[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 220 (Thursday, November 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78781-78783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25252]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Fish and Wildlife Service

[BLM_FRN_MO4500175331]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement To Reconsider a Highway Right-of-Way Application and 
Associated Amendment of an Incidental Take Permit, Washington County, 
Utah

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended (FLPMA), and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (ESA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Fish and 
Wildlife Service (FWS), as co-lead agencies, intend to prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to further consider 
the effects of granting a right-of-way (ROW) to the Utah Department of 
Transportation (UDOT) for the Northern Corridor Project (a proposed 
highway) as well as a potential amendment to the Incidental Take Permit 
(ITP) issued to Washington County, Utah, under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of 
the ESA. This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process to 
solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the SEIS. 
The BLM and FWS request the public submit comments concerning the scope 
of the analysis, potential alternatives, impacts of the proposed action 
and alternatives, and identification of relevant information and 
studies by December 18, 2023. To afford the BLM and FWS the opportunity 
to consider comments in the Draft SEIS, please ensure your comments are 
received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days 
after the last public meeting, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the highway ROW and 
associated amendment of an ITP by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2026562/510.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Northern Corridor 
SEIS, 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2026562/570 and at the 
BLM St. George Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dawna Ferris-Rowley, NCA Manager, Red 
Cliffs and Beaver Dam Wash NCAs, telephone (435) 688-3200; address 345 
East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790; email 
[email protected]. Contact Ms. Ferris-Rowley to have your 
name added to our mailing list. 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. Ferris-Rowley. 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 BLM and FWS are issuing this Notice of 
Intent pursuant to NEPA, 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 4321 et seq.; 
the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA, 
43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 1500-1508; and the 
Department of the Interior's NEPA regulations, 43 CFR part 46.
    The SEIS is being prepared to supplement the analysis contained in 
the 2020 Final EIS (FEIS) by BLM and FWS (the entire FEIS can be found 
at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1502103/570).
    On September 4, 2018, UDOT submitted an application for a ROW grant 
for the Northern Corridor Project north of the City of St. George, 
Utah, on BLM-managed and non-Federal lands within the Red Cliffs 
National Conservation Area (NCA) and Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. To 
consider the application, the BLM needed to also consider amending the 
St. George Field Office and Red Cliffs NCA Resource Management Plans 
(RMPs). The Red Cliffs NCA was established through the passage of the 
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 460www), and the 
Red Cliffs Desert Reserve was established for the protection of the 
Mojave desert tortoise under the 1995 Washington County Habitat 
Conservation Plan. In 2015, pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA, 
Washington County applied to renew and amend the ITP. The restated and 
amended Habitat Conservation Plan associated with the ITP application 
described the Northern Corridor highway as a potential changed 
circumstance, which would be partially offset with the addition of a 
new sixth zone to the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve (Reserve Zone 6) as the 
primary conservation strategy.
    In accordance with NEPA, the BLM and FWS prepared an EIS to analyze 
the environmental impacts associated with the proposed action and 
reasonable alternatives. The BLM also consulted with the FWS to meet 
the requirements in Section 7 of the ESA. The FWS issued a biological 
opinion to the BLM that determined the ROW and amendments to the RMPs 
were not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the Mojave 
desert tortoise and that they were not likely to destroy or adversely 
modify designated critical habitat for the desert tortoise. The FWS 
issued an intra-agency biological opinion which determined that the ITP 
is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the Mojave 
desert tortoise, Holmgren milkvetch, Shivwits milkvetch, dwarf bear-
poppy, Siler

[[Page 78782]]

pincushion cactus, Gierisch mallow, and Fickeisen plains cactus or 
result in the adverse modification of critical habitat for any of the 
above listed species.
    On January 13, 2021, the Secretary of the Interior signed a Record 
of Decision that approved the Northern Corridor ROW application and 
approved the amendments to the RMPs. The decision approving the ROW was 
effective immediately. The BLM then signed and issued the ROW grant to 
UDOT on the same day. Also on January 13, 2021, the FWS Regional 
Director for Interior Regions 5 and 7 signed a Record of Decision 
approving the issuance of an ITP to Washington County. The FWS issued 
the ITP to Washington County on January 13, 2021.
    On June 3, 2021, seven conservation organizations (collectively, 
Plaintiffs) filed an initial complaint in the United States District 
Court for the District of Columbia, Case No. 1:21-cv-01506. Among other 
claims, Plaintiffs alleged the BLM's ROW decision violated both NEPA 
and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The Plaintiffs 
stated, in part, that the FEIS did not fully address the changed 
circumstances of wildfire in the region and the impacts it may have on 
the Mojave desert tortoise, desert tortoise habitat, and the spread of 
invasive annual grasses. The Plaintiffs also alleged that the BLM 
failed to comply with the consultation requirements under Section 106 
of the NHPA. On July 27, 2021, Plaintiffs amended their complaint to 
include the FWS and additional claims related to NEPA and the ESA.
    As part of the ongoing litigation, the United States moved for the 
remand and partial vacatur of BLM's and FWS's 2021 decisions. In the 
motion, the United States acknowledged that the BLM did not comply with 
the NHPA as well as the BLM's and FWS's substantial and legitimate 
concerns that the FEIS may lack sufficient analysis of certain resource 
effects (see Summary of Expected Impacts). In addition to that pending 
motion, the United States and Plaintiffs have also reached a settlement 
agreement.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    In 2018, UDOT applied for a ROW to construct a multi-lane, divided 
highway on BLM-administered lands within the Red Cliffs NCA and the 
overlapping Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. In January 2021, after 
completing the FEIS, the Secretary of the Interior approved the ROW 
application, and the BLM issued a FLPMA Title V ROW grant to UDOT. Per 
the motion and by the terms of the settlement agreement, the BLM's 
purpose and need for this action is to reconsider the 2018 ROW 
application to determine whether the BLM will approve, approve with 
modifications, or deny the application. The FWS's purpose and need for 
action is to consider an amendment of Washington County's ITP 
consistent with the BLM's reconsideration of UDOT's ROW application.

Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives

    At this time, the BLM anticipates the range of alternatives 
analyzed in detail in the SEIS will be substantially similar to those 
analyzed in the FEIS completed in 2020 for the ROW alignments. The FWS 
anticipates the ITP-related alternatives will range between amending 
the ITP or not amending the ITP corresponding with the BLM's range of 
alternatives. The SEIS will not reconsider any amendments to the BLM's 
RMPs. The BLM and FWS welcome comments on all preliminary alternatives 
as well as suggestions for additional alternatives.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    The impacts disclosed in the SEIS are expected to substantially 
align with the impacts that were analyzed in the 2020 FEIS with 
additional analysis of potential impacts, including further analysis of 
the effects of the construction and use of the Northern Corridor 
Project in the context of the following: (1) the trend in the 
increasing frequency and extent of wildfires in the Mojave Desert; (2) 
the rise of non-native/exotic and invasive vegetation in post-burn 
areas; and (3) the impacts increased fire and new non-native/exotic and 
invasive vegetation have on desert tortoise. The BLM is concerned that 
supplemental analysis may be needed to better inform its review of the 
potential impacts of UDOT's ROW application in light of impacts from 
wildfires to the desert tortoise and its habitat. The BLM also intends 
to complete the consultation requirements under the NHPA before issuing 
a new ROW decision.

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations

    The BLM will reconsider UDOT's 2018 ROW application and decide 
whether to approve, approve with modifications, or deny UDOT's ROW 
application. The FWS will determine whether to amend Washington 
County's ITP for the Mojave desert tortoise.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM and FWS will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation consistent with the NEPA process, including a 45-day 
comment period on the Draft SEIS. The Draft SEIS is anticipated to be 
available for public review in spring 2024, and the Final SEIS is 
anticipated to be released in September 2024 with Records of Decision 
in November 2024.

Public Scoping Process

    This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping period. The BLM and FWS 
will be holding one in-person public scoping meeting in St. George, 
Utah. The specific date and location of the scoping meeting will be 
announced in advance through local media, the ePlanning project page 
(see ADDRESSES), and the BLM website (see ADDRESSES).

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    Lead agencies are the BLM and the FWS. Based on who participated in 
the FEIS, cooperating agencies are likely to include the State of 
Utah--Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, Washington City, Dixie 
Metropolitan Planning Organization, the City of St. George, the City of 
Ivins, Santa Clara City, and the City of Hurricane.

Responsible Officials

    The responsible official for the BLM is the BLM Utah State 
Director. The scope of the State Director's decision is limited to the 
ROW. If the decision authorizes issuance of a new ROW grant, the St. 
George Field Manager will be the responsible official to issue the 
grant. The responsible official for the FWS is the Deputy Regional 
Director for the Mountain-Prairie Region. The scope of the Deputy 
Regional Director's decision is limited to the ITP for the Mojave 
desert tortoise.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Officials will determine whether to approve, 
approve with modifications, or deny the 2018 ROW application for the 
construction of a highway (BLM) and what amendments, if any, are needed 
to the ITP (FWS).

Additional Information

    The BLM and FWS will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to 
address the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the 
proposed action and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in 
accordance with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation 
measures not already included in the proposed action or

[[Page 78783]]

alternatives. Mitigation may include avoidance, minimization, 
rectification, reduction or elimination over time, and compensation; 
and may be considered at multiple scales, including the landscape 
scale.
    The BLM and FWS will utilize and coordinate the NEPA process to 
help support compliance with applicable procedural requirements under 
the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1536). BLM will also use the NEPA process to comply 
with Section 106 of the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3), including the public involvement requirements of Section 
106. Information about historic and cultural resources within the area 
potentially affected by the proposed project will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources. The BLM will also 
consult on cultural resources and create a Memorandum of Agreement with 
consulting parties.
    The BLM and FWS will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a 
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 
13175, BLM Manual Section 1780, and other Departmental 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 Indian Tribal Nations 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action the BLM and the FWS are evaluating, are invited to 
participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be 
requested by the BLM and FWS to participate in the development of the 
environmental analysis 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 
include in your comment a request to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, the agencies cannot guarantee that they 
will be able to do so.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9)

Gregory Sheehan,
State Director.
Anna Munoz,
Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-25252 Filed 11-15-23; 8:45 am]
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