Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices 20411 

state, and local agencies, along with 

tribes and other stakeholders that may 

be interested or affected by the BLM’s 

decision on this project are invited to 

participate in the scoping process and, 

if eligible, may request or be requested 

by the BLM to participate as a 

cooperating agency. 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. 

The minutes and list of attendees for 

each scoping meeting will be available 

to the public and open for 30 days after 

the meeting to any participant who 

wishes to clarify the views he or she 

expressed. The BLM will evaluate 

identified issues to be addressed in the 

plan, and will place them into one of 

three categories: 

1. Issues to be resolved in the plan 

amendment; 

2. Issues to be resolved through policy 

or administrative action; or 

3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan 

amendment. 

The BLM will provide an explanation 

in the Draft RMP/Draft EIS as to why an 

issue was placed in category two or 

three. The public is also encouraged to 

help identify any management questions 

and concerns that should be addressed 

in the plan. The BLM will work 

collaboratively with interested parties to 

identify the management decisions that 

are best suited to local, regional, and 

national needs and concerns. 

The BLM will use an interdisciplinary 

approach to develop the plan 

amendment in order to consider the 

variety of resource issues and concerns 

identified. Specialists with expertise in 

the following disciplines will be 

involved in the planning process: 

rangeland management, minerals and 

geology, outdoor recreation, 

paleontology, archaeology, wildlife, 

lands and realty, hydrology, soils, 

sociology and economics. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 

1610.2. 

Thomas Pogacnik, 

Deputy State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8101 Filed 4–3–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Western Area Power Administration 

[LLNM930000 L51010000.ER0000 

LVRWG11G0790 NMNM124104] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed Southline Transmission 

Line Project in New Mexico and 

Arizona (DOE/EIS–0474) and Possible 

Land Use Plan Amendments 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

U.S. Department of the Interior; Western 

Area Power Administration, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las 

Cruces District Office, Las Cruces, New 

Mexico, intends to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

analyzing the impacts of the proposed 

Southline Transmission Line Project 

(Project), a 345-kilovolt (kV) and 230-kV 

transmission line, and addressing 

associated potential land use plan 

amendments. This notice announces the 

beginning of the scoping process to 

solicit public comments and identify 

issues. Western Area Power 

Administration (Western) is a joint lead 

agency with BLM for preparing the EIS. 

Western is a power-marketing agency 

within the Department of Energy (DOE) 

and is proposing to participate in the 

Project with the applicant, Southline 

Transmission, LLC (Southline). 

DATES: This notice initiates a 60-day 

public scoping process to solicit public 

comments and identify issues, 

opportunities, and concerns that should 

be considered in the preparation of a 

Draft EIS. During the scoping process, 

the BLM will also evaluate the need for 

any land use plan amendments to any 

of the affected Resource Management 

Plans (RMPs). The scoping period will 

end on June 4, 2012, or 15 days after the 

date of the last public scoping meeting, 

whichever is later. In order to ensure 

consideration in the Draft EIS, all 

comments must be received prior to the 

close of the scoping period. The BLM 

and Western will provide additional 

opportunities for public participation 

upon publication of the Draft EIS. The 

public will be notified in advance of 

future opportunities for participation as 

the EIS is prepared. 

To provide the public with an 

opportunity to review the proposal and 

project information, the BLM and 

Western expect to hold six public 

meetings at various locations in New 

Mexico and Arizona during the public 

scoping period. The BLM will announce 

public scoping meetings through local 

news media, newsletters, and posting on 

the BLM Web site at http:// 

www.blm.gov/nm/southline at least 15 

days prior to each meeting. 

ADDRESSES: Comments related to the 

proposed Project may be submitted by 

any of the following methods: 

Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nm/ 

southline. 

Fax: (575) 525–4412. 

Mail: BLM, Las Cruces District Office, 

Southline Transmission Project, 

Attention: Frances Martinez, Realty 

Specialist, 1800 Marquess Street, Las 

Cruces, New Mexico 88005. 

Email: fmartine@blm.gov. 

Documents pertinent to this proposal 

may be examined at the Las Cruces 

District Office or on the above Web site. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom 

Hurshman, BLM National Project 

Manager; telephone (970) 240–5345; 

email: thurshma@blm.gov. 

For information about Western’s 

involvement, contact Mark Wieringa, 

Western NEPA Document Manager; 

telephone (800) 336–7288 or (720) 962– 

7448; email: wieringa@wapa.gov. For 

general information on DOE NEPA 

(42 U.S.C. 4321–4347) review 

procedures or on the status of a NEPA 

review, contact Carol M. Borgstrom, 

Director of NEPA Policy and 

Compliance, GC–54, U.S. Department of 

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20585–0119, 

telephone (202) 586–4600 or toll free at 

(800) 472–2756, fax (202) 586–7031. 

People who use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at (800) 877–8339 during normal 

business hours to contact the BLM 

Project Manager listed above. The FIRS 

is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a 

week, to leave a message or question for 

the above individual. You will receive 

a reply during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Southline 

has filed a right-of-way (ROW) 

application with the BLM pursuant to 

Title V of FLPMA proposing to 

construct, operate, maintain, and 

eventually decommission a highvoltage, alternating current electric 

transmission line. The proposed Project 

would consist of two segments. The first 

segment would be the construction of a 


emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
20412 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices 

1On November 16, 2011, DOE’s Acting General 

Counsel delegated to Western’s Administrator all 

EIS authorities. 

new double-circuit 345-kV transmission 

line linking existing substations at Afton 

(located south of Las Cruces, New 

Mexico) and Apache (located south of 

Willcox, Arizona). This segment is 

approximately 225 miles long and 

would enable up to 1,500 megawatts 

(MW) of transmission capacity. The 

second segment is an upgrade and 

rebuild of approximately 130 miles of 

existing transmission line, providing up 

to 1,000 MW of increased transmission 

capacity between the Apache Substation 

and the Saguaro Substation (located 

northwest of Tucson, Arizona). New 

permanent and temporary ROW would 

be required for this segment. Existing 

transmission lines that have been 

identified as feasible for upgrades in 

this area include a Western 115-kV line 

and a Southwest Transmission 

Cooperative, Inc. 115-kV line. 

Approximately 40 percent of the 

proposed transmission line would be on 

public land, 30 percent would be on 

State land, and the remaining 30 percent 

would be on private land. A 0.5-milelong portion of the rebuild segment 

crosses land administered by the U.S. 

Forest Service and 2 miles of the rebuild 

segment cross tribal lands of the Tohono 

O’odham Nation. 

The transmission lines may be 

supported by lattice steel structures or 

tubular steel pole structures. Any final 

decision on a specific type of structure 

will be based on topography, structural 

requirements, economics, the 

environment, and other applicable 

considerations. The structures are 

anticipated to be constructed of 

galvanized steel with a height ranging 

from 110 to 170 feet, with an average 

height of 130 to 140 feet. The width of 

the span at the top will be 

approximately 40 to 60 feet. The 

distance between each structure would 

depend on site-specific characteristics 

but is expected to be approximately 800 

to 1,500 feet, with an average of 1,000 

feet for lattice steel structures and 1,200 

feet for tubular steel structures. Each 

structure would be set on concrete 

foundations set into the ground. The 

expected permanent disturbed area per 

structure would be approximately 200 

square feet. 

The proposed Project would involve 

additional facilities, including the 

construction of one new substation in 

the vicinity of Columbus, New Mexico, 

to facilitate anticipated renewable 

energy generation in the area. Access 

roads, including improvements to 

existing roads, new overland access, and 

new unpaved roads, would be 

developed during construction of the 

line and then used for inspection and 

maintenance during operation. A fiberoptic telecommunication system would 

be included in the transmission design. 

Additional temporary work sites, 

including wire splicing and pulling sites 

as well as construction yards, will also 

be analyzed. The requested ROW width 

on public lands is 250 feet. 

As part of its agency mission, Western 

routinely studies power system 

requirements, plans for transmission 

line upgrades and additions, facilitates 

and finances transmission projects, and 

constructs, owns, operates, and 

maintains transmission infrastructure. 

Such projects may be solely Western 

projects, or may be projects undertaken 

with the participation of others. 

Southline is proposing to upgrade 

approximately 130 miles of Western’s 

existing transmission line between 

Saguaro and Apache substations as part 

of its proposed Project. Western is 

evaluating to what extent it will 

participate in the proposed Project. 

Actions that result in a change in the 

scope of resource uses, terms and 

conditions, and decisions of Federal 

agency land use plans may require an 

amendment to those plans. Approval of 

this proposal may result in the 

amendment(s) of three BLM RMPs. As 

required by 43 CFR 1610.2(c), the BLM 

notifies the public of potential 

amendments to the following RMPs: 

Phoenix RMP, 1988, Safford District 

RMP, 1991, and Mimbres RMP, 1993. 

Any authorizations and actions 

proposed for approval in the EIS will be 

evaluated to determine if they conform 

to the decisions in the referenced land 

use plans. If amendments are needed, 

the BLM would integrate the land-use 

planning process as described in 43 CFR 

1610 into the EIS as they proceed with 

NEPA review of the proposed Project. If 

the BLM determines that plan 

amendments are necessary, compliance 

with NEPA for any land use plan 

amendments would occur 

simultaneously with the consideration 

of the proposed Project. 

In accordance with NEPA, DOE NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 

1021), and Council on Environmental 

Quality regulations for implementing 

NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508),1 the 

BLM and Western will prepare an EIS 

on their Federal actions and the 

proposed project. The BLM and Western 

are joint lead agencies for this EIS as 

defined in 40 CFR 1501.5. Agencies 

with jurisdiction by law or special 

expertise will be invited to participate 

as cooperating agencies in preparation 

of the EIS. Federal, State, and local 

agencies, and Indian tribes, along with 

other stakeholders that may be 

interested or affected by the BLM’s and 

Western’s decisions on this Project, are 

invited to participate in the scoping 

process and, if eligible, may request or 

be requested by the BLM and Western 

to participate as a cooperating agency. 

During the public scoping period, the 

BLM and Western will solicit public 

comments on behalf of all cooperating 

agencies regarding issues, concerns, and 

opportunities that should be considered 

in the analysis of the proposed action. 

Comments on issues and potential 

impacts, or suggestions for additional or 

different alternatives may be submitted 

to the addresses listed in the ADDRESSES

section. 

Public scoping will help determine 

relevant issues that can influence the 

scope of the environmental analysis, 

alternatives, and the process for 

developing the EIS. The BLM and 

Western, along with other agencies, 

cooperators, and individuals, have 

preliminarily identified the following 

issues that will be addressed in the EIS: 

• Social and economic effects of the 

Project on local communities and 

infrastructure; 

• Potential public health and safety 

impacts resulting from constructionrelated traffic and electromagnetic 

fields; 

• Potential interference with the Fort 

Huachuca Electronic Proving Ground; 

• Loss of habitat and direct 

disturbance to plant and animal species 

(including special and sensitive status 

species); 

• Impacts to cultural resources, lands 

that contain places of traditional 

cultural or religious importance, and 

historic sites; 

• New visual intrusions on the 

landscape that would degrade the scenic 

and visual quality of the area; 

• Proximity of the Project to lands 

with wilderness characteristics; 

• Impacts to National Scenic or 

Historic Trails, and; 

• Potential impacts to military flight 

paths and areas used for military 

maneuvers. 

This list is not intended to be allinclusive or imply any predetermination 

of impacts. 

Public meetings will be held during 

the scoping period. BLM, Western, and 

Southline staff will be available at the 

public meetings to explain the details of 

the proposed Project and to gather 

information from interested individuals 

or groups. The BLM, Western, and 

cooperating agencies will also provide 

additional opportunities for public 

participation upon publication of the 

Draft EIS. 


emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices 20413 

The BLM and Western will use and 

coordinate the Draft EIS public review 

and comment period to assist the 

agencies in satisfying the public 

involvement requirements under 

Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 

470(f)), as provided for in 36 CFR 

800.2(d)(3). Information about historic 

and cultural resources within the area 

potentially affected by the proposed 

project will assist the BLM and Western 

in identifying and evaluating impacts to 

such resources in the context of both 

NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA. 

Consultation with American Indian 

tribes will be conducted in accordance 

with applicable policies; tribal 

concerns, including impacts on Indian 

trust assets, will be given due 

consideration. 

Before including addresses, phone 

numbers, email addresses, or other 

personal identifying information in 

comments, commenters should be aware 

that entire comments—including 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

Requests may be made that personal 

identifying information be withheld 

from public review; however, the BLM 

and Western cannot guarantee that they 

will be able to do so. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7; 43 CFR 1610.2. 

William W. Merhege, 

Deputy State Director, Resources, Bureau of 

Land Management, New Mexico. 

Timothy J. Meeks, 

Administrator, Western Area Power 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8094 Filed 4–3–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–FB–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[WY–923–1310–FI; WYW164675] 

Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of 

Terminated Oil and Gas Lease 

WYW164675, Wyoming 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the 

Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as 

amended, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) received a petition 

for reinstatement from Equus Energy 

Corporation for competitive oil and gas 

lease WYW164675 for land in Converse 

County, Wyoming. The petition was 

filed on time and was accompanied by 

all the rentals due since the date the 

lease terminated under the law. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bureau of Land Management, Julie L. 

Weaver, Chief, Fluid Minerals 

Adjudication, at (307) 775–6176. 

Persons who use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to contact the 

above individual during normal 

business hours. The FIRS is available 24 

hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 

message or question with the above 

individual. You will receive a reply 

during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lessee 

has agreed to the amended lease terms 

for rentals and royalties at rates of $10 

per acre or fraction thereof, per year and 

162⁄3 percent, respectively. The lessee 

has paid the required $500 

administrative fee and $159 to 

reimburse the Department for the cost of 

this Federal Register notice. The lessee 

has met all the requirements for 

reinstatement of the lease as set out in 

Sections 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral 

Lands Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 

188), and the BLM is proposing to 

reinstate lease WYW164675 effective 

December 1, 2009, under the original 

terms and conditions of the lease and 

the increased rental and royalty rates 

cited above. The BLM has not issued a 

valid lease to any other interest affecting 

the lands. 

Julie L. Weaver, 

Chief, Branch of Fluid Minerals Adjudication. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8102 Filed 4–3–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLNVS00560 L58530000 EU0000 241A; N– 

90450; 12–08807; MO# 4500032437; TAS: 

14X5232] 

Notice of Realty Action: Modified 

Competitive, Sealed-Bid Sale of Public 

Land in Clark County, NV 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Realty Action. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) proposes to offer by 

modified competitive, sealed-bid sale, 

one parcel of public land totaling 

approximately 480 acres in the Las 

Vegas Valley at not less than the 

appraised fair market value (FMV) of 

$10,560,000. The parcel will be offered 

in a sale pursuant to the Southern 

Nevada Public Land Management Act of 

1998 (SNPLMA), Public Law 105–263, 

112 Stat. 2343, as amended. The sale 

will be subject to the applicable 

provisions of Sections 203 of the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976 (FLPMA), 43 U.S.C 1713, 

and BLM land sale regulations at 

43 CFR 2710. 

DATES: Interested parties may submit 

written comments regarding the 

proposed sale and the environmental 

assessment (EA) until May 21, 2012. 

Sealed bids may be mailed or 

delivered to the BLM Las Vegas Field 

Office, at the address below, beginning 

May 21, 2012. Sealed bids must be 

received by the BLM Las Vegas Field 

Office no later than 4:30 p.m. Pacific 

Time, June 4, 2012 in accordance with 

the sale procedures. The BLM will open 

the sealed bids on June 4, 2012 at the 

BLM Las Vegas Field Office at 10 a.m., 

Pacific Time. 

ADDRESSES: Mail written comments to, 

refer questions about, or submit sealed 

bids to the BLM, Las Vegas Field Office 

Assistant Field Manager, 4701 N. Torrey 

Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Manuela Johnson at email: 

manuela_johnson@blm.gov or 

telephone: 702–515–5224. Persons who 

use a telecommunications device for the 

deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 

800–877–8339 to contact the above 

individual during normal business 

hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week, to leave a message 

or question with the above individual. 

You will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The parcel 

proposed for sale is located in the 

southwestern area of the City of 

Henderson, Nevada. It is currently 

encumbered by an authorized road, 

water pipeline, flood control facilities, 

and relinquished Nevada Department of 

Transportation mineral material site 

right-of-way. The subject public land is 

described as: 

Mount Diablo Meridian 

T. 23 S., R. 61 E., 

Sec. 21, N1⁄2; 

Sec. 22, NW1⁄4. 

The area described contains 480 acres, 

more or less, in Clark County. 

The map delineating the proposed 

sale parcel is available for public review 

at the BLM Las Vegas Field Office at the 

address above. 

The general area of which 

encompasses this parcel was analyzed 

for future sale in the Las Vegas Valley 

Disposal Boundary Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS), approved by 

Record of Decision on December 23, 

2004. The proposed sale parcel N– 


emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES