[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 229 (Friday, November 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 76101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26146]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[19X.LLID930000.L11700000.DF0000.LXSGPL000000.241A.4500132602]
Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for Fuels Reduction and Rangeland Restoration 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 Management (BLM) has prepared a
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Fuels
Reduction and Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin and by this
notice is announcing its availability.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a
minimum of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal
Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final Programmatic EIS for Fuels Reduction and
Rangeland Restoration in the Great Basin are available for public
inspection during regular business hours at 1387 South Vinnell Way,
Boise ID 83709. Interested persons may also review the Final
Programmatic EIS online at: https://go.usa.gov/x79bp. Additional copies
can be made available at the Oregon/Washington, California, Nevada and
Utah BLM State Offices upon request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Bassista, telephone 208-373-
3845; 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: Intact sagebrush communities are
disappearing within the Great Basin due to the interactions of
increased wildfires, the spread of invasive annual grasses, and the
encroachement of pinyon-juniper. Fuels reduction treatments and
rangeland restoration treatments are needed to increase intact
sagebrush communities and improve their ability to resist annual grass
invasion and recover from disturbance such as wildfire. Functioning and
viable sagebrush communities provide multiple-use opportunities for all
user groups as well as habitat for sagebrush-dependent species.
The Programmatic EIS analzyes the environmental effects of fuels
reduction projects, invasive species treatments, and vegetation
restoration work within sagebrush communities. The preferred
alternative (Alternative B) analyzes a full suite of manual, chemical
and mechanical treatments, including prescribed fire, seeding, and
targeted grazing, in order to restore degraded vegetative communities
within the 38.5 million-acre sagebrush analysis area. The preferred
alternative provides a framework under which BLM offices may work to
develop site-specific fuels reduction and rangeland restoration
treatments within the project area.
The NOA for the Draft Programmatic EIS published on April 3, 2020,
initiating a 60-day public comment period. The BLM hosted a virtual
public meeting website to share information about the proposed project
and alternatives and to answer questions. The public was able to
comment online through ePlanning, through the virtual public meeting
website, via a project email address, or by postal mail. The BLM
received 1,270 comment form letters and 144 unique comment letters.
Comments on the Draft Programmatic EIS received from the public and
internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate
into the Final Programmatic EIS. Public comments resulted in the
addition of clarifying text, but did not significantly change the
alternatives or analysis.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.11 (2020))
John F. Ruhs,
Idaho State Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2020-26146 Filed 11-25-20; 8:45 am]
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