
of the surface water drainage to provide additional water to the 
vegetative screen area. The surface water would follow the natural 
pathways as identified in Alternative 3.
    The Final Environmental Impact Statement/Proposed PA was published 
in the Federal Register on August 13, 2010 (75 FR 49515), initiating a 
30-day protest period and concurrent 30-day comment period.
    Two comment letters and one protest letter were received, 
considered, and incorporated as appropriate into the ROD/Approved PA. 
Public comments and protests did not significantly change the decisions 
in the ROD/Approved PA. The State of California Governor's consistency 
review did not identify any inconsistencies between the proposed 
project and state and local plans, policies or programs.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6.

Robert V. Abbey,
Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-25724 Filed 10-12-10; 8:45 am]
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