[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 120 (Friday, June 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29232-29233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13021]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[19X.LLID930000.L11100000.DF0000.LXSGPL000000.241A.4500132602]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for Fuel Breaks in the Great Basin; Idaho, Washington, 
Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah

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, the Bureau of Land

[[Page 29233]]

Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for Fuel Breaks in the Great Basin and by this notice 
is announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft Programmatic EIS for Fuel Breaks in the 
Great Basin within 45 days following the date the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any 
other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through 
public notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Draft Programmatic 
EIS for Fuel Breaks in the Great Basin by any of the following methods: 
website: https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG, Email: [email protected], Fax: 208-
373-3805, Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, ATTN: 
Fuel Breaks Draft PEIS, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise ID 83709.
    Copies of the Draft Programmatic EIS for Fuel Breaks in the Great 
Basin are available in the BLM Idaho State at the above address; 
additional copies can be made available at the California, Nevada, 
Oregon/Washington, and Utah State Offices upon request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlo Draper, telephone 208-373-3812; 
address BLM Idaho State Office, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise ID 83709; 
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: The purpose of a system of strategically 
placed fuel breaks in the Great Basin region is to slow the spread of 
wildfires and provide firefighters with the best opportunity to catch 
rapidly moving fires and establish an anchor point, thereby reducing 
wildfire size and improving firefighter safety while engaging in fire 
suppression. Fuel breaks would also offer greater protection of human 
life and property, sagebrush communities, and habitat restoration 
investments. Reducing fire size helps to reduce the expansion of 
invasive species, such as cheatgrass and medusahead. The need for fuel 
breaks relates to the increased size and frequency of wildfires 
throughout the western United States in recent years. The fires have 
impacted healthy rangelands, sagebrush communities, and the general 
productivity of the lands. Efforts to suppress these wildfires have 
cost approximately $1.7 billion dollars between 2007 and 2017. These 
wildfires have resulted in increased numbers of injuries and fatalities 
among wildland firefighters, destruction of private property, 
degradation and loss of rangelands, loss of recreational opportunities, 
and habitat loss for a variety of species, including the conversion of 
native habitats to invasive annual grasses. The conversion of rangeland 
habitats to invasive annual grasslands further impedes rangeland health 
and productivity by slowing or preventing the recovery of sagebrush 
ecosystems.
    The preferred alternative (Alternative D) would authorize a full 
suite of tools to construct approximately 11,000 miles of new fuel 
breaks within the 223,000,000-acre planning area. Impacts would include 
those to native plant communities that are currently resistant to 
invasive annual plants, but may become vulnerable through repeated 
fires. Potential tools would include manual, chemical, mechanical, 
prescribed fire, reseeding, and targeted grazing. Fuel break types 
would include green strips (areas planted with low-statured, fire-
resistant vegetation), brown strips (areas where all vegetation is 
removed), mowed fuel breaks, and targeted grazing fuel breaks (where 
livestock grazing is managed to reduce vegetation).
    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 above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 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

John F. Ruhs,
Idaho State Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2019-13021 Filed 6-20-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P