77356 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 216 / Thursday, November 9, 2023 / Notices 

disturbance activity (March 1 to July 

15); manage as wind and solar energy 

exclusion area; no new recreation 

facility construction allowed (March 1 

to July 15), unless needed for human 

health and safety; close to non-energy 

solid mineral leasing and no surface 

occupancy stipulation without waivers, 

exceptions, and modifications for fluid 

mineral leasing. 

• West Antelope Creek ACEC 

(existing, 28,280 acres) to improve the 

capabilities of the resources in the unit 

to support wintering elk, deer, and 

bighorn sheep. Proposed management 

would remain the same as existing with 

the following updates: manage as wind 

and solar energy exclusion area, manage 

one mile buffer around active and 

inactive leks as ROW exclusion areas; 

seasonal habitat restrictions apply to 

prohibit surface disturbance in 

Gunnison sage-grouse occupied habitat 

management areas (March 1 to July 15), 

at minimum; prohibit surface-disturbing 

activities during lekking, nesting, or 

early brood-rearing (March 1 to July 15); 

no new recreation facility construction 

allowed (March 1 to July 15), unless 

needed for human health and safety, 

subject to valid existing rights; close to 

fluid mineral exploration, leasing, and/ 

or development; close to non-energy 

solid mineral leasing; close designated 

routes to motorized travel from March 

15 to May 15 and limit over-snow 

vehicle travel to designated routes; 

maintain current, designated route 

system limiting motorized and 

mechanized travel. 

• South Beaver Creek ACEC (existing, 

4,570 acres) for protection and 

enhancement of existing populations 

and habitat for skiff milkvetch. 

Proposed management would remain 

the same as existing with the following 

updates: remove the restriction for 

chemical spraying; manage as wind and 

solar energy exclusion area; manage one 

mile buffer around active and inactive 

leks as ROW exclusion areas; seasonal 

habitat restrictions apply to prohibit 

surface disturbance in Gunnison sagegrouse occupied habitat management 

areas from March 1 to July 15, at 

minimum; prohibit surface-disturbing 

activities during lekking, nesting, or 

early brood-rearing from March 1 to July 

15; no new recreation facility 

construction allowed from March 1 to 

July 15, unless needed for human health 

and safety, subject to valid existing 

rights; close to fluid mineral 

exploration, leasing, and/or 

development; close to non-energy solid 

mineral leasing; close designated routes 

to motorized travel (March 15 to May 

15) and limit over-snow vehicle travel to 

designated routes; maintain current, 

designated route system limiting 

motorized and mechanized travel. 

The preferred alternative would not 

propose the following potential ACECs 

for designation: All BLM-administered 

surface lands within Gunnison sagegrouse Occupied Habitat Management 

Area and Unoccupied Habitat 

Management Area ACEC (Colorado and 

Utah); Gunnison Satellite Populations 

Habitat ACEC (Colorado and Utah); 

Northdale ACEC (Colorado); Kezar 

Basin ACEC (Colorado); North Parlin 

ACEC (Colorado); South Parlin ACEC 

(Colorado); Ohio Creek ACEC 

(Colorado); and Waunita ACEC 

(Colorado). 

Schedule for the Decision-Making 

Process 

The BLM will provide additional 

opportunities for public participation 

consistent with the NEPA and land use 

planning processes, including a 30-day 

public protest period and a 60-day 

Governor’s consistency review on the 

proposed RMP. The proposed RMP 

amendment/final EIS is anticipated to 

be available for public protest in the 

summer of 2024 with an approved RMP 

amendment and record of decision in 

the fall of 2024. 

The BLM will hold three public 

meetings in the following locations: one 

meeting virtually hosted and two inperson meetings at Gunnison, CO, and 

Dove Creek, CO. The specific date(s) 

and location(s) of these meetings will be 

announced at least 15 days in advance 

through the ePlanning page (see 

ADDRESSES) and applicable local 

newspapers. 

The BLM will continue to consult 

with Indian Tribal Nations on a 

government-to-government basis in 

accordance with Executive Order 13175, 

BLM MS 1780, and other Departmental 

policies. Tribal concerns, including 

impacts on Indian trust assets and 

potential impacts to cultural resources, 

will be given due consideration. 

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, 

43 CFR 1610.2) 

Douglas J. Vilsack, 

State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2023–24394 Filed 11–8–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4331–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[BLM_AZ_FRN_MO4500175810] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

Notice of Segregation for the Proposed 

Ranegras Plains Energy Center 

Project, La Paz County, AZ 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent and segregation. 

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) 

Yuma Field Office, Yuma, Arizona, 

intends to prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the 

effects of the Ranegras Plains Energy 

Center Project (Project) and by this 

notice is announcing the beginning of 

the scoping process to solicit public 

comments and identify issues. The BLM 

also announces the segregation of 4,763 

acres of public lands from appropriation 

under the public land laws, including 

the Mining Law, but not the mineral 

leasing or materials acts, for a period of 

2 years from the date of publication of 

this notice, subject to valid existing 

rights. This segregation will facilitate 

the orderly administration of the public 

lands while the BLM considers potential 

solar and battery energy storage 

development on the described parcels. 

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 December 11, 2023. To 

afford the BLM the opportunity to 

consider issues raised by commenters 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. A virtual public scoping 

meeting will be held 2 to 3 weeks after 

publication of this notice; the meeting 

date will be announced on the Project 

ePlanning website at least 15 days prior 

to the meeting. The segregation for the 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 216 / Thursday, November 9, 2023 / Notices 77357 

public lands identified in this notice 

takes effect on November 9, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on issues related to the Proposed 

Ranegras Plains Energy Center Project 

by any of the following methods: 

• Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/ 

eplanning-ui/project/2020050/510. 

• Email: BLM_AZ_CRD_Solar@

blm.gov. 

• Mail: BLM Yuma Field Office, 

Attention: Ranegras Plains Energy 

Center Project, 7341 E 30th Street, 

Yuma, AZ 85365. 

Documents pertinent to this proposal 

may be examined online at the Project’s 

ePlanning website: https://

eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ 

project/2020050/510 and at the Yuma 

Field Office. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Derek Eysenbach, Project Manager, at 

deysenbach@blm.gov, the mailing 

address above, or by phone at (602) 

417–9505. Contact Mr. Eysenbach 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 Mr. Eysenbach. 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 

proposed Project location is 

approximately 30 miles east of 

Quartzsite, Arizona, along the south 

side of Interstate 10 near the Vicksburg 

Road exit. The Project would have a 

generating capacity of up to 700 

megawatts alternating current and 

consist of solar photovoltaic modules, a 

battery energy storage system, electrical 

collection lines, a switchyard, 

operations and maintenance facilities, 

access roads, and an 11-mile-long, 500- 

kilovolt generation-tie transmission line 

(gen-tie line) to connect to the Delaney 

Colorado River Transmission Ten West 

Link Series Compensation Station. 

Purpose and Need for the Proposed 

Action 

The purpose and need for the action 

is to respond to Ranegras Plains Energy 

Center, LLC’s application for a right-ofway (ROW) to construct, operate, 

maintain, and decommission a solar 

photovoltaic and battery energy storage 

project and associated facilities on 

public land administered by the BLM, 

consistent with Title V of FLPMA, 

regulations at 43 Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR) 2800, and other 

applicable laws and regulations. In 

making its decision to issue a ROW 

grant, the BLM must first consider 

conformance with existing resource 

management plans (43 CFR 1610.5–3). 

Preliminary Proposed Action and 

Alternatives 

The BLM has identified two 

preliminary alternatives: the No Action 

Alternative and the proposed action. 

The proposed action would authorize a 

ROW for development of a solar 

photovoltaic facility, battery energy 

storage system, and gen-tie line on up to 

4,763 acres of BLM-administered public 

land in La Paz County, Arizona. The 

entire project, including the proposed 

solar array and gen-tie line, also 

includes approximately 1,100 acres of 

Arizona State Trust lands and 1 acre of 

private lands. The No Action 

Alternative would deny the ROW 

application and the Project. Through 

comments received in the public 

scoping period, the BLM may develop 

action alternatives that would reduce 

impacts to preliminary resource 

concerns, including wildlife 

connectivity, off-highway vehicle 

recreation and access, and grazing/ 

rangeland uses. The BLM welcomes 

comments on all preliminary 

alternatives as well as suggestions for 

additional alternatives. 

Summary of Expected Impacts 

Anticipated impacts from the 

proposed Project include up to 4,763 

acres of ground disturbance for the solar 

facility, a battery energy storage system, 

transmission facilities, operations and 

maintenance facilities, access roads, and 

temporary work areas. Potential impacts 

may include a reduction in authorized 

grazing; vegetation removal; recreation, 

access, and land use changes; wildlife 

and migratory bird impacts including 

habitat loss and potential direct 

mortalities during construction and 

operations; visual impacts including 

glint and glare and an increase in 

nighttime brightness; potential impacts 

to cultural resources and Native 

American concerns; and socioeconomic 

impacts. Known resources to be 

addressed in the analysis include, but 

are not limited to, air quality; visual 

resources; environmental justice; social 

and economic values; mining and 

minerals; land uses; Native American 

religious concerns; recreation; grazing/ 

rangelands; cultural resources; wildlife; 

migratory birds; threatened, endangered, 

and sensitive species; soils; water 

resources; invasive species; and 

paleontology. Impact analysis will also 

consider the cumulative impacts to 

natural and cultural resources from 

reasonably foreseeable future projects in 

the area. 

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations 

In addition to the requested ROW 

grant, other Federal, State, and local 

authorizations would be required for the 

Project. These may include 

authorizations determined through 

consultation under the Endangered 

Species Act (16 United States Code 

(U.S.C.) 1536 et seq.), the Clean Water 

Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), 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 NEPA, including a 45- 

day comment period on the Draft EIS. 

The Draft EIS is anticipated to be 

available for public review in fall 2024, 

with a record of decision expected in 

summer 2025. 

Public Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping period. The BLM will hold one 

virtual public scoping meeting (see the 

DATES and ADDRESSES sections above). 

The meeting date, time, and information 

on how to attend will be announced at 

least 15 days in advance on the Project 

ePlanning website at https://

eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ 

project/2020050/510 and via news 

release. Project information and 

documents will also be posted on that 

website. Persons needing assistance 

(assistive technology, translators, or 

other assistance) should contact Mr. 

Eysenbach, Project Manager (see contact 

information above). 

Segregation 

Regulations at 43 CFR 2804.25(f) 

allow the BLM to segregate public lands 

included in an application for a ROW 

for solar energy development from the 

operation of the public land laws, 

including the Mining Law, by 

publication of a Federal Register notice. 

The BLM uses this authority to preserve 

its ability to approve, approve with 

modifications, or deny a proposed 

ROW, and to facilitate the orderly 

administration of the public lands. This 

segregation is subject to valid existing 

rights, including existing mining claims 

located before the date of this 

segregation notice. Licenses, permits, 

cooperative agreements, or discretionary 

land use authorizations of a temporary 

nature that would not impact lands 

identified in this notice may be allowed 

with the approval of a BLM authorized 

officer during the segregation period. As 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
77358 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 216 / Thursday, November 9, 2023 / Notices 

provided in the regulations, the 

segregation of lands in this notice will 

not exceed 2 years from the date of 

publication unless extended for up to an 

additional 2 years through publication 

of a new notice in the Federal Register. 

The segregation period will terminate 

and the land will automatically reopen 

to appropriation under the public land 

laws, including the Mining Law, at the 

earliest of the following dates: upon 

issuance of a decision by the authorized 

officer granting, granting with 

modifications, or denying the 

application for a ROW; without further 

administrative action at the end of the 

segregation provided for in the Federal 

Register notice initiating the 

segregation; or upon publication of a 

Federal Register notice terminating the 

segregation. 

Legal Description for Parcel: The 

subject lands for the proposed solar 

facility are legally described as follows: 

Solar Array 

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona 

T. 3 N., R. 14 W., 

Secs. 17 and 18; 

Sec. 19, lots 1 and 2, NE1⁄4, E1⁄2NW1⁄4, and 

N1⁄2SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 20, N1⁄2, N1⁄2SW1⁄4, SE1⁄4SW1⁄4, and 

SE1⁄4; 

Secs. 21 and 22; 

Sec. 23, SW1⁄4NW1⁄4, W1⁄2SW1⁄4, and 

SE1⁄4SW1⁄4; 

Sec. 25, SW1⁄4SW1⁄4; 

Sec. 26, W1⁄2NE1⁄4, NW1⁄4, and S1⁄2; 

Sec. 27, N1⁄2 and N1⁄2SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 28, N1⁄2NE1⁄4, SE1⁄4NE1⁄4, and 

N1⁄2NW1⁄4; 

Sec. 35, NE1⁄4NE1⁄4. 

T. 3 N., R. 15 W., 

Sec. 12, N1⁄2NE1⁄4, SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 13, E1⁄2; 

Sec. 24, N1⁄2NE1⁄4. 

The area described contains 4,674 

acres, more or less, derived from GIS 

data received from the BLM Arizona 

State Office, on September 11, 2023. 

Substation 

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Arizona 

T. 3 N., R. 15 W., 

Sec. 12, NE1⁄4, those portions northerly of 

the northern alternative Gen-Tie route. 

The area described contains 89 acres, 

more or less, derived from GIS data 

received from the BLM Arizona State 

Office, on September 11, 2023. 

Lead and Cooperating Agencies 

These Federal agencies have agreed to 

participate as Cooperating Agencies 

under a Memorandum of Understanding 

to Improve Public Land Renewable 

Energy Project Permit Coordination: the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau 

of Reclamation, Department of Defense, 

Department of Energy, and 

Environmental Protection Agency. 

Other Federal agencies, Tribal Nations, 

and State and local agencies wishing to 

be considered as a Cooperating Agency 

on this effort, either on the basis of their 

jurisdiction by law or special expertise, 

are invited to express their interest to 

Mr. Eysenbach, Project Manager (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

Responsible Official 

The BLM Arizona State Director is the 

deciding official for this notice of 

segregation. The authorized officer and 

decision maker for the Project is the 

BLM Yuma Field Office Manager. 

Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The BLM will decide whether to 

approve, approve with modification(s), 

or deny issuance of a ROW grant to the 

applicant for the proposed Project. 

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 for this effort to help 

support compliance with applicable 

procedural requirements under the 

Endangered Species Act 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. Information about historic and 

cultural resources and threatened and 

endangered species within the area 

potentially affected will assist the BLM 

in identifying and evaluating impacts to 

such resources. 

The BLM will consult with Tribal 

Nations on a government-to-government 

basis in accordance with Executive 

Order 13175, BLM Manual Sections 

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 Tribal Nations and 

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, 

telephone 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) 

Gera Ashton, 

Acting State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2023–24744 Filed 11–8–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4331–12–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[BLM_UT_FRN_MO4500172964] 

Notice of Availability of the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Cross-Tie 500-kV Transmission 

Project in Beaver, Juab, and Millard 

Counties, Utah, and Lincoln, Nye, and 

White Pine Counties, Nevada 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

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) 

announces the availability of the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the Cross-Tie 500-kilovolt (kV) 

Transmission Project (Cross-Tie Project 

or Project). 

DATES: To afford the BLM the 

opportunity to consider comments in 

the Final EIS, please ensure that the 

BLM receives your comments within 45 

days following the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

publishes its Notice of Availability 

(NOA) of the Draft EIS in the Federal 

Register. The EPA usually publishes its 

NOAs on Fridays. 

ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS is available 

for review on the BLM’s ePlanning 

Project website at https://bit.ly/ 

ePlanningCrossTie. 

Written comments related to the 

Cross-Tie Project may be submitted by 

any of the following methods: 

• Email: blm_ut_fm_cross-tie_

project@blm.gov. 


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