[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 97 (Friday, May 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32239-32240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10784]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MO #4500171195]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved 
Resource Management Plan Amendment for the SunZia Southwest 
Transmission Project, New Mexico and Arizona

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision approving an amendment to the right-of-way 
for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project and the Approved Resource 
Management Plan Amendment for the Socorro Approved Resource Management 
Plan located in the Socorro Field Office planning area.

DATES: The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals 
Management signed the Record of Decision/Approved Resource Management 
Plan Amendment on May 16, 2023, which constitutes the final decision of 
the Department of the Interior.

ADDRESSES: The Record of Decision/Approved Resource Management Plan 
Amendment is available online at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510. Printed copies of the Record of Decision/
Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment are available for public 
inspection at the BLM New Mexico State Office at 301 Dinosaur Trail, 
Santa Fe, NM 87508; the BLM Arizona State Office at One North Central 
Ave., Ste. 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004; the BLM Las Cruces District Office 
at 1800 Marquess Street, Las Cruces, NM 88005; the BLM Socorro Field 
Office at 901 South Highway 85, Socorro, NM 87801; the BLM Safford 
Field Office at 711 14th Ave., Safford, AZ 85546; the BLM Tucson Field 
Office at 3201 E Universal Way, Tucson, AZ 85756; the Cibola National 
Forest Supervisor's Office at 2113 Osuna Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113; 
and the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge at 40 Refuge Road San, 
Acacia, NM 87831; or can be provided upon request by contacting BLM 
Project Manager Virginia Alguire at [email protected] or 575-838-1290.
    A copy of the Protest Resolution Report is available at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The BLM Project Manager Virginia 
Alguire via telephone: 575-838-1290; address: 901South Highway 85, 
Socorro, New Mexico, 87801; or email: [email protected]. Individuals in 
the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a 
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting Ms. Alguire. 
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services 
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Land and Minerals Management issued a Record of Decision approving an 
amendment to SunZia Transmission, LLC's right-of-way and an amendment 
to the existing Socorro Resource Management Plan to allow for the 
designation of a 400-foot-wide right-of-way through the BLM right-of-
way avoidance area. Based on the environmental analysis and input from 
stakeholders, cooperating agencies, and Tribes, the BLM has identified 
the Agency Preferred Alternative described in the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement as the Selected Alternative in the Record of Decision. 
The Selected Alternative will allow the BLM to issue a right-of-way 
grant amendment to SunZia Transmission, LLC to use public land 
administered by the BLM for the Project for the term of the original 
right-of-way grant. The Record of Decision also approves an amendment 
to the Socorro Resource Management Plan. The Selected Alternative does 
not impact right-of-way exclusion areas, the Ladron Mountain Devil's 
Backbone Complex Area of Critical Environmental Concern, or any visual 
resource management classes, and thus no plan amendments were required 
to address these management prescriptions. The Record of Decision 
provides additional details on the Socorro Resource Management Plan 
Amendment.
    The BLM's Selected Alternative is as follows:
     Component 1: Localized route modifications 1-5, and the 
2015 Selected Route (the no action alternative in the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement) for local route modification 6 in the 
Pinal Central area;
     Component 2: All access roads and temporary workspaces 
outside the granted right-of-way;
     Component 3: Alternative Route 2 (Subroute 2A-1) and 
Alternative Route 3 (Subroute 3A-1), which include crossing the 
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge as well as paralleling the SunZia 
Transmission Line with the Western Spirit 345-kilovolt Transmission 
Line at the Rio Grande crossing. For Subroute 3A-1, the agency Selected 
Alternative includes Local Alternative 3B-2 to avoid two private 
residences near the Project; and
     Component 4: The 2015 Selected Alternative co-locates the 
ground disturbance associated with the high-voltage direct-current 
converter station (the SunZia West Substation) with the existing 
development and ground disturbance associated with the Salt River 
Project Pinal Central Substation.
    The BLM incorporated consideration of the Resource Management Plan 
amendment into the National Environmental Policy Act process through 
regular consultation with cooperating agencies, including regular 
project meetings and invitations to participate in issue 
identification, analysis planning, and administrative document reviews.
    The BLM provided the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment 
for public protest on February 17, 2023, for a 30-day protest period 
and received three valid protests. The BLM Assistant Director for 
Resources and Planning resolved all protests. Responses to protest 
issues were compiled and

[[Page 32240]]

documented in a Protest Resolution Report (see ADDRESSES).
    The BLM provided the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment to 
the Governor of New Mexico for a 60-day Governor's consistency review. 
The Governor's Consistency review period ended April 19, 2023. The New 
Mexico Governor's Office provided consistency review comments on April 
13, 2023. The comments indicated the SunZia Final Environmental Impact 
Statement and the amendments it would make to the existing approved 
route for the SunZia Project provides consistency between BLM resource 
management plans and applicable state laws, policies, and programs. The 
State of New Mexico stands in support of the BLM's February 17, 2023, 
Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management 
Plan Amendments for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project.
    The BLM's Assistant Director for Resources and Planning concluded 
that the BLM New Mexico State Director followed the applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies and considered all relevant resource 
information and public input. The Assistant Director addressed the 
protests and issued a Protest Resolution Report to protesting parties 
and posted the report on the BLM's website (https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/protest-resolution-reports); no changes to the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment 
were necessary.
    The SunZia Southwest Transmission Line Project is a ``covered 
project'' under 42 U.S.C. 4370m. This notice serves the purpose 
identified in 42 U.S.C. 4370m-6(a)(1)(A).

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

Melanie G. Barnes,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-10784 Filed 5-18-23; 8:45 am]
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