[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63328-63329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25384]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWYL03000-L51010000-FX0000-LVRWK09K1030; WYW-167155]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the 
Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project and Approved Visual 
Resource Management Plan Amendment for Public Lands Administered by the 
Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, Carbon County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre 
Wind Energy Project and Approved Plan Amendment to the Rawlins Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) for Visual Resource Management (VRM), the 
applicable plan for the project site and the surrounding areas located 
in the Rawlins Field Office. The Secretary of the Interior signed the 
ROD on October 9, 2012, which constitutes the final decision of the 
Department.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD including the Approved Plan amendment to 
the Rawlins RMP are available upon request from the BLM Rawlins Field 
Office, 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming; or via the Internet 
at the following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/rfo/Chokecherry.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Murdock, BLM Project Manager, 
at 307-775-6259; through mail at BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY 82007; or email at [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: The BLM evaluated the potential wind energy 
development on a broad level to determine appropriate areas and 
restrictions for the Power Company of Wyoming, LLC (PCW) to develop a 
wind energy facility on public lands in the Application Area 
administered by the BLM in compliance with the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976, BLM right-of-way (ROW) regulations, and other 
applicable Federal laws. This decision does not authorize development 
of the wind energy project; rather, it sets the parameters for which 
future ROW applications may be submitted by PCW. The ROW applications 
will be screened against the analysis conducted in this environmental 
impact statement (EIS), and then the appropriate level of subsequent, 
tiered National Environmental Policy Act analysis will be conducted 
prior to the BLM issuing a decision on ROW applications. The BLM 
selected this manner of analyzing the project based on its size and 
complexity of resources. Accordingly, through this decision the BLM is 
(1) determining whether the area identified in PCW's proposal is 
appropriate for wind energy development; (2) Identifying the 
requirements for future wind development in the area; and (3) Amending 
the VRM class decision portions of the 2008 Rawlins RMP for the 
designated Decision Area. Two resulting decisions are as follows: (1) 
The BLM has determined that portions of the Application Area are 
suitable for wind energy development and associated facilities on 
public lands subject to the requirements for all future wind 
development in the area as described under the Preferred Alternative in 
the CCSM project Final EIS, herein referred to as the Selected 
Alternative. The Selected Alternative analyzed a wind energy 
development proposal by PCW in the 219,707-acre alternative boundary to 
accommodate development of a 2,000- to 3,000-megawatt (MW) project 
consisting of up to 1,000 turbines and ancillary facilities in the two 
sites--the 109,086-acre Chokecherry site and the 110,161-acre Sierra 
Madre site--and off-site access on 460 acres. Power generated by the 
project would be routed to one or more of up to five potential 
transmission lines analyzed in detail in separate EISs or an existing 
transmission line on the northern edge of the Project Site, all of 
which were considered in the cumulative impact analysis for this 
project. (2) The BLM is requiring that certain project design features 
and mitigation measures be incorporated into any future CCSM wind 
energy development authorizations. These design features and mitigation 
measures include the identified BLM environmental constraints, 
applicant-committed measures and best management practices, and 
mitigation measures identified through the EIS process. The CCSM 
project also would

[[Page 63329]]

be subject to additional constraints identified in the Programmatic 
Agreement for cultural and Native American resources, Biological 
Opinion, development of Eagle Conservation Plans (ECPs) and Avian 
Protection Plans (APPs) in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (USFWS), and other monitoring and implementation plans amended 
to the ROW grant. The BLM will not issue ROWs for the Chokecherry and 
Sierra Madre portions of the project to PCW until USFWS issues letters 
of concurrence for the APPs and ECPs.
    The Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS and CCSM Project Final EIS 
were released for a 30-day public review and protest period commencing 
on June 29, 2012. At the close of the 30-day protest period on July 30, 
2012, thirteen timely and complete written protests were received and 
resolved. Their resolution is summarized in the Director's Protest 
Summary Report attached to the ROD. The proposed amendment to the 
Rawlins RMP was not modified as a result of the protest resolution. 
Simultaneously with the protest period, the Governor of Wyoming 
conducted a 60-day consistency review of the proposed Rawlins RMP 
Amendment to identify any inconsistencies with State or local plans, 
policies or programs; no inconsistencies were identified.
    Because this decision is approved by the Secretary of the Interior, 
it is not subject to administrative appeal (43 CFR 4.410(a)(3)).

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6.

Timothy Spisak,
Deputy Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty Management, Bureau of 
Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-25384 Filed 10-15-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P