[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21329-21330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9160]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; Nevada; Environmental Impact 
Statement for Geothermal Leasing on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National 
Forest

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (HTNF) will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate certain National 
Forest System (NFS) lands for geothermal leasing availability. The 
project area includes NFS lands on the HTNF in Douglas, Lyon, Mineral, 
Lander, Nye and White Pine County, NV.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by May 16, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is expected 
in October 2011 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected in March 2012.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Keith Whaley, Project Manager, 
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Bridgeport Ranger District, HC 62 Box 
1000, Bridgeport, CA 93517. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to 
comments-intermtn-humboldt-toiyabe @fs.fed.us or via facsimile to (760) 
932-5899. Comments can be hand-delivered to: Bridgeport Ranger Station, 
Highway 395 South, Bridgeport, CA, Attn. Keith Whaley. Comments 
received in response to this Notice of Intent (NOI), including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the 
public record for this project and will be available for public 
inspection and will be released, if requested, under the Freedom of 
Information Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Whaley, Project Manager, 
Bridgeport Ranger District, HC 62 Box 1000, Bridgeport, CA 93517; 
Telephone: (760) 932-5821; E-mail: [email protected].
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the proposed action is to determine if certain lands 
within the HTNF may be made available for geothermal leasing, and if 
so, to identify reasonable and necessary conditions to protect surface 
resources. The need for the proposed action is to allow the FS to 
satisfy their respective statutory and policy mandates in responding to 
requests for the environmentally responsible development of energy 
resources; to address provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(Sections 211 and 222[d][1]); respond to other policy directives 
calling for clean and renewable energy; and to meet the increasing 
energy demands of the nation while reducing reliance on foreign energy 
imports, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving national 
security.

Proposed Action

    The HTNF would make approximately 662,700 acres of NFS lands 
administratively available for geothermal leasing. The lands to be made 
available encompass the Nevada portion of the Bridgeport Ranger 
District (approximately 659,000 acres), one area on the Austin Ranger 
District (approximately 3,200 acres), one area (approximately 160 
acres) on the Tonopah District and one area on the Ely Ranger District 
(approximately 3,574 acres). Leasing would include stipulations from 
Chapter 2 of the Geothermal Leasing Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (BLM, October 2008) and other stipulations determined to be 
reasonable and necessary to protect surface resources.
    The Decision resulting from this analysis would not affect any 
prior decisions on: (1) Geothermal leases in effect (2) Regional 
Forester Consent Decisions for specific geothermal leases or (3) lands 
made available under previous Forest-Level Availability Determination 
Decisions at the time said Decision is made. In addition, this analysis 
does not make any leasing determination decisions on any lands being 
analyzed under a separate environmental analysis at the time of this 
EIS.

Possible Alternatives

    The No-Action Alternative: The USFS would not make an availability 
determination on these lands identified under this analysis. Processing 
of geothermal lease applications and nominations would continue, 
however, they would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis under separate 
NEPA analyses.
    The No Leasing Alternative: The No Leasing Alternative would not 
allow leasing of geothermal resources on the subject NFS lands. Under 
this alternative, lands within the project area analyzed would not be 
available for leasing.

[[Page 21330]]

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The Bureau of Land Management Nevada State office, located at 1340 
Financial Blvd, Reno, NV 89502, is a cooperating agency for this NEPA 
analysis.

Responsible Official

    Jeanne M. Higgins, Forest Supervisor, Humboldt-Toiyabe National 
Forest, 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, Nevada 89431.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Based on the environmental analysis and disclosure in the EIS, the 
Forest Supervisor will decide whether or not to make available for 
geothermal leasing the lands analyzed in this EIS.

Preliminary Issues

    Preliminary issues identified based on our experience with similar 
projects includes, but is not limited to, cultural resources, wildlife, 
vegetation, air, water, Native American concerns, visuals, land use, 
hazardous materials, inventoried roadless areas, social, and economic 
conditions. Other issues may be identified during the scoping period.

Scoping Process

    This NOI initiates the scoping process, which guides the 
development of the environmental impact statement. The scoping period 
for this EIS will run 30 days from the published date of this NOI.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of 
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be 
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly 
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered, however.

    Dated: 17, 2011.
Jeanne M. Higgins,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-9160 Filed 4-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P