[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30303-30305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12915]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Tongass National Forest; Alaska; Bell Island Geothermal Leases 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Tongass 
National Forest will prepare a supplemental environmental impact 
statement (SEIS) to a 2008 programmatic environmental impact statement 
(PEIS) titled Geothermal Leasing in the Western United States. This 
analysis is needed for consent determination to

[[Page 30304]]

allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue three pending leases 
to a private geothermal developer. These leases encompass much of Bell 
Island and a portion of the Cleveland Peninsula on the adjacent 
mainland in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska.
    The agency invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the 
analysis to be included in the draft SEIS. In addition, the agency 
gives notice of this environmental analysis and decision making process 
so that interested and affected people know how they may participate 
and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by June 24, 2011. The draft SEIS is projected to be filed with the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the fall 2011 and will begin a 
45 day comment period. The Final Environmental Impact Statement and the 
Record of Decision are expected to be published in the spring of 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may comment on the project in the following ways: Send 
written comments to Ketchikan-Misty Fiord Ranger District, Tongass 
National Forest, Attn: Bell Island Geothermal Lease, 3031 Tongass Ave., 
Ketchikan AK 99901. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected], with Bell Island on the 
subject line; or via facsimile to 907-225-8738. Include your name, 
address and organization name if you are commenting as a representative 
of an organization.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Samuelson, Tongass Minerals 
Group, 8510 Mendenhall Loop Road, Juneau, AK 99801. 1-907-789-6274. 
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 this initiative is to update the PEIS that was 
prepared by the BLM to address compliance actions and key resource 
concerns not previously analyzed in Volume II, Chapter 11 of the PEIS. 
Chapter 11 examines whether or not three pending lease applications on 
Bell Island and Cleveland Peninsula are available for geothermal 
leasing by the BLM. The PEIS did not recognize that the lease 
applications are in the North Cleveland Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA) 
529, nor was adequate public scoping or tribal consultation performed. 
Thus, the analysis provided in the PEIS does not address actual current 
conditions. The Tongass National Forest must update the PEIS to analyze 
effects to the roadless area before making a decision whether or not to 
consent to leasing the land.
    The action is needed to fulfill the Forest Service obligations 
under Section 225 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Memorandum 
of Understanding between the United States Department of the Interior 
(USDOI) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
regarding geothermal leasing and permitting. Section 225 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 requires that the USDOI and the U.S. Forest Service 
reduce the backlog of geothermal lease applications by 90 percent by 
August 8, 2010. Section 222(d) dictates that it is a priority for the 
BLM and the Forest Service to ensure timely completion of actions such 
as amendments to land use plans, as necessary to process the pending 
lease applications. This action responds to the goals and objectives 
outlined in the 2008 Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest 
Plan) and helps move the Tongass National Forest towards desired 
conditions described in this plan.

Proposed Action

    The action proposed to meet the purpose and need is for the Forest 
Service to provide a consent determination to the BLM to issue the 
three leases in the Tongass National Forest to the geothermal lease 
applicant, based upon the Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario 
(RFD) provided by the PEIS Volume II, Chapter 11. The RFD describes in 
general terms the best professional estimate of the potential 
development that may occur. The decision on this SEIS would only be for 
an approving or disapproving consent determination for the BLM to issue 
the leases. Any future site-specific development of the leases would 
require further analysis under NEPA.
    The project area is 7,680 acres encompassing most of Bell Island as 
well as a portion of the Cleveland Peninsula, on the adjacent mainland. 
Bell Island is located near the southeastern end of the Alaskan 
Panhandle; approximately 43 miles north of Ketchikan. Lease boundaries 
could be adjusted in the decision to avoid unacceptable impacts on 
sensitive resources. The three leases are described as follows:

--Lease AK 084543 includes approximately 2,560 acres, comprised of four 
contiguous sections, as follows: T68S R89E S36; T68S R90E S29, S30, S31
--Lease AK 084544 includes approximately 2,560 acres, comprised of the 
following four contiguous sections: T68S R90E S15, S21, S22, and S28
--Lease AK 084545 includes approximately 2,560 acres, comprised of the 
following four contiguous sections: T68S R90E S12, S13, S14; T68S R91E 
S7

    Two alternatives were considered in Volume II, Chapter 11 of the 
PEIS analysis. In Alternative A, the No- Action Alternative, the Forest 
Service would not issue a consent determination for any of the lease 
applications. For Alternative B, Leasing with Stipulations, the Forest 
Service would issue a consent determination for the lease applications, 
and the BLM would issue the leases with the stipulations identified in 
Volume I, Chapter 2 of the PEIS and any additional stipulations that 
the Forest Service attaches to the record of decision (ROD).

Responsible Official

    The Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest, Federal Building, 
Ketchikan, Alaksa, 99901 is the Responsible Official for making the 
decision.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Given the purpose and need, the deciding official reviews the 
proposed action, the other alternatives, and the environmental 
consequences in order to make the following decisions:

--Will the Tongass National Forest consent to three pending lease 
applications on National Forest Systems lands?
--If so, what mitigation measures in the form of lease stipulations 
will the Forest Service apply to the lease application?
--Does the project require a Forest Plan amendment?

    If authorized, the decision would give consent to BLM to issue 
three pending leases with the stipulations identified in Chapter 2 of 
the PEIS and any additional stipulations that the Forest Service 
attaches to the ROD.

Preliminary Issues

    The Tongass National Forest portions of the lease sites are within 
the North Cleveland IRA 529, comprised of 109,639 acres. A non-
discretionary restriction (roadless area stipulation) was developed in 
the PEIS for roadless areas on any leases with National Forest Service 
(NFS) inventoried roadless

[[Page 30305]]

areas. Due to a Tongass 2004 exemption to the roadless rule, the 
roadless designation was not acknowledged in Volume II, Chapter 11of 
the PEIS for Bell Island; therefore, this restriction was not 
identified. Before consent to the lease application can be determined, 
stipulations associated with this activity will need to be identified.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. In addition to 
this notice, a scoping document will be posted on the Tongass National 
Forest public website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/projects/projects.shtml. Scoping letters inviting comments will be sent to 
interested parties on the Tongass National Forest. Any person who would 
like to receive a scoping letter should contact Linda Pulliam at the 
Ketchikan Misty Fiord Ranger District or by e-mail: [email protected], please put ``Bell Island'' in 
the subject line of the e-mail. A public meeting will be held at 
Ketchikan-Misty Fiord Ranger District 3031 Tongass Ave., Ketchikan, 
Alaska, 99901 on Thursday, June 2, 2011 from 3-7 p.m.
    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 anonymous comments will not provide 
the respondent with standing to participate in subsequent 
administrative review or judicial review.

    Dated: May 16, 2011.
Forrest Cole,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-12915 Filed 5-24-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P