This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

44345 

Vol. 74, No. 166 

Friday, August 28, 2009 

VALLES CALDERA TRUST 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for a 

Public Use and Access Plan 

AGENCY: Valles Caldera Trust. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

Authority: The National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), CEQ Regulations 

at 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508, The 

Valles Caldera Preservation Act, Public Law 

106–248, NEPA Procedures for the Valles 

Caldera National Preserve, 68 CFR 42460. 

SUMMARY: The Valles Caldera Trust (the 

Trust) a wholly owned government 

corporation empowered to provide 

management and administrative 

services for the Valles Caldera National 

Preserve (the Preserve) intends to 

prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) to analyze and disclose 

the potential impacts of a proposed 

stewardship action to develop facilities, 

infrastructure, and programs to provide 

public access to, and use of, the 

Preserve for recreation, education, 

scientific, commercial and other 

purposes; from this point forward 

referred to as public access and use. The 

proposal will address six elements 

associated with public access and use: 

1. Access—How do you enter the 

Preserve? After entering, where can you 

go and how do you get there? 

2. Capacity—How many visitors can 

be accommodated on the Preserve on an 

annual, seasonal, or daily basis? 

3. Activities—What types of activities 

and programs will be available? 

4. Development—What types of 

facilities and infrastructure should be 

developed? At what scale should 

development occur and where should it 

be located? 

5. Financing—What are the capital 

investment requirements for various 

levels of development? What are the 

annual operating costs? How much of 

the annual operating costs can be 

recovered through revenues generated 

by programs and activities? 

6. Values—What do we value most 

about the Preserve? How may those 

values be affected by development? 

All action alternatives will consider 

the location and construction of a visitor 

and interpretive center as the main 

point of access to the Preserve. The 

visitor and interpretive center would 

include connected ancillary facilities 

and infrastructure such as parking, 

interpretive trails and overlooks, and 

motorized access onto the Preserve. 

Programmatic direction to guide or 

prescribe the development of future 

programs facilities, and infrastructure 

facilities in support of public access and 

use will also be considered. The scale 

and location of development will vary 

between the alternatives. 

The construction of the visitor and 

interpretive center including the 

connected ancillary facilities and 

infrastructure would be scheduled 

following an implementing decision; 

approximately 12–18 months following 

the publication of this notice. 

Programmatic direction would describe 

capacities and types of future visitor 

programs, and criteria for determining 

scale and location of future ancillary 

facilities. The actual construction of 

ancillary facilities such as 

campgrounds, cabins, lodging, 

additional parking, trails, picnic areas, 

restroom facilities, or other amenities 

developed in the Preserve’s interior may 

require additional site-specific analysis 

compliant with NEPA. 

DATES: This scoping process will 

culminate in the preparation of a draft 

EIS which will be made available for 

public comment. To ensure that the 

Trust has an opportunity to fully 

consider public comments in the 

development of the alternatives and 

determining the scope of the analysis 

and to facilitate the prompt preparation 

of the draft EIS, comments regarding the 

proposed stewardship action, Public 

Access and Use, are requested on or 

before October 15, 2009, 4:30 p.m. MDT. 

Two public meetings are currently 

scheduled: 

Monday, September 14, 2009, 5:30–8 

p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, 5320 San 

Antonio Dr., NE., Albuquerque, New 

Mexico. 

Tuesday, September 15, 2009, 5:30–8 

p.m., Santa Fe Community College, 

6401 S Richards Ave., Santa Fe, New 

Mexico. 

At least one additional meeting will 

be scheduled at the Trust’s 

administrative offices located at 18161 

State Highway 4, Jemez Springs, New 

Mexico. The date for this meeting is to 

be determined. 

To receive future notices regarding 

planning and decision making for 

public use and access, including the 

times and locations of public meetings, 

subscribe to the Trust’s user maintained 

mailing list. To subscribe, access our 

Web site, http://www.vallescaldera.gov, 

and select the ‘‘Mailing List’’ tab from 

the upper left corner of the home page. 

You will be asked to select one or more 

topics of interest. Check ‘‘Project 

Planning and Decisions’’ to receive 

updates on this planning effort. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on public access and use planning by 

any of the following methods: 

E-mail: comments@vallescaldera.gov; 

include Public Access and Use as the 

subject. 

Agency Web site: An interactive Web 

site for public access and use planning 

is active. Simply visit our homepage at 

http://www.vallescaldera.gov and select 

the link provided or type in the 

complete URL: http:// 

www.vallescaldera.gov/nepa/pages/ 

introduction.aspx?id=096afd15-f2e5- 

4df0-84df-46151a07be62. 

Surface Mail: The Valles Caldera 

Trust, Attn: Public Access and Use, 

P.O.B. 359, Jemez Springs, NM 87025. 

Hand Delivery/Courier: Valles Caldera 

Trust, 18161 State Highway 4, Jemez 

Springs, New Mexico. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact Marie E. Rodriguez, Natural 

Resource Coordinator at 

mrodriguez@vallescaldera.gov, or 505/ 

661–3333. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Valles 

Caldera National Preserve is located in 

north-central New Mexico in the Jemez 

Mountains, primarily in Sandoval 

County with a small inclusion in Rio 

Arriba County. The Preserve was 

acquired by the Federal government in 

2000 with the signing of the Valles 

Caldera Preservation Act (Pub. L. 106– 

248). Besides acquisition of the land, the 

law established the Valles Caldera 

Trust, a wholly owned government 

corporation and non-profit 501(c)1 

organization to manage the Preserve. 

The Preserve and Trust are considered 


hsrobinson on DSK69SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
44346 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 166 / Friday, August 28, 2009 / Notices 

an experiment in public land 

management. Purposes and goals 

include continued operation as a 

working ranch consistent with the 

protection and preservation of resources 

and provision public access for 

recreation and other purposes. The act 

also establishes that the Trust should 

strive to become financially selfsufficient where consistent with other 

goals and purposes. 

Since 2002, the Trust has been 

managing an interim program for public 

access and use of the Preserve. The 

interim program was developed in 

response to the Valles Caldera 

Preservation Act (Pub. L. 106–248), 

which mandated that reasonable access 

to the Preserve for recreation would be 

provided within two years of Federal 

acquisition. The interim program 

provides a variety of regularly available 

outdoor recreation activities such as 

fishing, hiking, hunting, wildlife and 

scenic tours, wagon rides, horseback 

riding, as well as winter recreation 

activities. The interim program has also 

included opportunities for the public to 

enjoy and learn about the Preserve 

through an array of special events. 

Special events have included night sky 

adventures, youth and adult outdoor 

education seminars, photography 

workshops, mountain biking and 

running events and more recently, 

overnight opportunities such as 

weddings and workshops, which use 

the existing facilities on the Preserve. 

Universities, K–12 schools, and various 

educational and research entities have 

also had access to the Preserve on a case 

by case basis. 

Infrastructure development has been 

limited to road maintenance and 

upgrade activities necessary to provide 

safe access while protecting and 

preserving natural and cultural 

resources. Temporary facilities (portable 

buildings, portable toilets, etc.) have 

been used to facilitate public access and 

use of the Preserve. 

Prior to Federal acquisition, about 

200–300 people visited the Preserve 

annually. Since Federal acquisition, that 

number has increased to an estimated 

15,000 visitors annually. Visitors enjoy 

their experience on the Preserve but 

consistently request broader, less 

controlled access. In addition, the 

Preserve’s unique setting within a 

basically intact volcanic crater offers 

unique opportunities for learning and 

inspiration. Interest in the Preserve as a 

portal to learning about and being 

inspired by nature is growing. With 

increasing interest from partners, the 

Trust sees opportunities to develop 

science and education programs which 

have local, regional, national, and global 

effects. 

In December 2006 the Trust initiated 

‘‘Phase I’’ of comprehensive planning 

for public access and use. This phase 

was largely information gathering and 

included a series of public workshops, 

strategic level business planning and 

analysis, and assessing various sites on 

the Preserve to determine possible 

locations for a visitor and interpretive 

center and other ancillary facilities. 

Based on the information accumulated, 

the Trust is entering into ‘‘Phase II’’, 

planning and decision-making for 

public access and use. 

Based on the information 

accumulated, the Trust is proposing to 

establish a visitor and interpretive 

center within the boundary of the 

Preserve. The purpose of the center will 

be to expand public access and use on 

the Preserve while continuing to 

provide unique, high quality recreation, 

education, and interpretive experiences 

that impact the hearts and minds of our 

visitors. It is needed to facilitate broad 

access to the Preserve while protecting 

and preserving the natural, cultural, 

scientific, scenic, and recreational 

values of the Preserve. The design for 

the visitor and interpretive center will 

include parking and connected ancillary 

facilities such as interpretive trails, 

overlooks, and motorized access onto 

the Preserve. 

The Trust is also proposing to make 

programmatic decisions that will guide 

or prescribe future development of 

programs and facilities. 

Alternatives will be developed with 

input from the public that vary in the 

scale and location of the visitor and 

interpretive center and the capacities 

and types of programs that would be 

considered in the future. 

A variety of reference documents are 

available for viewing and downloading 

from the Trust’s Web site http://www.

vallescaldera.gov/about/trust/trust_

ref.aspx. 

Dated: August 18, 2009. 

Gary D. Bratcher, 

Executive Director. 

[FR Doc. E9–20672 Filed 8–27–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–H6–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.: 

Notice of Finding of No Significant 

Impact 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Finding of No 

Significant Impact. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has 

made a Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI) with respect to a request for 

possible financial assistance to 

Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc. 

(Minnkota Power) for the construction 

of the proposed Distribution Substation 

and Overhead Transmission Line for the 

Keystone Pipeline Pump Station No. 17 

Project in Steele County, North Dakota. 

ADDRESSES: The Environmental 

Assessment (EA) and FONSI are 

available for public review at USDA 

Rural Utilities Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–1571; at 

Minnkota Power’s headquarters office; 

and at the Steele County Auditor’s 

Office in Finley, North Dakota. 

Contacts: To obtain copies of the EA 

or FONSI or for further information, 

contact Mr. Richard Fristik, Senior 

Environmental Protection Specialist, 

Engineering and Environmental Staff, 

Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Washington, DC 20250–1571, 

telephone: (202) 720–5093 or e-mail: 

richard.fristik@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The study 

area for the proposed project is in Steele 

County, North Dakota. The proposal 

involves the construction of a substation 

on @ acre of land inside the fenced area 

of the Keystone Pipeline Pump Station 

No. 17 site, construction of an 11.75- 

mile 69 kV transmission line, and 

upgrading of 17.34 miles of existing 69 

kV transmission line. The new line 

would be constructed in existing 

distribution line rights-of-way and 

would connect the new substation to an 

existing Minnkota transmission line. 

No significant environmental impacts 

resulting from the proposal have been 

identified. Therefore, RUS is satisfied 

that the environmental impacts of the 

proposal have been adequately 

addressed and has determined that this 

FONSI fulfills its obligations under the 

National Environmental Policy Act, as 

amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

Regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508), and 

RUS’ Environmental Policies and 

Procedures (7 CFR Part 1794). An 

Environmental Impact Statement will 

not be prepared for this proposal. 

Dated: August 24, 2009. 

Nivin Elgohary, 

Acting Assistant Administrator—Electric, 

Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–20774 Filed 8–27–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 


hsrobinson on DSK69SOYB1PROD with NOTICES