[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7141-7142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-02664]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVS00000 L51010000 PQ0000 LVRWF1403480.241A; MO# 4500088891]


Notice of Realty Action; Segregation of Public Land Located in 
Clark County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice serves to segregate the public lands located in 
Clark County, Nevada, for 2 years from appropriation pursuant to the 
public land laws, including location pursuant to the General Mining Law 
of 1872, subject to valid existing rights. This segregation does not 
apply to oil and gas leases under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 or 
sales of materials such as sand and gravel under the Mineral Materials 
Act of 1947. The purpose of such segregation is to promote the orderly 
administration of the public lands, to facilitate the development of 
valuable renewable energy resources, and to avoid conflicts between 
renewable energy generation and mining claims.

DATES: This notice of segregation of the lands is effective immediately 
upon publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Helseth, Renewable Energy 
Project Manager, 702-515-5173; 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las 
Vegas, NV 89130-2301; 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: Searchlight Wind Energy, LLC (SWE), a wholly 
owned subsidiary of Apex Energy, applied to the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) for a right-of-way (ROW) grant on public lands to 
develop a 200-megawatt wind energy facility. The ROW application area 
encompasses approximately 18,790 acres of BLM-administered public lands 
adjacent to Searchlight, located approximately 60 miles southeast of 
Las Vegas, in Clark County, Nevada. The project is in conformance with 
the 1998 Las Vegas Resource Management Plan.
    Segregation of Lands: A Final Rule, published in the Federal 
Register (78

[[Page 7142]]

FR 25204) on April 30, 2013, amended BLM regulations found in 43 CFR 
2090 and 2800 to allow the BLM to temporarily segregate from the 
operation of the public land laws, by publication of a Federal Register 
notice, public lands included in a pending wind energy generation ROW 
application. The Final Rule for segregation allows a State Director to 
extend the project-specific segregation if that segregation would 
expire before a decision can be made.
    This segregation is necessary to allow the BLM to complete 
additional analysis on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 
for the Searchlight project. The additional analysis is necessitated by 
the October 30, 2015, Order from the United States District Court for 
the District of Nevada, vacating the March 13, 2013, Searchlight Wind 
Record of Decision and supporting FEIS. This segregation does not 
affect valid existing rights. Licenses, permits, cooperative 
agreements, or discretionary land use authorizations of a temporary 
nature, which would not impact lands identified in this notice, may be 
allowed with the approval of an authorized officer of the BLM during 
the period of segregation. The lands segregated under this notice are 
legally described as follows:

Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada

T. 28 S., R. 63 E.,
    sec. 22, that portion of the E\1/2\SE\1/4\ lying east of the 
easterly right-of-way of S.R. 95 NVCC-20733;
    sec. 23, that portion lying east of the easterly right-of-way of 
S.R. 95 NVCC-20733, excepting Patent No. 27-72-0013, and patented 
mineral surveys;
    sec. 24, excepting patented mineral surveys;
    sec. 25, excepting patented mineral surveys;
    sec. 26, excepting patented mineral surveys; and
    sec. 27, those portions of lots 1, 8, 9, 10, 14, and 15 lying 
east of the easterly right-of-way of S.R. 95 NVCC-20733.
T. 29 S., R. 63 E.,
    sec. 1;
    sec. 11, that portion lying east of airport leases Nev-65340 and 
N-81843;
    sec. 13;
    sec. 14, that portion lying east of the easterly right-of-way of 
S.R. 95 NVCC-20845, excepting airport lease Nev-65340;
    sec. 24, that portion lying east of the easterly right-of-way of 
S.R. 95 NVCC-20845; and
    sec. 25, that portion lying east of the easterly right-of-way of 
S.R. 95 NVCC-20845.
T. 28 S., R. 64 E.,
    secs. 19 and 20;
    sec. 26, those portions of the N\1/2\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/
4\SW\1/4\, and W\1/2\NW\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, lying north of the 
northerly right-of-way of Cottonwood Cove Road;
    secs. 27 and 28;
    sec. 29, excepting patented mineral surveys;
    sec. 30, excepting patented mineral surveys;
    sec. 31, excepting patented mineral surveys;
    sec. 32, excepting patented mineral surveys; and
    secs. 33 and 34.
T. 29 S., R. 64 E.,
    sec. 4;
    sec. 5, excepting patented mineral surveys; and
    secs. 6 through 8 inclusive, 17 through 20 inclusive, 29 and 30.
    The area described contains 18,790 acres in Clark County, 
Nevada.

    As provided in the Final Rule, the segregation of lands in this 
notice will not exceed 2 years from the date of publication unless 
extended for up to 2 additional years, through publication of a new 
notice in the Federal Register. Termination of the segregation occurs 
on the earliest of the following dates: upon issuance of a decision by 
the authorized officer granting, granting with modifications, or 
denying the application for a ROW; automatically at the end of the 
segregation; or upon publication of a Federal Register notice of 
termination of the segregation.
    Upon termination of segregation of these lands, all lands subject 
to this segregation will automatically reopen to appropriation under 
the public land laws.
    (Authority: 43 CFR 2800 and 2090)

John F. Ruhs,
Nevada State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-02664 Filed 2-9-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P