Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 35 / Wednesday, February 22, 2012 / Notices 10475 

Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the EIS/EIR. The 

complete Plan of Operation and 

Reclamation Plan is available on the San 

Bernardino National Forest Web site at: 

http://data.ecosystem-management.org/ 

nepaweb/ 

nepa_project_exp.php?project=32613. 

Public Scoping meetings will be held on 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at the Lucerne 

Valley Community Center, 33187 Old 

Woman Springs Road, Lucerne Valley, 

California 92356 beginning at 7 pm PST, 

and Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at the Big 

Bear Discovery Center, 40971 North 

Shore Drive (Highway 38), Fawnskin, 

California 92333 beginning at 7 pm PST. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such manner that they are useful to the 

agency’s preparation of the EIS/EIR. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. 

Dated: February 13, 2012. 

Jody Noiron, 

Forest Supervisor, San Bernardino National 

Forest. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3938 Filed 2–21–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Tri-State Generation and Transmission 

Association, Inc., Notice of Intent To 

Hold Public Scoping Meetings and 

Prepare an Environmental Assessment 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Hold Public 

Scoping Meetings and Prepare an 

Environmental Assessment. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS), an agency of the United States 

Department of Agriculture, intends to 

hold public scoping meetings and 

prepare an Environmental Assessment 

(EA) to meet its responsibilities under 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) and RUS’s Environmental 

Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 

1794) in connection with potential 

impacts related to a proposed project in 

Colorado by Tri-State Generation and 

Transmission Association, Inc. (TriState). The proposed Burlington-Wray 

230-kilovolt (kV) Transmission Project 

(Proposal) consists of the following: a 

proposed new single-circuit 230-kV 

electric transmission line between the 

existing Burlington Substation in Kit 

Carson County and the existing Wray 

Substation in Yuma County. Tri-State is 

requesting that RUS provide financial 

assistance for the Proposal. 

DATES: RUS will conduct public scoping 

meetings in an open house format to 

provide information and solicit 

comments for the preparation of the EA. 

The scoping meetings will be held on 

the following dates: Tuesday, March 6, 

2012, from 5–8 p.m. at the Burlington 

Community Center, 340 South 14th 

Street, Burlington, Colorado 80807; 

Wednesday, March 8, 2012, 5–8 p.m. at 

the Wray Roundhouse, 245 West 4th 

Street, Wray, Colorado 80758. All 

written questions and comments must 

be received on or before March 23, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: An Alternative Evaluation 

Study (AES) and Macro Corridor Study 

(MCS) have been prepared for the 

proposed project. All documents are 

available for review prior to and at the 

public scoping meetings. The reports are 

available at the RUS address provided 

in this notice and on the agency’s Web 

site: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWPea.htm. The documents are also 

available for review at the offices of TriState and its member cooperatives K.C. 

Electric Association and Y–W Electric 

Association. In addition, the following 

repositories will have the AES and MCS 

available for public review: 

Tri-State Generation and 

Transmission Association, Inc., 1100 

West 116th Avenue, Westminster, 

Colorado 80234–2814. 

K.C. Electric Association, 281 Main 

Street, Stratton, Colorado 80836. 

Y–W Electric Association, 1016 

Grants Way, Wray, Colorado 80758– 

1915. 

Wray Public Library, 301 W. 7th 

Street, Wray, Colorado 80758. 

Burlington Public Library, 321 14th 

Street, Burlington, CO 80807. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

obtain copies of the EA, to comment on 

the EA, or for further information, 

contact Dennis Rankin, Environmental 

Protection Specialist, USDA Rural 

Utilities Service, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW., Stop 1571, Washington, 

DC 20250–1571, Telephone: (202) 720– 

1953, Facsimile: (202) 690–0649, or 

email dennis.rankin@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

primary purpose for the Proposal is to 

alleviate transmission system 

limitations in eastern Colorado, improve 

Tri-State’s ability to dispatch existing 

generation resources in eastern 

Colorado, and improve Tri-State’s 

ability to deliver energy to native load 

customers. The proposed action also 

would provide a transmission outlet for 

renewable energy generation in eastern 

Colorado. 

Tri-State is seeking funding from RUS 

for the Proposal. Prior to making a 

financial decision about whether to 

provide financial assistance for a 

proposed project, RUS is required to 

conduct an environmental review under 

the NEPA in accordance with the RUS 

Environmental Policies and Procedures 

codified in 7 CFR part 1794. 

Government agencies, private 

organizations, and the public are invited 

to participate in the planning and 

analysis of the proposed action. 

Representatives from the RUS and TriState will be available at the scoping 

meetings to discuss the environmental 

review process, describe the Proposal, 

discuss the scope of environmental 

issues to be considered, answer 

questions, and accept comments. RUS 

and Tri-state will use comments and 

input provided by all interested parties 

in the preparation of an Environmental 

Assessment Tri-State will submit the EA 

to RUS for review. RUS will use the 

environmental document to determine 

the significance of the impacts of the 

Proposal and may adopt the 

environmental document as its EA for 

the proposal. RUS’s EA will be available 

for review and comment for 30 days. 

Announcement of the availability of the 

EA will be published in the Federal 

Register and in newspapers with 

circulation in the project area. 

Should RUS determine that the 

preparation of an Environmental Impact 

Statement is not necessary, it will 

prepare a Finding of No Significant 

Impact (FONSI). Announcement of the 

availability of a FONSI will be 

published in the Federal Register and in 

newspapers with circulation in the 

project area. Any final action by RUS 

related to the Proposal will be subject 

to, and contingent upon, compliance 

with all relevant Federal, State and local 

environmental laws and regulations and 

completion of the environmental review 

procedures as prescribed by RUS’s 

Environmental Policies and Procedures 

(7 CFR part 1794). 

Dated: February 15, 2012. 

Mark S. Plank, 

Director, Engineering and Environmental 

Staff, USDA, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4082 Filed 2–21–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES