[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 28 (Thursday, February 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7581-7582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2993]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLUT01000-09-L51010000-ER0000-24-1A00]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Approved 
Pony Express Resource Management Plan Amendment/Mona to Oquirrh 
Transmission Corridor Project Environmental Impact Statement

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) for the Approved Pony Express Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and the Mona to Oquirrh Transmission 
Corridor Project located in Juab, Salt Lake, Tooele, and Utah counties 
in Utah. The Utah State Director signed the ROD on February 4, 2011, 
which constitutes the final decision of the BLM. The Approved Pony 
Express RMP Amendment is effective immediately.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/Approved Pony Express RMP Amendment are 
available for public inspection at the Salt Lake Field Office, Bureau 
of Land Management, 2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119, 
and the Fillmore Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 35 East 500 
North, Fillmore, Utah 84631, or via the internet at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/salt_lake/planning/mona_to_oquirrh_transmission.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Cindy 
Ledbetter, NEPA/Planning Coordinator, by telephone at (801) 977-4300; 
or by mail at 2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, UT, 84119.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: After extensive environmental analysis, 
consideration of public comments, and application of pertinent Federal 
laws and policies, it is the decision of the BLM to issue a right-of-
way grant to Rocky Mountain Power for the construction, operation, and 
maintenance of approximately 35 miles of single-circuit 500 kilovolt 
(kV) and 0.25 mile of double-circuit 345kV transmission line, one new 
500/345/138kV substation, ancillary facilities, and access roads for 
the construction of the project across public lands administered by the 
BLM West Desert District; and to amend the Pony Express RMP. The right-
of-way grant will authorize the use of public lands for the project for 
a term of 30 years, which is subject to renewal. The Approved Pony 
Express RMP Amendment allows for the issuance of a major right-of-way 
outside of a designated corridor on public lands administered by the 
BLM Salt Lake Field Office in Salt Lake, Tooele, and Utah counties, 
Utah.
    The BLM and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) each published a 
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS)/Draft Pony Express RMP Amendment for public review and 
comment in the Federal Register on May 15, 2009, which initiated a 90-
day public comment period. The comment period ended on August 12, 2009. 
The BLM received 235 submittals containing comments from Federal, 
State, and local governments; public and private organizations; and 
private citizens. The comments in each submittal were identified, 
analyzed, and addressed in the Final EIS.
    The Final EIS analyzed 14 transmission line route alternatives and

[[Page 7582]]

disclosed impacts associated with these alternatives, including the 
BLM's Preferred Alternative on Federal Lands, the Environmentally 
Preferred Alternative, the Proponent's Proposed Action, and the No 
Action Alternative. The BLM's decision authorizes issuance of a right-
of-way grant to Rocky Mountain Power for the BLM's Preferred 
Alternative on BLM administered lands, as analyzed in the Final EIS. 
Updated wilderness characteristics inventories were used during the 
planning process for this amendment. Land with wilderness 
characteristics is not present along the right-of-way approved in this 
ROD.
    The BLM published an NOA of the Final EIS/Proposed Pony Express RMP 
Amendment for public review and comment in the Federal Register on 
April 23, 2010, and the EPA published the NOA in the Federal Register 
on April 26, 2010.
    After publication of the Final EIS/Proposed Pony Express RMP 
Amendment, 14 protests on the Proposed Pony Express RMP Amendment were 
received during the 30-day protest period beginning April 26, 2010, and 
ending on May 25, 2010, pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.5-2. Each of the 14 
protests were either dismissed or denied by the BLM Director.
    The Utah Governor's Office did not identify any inconsistencies 
between the project Final EIS/Proposed Pony Express RMP Amendment and 
state or local plans, policies, and programs during the 60-day 
Governor's Consistency Review, initiated April 28, 2010, in accordance 
with planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.3-2(e). As a result of the 
Governor's Consistency Review, only minor editorial modifications were 
made in preparing the Approved Pony Express RMP Amendment. These 
modifications provided further clarification on some of the decisions.
    Any party adversely affected by the decision on the right-of-way 
application may appeal within 30 days of publication of this NOA, 
pursuant to 43 CFR Part 4 subpart E., and 43 CFR 2801.10. If you wish 
to file a petition for a stay of effectiveness of the right-of-way 
decision during the time your appeal is being reviewed by the Interior 
Board of Appeals, the petition for a stay must accompany your Notice of 
Appeal (43 CFR 4.21 or 43 CFR 2801.10). The appeal and petition for a 
stay (if requested) must be filed with the Utah State Director at BLM, 
Utah State Office, P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84145-0155, 
within 30 days of publication of this NOA. The appeal should state the 
specific decision(s) in the ROD which is being appealed. Please consult 
the appropriate regulations (43 CFR part 4, subpart E) for further 
appeal requirements.

Juan Palma,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-2993 Filed 2-9-11; 8:45 am]
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