[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 223 (Monday, November 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 58304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25088]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Sacramento 
Peak Observatory, Sunspot, New Mexico

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces the 
availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for 
Sacramento Peak Observatory, Sunspot, NM. This Final EIS identifies and 
analyzes the potential environmental consequences of the following 
alternatives: Alternative 1, Continued Science- and Education-focused 
Operations by Interested Parties with Reduced NSF Funding; Alternative 
2, Transition to Partial Operations by Interested Parties with Reduced 
NSF Funding (Agency-preferred Alternative); Alternative 3, Mothballing 
of Facilities; Alternative 4, Demolition and Site Restoration 
(Secondary Agency-Preferred Alternative); and the No Action 
Alternative, Continued NSF Investment for Science[hyphen]focused 
Operations. It also proposes mitigation measures to minimize the 
adverse impacts from alternatives that include demolition where such 
impacts may occur.

DATES: The National Science Foundation will execute a Record of 
Decision no sooner than 30 days after the date of publication of the 
Notice of Availability published in the Federal Register by the 
Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS is made available for public inspection online 
at www.nsf.gov/AST. A copy of the FEIS will be available for review at 
the following libraries:

Michael Nivison Public Library, 90 Swallow Place, Cloudcroft, NM 88317
Alamogordo Public Library, 920 Oregon Avenue, Alamogordo, NM 88310

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth Pentecost, Re: 
Sacramento Peak Observatory, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Room W9152, 
Alexandria, VA 22314, [email protected]; 703-292-4907.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sacramento Peak Observatory is located in 
Sunspot, New Mexico, within the Lincoln National Forest in the 
Sacramento Mountains. Established by the U.S. Air Force via a 
memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Forest Service in 1950, the 
facility was transferred to NSF in 1976. NSF and the U.S. Forest 
Service executed a land use agreement (signed in 1980) to formalize 
this transition and the continued use of the land for the Observatory. 
The primary research facility in operation at the Sacramento Peak site 
is the Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope (DST), currently managed by the 
National Solar Observatory (NSO). The DST is a high-spatial resolution 
optical/infrared solar telescope.
    Through a series of academic community-based and portfolio reviews, 
NSF identified the need to divest several facilities from its portfolio 
in order to retain the balance of capabilities needed to deliver the 
best performance on the key science of the present decade and beyond. 
In 2016, NSF completed a feasibility study to inform and define options 
for the site's future disposition that would involve significantly 
decreasing or eliminating NSF funding of the Sacramento Peak 
Observatory. NSF issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS on July 5, 
2016, held scoping meetings on July 21, 2016, and held a 30-day public 
comment period that closed on August 5, 2016.
    The Draft EIS was made available for public review and comment from 
February 8 through March 26, 2018. The full Draft EIS was also posted 
on the NSF, Division of Astronomical Sciences website (www.nsf.gov/AST) 
and hard copies were delivered to local libraries. A public meeting on 
the Draft EIS was held in Alamogordo, NM on February 28, 2018. During 
the review period, the NSF received over 30 comments. After considering 
all comments received, the NSF prepared the Final EIS. There are no 
substantive changes to the range of alternatives considered. 
Alternative 2 is identified as the ``Agency-Preferred Alternative'' and 
Alternative 4 is identified as the ``Secondary Agency-Preferred 
Alternative.''

    Dated: November 13, 2018.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2018-25088 Filed 11-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P