[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 218 (Friday, November 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56097-56099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24401]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNMA02000.L51010000.ER0000.17X LVRWG17G1360; NMNM 136976]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan Amendment
and Environmental Impact Statement for the Borderlands Wind Project in
Catron County, New Mexico; and Notice of Public Lands Segregation
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, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Socorro Field
Office will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which
includes a potential Plan Amendment to the 2010 Socorro Field Office
Resource Management Plan (RMP) for a proposed commercial wind energy
project located on public lands in Catron County, New Mexico.
Publication of this Notice initiates the scoping process and opens a
30-day public comment period to solicit public comments and identify
issues. Publication of this Notice also serves to segregate the public
lands from appropriation under the public land laws, including location
under the Mining Law, but not the Mineral Leasing Act or the Materials
Act, subject to valid existing rights. This Notice initiates the public
scoping process and the public lands segregation.
DATES: This notice initiates a 30-day public scoping period that will
assist in preparation of the Draft EIS. Comments on issues may be
submitted in writing until December 10, 2018.
[[Page 56098]]
The BLM expects to hold at least one public meeting in New Mexico
during the scoping period, to provide an opportunity to review the
proposal and project information. Announcements will be made by news
release to the media and posted on the BLM's website listed below.
Comments must be received prior to the close of the scoping period
in order to be included in the Draft EIS/Resource Management Plan
Amendment (RMPA). The BLM will provide additional opportunities for
public participation upon publication of the Draft EIS/RMPA.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or resource information related to
the project by any of the following methods:
Website: https://www.blm.gov/site-page/programs-planning-and-nepa-plans-development-new-mexico-proposed-borderlands-wind-project.
Mail: Jim Stobaugh, National Project Manager, Bureau of
Land Management Nevada State Office, Borderlands Wind Project, 1340
Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89520.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, please contact Virginia Alguire,
BLM Socorro Field Office, 901 South Hwy 85, Socorro, New Mexico 87801;
phone (575) 838-1290, or email to [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 Ms. Alguire 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: On May 18, 2017, Borderlands Wind, LLC,
submitted an application to the BLM requesting authorization to
construct, operate, maintain, and terminate an up-to-100 megawatt
commercial wind energy generation facility--Borderlands Wind Project
(NMNM136976), in Catron County, New Mexico, within a boundary that
encompasses approximately 40,348 acres of land managed by the BLM, the
New Mexico State Land Office (SLO), and private landowners. The project
would be located south of U.S. Route 60 in Catron County near Quemado,
New Mexico, and the Arizona-New Mexico border. Approximately 28,989.38
of the 40,348 acres are located on lands managed by the BLM Socorro
Field Office. The project would generally consist of approximately
thirty-six 2.5-megawatt (MW) and four 2.3-MW General Electric (GE) wind
turbine generators (WTG). Ancillary facilities such as access roads,
underground collections, substation/switchyard, etc., would be located
on lands administered by the BLM, SLO, or privately owned lands as
needed.
Due to the potential impacts of the proposed Borderlands Wind
Project, the BLM is preparing an EIS, and would be the lead agency. 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 and
potential Plan Amendments. At present, the BLM has identified the
following preliminary issues: Cultural resources; threatened,
endangered, and sensitive species; visual resources; tribal interests;
military training flight paths; and future reclamation/mitigation from
wind turbine construction and location. The BLM will identify, analyze,
and require on-site 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 may be considered on multiple
scales to address the associated impact.
The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to help
fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
The information about historic and cultural resources within the area
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
The BLM will consult with Native American 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 agencies, along with tribes
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the
proposed Borderlands Wind Project 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.
Authorization of this proposal requires amendments to the 2010
Socorro Field Office RMP to modify the visual resource management class
in the project area and to modify a right-of way (ROW) avoidance area.
By this notice, the BLM is complying with requirements 43 CFR 1610.2(c)
to notify the public of potential amendments to the 2010 Socorro Field
Office RMP. The BLM will integrate the land use planning process with
the NEPA analysis process for this project.
The BLM encourages comments concerning the proposed Borderlands
Wind energy generation facility, feasible alternatives, possible
measures to minimize and/or avoid adverse environmental impacts, and
any other information relevant to the proposed action. You may submit
comments in writing to the BLM at any public scoping meeting or at any
time by using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section of
this notice. Public scoping meetings will be conducted in an open house
format with BLM staff and representatives from Borderlands Wind, LLC
available to explain project details and gather information from
interested individuals or groups. You should submit comments by the
close of the 30-day scoping period.
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.
Any persons wishing to be added to a mailing list of interested
parties can call or write to the BLM, as described in this Notice.
Additional information meetings may be conducted throughout the process
to keep the public informed of the progress of the EIS.
Segregation of the Public Lands
In accordance with 43 CFR 2091.3-1(e) and 43 CFR 2804.25(f), the
BLM is segregating the public lands within the proposed ROW area from
appropriation under the public land laws, including the Mining Law, but
not the Mineral Leasing or the Material Sales Acts, for a period of up
to 2 years in order to promote 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
[[Page 56099]]
under this Notice are legally described as follows:
New Mexico Principal Meridian, New Mexico
T. 1 S, R. 19 W,
Sec. 10, All;
Sec. 15, lots 1 thru 4;
Sec. 17, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\;
Sec. 20, All;
Sec. 21, SE\1/4\;
Sec. 29, All;
Sec. 30, All;
Sec. 31, All;
Sec. 33, All;
Area described approximate 5051.28 acres.
New Mexico Principal Meridian, New Mexico
T. 2 S, R. 19 W,
Sec. 4, lots 2 and 3, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\;
Secs. 5 thru 8;
Sec. 9, N\1/2\;
Secs. 17 thru 19;
Sec. 20, lots 1 thru 5, S\1/2\SE\1/4\, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
Sec. 30, lots 3 thru 14, W\1/2\SW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\;
Area described approximate 6268.11 acres.
New Mexico Principal Meridian, New Mexico
T. 1 S, R. 20 W,
Sec. 25, All;
Sec. 26, All;
Sec. 29, All;
Sec. 30, All;
Sec. 31, NE\1/4\, lots 13 and 14, N\1/2\SE\1/4\;
Sec. 33, lots 1 thru 4, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, NE\1/
4\SE\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
Sec. 34, lots 1 thru 4, NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SW\1/4\,
NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
Sec. 35, All;
Area described approximate 3688.25 acres.
New Mexico Principal Meridian, New Mexico
T. 2 S, R. 20 W,
Sec. 1, All;
Secs. 3 thru 5;
Sec. 6, lots 1 and 2, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\,SW\1/4\NE\1/4\;
Sec. 9, W\1/2\;
Sec. 10, E\1/2\,SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
Secs. 11 thru 15;
Secs. 21 thru 28;
Secs. 33 thru 35;
Area described approximate 13601.49 acres.
New Mexico Principal Meridian, New Mexico
T. 3 S, R. 20 W,
Sec. 3, lots 5 thru 12;
Sec. 4, lots 5 thru 8.
Area described approximate 380.25 acres.
The areas described contain approximately 28,989.38 acres,
according to the official plats of the surveys and protraction diagrams
of the lands on file with the BLM.
As provided in the 43 CFR 2804.25(f), the segregation of lands in
this Notice will not exceed 2 years from the date of publication of
this Notice, though it can be 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: 40 CFR 1501.7, 43 CFR 1610.2. 43 CFR 2091.3-1, and
43 CFR 2804.25(f).
Timothy R. Spisak,
Acting BLM New Mexico State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-24401 Filed 11-8-18; 8:45 am]
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