[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 121 (Friday, June 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29134-29135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13432]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[16X.LLUT920000.L712200000.ER0000.LVTFJX496770.241A; AZA-34941]


Notice of Intent To Amend a Portion of the Arizona Strip Field 
Office Resource Management Plan Related to the Kanab Creek Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern, Arizona

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 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 
Arizona Strip Field Office, St. George, Utah, intends to amend a 
portion of the Arizona Strip Field Office (ASFO) Resource Management 
Plan (RMP) related to the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACEC). The BLM will incorporate the analysis for the RMP 
amendment into a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lake Powell Pipeline 
Project. FERC is the lead agency and the BLM is a cooperating agency. 
FERC's EIS will analyze the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline Project and 
the proposed RMP amendment to consider allowing development of the Lake 
Powell Pipeline within the Kanab Creek ACEC. By this notice the BLM is 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues pursuant to BLM's land use planning 
regulations.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the RMP 
amendment with an associated EIS. Comments on issues may be submitted 
in writing until July 23, 2018. The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through 
local media, newspapers, and the BLM website at: http://www.blm.gov/arizona. In order to be included in the analysis, all comments must be 
received prior to the close of the 30-day public scoping period or 15 
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will 
provide additional opportunities for public participation as 
appropriate.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Kanab Creek ACEC RMP amendment by any of the following 
methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 435-688-3258.
     Mail: BLM, Arizona Strip Field Office, Attention: Lorraine 
Christian/Kanab Creek ACEC RMP Amendment, 345 East Riverside Drive, St. 
George, Utah 84790-6714.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Arizona 
Strip Field Office at the address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorraine Christian, BLM Arizona Strip 
Field Manager, telephone: 435-688-3200; email: [email protected]. 
Contact Ms. Christian to have your name added to our mailing list. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above 
individual 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The planning area is located in Coconino and 
Mohave Counties, Arizona. Only a small portion (900 acres) of the Kanab 
Creek ACEC would be affected by the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline 
route, but an RMP amendment is required in order to address 
inconsistencies between the management direction in the current RMP, 
the proposed route for the pipeline, and an existing utility corridor 
designated under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
    Approximately 1 mile of the proposed pipeline would run within an 
existing utility corridor, designated by the BLM pursuant to Section 
368 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which overlaps a portion of the 
ACEC. Approximately 0.5 mile of the proposed pipeline would run inside 
the ACEC, but outside the existing utility corridor; this pipeline 
route is proposed due to steep rugged terrain which could be avoided by 
routing the pipeline outside of the utility corridor. The ASFO RMP 
encourages new utility rights-of-way (ROW) to be located within the 
utility corridor to the greatest extent possible. However, the ASFO RMP 
also established ACECs as ``avoidance areas'' for new ROWs. The BLM 
proposes to amend the ASFO RMP to: (1) Resolve the conflict between the 
designated Section 368 utility corridor and the ACEC decisions; and (2) 
Determine whether to allow the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline outside of 
the utility corridor, and if so, change the visual resource management 
class for that portion of the ACEC from Class II (where changes to the 
landscape should be low) to either Class III or Class IV in order to be 
compatible with utility development.
    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 planning process. Preliminary 
issues for the RMP amendment area have been identified by BLM 
personnel; Federal, State, and local agencies; and other stakeholders. 
These issues include: Cultural resources, specifically tribal resources 
and values; special status species; riparian habitat; visual resources; 
special designations (i.e., Kanab Creek ACEC); and lands and realty, 
specifically the existing designated utility corridor--Corridor No. 
113-116. The analysis will also consider mitigation.
    Preliminary planning criteria include: (1) The BLM will continue to 
manage the Kanab Creek ACEC in accordance with FLPMA and other 
applicable laws and regulations; (2) The BLM will continue to manage 
Utility Corridor No. 113-116 in accordance with FLPMA and other 
applicable laws and regulations; and (3) The amendment process will 
follow the FLPMA planning process.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
to the BLM at any ASFO RMP amendment public-scoping meeting, or you may 
submit them to the BLM using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES 
section above. 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.
    The BLM will coordinate the processes of fulfilling requirements of 
NEPA and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 
U.S.C. 306108), as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
    The BLM will 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

[[Page 29135]]

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.
    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 personally identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personally-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 will evaluate all identified issues, and will place them into one 
of three categories:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the RMP amendment;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action; 
or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this RMP amendment.
    An explanation will be provided in FERC's Draft EIS as to why an 
issue was placed in category two or three. The public is also 
encouraged to help identify any issues that should be addressed in the 
RMP. 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 RMP 
amendment in order to consider the variety of resource issues and 
concerns identified, as well as to develop alternatives to the proposed 
RMP amendment. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines 
will be involved in the planning process: Archaeology and cultural 
resources, tribal issues, wildlife, visual resources, lands, realty, 
and special area designations.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Lorraine M. Christian,
Arizona Strip Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2018-13432 Filed 6-21-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-32-P