[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 110 (Monday, June 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35108-35109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12382]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR04963000, XXXR0680R1, RR.17549661.1000000]


Notice of Availability of the Lake Powell Pipeline Project Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement/Draft Resource Management Plan 
Amendment; Coconino and Mohave Counties, Arizona and Washington and 
Kane Counties, Utah

AGENCY:  Bureau of Reclamation and 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, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), in 
coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and four other 
cooperating agencies, announce the availability of the Lake Powell 
Pipeline (LPP) Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and 
the Arizona Strip Field Office Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment 
(RMPA) (Draft EIS/Draft RMPA) for public review and comment for 90 
days. The Draft EIS/Draft RMPA describes the potential environmental 
impacts of the No Action Alternative and two action alternatives for 
the LPP, proposed by the Utah Board of Water Resources (UBWR).

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, Reclamation must 
receive written comments on the Draft EIS/Draft RMPA within 90 days of 
the date that this Federal Register notice is published. Send written 
comments on the Draft EIS/Draft RMPA on or before September 8, 2020. 
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this notice was issued after the 
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) weekly publication of EIS 
filings in the Federal Register on June 5, 2020. A correction 
representing the revised comment period will be sent to the EPA after 
this notice is published. Reclamation will host two virtual, online 
public meetings on July 8 and 9, 2020 due to the continuing public 
health concerns and a desire to facilitate maximum public participation 
without the need to limit attendees. Details regarding those meetings, 
including web login, conference line and registration information will 
be published on Reclamation's website at https://www.usbr.gov/uc/envdocs/eis/LakePowellPipeline/index.html at least 15 days prior to 
July 8, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments or requests for copies of the Draft 
EIS/Draft RMPA to Mr. Rick Baxter, Project Manager, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 302 East Lakeview Parkway, Provo, Utah 84606 or via email 
to [email protected]. The Draft EIS/Draft RMPA is accessible from the 
following website: https://www.usbr.gov/uc/envdocs/eis/LakePowellPipeline/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rick Baxter, Project Manager, 801-
379-1078; or by email at [email protected]. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above 
individual during normal business hours. The FIRS 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 Draft EIS/Draft RMPA analyzes the 
potential direct, indirect, and cumulative physical, biological, and 
socioeconomic environmental effects that may result from construction 
and operation of the two action alternatives: The Highway Alternative 
and the Southern Alternative, including three RMPA sub-alternatives for 
the Southern Alternative. Both alternatives consist of a water delivery 
pipeline that begins at Lake Powell near Glen Canyon Dam in Page, 
Arizona, and ends at Sand Hollow Reservoir near St. George, Utah. The 
pipeline would deliver up to 86,249 acre-feet of water from Lake Powell 
to Washington County. Both alternatives also include a water exchange 
contract between Reclamation and UBWR.
    The BLM Arizona Strip Field Office is considering amending a 
portion of the Arizona Strip Field Office (ASFO) Resource Management 
Plan (RMP) related to the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACEC). Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b), the BLM is required to 
publish a notice in the Federal Register of proposed ACECs, including 
changes to existing ACECs, and specify the resource use limitations. 
This notice announces a concurrent 60-day public comment period for 
proposed changes to the existing Kanab Creek ACEC. The BLM proposes 
three sub-alternatives under the Southern Alternative to amend the ASFO 
RMP to consider allowing development of the LPP within the Kanab Creek 
ACEC or adjust the ACEC boundary. The Kanab Creek ACEC would not change 
under the No Action or Highway alternatives. Pertinent information 
regarding changes to the Kanab Creek ACEC, including proposed 
designation acreage and resource use limitations are described in the 
table below.

[[Page 35109]]



                       Kanab Creek ACEC Acres and Use Restrictions Under the Alternatives
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                                                                      Southern alternative
 No action alternative and highway alternative -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Sub-alternative 1     Sub-alternative 2     Sub-alternative 3
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13,148 acres--MA-LR-06: ROWs, permits, leases,  13,148 acres--Amend   12,243 acres--Change  13,148 acres--Amend
 easements will be evaluated on a case-by-case   MA-LR-06 to allow     VRM designation on    MA-LR-06 and LA-VR-
 basis. New land use authorizations will be      new land use          230.6 acres from      01 as in RMPA Sub-
 discouraged within avoidance areas, allowed     authorizations when   VRM Class II to VRM   alternative 1.
 only when no reasonable alternative exists      effects on ACEC       Class III. Maintain  Amend MA-LR-12: The
 and impacts to sensitive resources can be       sensitive resources   utility corridor as   utility corridor
 mitigated. Route new ROWs away from high-       could be mitigated.   VRM Class IV.         within Kanab Creek
 density listed species' populations, cultural  Amend LA-VR-01:                              ACEC would be less
 sites, and along edges of avoidance areas.      Designated utility                          than 1 mile wide.
 Include mitigation such as underground          corridor inside                            Manage area outside
 placement of linear ROWs along existing roads   ACEC would be                               utility corridor as
 in the House Rock Valley area and special       Visual Resource                             VRM Class II or
 protection measures for archaeological          Management (VRM)                            Class III. Maintain
 resources.                                      Class IV.                                   utility corridor as
LA-VR-01: Class I: 80,760 acres, Class II:                                                   VRM Class IV.
 368,032 acres, Class III: 1,459,374 acres,
 Class IV: 72,897 acres.
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Authority

    The LPP was authorized by the Utah State Legislature under the Lake 
Powell Pipeline Development Act of 2006 (40 CFR 1501.7; 43 CFR 1610.2 
and 1610.7).

Public Review of Draft EIS/Draft RMPA

    Copies of the Draft EIS/Draft RMPA are available upon request. See 
information under the ADDRESSES section.

Special Assistance for the Online/Virtual Public Meeting

    If special assistance is required at the public meetings, please 
contact Ms. Ellen Hopp, Galileo Project, LLC, Project Administrator, at 
[email protected]. Please notify Ms. Hopp as far in advance as 
possible to enable Reclamation to secure the needed services. If a 
request cannot be honored, the requestor will be notified.

Public Disclosure

    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.

Brent Esplin,
Regional Director, Upper Colorado Basin--Interior Region 7, Bureau of 
Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2020-12382 Filed 6-4-20; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P