[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12195-12196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05290]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 049397, LLCAD06000.L51010000.ER0000.LVRWB09B2920.15X]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Desert Quartzite Solar Project and a Possible Amendment to the 
California Desert Conservation Area Plan, Riverside County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Palm 
Springs/South Coast Field Office, Palm Springs, California, together 
with Riverside County, California, intend to prepare a joint 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report 
(EIR), which may include an amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan, for the Desert Quartzite Solar Project 
(Project). By this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of the 
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues related 
to the EIS/EIR and Plan Amendment (PA).

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS/EIR 
and PA. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until April 6, 
2015. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be 
announced at least 15 days in advance through local news media, 
newspapers and the BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd.html. In order to be included in the analysis, all comments must be 
received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days 
after the last public meeting, whichever is later. We will provide 
additional opportunities for public participation as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Project by any of the following methods:
     email: [email protected].
     fax: (951) 697-5299.

[[Page 12196]]

     mail: ATTN: Cedric C. Perry, Project Manager, BLM 
California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, 
Moreno Valley, California 92553-9046
    Documents pertinent to this project may be examined at the BLM 
California Desert District Office at the above address Monday through 
Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cedric C. Perry; telephone--(951) 697-
5388; address--BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San 
Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553-9046; 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: The applicant, Desert Quartzite Solar, LLC 
has requested a right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct, operate, 
maintain and decommission a 300 MW alternating current (AC) solar 
photovoltaic energy-generating facility along with the necessary 
ancillary facilities including a project substation, access road, 
transmission lines, realignment of an existing route, operations and 
maintenance buildings, and lay down areas. The project is proposed on 
4,845 acres of public land with the solar field occupying approximately 
2,453 acres on lands within the Riverside East Solar Energy Zone (SEZ), 
southwest of Blythe, California.
    This document provides notice that the BLM Palm Springs/South Coast 
Field Office and the County of Riverside California intend to jointly 
prepare an EIS/EIR, which may include a potential CDCA Plan Amendment, 
for the Project. It also announces the beginning of the scoping process 
for this effort and seeks public input on environmental issues and 
potential planning criteria relevant to the Project and any potential 
plan amendments. The purpose of the public scoping process is to guide 
the planning process and determine the relevant issues that will 
influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including 
alternatives and mitigation measures.
    Preliminary issues for the environmental analysis and potential 
plan amendment have been identified by BLM; Federal, State, and local 
agencies; and, other stakeholders. These issues include: Air quality 
and greenhouse gas emissions; biological resources, including special 
status species; cultural resources; geology and soils; hazards and 
hazardous materials; hydrology and water quality; land use; lands with 
wilderness characteristics; noise; recreation; traffic; visual 
resources; cumulative effects; areas with high potential for renewable 
energy development; and, identification of opportunities to apply 
mitigation hierarchy strategies for on-site, regional, and compensatory 
mitigation, and, appropriate to the size of the project, landscape-
level conservation and management actions to achieve resource 
objectives.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or by using one of the 
methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To be most helpful, you 
should submit comments by the close of the 30-day scoping 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 can 
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 withdrew public lands, including those where the proposed 
Project is located, in the State of California on July 5, 2013, under 
Public Land Order 7818 for a period of 20 years for future solar energy 
development, subject to valid existing rights, from location and entry 
under the United States mining laws. The lands are open to mineral and 
geothermal leasing, and mineral material sales.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to 
help fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). 
The information about historic and cultural resources within the area 
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources. The BLM will also 
consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-government basis in 
accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal 
concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential 
impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration. 
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the 
scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the 
BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis as 
a cooperating agency.
    With respect to the potential land use plan amendment, the BLM will 
evaluate identified issues to be addressed in any potential plan 
amendment, and will place those issues into one of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the Draft EIS and PA 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 plan. 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 
potential plan amendment in order to consider the variety of resource 
issues and concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the 
following disciplines will be involved in the planning process: 
Rangeland management, minerals and geology, outdoor recreation, 
archaeology, paleontology, wildlife, lands and realty, hydrology, 
soils, sociology and economics.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.
[FR Doc. 2015-05290 Filed 3-5-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-40-P