[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 34 (Friday, February 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9376-9377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03475]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD06000.L51010000.ER0000.LVRWB20B6000.20X (MO# 4500154620)]


Notice of Intent To Amend the California Desert Conservation Area 
Plan for the Morongo Highway 62 Communication Site Project, San 
Bernardino County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Palm 
Springs-South Coast Field Office in Palm Springs is proposing to amend 
the 1980 California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan, as amended, 
and

[[Page 9377]]

prepare an associated environmental assessment for the Morongo Highway 
62 Communication Site (Project). By this notice, the BLM is announcing 
the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments on 
issues and identified planning criteria.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the CDCA 
Plan amendment and associated environmental assessment. Comments may be 
submitted in writing until March 21, 2022. The date(s) and location(s) 
of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance 
through local news media, newspapers, and the Project website: https://go.usa.gov/x6dCB.
    To be included in the analysis, all comments must be received prior 
to the close of the 30-day scoping period. The BLM will provide at 
least two additional opportunities for public participation. A 30-day 
public comment period will be provided upon publication of the draft 
plan amendment environmental assessment. After the public-comment 
period and review concludes, the BLM will prepare a decision and 
initiate a 30-day protest period and 60-day Governor's Consistency 
Review.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria by 
any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: ATTN: Matt Toedtli, Project Manager, BLM, 1201 Bird 
Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
     Online via ePlanning at: https://go.usa.gov/x6dCB.
    Documents pertinent to this project may be examined by contacting 
the project manager during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Toedtli, Project Manager, 
telephone: (760) 833-7117, email: 
[email protected]. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at (800) 877-8339 to contact Matt Toedtli 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: Interconnect Towers, LLC has requested a 
right-of-way grant on approximately 2.2 acres for the authorization to 
construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a communication site, 
access road, and necessary ancillary facilities on public lands managed 
by the BLM. The proposed project is located west of Highway 62 in 
Morongo Valley, California. The proposed project is within general 
public lands, as identified in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation 
Plan (DRECP) amendment to the CDCA Plan.
    The BLM published an environmental assessment for this project in 
January 2020, followed by a 15-day public comment period. One comment 
was received, which stated that the communication site would violate 
the Visual Resource Management (VRM) Class II objectives. The CDCA 
Plan, as amended, contains Conservation and Management Actions (CMAs) 
that are intended to avoid or minimize impacts to numerous resources 
within the plan area. Application of the relevant CMAs to the proposed 
project would preclude the ability to construct and operate the 
communication site in a VRM Class II designation. As such, the proposed 
project would require a plan amendment to allow the communication site 
to be constructed and operated within the application area.
    This notice informs the public that the BLM intends to prepare a 
draft CDCA Plan amendment and revised environmental assessment. It also 
announces the beginning of the scoping process for this effort and 
seeks public input on the proposed land use plan amendment to change 
the project area from VRM Class II to VRM Class III and also seeks 
input on potential planning criteria relevant to the proposed project. 
The purpose of the public scoping process is to guide the planning 
process and determine the relevant issues that will influence the scope 
of the environmental analysis, including alternatives and mitigation 
measures. The BLM has identified one preliminary issue, which is the 
potential for adverse effects to visual resources based on established 
visual resource class objectives. Written comments may be submitted via 
one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section earlier. Input must 
be received by the close of the 30-day public-scoping period.
    This notice also initiates a 30-day review of the BLM's identified 
proposed planning criteria (43 CFR 1610.4-2(b); 43 CFR 1610.2(f)(2)). 
The BLM will use these proposed planning criteria to help guide and 
define the scope of the plan amendment:
    1. The plan amendment will be completed in compliance with FLPMA, 
NEPA, and all other relevant Federal laws, executive orders, and BLM 
policies.
    2. Existing valid plan decisions will not change and any new plan 
decisions will not conflict with existing plan decisions.
    3. The plan amendment will recognize valid existing rights.
    With respect to the potential land use plan amendment, the BLM will 
evaluate identified issues and will place them into one of three 
categories:
    (a) Issues to be resolved in the plan amendment.
    (b) Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action.
    (c) Issues beyond the scope of this plan amendment.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the environmental assessment 
as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. The public is 
also encouraged to help identify any management questions and concerns 
that should be addressed in the environmental analysis.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to 
help fulfill the public-involvement process under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108 and 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)). The 
information about historic and cultural resources within the proposed 
project area will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts 
to such resources.
    The BLM will 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 be given due 
consideration. Federal, state, and local agencies, along with Tribes 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed project are invited to participate in the scoping process and, 
if eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to participate in 
the development of the environmental assessment as a cooperating 
agency.
    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 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2)

Karen E. Mouritsen,
BLM California State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-03475 Filed 2-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P