3686 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2024 / Notices 

(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the 

burden for this collection of 

information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and 

(4) How the agency might minimize 

the burden of the collection of 

information on those who are to 

respond, including through the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology, e.g., permitting 

electronic submission of response. 

Comments that you submit in 

response to this notice are a matter of 

public record. Before including your 

address, phone number, email address, 

or other personally identifiable 

information (PII) in your comment, you 

should be aware that your entire 

comment—including your PII—may be 

made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your PII from public review, 

we cannot guarantee that we will be 

able to do so. 

Abstract: The USGS produces and 

releases forecasts for earthquake 

aftershocks following damaging 

earthquakes in an automated manner. 

Currently, these forecasts are 

communicated to the public and to 

specialized users in the form of text and 

tables. The aim of this project is to 

produce graphics and maps for 

aftershock forecasts that can best serve 

user needs and ensure their usability 

through online user testing. In this 

information collection, the USGS will 

ask users questions about the forecast 

using a variety of graphical 

representations. This will help identify 

how different graphics affect how users 

understand and use aftershock forecast 

information. The results of this user 

testing will improve the way the USGS 

communicates aftershock forecasts to 

the public. 

Title of Collection: User testing of 

graphics for USGS aftershock forecasts. 

OMB Control Number: 1028–NEW. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: New. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals/households. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Respondents: 400. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 400. 

Estimated Completion Time per 

Response: 15 minutes. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 100. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. 

Frequency of Collection: One-time, in 

an online survey. 

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour 

Burden Cost: 0. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor, nor is a person required to 

respond to, a collection of information 

unless it displays a currently valid OMB 

control number. 

The authority for this action is the 

PRA. 

Shane Detweiler, 

Director, Earthquake Science Center, U.S. 

Geological Survey. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00946 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4388–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[BLM_NV_FRN_MO#4500176350] 

Notice of Intent To Amend the Carson 

City Field Office Consolidated 

Resource Management Plan and 

Prepare an Associated Environmental 

Assessment for the Dodge Flat II Solar 

Energy Center in Washoe County, NV 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

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) 

Nevada State Director intends to prepare 

a resource management plan (RMP) 

amendment with an associated 

Environmental Assessment for the 

Dodge Flat II Solar Energy Center and by 

this notice is announcing the beginning 

of the scoping period to solicit public 

comments and identify issues, and is 

providing the planning criteria for 

public review. 

DATES: The BLM requests the public 

submit comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis, potential alternatives, 

and identification of relevant 

information and studies by February 20, 

2024. To afford the BLM the 

opportunity to consider issues raised by 

the public, please ensure your 

comments are received prior to the close 

of the 30-day scoping period. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on issues and planning criteria related 

to the Dodge Flat II Solar Energy Center 

by any of the following methods: 

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

eplanning-ui/project/2027081/510. 

• Email: BLM_NV_CCDO_Dodge_

Flat_Solar@blm.gov. 

• Mail: BLM, Carson City District 

Office, Attn: Dodge Flat II Solar Energy 

Center, 5665 Morgan Mill Rd., Carson 

City, NV 89701. 

Documents pertinent to this proposal 

may be examined online at https://

eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ 

project/2027081/510 and at the Carson 

City District Office. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katy 

Paiva, Realty Specialist, telephone (775) 

885–6034; address 5665 Morgan Mill 

Rd., Carson City, NV 89701; email 

kpaiva@blm.gov. Contact Katy Paiva 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. 

Individuals outside the United States 

should use the relay services offered 

within their country to make 

international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

document provides notice that the BLM 

Nevada State Director intends to prepare 

an RMP amendment with an associated 

Environmental Assessment for the 

Dodge Flat II Solar Energy Center, 

announces the beginning of the scoping 

process, and seeks public input on 

issues and planning criteria. The RMP 

amendment is being considered to allow 

the BLM to evaluate the use of 

approximately 71 acres of public land 

that are identified as ‘‘exclusion lands’’ 

in the 2012 ‘‘Final Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

Solar Energy Development in Six 

Southwestern States (Arizona, 

California, Colorado, Nevada, New 

Mexico, and Utah)’’ (Solar 

Programmatic EIS) Record of Decision 

due to slope criteria. The use of these 

exclusion lands for solar power 

generation would require amending the 

existing 2001 Carson City Field Office 

Consolidated Resource Management 

Plan, as amended by the Solar 

Programmatic EIS Record of Decision. 

The planning area is located in Washoe 

County, Nevada, and encompasses 

approximately 700 acres of public land. 

The scope of this land use planning 

process does not include addressing the 

evaluation or designation of Areas of 

Critical Environmental Concern 

(ACECs), and the BLM is not 

considering ACEC nominations as part 

of this process. 

Purpose and Need 

The BLM’s purpose for this Federal 

action is to respond to the right-of-way 

application submitted under Title V of 

the FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1761), and to 

amend the slope management direction 

in the 2001 Carson City Field Office 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2024 / Notices 3687 

Consolidated Resource Management 

Plan in compliance with the BLM rightof-way regulations (43 CFR 2800) and 

other applicable Federal and State laws 

and policies. In accordance with 

FLPMA, there is a need to consider the 

long-term needs of future generations 

for renewable and non-renewable 

resources in the context of the multiple 

resource objectives in the 2001 Carson 

City Field Office Consolidated Resource 

Management Plan planning area. 

Preliminary Alternatives 

Under the No Action alternative, the 

BLM would not approve the proposed 

Dodge Flat II Solar Energy Center on 

public lands that are currently excluded 

from utility-scale solar energy 

development due to slopes exceeding 5 

percent and would not amend the slope 

management direction in the 2001 

Carson City Field Office Consolidated 

Resource Management Plan. Under the 

proposed action alternative, the BLM 

would change the slope management 

direction in the 2001 Carson City Field 

Office Consolidated Resource 

Management Plan to allow for the Dodge 

Flat II Solar Energy Center to be 

developed as currently proposed. The 

BLM welcomes comments and 

suggestions for additional alternatives. 

Planning Criteria 

The planning criteria guide the 

planning effort and lay the groundwork 

for effects analysis by identifying the 

preliminary issues and their analytical 

frameworks. Preliminary issues for the 

planning area have been identified by 

BLM personnel and from early 

engagement conducted for this planning 

effort with Federal, State, and local 

agencies; Tribes; and other stakeholders. 

The BLM has identified 10 preliminary 

issues for this planning effort’s analysis. 

The planning criteria are available for 

public review and comment on the 

National NEPA Register website (see 

ADDRESSES). 

Public Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping period and public review of the 

planning criteria, which guide the 

development and analysis of the RMP 

amendment and associated 

Environmental Assessment. The BLM 

will be holding one virtual scoping 

meeting. The specific date and time of 

the scoping meeting will be announced 

at least 15 days in advance through the 

National NEPA Register project web 

page https://eplanning.blm.gov/ 

eplanning-ui/project/2027081/510. 

Interdisciplinary Team 

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 this planning effort: air 

quality, cultural resources, botany, 

climate change (greenhouse gases), 

environmental justice, grazing, human 

health and safety, land use and 

authorizations, migratory birds, noise 

impacts, socioeconomics, 

transportation, visual resources, water 

quality, and wildlife. 

Additional Information 

The BLM will identify, analyze, and 

consider mitigation to address the 

reasonably foreseeable impacts to 

resources from the proposed plan 

amendment and all analyzed reasonable 

alternatives and, in accordance with 40 

CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate 

mitigation measures not already 

included in the proposed plan 

amendment 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 and land use planning 

processes for this planning effort to help 

support compliance with applicable 

procedural requirements under the 

Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 

1536) 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. The information about historic and 

cultural resources and threatened and 

endangered species within the area 

potentially affected by the proposed 

plan amendment will assist the BLM in 

identifying and evaluating impacts to 

such resources. 

The BLM will consult with Indian 

Tribes 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. Federal, State, and local 

agencies, along with Indian Tribes and 

other stakeholders that may be 

interested in or affected by the proposed 

Dodge Flat II Solar Energy Center 

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, 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 1501.7 and 43 CFR 

1610.2) 

Jon K. Raby, 

State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00942 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4331–21–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[BLM_HQ_FRN_MO4500177363] 

Notice of Availability of the Draft 

Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement for Utility-Scale Solar 

Energy Development and Notice of 

Public Meetings 

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) has 

prepared a Draft Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for Utility-scale Solar Energy 

Development and associated Resource 

Management Plan (RMP) Amendments 

and by this notice is providing 

information announcing the opening of 

the comment period on the Draft 

Programmatic EIS. 

DATES: This notice announces the 

opening of a 90-day comment period for 

the Draft Programmatic EIS beginning 

with the date following the 

Environmental Protection Agency’s 

(EPA) publication of its Notice of 

Availability (NOA) in the Federal 

Register. 

To afford the BLM the opportunity to 

consider comments in the course of 

preparing the Proposed RMP 

Amendments/Final Programmatic EIS, 

please ensure your comments are 

received prior to the close of the 90-day 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1