[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69279-69281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28852]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWY920--L51010000--LVRWK11K1410]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Quaking Aspen Wind Energy Project, Wyoming, and Notice of 
Segregation of Public Lands

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

[[Page 69280]]


ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rock Springs 
Field Office, Rock Springs, Wyoming, intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Quaking Aspen Wind Energy 
Project (Quaking Aspen).
    By this notice, BLM is: (1) Announcing the beginning of the scoping 
process to solicit public comments and identify potential issues 
related to the Quaking Aspen EIS; and (2) Segregating 3,698.35 acres of 
BLM-administered lands located within the Quaking Aspen right-of-way 
(ROW) application area from appropriation under the public land laws, 
including the 1872 Mining Law, but not the Mineral Leasing or Mineral 
Material Acts, for a period of 2 years from the date of publication of 
this notice.

DATES: This notice initiates: (1) The public scoping process for the 
EIS; and (2) The 2-year segregation period for the public lands within 
the Quaking Aspen ROW application area, effective as of November 8, 
2011. The segregation will terminate as described below (see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION'' section). Comments on potential issues may 
be submitted in writing until December 8, 2011. The date(s) and 
location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days 
in advance through local media outlets and through the BLM Rock Springs 
Field Office's Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/wy/en/info/NEPA/documents/rsfo/quaking-aspen.html. In order to be considered in the 
Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 
scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is 
later. We will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation upon publication of the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on potential issues to be addressed 
in the Quaking Aspen EIS by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]; or
     Mail: 280 Highway 191 N., Rock Springs, WY 82901.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the BLM 
Rock Springs Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorraine Keith, Project Manager, 
telephone: (307) 352-0256; address: BLM, 280 Highway 191 N., Rock 
Springs, WY 82901; email: [email protected]. Persons 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-(800) 877-8339 to contact 
the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question 
with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Rock Springs Field Office, Rock Springs, Wyoming, intends to prepare an 
EIS for the Quaking Aspen project; announces the beginning of the 
scoping process for that EIS; and seeks public input on potential 
issues to be addressed in the EIS. The project area is located in 
Sweetwater County, Wyoming, and encompasses approximately 3,698 acres 
of public, 3,865 acres of private, and 630 acres of state lands. The 
project will include up to 100 1.5 megawatt (MW) to 3 MW wind turbine 
generators with a nameplate capacity of 250 MW of power, and a 230 kV 
transmission line. The purpose of the public scoping process is to 
determine relevant potential issues that will influence the scope of 
the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and to guide the 
NEPA process. Preliminary potential issues have been identified by BLM 
personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; and other stakeholders. 
The potential issues include: Wind energy development; management of 
site-type ROWs for renewable energy; visual resource management; fluid 
minerals, coal and other minerals; livestock grazing; wild horses; 
wildlife, particularly birds, bats, and pronghorn antelope; cultural 
and historical resources; and recreation. The BLM will ensure 
compliance with all applicable local, State, tribal, and Federal air 
quality laws, statutes, regulations, standards, and implementation 
plans, and will include an analysis of climate change.
    You may submit comments with potential issues to be addressed in 
the EIS in writing to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or you may 
submit them to the BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES 
section above. To be most helpful, you should submit comments before 
the close of the comment period or within 15 days after the last public 
meeting, whichever is later. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including 
your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so. The minutes and list of 
attendees for each scoping meeting will be available to the public and 
open for 30 days after the meeting to any participant who wishes to 
clarify the views he or she expressed. The BLM will evaluate potential 
issues to be addressed in the EIS, and will place them into one of 
three categories:
    1. Potential issues to be resolved in the EIS;
    2. Potential issues to be resolved through policy or administrative 
action; or
    3. Potential issues beyond the scope of this EIS.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft EIS as to why an 
issue was placed in category two or three. The public is also 
encouraged to help identify any management questions and concerns that 
should be addressed in the EIS. The BLM will work collaboratively with 
interested parties to identify the management decisions that are best 
suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the EIS 
in order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns 
identified. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines 
will be involved in the NEPA process: rangeland management, air 
quality, minerals and geology, botany, outdoor recreation, archaeology, 
paleontology, wildlife and fisheries, lands and realty, hydrology, 
soils, sociology and economics, and wildland fire.
    The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to 
satisfy the public involvement process pursuant to Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided 
for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Native American tribal consultations will be 
conducted in accordance with policy, and tribal concerns will be given 
due consideration, including impacts on Indian trust assets. Federal, 
State, Tribal, and local agencies, along with other stakeholders that 
may be interested in or affected by the BLM's decision on this project, 
are invited to participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may 
request or be requested by the BLM to participate as a cooperating 
agency.
    In connection with the Quaking Aspen ROW application, public lands 
within the Quaking Aspen project area are segregated from appropriation 
under

[[Page 69281]]

the public land laws, including the Mining law, under the authority 
contained in 43 CFR 2091.3- 1(e) and 43 CFR 2804.25(e) for a period of 
2 years, in order to process the ROW application filed on the described 
lands. This 2-year segregation period will commence upon publication of 
this Federal Register notice. It has been determined that this 
segregation is necessary for the orderly administration of the public 
lands. The temporary segregation period will terminate and the lands 
will automatically re-open to appropriation under the public land laws, 
including the mining laws, if one of the following events occurs: (1) 
Upon the BLM's issuance of a decision regarding whether to issue a ROW 
authorization for the wind energy generation proposal; (2) upon 
publication in the Federal Register of a notice of termination of the 
segregation; or (3) without further administrative action at the end of 
the segregation period provided for in the Federal Register notice 
initiating the segregation, whichever occurs first. Any segregation 
made under this authority would be effective only for a period of up to 
2 years.
    In accordance with 43 CFR 2091.3- 1(e) and 2804.25(e), the 
following described public lands within the Quaking Aspen project area 
are hereby segregated for a period of up to 2 years, subject to valid 
existing rights, from all forms of appropriation under the public land 
laws, including location and entry under the United States mining laws, 
but not from leasing under the mineral leasing laws or disposal under 
the mineral material laws:

Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming
T. 16 N., R. 103 W.,
    Sec. 6, lots 8 through 11, inclusive, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, and SE\1/
4\;
    Sec. 8; and
    Sec. 18, lots 5 through 7, inclusive, NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, 
NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and N\1/2\SE\1/4\.
T. 17 N., R. 103 W.,
    Sec. 28, N\1/2\SW\1/4\ and S\1/2\S\1/2\;
    Sec. 30, lots 1 through 4, inclusive, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/
2\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, and SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\; and
    Sec. 32.
T. 16 N., R. 104 W.,
    Sec. 2, lots 5 through 7, inclusive, N\1/2\SE\1/4\, and SE\1/
4\SE\1/4\; and
    Sec. 12, W\1/2\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, NE\1/
4\SW\1/4\, and NW\1/4\SE\1/4\.
T. 17 N., R. 104 W.,
    Sec. 26, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\S\1/2\, and NE\1/4\SE\1/4\.

    The described Federal lands, aggregate to approximately 3,698.35 
acres, according to the official plats of the surveys of the said 
lands, on file with the BLM.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2

Mary E. Trautner,
Acting State Director, Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 2011-28852 Filed 11-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P