[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 188 (Friday, September 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45606-45607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21140]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWYR02000 L14400000.ER0000.17X, WYW-166003]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Leavitt Reservoir Expansion Project, Big Horn County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 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), through the 
Cody Field Office, Cody, Wyoming, intends to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Leavitt Reservoir Expansion 
Project (Project) in Big Horn County, Wyoming. The BLM is announcing 
the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and 
identify issues.

DATES: Comments may be submitted in writing until November 13, 2017. In 
order to be included in the analysis, all comments must be received 
prior to the close of the 45-day scoping period or 15 days after the 
last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will provide 
additional opportunities for public participation as appropriate. The 
dates and locations of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 
15 days in advance through the local news media, newspapers, and the 
BLM ePlanning Web site at: http://bit.ly/Leavitt_Reservoir_EIS_2bcgpgW.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 307-578-5939.
     Mail: NEPA Coordinator, BLM Cody Field Office, 1002 
Blackburn Street, Cody, Wyoming 82414.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal are available for public 
review at the BLM Cody Field Office and on the BLM ePlanning Web site 
at: http://bit.ly/Leavitt_Reservoir_EIS_2bcgpgW.

[[Page 45607]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bradley Johnson, Planning & 
Environmental Coordinator, telephone: 307-578-5928; address: 1002 
Blackburn Street, Cody, Wyoming 82414; email: [email protected]. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Mr. 
Johnson during normal business hours. The FRS 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. You 
may call either of these numbers to have your name added to the project 
mailing list.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice initiates the public scoping 
process for the EIS. The BLM intends to prepare an EIS to support the 
decision making for the proposed Project and conduct a public scoping 
period to seek input on the preliminary issues identified regarding 
this proposal. The Wyoming Water Development Commission proposes to 
enlarge the water storage capacity of Leavitt Reservoir to a total 
capacity of 6,604 acre feet for the purposes of multiple use that 
include late season irrigation, flood attenuation and recreation. A 
1.5-mile sub-surface pipeline from Beaver Creek will divert water to 
the reservoir inlet via a 42-inch diameter pipeline across private 
lands. A permanent sub-surface transfer pipeline, approximately three 
miles long, is proposed downstream in the Beaver Creek drainage to 
efficiently convey reservoir release water to irrigation 
infrastructure.The proposal area is between the towns of Greybull and 
Shell, Wyoming, in the Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming, T. 54 N., R. 
92 W., sec. 13, NW1/4SW1/4 and SW1/4SW1/4; sec. 14, NE1/4SE1/4 and SE1/
4SE1/4; sec. 23, NE1/4NE1/4 and SE1/4NE1/4; sec. 24, lots 3 and 4, SW1/
4NW1/4, SE1/4NW1/4, NW1/4SW1/4, NE1/4SW1/4, and SW1/4SE1/4.
    Preliminary issues include: Potential impacts to wetlands and 
cultural sites (properties), ground and surface waters, mineral 
development, wildlife habitat, and the county road right-of-way. The 
BLM will identify, analyze, and require mitigation, as appropriate, to 
address the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the 
approval of this Project. Mitigation may include avoidance, 
minimization, rectification, reduction or elimination over time, and 
compensatory mitigation; and may be considered at multiple scales, 
including the landscape-scale.
    The BLM seeks resource information and data for public land values 
(e.g., air quality, cultural and historic resources, fire/fuels, 
fisheries, forestry, lands and realty, non-energy minerals and geology, 
oil and gas, paleontology, rangeland management, recreation, soil, 
water, and wildlife) in the project area. As proposed, approximately 48 
percent of the project area would take place on BLM-managed public 
lands. The proposed dam and nearly the entirety of the expanded 
reservoir would reside on BLM lands. The proposed pipeline and borrow 
areas both cross or take place nearly in their entirety on private 
lands. The purpose of this request is to ensure that the project 
analysis has sufficient information and data to consider a reasonable 
range of resource uses, management options, and alternatives for 
managing public lands.
    Please submit information to the Cody Field Manager at the address 
above. The BLM will treat proprietary information submissions marked as 
``Confidential'' in accordance with the laws and regulations governing 
the confidentiality of such information. To provide the public with an 
opportunity to review the proposal and associated information, as well 
as any proposed plan amendments, the BLM will host meetings before 
October 30, 2017. The BLM will notify the public of meetings and any 
other opportunities for the public to be involved in the process for 
this proposal at least 15 days prior to the event. Meeting dates, 
locations and times will be announced by a news release to the media, 
individual emailings, and postings on the project Web site. The purpose 
of the public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will 
influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including 
alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS.
    The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to help 
fulfill the public involvement process under Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108), as 
provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and 
cultural resources in the area potentially affected by the proposal 
will assist the lead agency in identifying and evaluating impacts to 
such resources in the context of both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA. 
Native American tribal consultations will be conducted in accordance 
with policy, and tribal concerns will be given due consideration. 
Federal, state and local agencies, along with other stakeholders that 
may be interested or affected by the BLM's decisions on this proposal, 
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.
    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.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.

Mary Jo Rugwell,
BLM Wyoming State Director.
[FR Doc. 2017-21140 Filed 9-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-22-P