[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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