[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 53 (Monday, March 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19348-19350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05618]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_WY_FRN_MO4500177404]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Jackalope Wind Energy Project, Sweetwater County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance 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) Rock 
Springs Field Office, Sweetwater County, Wyoming intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the effects of the 
proposed Jackalope Wind Energy Project and by this notice is announcing 
the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and 
identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the scope 
of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant 
information and studies by 30 days after the date of publication of 
this notice in the Federal Register. To afford the BLM the opportunity 
to consider comments in the Draft EIS, 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 Jackalope Wind Energy 
Project by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2026735/510.
     Mail: BLM Rock Springs Field Office, Attn: Jackalope Wind 
Energy Project Team, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, WY 82901-
3447.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2026735/510 and at the 
BLM Rock Springs Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberlee Foster, the BLM Rock Springs 
Field Office Manager, telephone (307) 352-0201; address 280 US-191 N, 
Rock Springs, WY 82901; email [email protected]. Contact Ms. Foster 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 Tele Braille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting Ms. Foster. 
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: Jackalope Wind, LLC, a wholly owned indirect 
subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, is proposing to develop 
the Jackalope Wind Energy Project, a commercial wind energy project in 
Sweetwater County, Wyoming, on lands managed by the BLM, the Wyoming 
Office of State Lands and Investment, and private landowners. The 
proposed project includes approximately 213 wind turbine generators and 
associated infrastructure to deliver approximately 600 megawatts (MW) 
of electricity to the transmission grid. The point of interconnection 
would be the Jim Bridger Substation, which is located adjacent to the 
Jim Bridger Power Plant near Point of Rocks, Wyoming. The project area 
encompasses approximately 293,100 acres of land, approximately 166,100 
acres of which are public lands managed by the BLM. The majority of the 
project is located within the BLM Rock Springs Field Office, and a 
portion of the project is within the Rawlins Field Office. The Rock 
Springs Field Office will serve as the lead office and will coordinate 
with the Rawlins Field Office as appropriate during the NEPA process.
    Purpose and Need: The BLM's purpose is to respond to Jackalope 
Wind, LLC application for a right-of-way (ROW) grant to construct, 
operate, maintain, and decommission a wind

[[Page 19349]]

energy facility on public lands in compliance with FLPMA, BLM ROW 
regulations, and other applicable federal laws and policies. The need 
for this action arises from FLPMA, which requires the BLM to manage 
public lands for multiple use and sustained yield and authorizes the 
BLM to issue ROW grants on public lands for systems of generation, 
transmission, and distribution of electric energy (FLPMA Title V). The 
BLM will review the proposed action and other alternatives and decide 
whether to approve, approve with modifications, or deny Jackalope Wind 
LLC's application. The BLM's ROW grant for the project would include 
any terms, conditions, and stipulations it determines to be in the 
public interest.
    Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives: Jackalope Wind, LLC, 
has submitted a plan of development to accompany a Type III ROW grant 
application to the BLM Rock Springs Field Office. As currently 
proposed, the project would comprise approximately 213 wind turbine 
generators and associated infrastructure to deliver approximately 600 
MW of electricity to the transmission grid. The project would be 
constructed in two phases, with each phase totaling approximately 300 
MW.
    The BLM Rock Springs Field Office has identified the following 
preliminary considerations for the development of alternatives:
     Input from cooperators and other stakeholders;
     Input from the public scoping process;
     Potential resource concerns;
     Alternative gen-tie line and interconnection options; and
     Alternative turbine layouts.
    The BLM welcomes comments on all preliminary alternatives as well 
as suggestions for additional alternatives.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    Preliminary issues, either beneficial or adverse and of varying 
intensity, for the project have been identified by BLM personnel and in 
consultation with Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribes, and other 
Cooperating Agencies. These preliminary issues include:
     Wildlife, including big game;
     Special status wildlife and fish species, including BLM 
Sensitive Species and Threatened and Endangered Species;
     Cultural resources and historic trails;
     Visual resources;
     Recreation;
     Impacts to surface resources from project-related surface 
disturbance; and
     Greater Sage-grouse. The State of Wyoming has proposed 
expansion of the State's Core Area for Sage-grouse in a portion of the 
project area. This may cause some turbine locations to be relocated 
within the project area.
    The public scoping process will guide the NEPA process in 
determining relevant issues that will influence the scope of the 
environmental analysis, including alternatives and mitigation measures. 
The EIS will identify and describe the effects of the proposed action 
on the human environment. The BLM also requests the identification of 
potential impacts that should be analyzed. Impacts should be a result 
of the action; therefore, please identify the activity along with the 
potential impact. Information that reviewers have that would assist in 
the development of alternatives or analysis of resources issues is also 
helpful.

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations

    In addition to the requested right-of-way grant, other Federal, 
State, and local authorizations will be required for the project. These 
include authorizations under the Bald and Golden Eagle Act, the 
Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, 14 Code of Federal Regulations 
part 77, and other laws and regulations determined to be applicable to 
the project.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation consistent with the NEPA process, including a 45-day 
comment period on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is anticipated to be 
available for public review between Winter 2024 and early Spring 2025 
and the Final EIS is anticipated to be released in Summer 2025 with a 
Record of Decision in Summer 2025.

Public Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping period.
    The BLM will hold two public scoping meetings in the following 
locations: Rock Springs and Rawlins, WY. The specific date(s) and 
location(s) of these scoping meetings will be announced in advance 
through local media, social media and the ePlanning project page (see 
ADDRESSES).

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The BLM Rock Springs Field Office is the lead office for the NEPA 
effort. The BLM Rock Spring Field Office has invited the following 
agencies to participate as cooperating agencies:
    Federal: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of Energy, 
U.S. EPA Region 8, U.S. EPA Region 9, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, 
USDA Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service.
    State: State of Wyoming Office of Governor Gordan, Office of 
Senator Cynthia Lummis, Office of Senator John Barrasso, Wyoming County 
Commissioners Association, WY Department of Agriculture, WY Department 
of Environmental Quality, WY Game & Fish, WY Geological Survey.
    Local: Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Carbon County, 
Sweetwater County.

Responsible Official

    The BLM Wyoming's High Desert District Manager, Jason Gay, is the 
responsible official who will make the decisions below.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Bureau of Land Management will use the analysis in the EIS to 
inform the following: whether to grant, grant with conditions, or deny 
the application for a right-of-way. Pursuant to 43 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) 2805.10, if the BLM issues a grant, the decision may 
include terms, conditions, and stipulations determined to be in the 
public interest.

Additional Information

    The BLM 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 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 will utilize and coordinate the NEPA process to help 
support compliance with applicable procedural requirements under the 
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1536) and section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3), including public involvement requirements of Section 106. 
The information about historic and cultural resources and threatened 
and endangered species within the area potentially affected by the 
proposed project will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating 
impacts to such resources.

[[Page 19350]]

    The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations including the 
Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Northern Arapaho 
Tribe, the Ute Indian Tribe of Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservations, and Northern Cheyenne 
Tribal Council 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 project that the BLM is evaluating, 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 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 
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 1501.9)

Andrew S. Archuleta,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-05618 Filed 3-15-24; 8:45 am]
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