[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 135 (Friday, July 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32681-32683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15020]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVS01000. L51010000.PQ0000. LVRWF09F8730; N-85631; MO#4500119561]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Land Use Plan Amendment, and a Notice of Segregation for the Proposed 
Gemini Solar Project in Clark County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: As requested by Solar Partners XI, LLC, and in compliance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las Vegas Field Office intends to 
prepare an

[[Page 32682]]

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and land use plan amendment to the 
1998 Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the proposed Gemini Solar 
Project in Clark County, Nevada. Publication of this Notice initiates 
the scoping process and opens a 45-day public comment period. 
Publication of this Notice also segregates the public lands from 
appropriation under the public land laws, including location under the 
Mining Law, but not the mineral leasing laws or the Materials Act, 
subject to valid existing rights.

DATES: Written comments must be received by the BLM no later than 
August 27, 2018. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings 
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local news media 
and the BLM website at: https://go.usa.gov/xntTQ.
    Comments must be received prior to the close of the scoping period 
or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later, to be 
included in the Draft EIS. The BLM will provide additional 
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft 
EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     E-planning: https://go.usa.gov/xntTQ.
     Fax: 702-515-5023, Attention: Herman Pinales.
     Mail: BLM, Las Vegas Field Office, Attn: Herman Pinales, 
4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130-2301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, and/or to 
have your name added to the mailing list, send requests to: Herman 
Pinales, Energy & Infrastructure Project Manager, at telephone 702-515-
5284; address 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130-
2301; or 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 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: In 2017, Solar Partners XI, LLC filed an 
application with the BLM requesting authorization to construct, 
operate, maintain, and decommission a 690-megawatt-per-year 
photovoltaic (PV) solar electric generating facility and associated 
generation tie-line and access road facilities. The expected life of 
the project is 30 years. The Solar Partners XI, LLC acquired the 
original 44,000-acre APEX Solar Thermal Power Generation Facility 
right-of-way application filed in 2008 by BrightSource Energy, LLC.
    The proposed Gemini Solar Project would be located approximately 25 
miles northeast of Las Vegas and south of the Moapa River Indian 
Reservation in Clark County, Nevada.
    The proposed Gemini Solar Project includes 7,115 acres of federal 
lands administered by the BLM. The Visual Resource Management (VRM) 
class in the Application Area is mostly III and some II (due to 
proximity to Muddy Mountain Wilderness Area and Bitter Springs Back 
Country Byway), which will require a land use plan amendment to a class 
IV in order for the project to be consistent with the land use plan. A 
VRM class 2 allows for activities with a low level of landscape change; 
a class III allows a moderate level of change that would not dominate 
the landscape; and a class IV allows a high level of change that would 
dominate the landscape.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and to guide the process for developing the 
EIS. At present, the BLM has identified the following preliminary 
issues: Threatened and endangered species, biological resources, visual 
resources, cultural resources, tribal interests, recreation, and 
cumulative impacts. The Congressionally-designated Old Spanish National 
Historic Trail crosses the area. Habitat for the federally listed 
desert tortoise is also in this proposed area.
    The BLM will consult with Native American tribes on a government-
to-government basis in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, 
Executive Order 13175, and other policies. Tribal concerns will be 
given due consideration, including impacts on Indian Trust assets. 
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with other stakeholders that 
may be interested or affected by the BLM's decision on this project, 
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.

Segregation of the Public Lands

    In 2013, the BLM published a Final Rule, Segregation of Lands--
Renewable Energy (78 FR 25204), that amended the regulations found in 
43 CFR 2090 and 2800. The provisions of the Final Rule allow the BLM to 
temporarily segregate public lands within a solar or wind application 
area from the operation of the public land laws, including the Mining 
Law, by publication of a Federal Register notice. The BLM uses this 
temporary segregation authority to preserve its ability to approve, 
approve with modifications, or deny proposed ROWs, and to facilitate 
the orderly administration of the public lands. This temporary 
segregation is subject to valid existing mining claims located before 
this segregation notice. 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 segregation 
period. The lands segregated under this notice are legally described as 
follows:

Mount Diablo Meridian, Clark County, Nevada

T. 17 S., R. 64 E.,
    Sec. 10, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 11, S\1/2\;
    Secs. 12 and 13;
    Sec. 14, N\1/2\ and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 15, N\1/2\;
    Sec. 22, E\1/2\;
    Secs. 23 thru 26;
    Sec. 27, E\1/2\;
    Sec. 34, E\1/2\;
    Secs. 35 and 36.
T. 17 S., R. 65 E.
    Secs. 7 thru 24;
    Secs. 26 thru 35.
T. 17 S., R. 66 E.,
    Secs. 7, 18 and 19.
T. 18 S., R. 64 E.,
    Secs. 1 and 2;
    Sec. 3, lots 5 and 6, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 10, E\1/2\;
    Secs. 11 thru 14;
    Sec. 15, E\1/2\;
    Sec. 22, E\1/2\;
    Secs. 23 thru 26;
    Sec. 27, E\1/2\;
    Sec. 34, E\1/2\;
    Secs. 35 and 36.
T. 18 S., R. 65 E.,
    Secs. 2 thru 9;
    Secs. 16 thru 20;
    Sec. 21, N\1/2\ and SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 30.

    The areas described contain 45,165.48 acres, according to the 
official plats of the surveys and protraction diagrams of the lands 
on file with the BLM.

    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

[[Page 32683]]

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 would automatically reopen to appropriation under 
the public land laws.
    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 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 1610.5, 43 CFR 
2091.3-1(e), and 43 CFR 2804.25(f)

Gayle Marrs-Smith,
Las Vegas Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2018-15020 Filed 7-12-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P