[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19800-19801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09520]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWO200000.LXSGPL000000.18x.L11100000.PH0000]


Notice of Availability of the Nevada and Northeastern California 
Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared the Nevada and Northeastern California Draft Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Nevada and Northeastern California Greater 
Sage-Grouse (GRSG) Planning Area and by this notice is announcing the 
opening of the comment period. BLM Nevada is soliciting comments on the 
entire Draft EIS, as well as the specific planning issues mentioned in 
this NOA, the cumulative effects analysis, and Priority Habitat 
Management Area decisions.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS within 90 days 
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a 
notice of availability of the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS in the 
Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and 
any other public participation activities at least 15 days in advance 
through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Nevada and 
Northeastern California Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS by any of the 
following methods:
     Website: https://goo.gl/uz89cT.
     Mail: BLM Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, 
NV 89502.
    Copies of the Nevada and Northeastern California Draft RMP 
Amendment/Draft EIS are available at the BLM California State Office, 
2800 Cottage Way # W1623, Sacramento, CA 95825, BLM Nevada State Office 
at the above address, or on the project website at: https://goo.gl/uz89cT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact 
Matthew Magaletti, BLM Nevada Sage-Grouse Lead, by telephone, 775-861-
6472; at the address above; or by 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. Magaletti. The FRS 
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or 
question with Mr. Magaletti. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Greater Sage-Grouse is a state-managed 
species that is dependent on sagebrush steppe ecosystems. These 
ecosystems are managed in partnership across the range of the Greater 
Sage-Grouse by federal, state, and local authorities. Efforts to 
conserve the species and its habitat date back to the 1950s. Over the 
past two decades, state wildlife agencies, federal agencies, and many 
others in the range of the species have been collaborating to conserve 
Greater Sage-Grouse and its habitats. The United States Department of 
the Interior (DOI) and the BLM have broad responsibilities to manage 
federal lands and resources for the public benefit. Nearly half of 
Greater Sage-Grouse habitat is managed by the BLM. The BLM is committed 
to being a good neighbor and investing in on-the-ground conservation 
activities through close collaboration with State governments, local 
communities, private landowners, and other stakeholders.
    In September 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
determined that the Greater Sage-Grouse did not warrant listing under 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The USFWS based its ``not 
warranted'' determination, in part, on the conservation commitments and 
management actions in the BLM and U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) 
Greater Sage-Grouse land use plan amendments and revisions (2015 GRSG 
land use plan decisions), as well as on other private, state, and 
federal conservation efforts. Since 2015 the BLM, in discussion with 
partners, primarily Governors and state wildlife management agencies, 
recognized that several refinements and policy updates could help 
strengthen conservation efforts, while providing increased economic 
opportunity to local communities. The BLM and Department of Interior 
worked closely with Governors charged with managing Greater Sage-Grouse 
to determine whether some, none, or all of the 2015 Land Use Plans 
should be amended. After carefully considering the Governors input, and 
using its discretion and authority under FLPMA, as well as under 
direction from the Secretary, including Secretary's Order (SO) 3353, 
the BLM proposes amending the Nevada and Northeastern California 
Greater Sage-Grouse land use plans that address GRSG management. This 
action is proposed to enhance cooperation and improve alignment with 
the state plans or management strategies, in accordance with the BLM's 
multiple use and sustained yield mission. The BLM prepared the Nevada 
and Northeastern California Greater Sage-Grouse Draft RMP Amendment/
Draft EIS to address alternatives that will build upon its commitment 
to conserve and restore Greater Sage-Grouse habitat, while improving 
collaboration and alignment with state management strategies for 
Greater Sage-Grouse. The BLM seeks to improve management alignment in 
ways that will increase management flexibility, maintain access to 
public resources, and promote conservation outcomes. The BLM used 
internal, agency, and public scoping to identify issues considered in 
the environmental analysis. As part of this analysis, the BLM also 
examined the range of alternatives evaluated in the BLM's 2015 GRSG 
land use plan decisions and their supporting NEPA analyses.
    This Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS is one of six separate planning 
efforts that are being undertaken in response to

[[Page 19801]]

SO 3353, Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation and Cooperation with Western 
States (June 7, 2017), and in accordance with SO 3349, American Energy 
Independence (March 29, 2017). The Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS 
proposes to amend the RMPs for field offices on BLM lands within BLM 
Nevada and Northeastern California boundaries. The current management 
decisions for resources are described in the following resource 
management plans (RMPs):

 Alturas RMP (2008)
 Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon NCA RMP (2004)
 Carson City Consolidated RMP (2001)
 Eagle Lake RMP (2008)
 Elko RMP (1987)
 Ely RMP (2008)
 Shoshone-Eureka RMP (1986)
 Surprise RMP (2008)
 Tonopah RMP (1997)
 Wells RMP (1985)
 Winnemucca RMP (2015)

    The planning area includes approximately 70.3 million acres of BLM, 
National Park Service, United States Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of 
Reclamation, State, local, and private lands located in Nevada and 
Northeastern California, in 17 counties: Churchill, Elko, Eureka, 
Humboldt, Lander, Lassen, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Modoc, Nye, Pershing, 
Plumas, Sierra, Storey, Washoe, and White Pine. Within the decision 
area, the BLM administers approximately 45.4 million acres of public 
lands, providing approximately 20.5 million acres of GRSG habitat. 
Surface management decisions made as a result of this RMP Amendment/
Draft EIS will apply only to BLM administered lands in the decision 
area.
    The formal public scoping process for the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft 
EIS began on October 11, 2017, with the publication of a Notice of 
Intent in the Federal Register (82 FR 47248), and ended on December 1, 
2017. The following public scoping meetings were held in Nevada and 
Northeastern California:

--Alturas, CA; November 3, 2017
--Reno, NV; November 7, 2017
--Elko, NV; November 8, 2017
--Ely, NV; November 9, 2017

    The Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS addresses the designation of 
Sagebrush Focal Areas, mitigation, adjustments to habitat management 
area designations to reflect new information, reversing adaptive 
management responses when the BLM determines that resource conditions 
no longer warrant those responses (in addition to addressing updates to 
the adaptive management strategy based on best available science), 
allocation exception processes, seasonal timing restrictions, modifying 
habitat objectives when best available science is available, and 
through plan clarification: Modifying lek buffers, requirements for 
required design features, and corrections relative to land health 
assessments and sage grouse habitat objectives.
    The Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS evaluates two alternatives in 
detail, including the No Action Alternative (Alternative A) and an 
action alternative (Alternative B: Management Alignment). Alternative B 
has been identified as BLM's Preferred Alternative for the purposes of 
public comment and review. Identification of this alternative, however, 
does not represent final agency direction, and the Proposed RMP 
Amendment/Final EIS may reflect changes or adjustments from information 
received during public comment, from new information, or from changes 
in BLM policies or priorities. The Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS may 
include objectives and actions described in the other analyzed 
alternative as well.
    Alternative A would retain the current management goals, 
objectives, and direction specified in the current RMPs for each field 
office.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who 
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at 
the addresses provided in the ADDRESSES section of this notice during 
regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), Monday through Friday, 
except holidays.
    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.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Michael C. Courtney,
Acting BLM Nevada State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-09520 Filed 5-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-84-P