[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 240 (Friday, December 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68187-68188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26679]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAC06000.L13100000.DS0000.LXSIAREV0000.19XL1109AF; MO#4500131458]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the 
Bakersfield Field Office Hydraulic Fracturing Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement, California

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 (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) developed for the 2012 Proposed Resource 
Management Plan

[[Page 68188]]

(RMP), and by this Notice is announcing its availability. This 
supplemental environmental analysis responds to a May 2017, U.S. 
District Court Order requiring additional environmental analysis of the 
potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas resources 
within the planning area. The BLM issues this ROD to re-affirm the 
portions of the 2014 ROD that were set-aside in a partial remand. 
Because there are no changes to the 2014 RMP resulting from 
supplementation of its underlying EIS, with signature of this ROD, that 
part of the 2014 ROD that was set aside on remand, is now in effect.

DATES: The Acting California State Director signed the ROD on December 
12, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available for public inspection during 
regular business hours at 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308. 
Interested persons may also review the ROD at https://go.usa.gov/xE3Nw.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carly Summers, Supervisory Natural 
Resources Specialist; telephone: 661-391-6000; email: [email protected]; 
address: Bureau of Land Management, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA 
93308. 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. Summers during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours 
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive 
a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bakersfield Field Office planning area 
is located in eastern Fresno, western Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis 
Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura counties in California and 
encompasses approximately 1.2 million acres of Federal minerals, which 
includes roughly 400,000 surface acres of BLM-managed public land.
    This supplemental environmental analysis responds to a May 2017, 
U.S. District Court Order requiring additional environmental analysis 
of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas 
resources within the planning area. The U.S. District Court Order 
upheld the range of alternatives analyzed in the 2012 Proposed RMP/
Final EIS. The five management alternatives analyzed in the Proposed 
RMP/Final EIS were:
     The No Action alternative (Alternative A)--continue 
current management under the existing 1997 Caliente RMP and 1984 
Hollister RMP, as amended.
     The Proposed Plan (Alternative B)--balance resource 
conservation and ecosystem health with the production of commodities 
and public use of the land.
     Alternative C--emphasize conserving cultural and natural 
resources, maintaining functioning natural systems, and restoring 
degraded natural systems.
     Alternative D--same as Alternative C, except that 
Alternative D would eliminate livestock grazing from BLM-managed lands 
in the planning area.
     Alternative E--emphasize the production of natural 
resources, commodities and public use opportunities.
    The 2012 Proposed RMP/Final EIS identified public lands as 
available to fluid mineral leasing; no changes to that designation were 
made through the Final Supplemental EIS.
    Preliminary resource issues were presented for public scoping 
review and comment in the August 8, 2018, Federal Register Notice of 
Intent (83 FR 39116). Issues identified by the BLM, Federal, State, and 
local agencies, and other stakeholders include air and atmospheric 
values, water quality and quantity, seismicity, special status species, 
and mineral resources (oil and gas).
    The Draft Supplemental EIS began a 45-day public comment period 
upon publication of the Notice of Availability in the April 26, 2019 
Federal Register (84 FR 17885). The BLM held public meetings on May 21, 
22, and 23, 2019, in Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara, 
respectively. Approximately 600 individuals attended the three meetings 
and approximately 16,000 written comments were received through 
ePlanning and standard mail. Responses to substantive comments are in 
Appendix B: Public Comment Summary Report of the Final Supplemental 
EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text to the 
final EIS, but did not warrant or suggest further supplementation or 
change.
    The Final Supplemental EIS Notice of Availability published in the 
Federal Register on November 1, 2019 (84 FR 58739).
    The results of this final supplemental analysis regarding the 
impacts of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas resources, additive to 
those identified in the 2012 Final EIS, did not show a notable increase 
in total impacts. No conflicts were found between the estimated impacts 
of hydraulic fracturing and the resource or program management goals 
and objectives stated in the approved RMP. The range of alternatives 
was upheld by the District Court and has not changed between the 
approved 2014 RMP and its 2012 Final EIS and the 2019 Final 
Supplemental EIS. Therefore, no amendment to the 2014 RMP is necessary, 
and the BLM upholds its previous decision to select the Proposed Plan 
(Alternative B) for its Resource Management Plan. BLM has fully 
analyzed the effects of hydraulic fracturing in accordance with the 
order of the court, and although the 2012 EIS has been supplemented, no 
change is made to the RMP decisions that were approved in 2014.
    The BLM utilized and coordinated the NEPA 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 BLM will 
continue to 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 continue to be given due 
consideration.
    With this ROD, the BLM incorporates the supplemental EIS for the 
Bakersfield Field Office Resource Management Plan (RMP) into the August 
2012 EIS, which supported the Bakersfield Field Office Proposed 
Resource Management Plan. The BLM issues this ROD to re-affirm the 
portions of the 2014 ROD that were set-aside in the partial remand. 
Because there are no changes to the 2014 RMP resulting from 
supplementation of its underlying EIS, with signature of this ROD, that 
part of the 2014 ROD that was set aside on remand, is now in effect.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 40 CFR 1506.10; 43 CFR 1610.2; 43 CFR 
1610.5; 42 U.S.C. 4370m-6(a)(1)).

Danielle Chi,
Deputy State Director, Resources.
[FR Doc. 2019-26679 Filed 12-12-19; 8:45 am]
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