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 Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management [(LLCA930000.L13400000.DS0000.21X) MO#450014117]
 AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
 ACTION: Notice of availability.
 SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), for an amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and the Bakersfield and Bishop Resource Management Plans (RMPs). The Desert Plan Amendment Draft LUPA/EIS includes consideration of changes to the management or modification to the boundaries of 129 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs). By this notice, the BLM is announcing the availability of the Draft LUPA/EIS. In order to comply with Federal regulations, the BLM is also announcing a comment period on proposed changes to the ACECs within the planning area.
 DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive written comments on the Draft LUPA/EIS within 90 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of the Draft LUPA/EIS in the 
                        **Federal Register**
                        . The BLM will announce future meetings and any other public participation activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, news releases, and/or mailings.
 ADDRESSES: The Desert Plan Amendment Draft LUPA/EIS are available on the BLM ePlanning project website at 
                        *https://go.usa.gov/​x7hdj.*
                         Click the “Documents” link on the left side of the screen to find the electronic version of these materials. Hard copies of the Desert Plan Amendment Draft LUPA and Draft EIS are also available for public inspection at the following BLM locations: California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1623, Sacramento, CA 95825; California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553; Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; El Centro Field Office, 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243; Needles Field Office, 1303 S. Highway 95, Needles, CA 92363; Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 S. Richmond Road, Ridgecrest, CA 93555; Bakersfield Field Office, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308; and Bishop Field Office, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100, Bishop, CA 93514. You may submit written comments related to the Desert Plan Amendment by either of the following methods: *Website: https://go.usa.gov/​x7hdj.*
                    *Mail:*
                         Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, Attn: Desert Plan Amendment, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1623, Sacramento, CA 95825.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeremiah Karuzas, Renewable Energy Program Manager, telephone: 916-978-4644, email: 
                        *jkaruzas@blm.gov;*
                         address Bureau of Land Management, 2800 Cottage Way, W-1623, Sacramento, CA 95825. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
                        ( print page 3182)
                        Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Mr. Karuzas 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: In September 2016, the BLM issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) LUPA, which amended the CDCA Plan, the Bishop RMP, and the Bakersfield RMP in the Mojave and Colorado/Sonoran Desert regions of southern California. The 2016 ROD was intended to address the streamlining of renewable energy development, conservation of desert resources, and to support multiple use and recreation on the nearly 11 million acres of BLM-managed public land in the planning area. In response to challenges that arose with the implementation of the 2016 DRECP LUPA, as well as in response to Executive Order 13783, Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth, and Executive Order 13821 on Streamlining and Expediting Requests to Locate Broadband Facilities in Rural America, the BLM published a Notice of Intent in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                     on February 2, 2018 (83 FR 4921) initiating a 45-day public comment period. The BLM sought comments on: The potential impacts that land use designations contained in the amended Land Use Plans will have on commercial-scale renewable energy projects, including wind, solar and geothermal energy;
                ACECs that were designated, including where private lands lie within the external boundaries of such designations, as well as comments on increasing opportunities for increased renewable energy development, recreational and off-highway vehicle access, mining access, and grazing; and
                The impact that land-use designations, land-disturbance limits (“disturbance caps”), and visual-management classifications contained in the plans may have on the deployment of future communications infrastructure. The BLM used public scoping comments to help identify planning issues to formulate alternatives and frame the scope of analysis in the Draft LUPA/EIS. Issues considered in the Draft LUPA/EIS are management actions associated with conservation areas, biological resources (including special status species), cultural resources, renewable energy, minerals, livestock grazing, visual resources, air resources, water resources, and recreation. The LUPA also considers decisions regarding ACECs, California Desert National Conservation Lands (CDNCL), and management of lands with wilderness characteristics. The Desert Plan Amendment Draft LUPA/EIS evaluates the No Action Alternative and two action alternatives (Alternatives 1 and 2). The BLM identifies Alternative 1 as the Preferred Alternative. This alternative, however, does not represent the final agency direction. After the public comment period closes, the BLM will prepare a Proposed LUPA, which may reflect changes or adjustments based on information received during public comment on the Draft LUPA/EIS, new information, or changes in BLM policies or priorities. The No Action Alternative would retain the decisions specified in the 2016 ROD for the DRECP LUPA, as recently modified by Public Law 116-9. Alternative 1 would reduce the number of ACECs from 129 to 97 thus reducing the acreage of the ACECs by approximately 1.8 million acres; reduce the areas identified as CDNCL by approximately 2.2 million acres; and result in an additional 450,000 acres of General Public Lands (GPL). Alternative 1 would also modify or eliminate 68 Conservation Management Actions (CMAs), which would also change the manner in which disturbance caps are implemented, including elimination of disturbance caps in CDNCL, as well as allowing renewable energy development in Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMA). Alternative 2 would reduce the number of ACECs to 100, and reduce the acreage of the ACECs by approximately 1.5 million acres; reduce the areas identified as CDNCL by approximately 2.1 million acres; and result in an additional approximate 274,000 acres of General Public Lands (GPL). Alternative 2 would also modify or eliminate the same 68 CMAs, which would also change the manner in which disturbance caps are implemented similar to Alternative 1 but Alternative 2 would retain the one percent disturbance cap for CDNCL. Alternative 2 CMAs would be modified to only allow renewable energy development in a SRMA where there is overlap with Development Focus Areas (DFAs). All other land use allocation decisions and CMAs from the 2016 ROD would be retained in both Alternative 1 and Alternative 2. As a result of proposed CMA changes, the resource use limitations of the 129 ACECs within the planning area will also change. Therefore, pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b), this notice announces a concurrent public comment period on proposed management changes (including alteration or elimination of disturbance caps), and boundary modifications or elimination of the existing ACECs as identified in Table 1. Table 1—ACECs Proposed for Boundary Modification or Elimination
ACEC name
No action
                             acres
Alternative 1
                             acres
Alternative 2
                             acresAfton Canyon
8,800
8,800
8,800Alligator Rock
6,800
6,200
6,200Amargosa North
114,000
72,760
72,760Amargosa South
148,410
134,410
134,410Amboy Crater
640
640
640Avawatz Mountains WSA
49,900
0
0Ayers Rock
1,500
1,500
1,500Barstow Woolly Sunflower
19,100
19,100
19,100Bedrock Spring
440
0
0Bendire's Thrasher
9,800
9,800
9,800Big Morongo Canyon
25,000
24,600
24,600Big Rock Creek Wash
310
310
310Bigelow Cholla
4,200
4,200
4,200Black Mountain
51,300
0
0Brisbane Valley Monkey Flower
11,700
11,700
11,700Bristol
213,600
116,400
116,400Cadiz Valley
191,200
67,600
67,600( print page 3183)Cady Mountains WSA
101,400
0
101,400Calico Early Man Site
840
840
840Carbonate Endemic Plants RNA
5,000
5,000
5,000Castle Mountain
3,180
0
0Cerro Gordo
10,400
9,700
9,700Cerro Gordo WSA
630
0
0Chemehuevi
864,200
578,600
578,600Chuckwalla
512,300
319,400
319,400Chuckwalla to Chemehuevi tortoise linkage
318,600
269,900
269,900Chuckwalla Valley Dune Thicket
2,200
2,200
2,200Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
10,300
10,300
10,300Conglomerate Mesa
1,700
1,700
1,700Coolgardie Mesa
9,800
9,800
9,800Corn Springs
2,500
900
900Coyote Mountains Fossil Site
5,900
5,900
5,900Cronese Basin
8,500
0
0Dagget Ridge Monkey Flower
26,100
26,100
26,100Dead Mountains
27,200
0
0Death Valley 17 WSA
20,600
0
0Denning Springs
390
0
0Desert Lily Preserve
2,100
2,100
2,100Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area
22,200
22,200
22,200Dos Palmas
8,600
8,600
8,600Eagles Flyway
10,900
0
0East Mesa
88,500
38,200
88,500El Paso to Golden
57,800
57,800
57,800Fossil Falls
1,700
1,700
1,700Fremont-Kramer
236,000
236,000
236,000Granite Mountain Corridor
39,300
0
34,500Great Falls Basin
10,300
0
0Halloran Wash
1,700
1,700
1,700Harper Dry Lake
490
490
490Horse Canyon
1,500
1,500
1,500Independence Creek WSA
6,500
0
0Indian Pass
1,900
1,900
1,900Ivanpah
78,600
63,900
78,600Jawbone/Butterbredt
145,700
114,900
114,900Juniper Flats
2,400
2,400
2,400Kingston Range
18,900
15,200
15,200Kingston Range WSA
40,000
0
0Lake Cahuilla
8,600
8,600
8,600Lake Cahuilla Shoreline
11,900
11,900
11,900Last Chance Canyon
5,100
3,500
3,500Manix
2,900
2,900
2,900Manzanar
540
540
540Marble Mountain Fossil Bed
230
0
0McCoy Valley
26,200
26,200
26,200McCoy Wash
6,400
6,400
6,400Mesquite Hills/Crucero
5,000
5,000
5,000Mesquite Lake
6,800
6,800
6,800Middle Knob
17,800
17,800
17,800Mohave Ground Squirrel
165,200
170,800
170,800Mojave Fishhook Cactus
637
635
635Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard
22,500
11,500
11,500Mopah Spring
1,900
0
0Mountain Pass Dinosaur Trackway
630
630
630Mule McCoy Linkage
51,200
51,200
51,200Mule Mountains
4,100
4,100
4,100Northern Lucerne Wildlife Linkage
21,900
21,900
21,900Ocotillo
14,600
14,600
14,600Olancha Greasewood
25,600
19,500
19,500Old Woman Springs Wildlife Linkage
55,600
43,200
55,600Ord-Rodman
195,300
140,700
140,700Owens Lake
10,200
10,200
10,200Palen Dry Lake
3,600
3,600
3,600Palen Ford
41,400
25,600
41,400Panamint Lake
21,700
0
0Panamints and Argus
102,900
71,500
71,500Parish's Phacelia
560
560
560Patton Military Camps
16,400
21,100
21,100Picacho
183,500
133,600
133,600( print page 3184)Pilot Knob
860
860
860Pinto Mountains
108,200
84,200
84,200Pipes Canyon
8,700
4,600
4,600Pisgah
46,600
46,600
46,600Piute-Fenner
155,500
146,200
146,200Plank Road
420
420
420Rainbow Basin/Owl Canyon
4,100
4,100
4,100Red Mountain Spring
700
700
700Rodman Mountains Cultural Area
6,200
0
0Rose Spring
840
840
840Saline Valley
1,400
0
0Salt Creek Hills
2,200
1,600
1,600Salton Sea Hazardous ACEC
5,100
5,100
5,100San Sebastian Marsh/San Felipe Creek
6,600
6,600
6,600Sand Canyon
2,600
0
0Santos Manuel
27,500
0
0Shadow Valley
197,300
159,700
159,700Short Canyon
750
0
0Sierra Canyons
26,300
27,000
27,000Singer Geoglyphs
2,000
2,000
2,000Soda Mountains Expansion
16,700
0
0Soda Mountains WSA
88,800
0
0Soda Mountains
0
0
33,300Soggy Dry Lake Creosote Rings
180
180
180Southern Inyo WSA
2,700
0
0Steam Well
40
0
0Superior-Cronese
315,800
310,900
310,900Surprise Canyon
4,600
0
0Symmes Creek WSA
8,400
0
0Trona Pinnacles
4,100
4,100
4,100Turtle Mountains
50,400
0
0Upper Johnson Valley Yucca Rings
330
330
330Upper McCoy
37,400
37,400
37,400Warm Sulfur Springs
350
350
350West Mesa
82,500
18,700
82,500West Paradise
240
0
0Western Rand Mountains
30,400
30,400
30,400Whipple Mountains
2,800
2,100
2,100White Mountain City
820
820
820White Mountains WSA
1,600
0
0Whitewater Canyon
14,900
2,800
2,800Yuha Basin
77,300
73,600
73,600
 A more detailed description of all proposed ACEC modifications, including maps, is included in the Draft LUPA/EIS and Appendix B of the Draft LUPA/EIS. The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA process to help fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108), as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The BLM will continue to 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 continue to 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 action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the comment period. Please note that public comments and information submitted, including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who submit comments, will be available for public review and disclosure at the BLM California State Office (see 
                    **ADDRESSES**
                    ) during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. 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 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10) Karen E. Mouritsen, State Director, California.


[FR Doc. 2021-00579 Filed 1-13-21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-40-P