Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 113 / Wednesday, June 13, 2007 / Notices 32679 

changes incorporated into the Final Bair 

Island Restoration and Management 

Plan and EIS and/or through responses 

to the comments, which are included in 

the Final EIS. 

The ROD for the Bair Island 

Restoration and Management Plan has 

been prepared by the Service in 

compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), as amended. It documents the 

decision of the Service, based on the 

information contained in the Final Bair 

Island Restoration and Management 

Plan EIS and the entire Administrative 

Record. The Service adopted and plans 

to implement Alternative 1, Tidal Marsh 

Restoration with Moderate Public 

Access. This alternative has been 

identified by the Service as the 

alternative that would best achieve the 

goal of the restoration plan, the refuge 

purposes, and contribute toward the 

mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System, consistent with sound 

principles of fish and wildlife science, 

conservation, legal mandates, and 

Service policies. The selected 

alternative would restore Bair Island to 

a tidal salt marsh to provide habitat for 

endangered species and other native 

wildlife as well as to enhance the 

public’s appreciation and awareness of 

the unique resources at Bair Island. 

Once restored, the site will assist with 

the preservation and recovery of both 

the California clapper rail and the salt 

marsh harvest mouse. These two species 

were listed by the Fish and Wildlife 

Service as endangered species on 

October 13, 1970. 

The restoration of Bair Island would 

take place in phases. The first phase 

would be breaching of Outer Bair Island 

at two locations on Steinberger Slough 

near its entrance to San Francisco Bay. 

The second phase would be restoration 

of Inner and Middle Bair Island by 

breaching their former commercial salt 

pond levees after constructing a flow 

restrictor in Corkscrew Slough and 

reestablishing the historic meander of 

Smith Slough on Inner Bair Island. 

Dredge and/or fill material would raise 

the bottom elevation of Inner Bair Island 

to quicken the establishment of 

vegetated marsh. The third phase, 

which could take place during or after 

the first two phases, would be the 

construction of wildlife oriented public 

use facilities on Inner Bair Island and a 

portage with wildlife viewing platform 

on Outer Bair Island. Inner Bair Island 

improvements would include a new 

pedestrian bridge from the existing 

Refuge parking lot, a 1.8 mile public 

trail, and two wildlife viewing platforms 

with interpretive signage. 

The Service considered the 

environmental and relevant concerns 

presented by agencies, organizations, 

and individuals and believes that 

implementing Alternative 1 is the best 

way to achieve the vision and goals of 

the restoration project. The selected 

alternative is also the most consistent 

with the purposes of the Refuge, the 

mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System, and the recovery actions 

proposed for the federally listed species 

found in the area. This alternative 

recognizes the need to restore habitat 

essential to the recovery of listed 

species as well as other tidal wetland 

dependent native species. The selected 

alterative also includes appropriate 

types and levels of recreational access 

for the public to experience and enjoy 

the resources being protected. 

Dated: June 7, 2007. 

Ken McDermond, 

Deputy Manager, California/Nevada 

Operations Office, Sacramento, California. 

[FR Doc. E7–11392 Filed 6–12–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[WO–300–9131–PP] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a 

Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement for Leasing of Geothermal 

Resources 

AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior; and U.S. Forest Service, 

Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a 

Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement for Leasing of Geothermal 

Resources. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321), the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and 

the United States Forest Service (USFS) 

will prepare a joint Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) 

to analyze the leasing of BLM- and 

USFS-administered lands with 

moderate to high potential for 

geothermal resources in eleven western 

states and Alaska. 

DATES: This notice initiates the public 

scoping process for the PEIS. The BLM 

and the USFS will accept written 

comments on the scope of the PEIS 

postmarked by August 13, 2007, and 

electronic or faxed comments received 

by August 13, 2007. Public scoping 

meetings to obtain comments for the 

PEIS will be held in Anchorage, Alaska; 

Boise, Idaho; Denver, Colorado; 

Missoula, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; 

Portland, Oregon; Reno, Nevada; 

Sacramento, California; Salt Lake City, 

Utah; and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Times 

and locations of the scoping meetings 

will be announced at least 15 days prior 

to the meetings in the local news media 

and on the project Web site: http:// 

www.blm.gov/Geothermal_EIS. Public 

scoping will be open until August 13, 

2007. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• E-mail: geothermal_EIS@blm.gov. 

• Fax: 1–866–625–0707. 

• U.S. Mail: Geothermal 

Programmatic EIS, c/o EMPS Inc., 182 

Howard Street, Suite 110, San 

Francisco, CA 94105. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, including 

information on how to comment, you 

may contact Jack G. Peterson, Bureau of 

Land Management at 208–373–4048, 

Jack_G_Peterson@blm.gov, or Tracy 

Parker, Forest Service at 703–605–4796, 

tparker03@fs.fed.us or visit the 

Programmatic EIS Web site at http:// 

www.blm.gov/Geothermal_EIS. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM 

and the USFS will prepare a joint PEIS 

for geothermal leasing on BLM- and 

USFS-administered lands in the western 

United States (including Alaska) with 

moderate to high potential for 

geothermal resources. The U.S. 

Department of Energy plans to 

participate as a cooperating agency in 

view of its special expertise, and may 

adopt the PEIS to help it more 

efficiently meet its NEPA review 

obligations. The analysis area includes 

BLM- and USFS-administered lands in 

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, 

Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, 

Oregon, Utah, Washington, and 

Wyoming. This PEIS will not include 

congressionally withdrawn lands, 

Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic 

Rivers, or lands not administered by the 

BLM or the USFS. For more information 

related to areas in these states with 

potential for geothermal resources see 

the public Web site: http:// 

www.blm.gov/Geothermal_EIS. This 

Web site will include links to many 

source documents including United 

States Geological Survey Circular 790 

and the Western Governor’s Association 

Geothermal Task Force Report. Source 

information will continue to be updated 

and expanded as a result of this scoping 

process. The PEIS will be prepared in 

accordance with applicable Council on 

Environmental Quality regulations at 40 

CFR 1500–1508, and applicable BLM 

and USFS regulations. 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
32680 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 113 / Wednesday, June 13, 2007 / Notices 

Geothermal resources are indirectly 

used to generate electric power and 

directly used for many things such as 

heating buildings and aquaculture. 

Energy markets are driving increased 

demand for renewable geothermal 

energy. Advances in the engineering, 

technology and economics of 

geothermal exploration and 

improvements in the design and 

development of energy generation 

facilities have resulted in increased 

interest in areas with geothermal 

potential. Several recent Federal and 

state actions also are driving the 

increase in renewable energy activity, 

including geothermal energy leasing, 

exploration and development activity. 

These actions include the President’s 

National Energy Policy; the Western 

Governors’ Association Geothermal 

Task Force Report; and the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005. 

The goal of the PEIS is to examine the 

potential impacts of geothermal leasing 

on certain lands administered by the 

BLM and the USFS. Completion of the 

PEIS will improve the efficiency and 

effectiveness of the geothermal leasing 

and application process on Federal 

lands. The analysis in the PEIS will 

serve the following two purposes. 

(1) Analyze the impacts of leasing in 

areas that are determined through 

scoping to have reasonable near-term 

exploration/development potential for 

geothermal resources, including areas 

for which leasing applications have not 

yet been filed. The PEIS will thereby 

assist the BLM in determining how best 

to amend, as appropriate, its land use 

plans for these areas, by identifying the 

potential for geothermal development in 

the areas and determining the areas 

where geothermal development will be 

considered as an allowable use. The 

PEIS will similarly address USFSmanaged lands that have potential for 

geothermal resources and provide the 

basis for future geothermal leasing 

availability analysis and decisions. 

(2) Enable the BLM to reduce the 

backlog of lease applications that were 

pending on BLM- and USFSadministered lands as of January 1, 2005 

by at least 90 percent as required by 

section 225(b)(3) of the Energy Policy 

Act of 2005. This Act gives the BLM 

until August 8, 2010, to achieve this 

goal. As of January 1, 2005, there were 

nearly 100 applications for geothermal 

leases pending on BLM and USFS lands. 

The PEIS will include the necessary site 

specific analysis to facilitate processing 

of these pending lease applications by 

deciding whether geothermal leasing is 

appropriate and under what stipulations 

they may be leased. 

Comments are being solicited so as to 

determine: (1) The scope of this 

analysis, (2) significant issues or 

concerns related to the proposed 

actions, and (3) alternatives to the 

proposed actions. 

The BLM will provide further 

information at the scoping meetings 

regarding the locations of, and the 

planning areas and forests that may be 

affected by, the actively pending 

applications. The purpose of the public 

scoping process is to identify issues that 

should be addressed in the 

environmental analysis and the scope of 

the alternatives. You may submit 

comments in writing at any public 

scoping meeting, or you may submit 

them using one of the methods listed in 

the ADDRESSES section above. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

e-mail 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. 

Douglas Burger, 

Acting Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty 

and Resource Protection, Bureau of Land 

Management. 

Frederick Norbury, 

Associate Deputy Chief for National Forest 

System, U.S. Forest Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–2921 Filed 6–12–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–84–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[ID 100 1220MA 214A: DBG071008] 

Notice of Public Meeting: Joint 

Recreation Resource Advisory Council 

Subcommittee to the Boise and Twin 

Falls Districts, Bureau of Land 

Management, U.S. Department of the 

Interior 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

U.S. Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) Boise and 

Twin Falls District Recreation Resource 

Advisory Council (Rec-RAC) 

Subcommittee, will hold a meeting as 

indicated below. 

DATES: The meeting will be held July 12, 

2007, beginning at 9 a.m. and 

adjourning at 12 noon. The meeting will 

be held at the Oregon Trail 

Interpretative Center, West Madison 

Street, Glenns Ferry, Idaho. Public 

comment periods will be held before the 

conclusion of the meeting. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: MJ 

Byrne, Public Affairs Officer and RAC 

Coordinator, BLM Boise District, 3948 

Development Ave., Boise, ID 83705, 

Telephone (208) 384–3393, or Heather 

Tiel, Public Affairs Officer, BLM Twin 

Falls District, 2536 Kimberly Rd., Twin 

Falls, ID 83301, (208) 735–2076. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with section 4 of the Federal 

Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 

2005, a Subcommittee has been 

established to provide advise to the 

Secretary of the Interior, through the 

BLM, in the form of recommendations 

that relate to public concerns regarding 

the implementation, elimination or 

expansion of an amenity recreation fee; 

or recreation fee program on public 

lands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. 

Forest Service and the BLM in both the 

Boise and Twin Falls Districts located in 

southern Idaho. The Resource Advisory 

Councils in each District have formally 

approved the members of the new Joint 

Rec-RAC Subcommittee, including any 

non-RAC member. Items on the agenda 

include introductions; review and 

discussion of roles and responsibilities 

of the subcommittee members as well as 

the Coordinators from each of the two 

agencies. A draft charter will be 

presented for discussion review and for 

approval at the Joint RAC meeting of the 

Boise and Twin Falls RACs to be held 

in the fall of 2007. Information about the 

proposed fee changes at sites under the 

jurisdiction of the two agencies will be 

presented to enable subcommittee 

member’s time for review prior to the 

next meeting when they will be asked 

to approve fee changes. Agenda items 

and location may change due to 

changing circumstances, including 

wildfire emergencies. All meetings are 

open to the public. The public may 

present written comments to the 

Subcommittee. Each formal 

subcommittee meeting will also have 

time allocated for hearing public 

comments. Depending on the number of 

persons wishing to comment and time 

available, the time for individual oral 

comments may be limited. Individuals 

who plan to attend and need special 

assistance, such as sign language 

interpretation, tour transportation or 

other reasonable accommodations, 

should contact the BLM Coordinators as 

provided above. Expedited publication 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES