66958 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 209 / Friday, October 28, 2011 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

[LLWO300000.L14300000] 

Notice of Availability of the 

Supplement to the Draft Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

Solar Energy Development in Six 

Southwestern States and Notice of 

Public Meetings 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) and the Department 

of Energy (DOE) (the Agencies) as joint 

lead agencies announce the availability 

of the Supplement to the Draft 

Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) for Solar Energy 

Development in Six Southwestern 

States (Supplement) (BLM/DES 11–49, 

DOE/EIS–0403D–S). 

DATES: The Agencies will accept 

comments for ninety (90) calendar days 

following the date the Environmental 

Protection Agency publishes its Notice 

of Availability in the Federal Register. 

The Agencies will hold public meetings 

on the Supplement. The dates and 

locations of the public meetings are 

listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section below. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

related to the Supplement by the 

following methods: 

• Web site: Using the online comment 

form available on the project Web site: 

http://solareis.anl.gov. This is the 

preferred method of commenting. 

• Mail, addressed to: Solar Energy 

Draft PEIS, Argonne National 

Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue—EVS/ 

240, Argonne, Illinois 60439. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information on 

the Supplement or general information 

regarding the BLM National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA) process should be directed to 

Shannon Stewart, Senior Planning and 

Environmental Analyst, BLM 

Washington Office, by email at 

shannon_stewart@blm.gov, or by 

telephone at 202–912–7219. Requests 

for additional information on the 

Supplement may also be directed to 

Jane Summerson, DOE Solar 

Programmatic EIS Document Manager, 

by email at 

jane.summerson@ee.doe.gov, or by 

telephone at 202–287–6188. For general 

information regarding the DOE NEPA 

process, contact Carol Borgstrom, 

Director, Office of NEPA Policy and 

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

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Washington, DC 20585, by 

telephone at 202–586–4600, leave a 

message at 1–800–472–2756, or by email 

at askNEPA@hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Supplement, references, and additional 

information regarding solar energy 

development are available at the project 

Web site: http://solareis.anl.gov. An 

electronic copy of the Supplement also 

can be viewed in any BLM State Office 

public room in the six-state study area 

and is available through the BLM Web 

site at http://www.blm.gov. The 

Supplement is also available on the 

DOE NEPA Web site at http:// 

energy.gov/nepa. A complete, printed 

copy is available for review at the 

following BLM offices: 

• Arizona State Office, One North 

Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, 

Arizona 85004. 

• Caliente Field Office, U.S. Highway 

93 Building #1, Caliente, Nevada 89008. 

• California Desert District, 22835 

Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno 

Valley, California 92553. 

• California State Office, 2800 Cottage 

Way, Suite W–1623, Sacramento, 

California 95825. 

• Colorado State Office, 2850 

Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 

80215. 

• Cedar City Field Office, 176 East 

D.L. Sargent Drive, Cedar City, Utah 

84721. 

• El Centro Field Office, 1661 S. 4th 

Street, El Centro, California 92243. 

• Lake Havasu Field Office, 2610 

Sweetwater Avenue, Lake Havasu City, 

Arizona 86406. 

• Las Cruces District Office, 1800 

Marquess Street, Las Cruces, New 

Mexico 88005. 

• Lower Sonoran Field Office, 21605 

N. 7th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027. 

• Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial 

Boulevard, Reno, Nevada 89502. 

• New Mexico State Office, 301 

Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 

87508. 

• Palm Springs—South Coast Field 

Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm 

Springs, California 92262. 

• San Luis Valley Public Lands 

Center, 1803 West Highway 160, Monte 

Vista, Colorado 81144. 

• Southern Nevada District Office, 

4701 North Torrey Pines, Las Vegas, 

Nevada 89130. 

• Tonopah Field Office, 1553 South 

Main Street, Tonopah, Nevada 89049. 

• Utah State Office, 440 West 200 

South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 

84101. 

The BLM and the DOE will hold four 

public meetings on the Supplement to 

provide an overview of the document, 

answer questions, and receive public 

comments. The meeting site will open 

to the public at 6 p.m. The official 

meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and close 

after all individuals who wish to speak 

have been heard. The meeting dates and 

locations are given below. The specific 

venues will be announced at least 15 

days in advance via local media, the 

project Web site (http://solareis.anl. 

gov/), and the DOE NEPA Web site 

(http://energy.gov/nepa). 

• Las Vegas, Nevada—Wednesday, 

November 30, 2011. 

• Phoenix, Arizona—Thursday, 

December 1, 2011. 

• El Centro, California—Wednesday, 

December 7, 2011. 

• Palm Desert, California—Thursday, 

December 8, 2011. 

At these meetings the public will have 

an opportunity to provide oral and 

written comments. Oral and written 

comments from the meetings and 

additional comments submitted during 

the comment period will be considered 

by the Agencies in preparing the Final 

EIS. Comments submitted after the close 

of the comment period will be 

considered to the extent practicable. 

Background 

On December 17, 2010, the Agencies 

published a Draft Programmatic EIS for 

Solar Energy Development in Six 

Southwestern States (Arizona, 

California, Colorado, Nevada, New 

Mexico, and Utah). Public comments 

were accepted through May 2, 2011. 

More than 80,500 comments were 

received. The public, as well as many 

cooperating agencies, offered 

suggestions on how the Agencies could 

increase the utility of the document, 

strengthen the proposed BLM Solar 

Energy Program, and increase certainty 

regarding solar energy development on 

BLM-administered lands. 

The Agencies have revised the Solar 

PEIS to better meet their solar energy 

objectives. The Agencies have prepared 

a targeted Supplement to the Draft Solar 

Programmatic EIS (Supplement) that 

includes modified and new components 

of the proposed BLM Solar Energy 

Program, DOE’s proposed programmatic 

environmental guidance, and references 

to relevant portions of the Draft Solar 

Programmatic EIS. The Agencies have 

prepared this document in accordance 

with NEPA, as amended; the Council on 

Environmental Quality, the DOE, and 

the Department of Interior (DOI) 


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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 209 / Friday, October 28, 2011 / Notices 66959 

regulations implementing NEPA; and 

the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, as amended. 

The Supplement also updates the 

environmental effects analysis 

associated with BLM’s modified action 

alternatives. 

BLM-Specific Information 

The BLM has identified a need to 

respond in a more efficient and effective 

manner to the high interest in siting 

utility-scale solar energy development 

on BLM-administered lands and ensure 

consistent application of measures to 

avoid, minimize, or mitigate the adverse 

impacts of such development. The BLM 

proposes to develop a new Solar Energy 

Program to further support utility-scale 

solar energy development on BLMadministered lands. The proposed Solar 

Energy Program has been designed to 

further the BLM’s ability to meet the 

requirements for facilitating solar energy 

development on BLM-administered 

lands established by the Energy Policy 

Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–58) and 

Secretarial Order 3285A1 issued by the 

Secretary of the Interior. In particular, 

the proposed program has been 

designed to meet the requirements of 

Order 3285A1 to identify and prioritize 

solar energy development in locations 

best suited for such development, called 

solar energy zones (SEZ). The objectives 

of the BLM’s proposed Solar Energy 

Program include: 

• Facilitating near-term utility-scale 

solar energy development on public 

lands; 

• Minimizing potential negative 

environmental, social, and economic 

impacts; 

• Providing flexibility to consider a 

variety of solar energy projects (e.g., by 

location, facility size, or technology); 

• Optimizing existing transmission 

infrastructure and corridors; and 

• Standardizing and streamlining the 

authorization process for utility-scale 

solar energy development on BLMadministered lands. 

The elements of the BLM’s proposed 

Solar Energy Program have been 

expanded from the Draft Solar 

Programmatic EIS and include: 

1. Continued processing of pending 

applications for utility-scale solar 

energy development; 

2. Identification of lands to be 

excluded from utility-scale solar energy 

development in the six-state study area; 

3. Identification of priority areas (i.e., 

SEZs) that are best suited for utilityscale production of solar energy in 

accordance with the requirements of 

Secretarial Order 3285A1 and the 

associated authorization procedures for 

applications in these areas; 

4. Establishment of a process to 

identify new SEZs; 

5. Establishment of a process that 

allows for responsible utility-scale solar 

energy development outside of priority 

areas (i.e., variance process); 

6. Establishment of mitigation 

requirements for solar energy 

development on public lands to ensure 

the most environmentally responsible 

development and delivery of solar 

energy; and 

7. Amendment of BLM land use plans 

in the six-state study area to adopt those 

elements of the new Solar Energy 

Program that pertain to planning. 

The alternatives being analyzed 

through the Supplement include the no 

action alternative, and two modified 

action alternatives, each of which would 

have the BLM establish a 

comprehensive Solar Energy Program to 

facilitate utility-scale solar energy 

development on BLM-administered 

lands. 

On the basis of further data collection, 

consultation with cooperating agencies 

and resource managers, and analysis of 

comments submitted on the Draft Solar 

Programmatic EIS, the BLM has 

modified its preferred alternative to 

emphasize its commitment to the 

concept of SEZs by eliminating or 

adjusting SEZs to ensure they are not 

located in high conflict areas, 

establishing a protocol to identify new 

SEZs, and outlining incentives for 

projects within SEZs. In addition, the 

BLM has revisited ongoing state-based 

planning efforts to assure that such 

efforts could result in the identification 

of new SEZs. While the BLM’s preferred 

alternative emphasizes the use and 

creation of SEZs for utility-scale solar 

energy development, the BLM also 

proposes a process that will 

accommodate responsible development 

outside of SEZs. 

Under the modified program 

alternative (the BLM’s preferred 

alternative), the BLM identifies 

categories of lands to be excluded from 

utility-scale solar energy development 

and identifies specific locations best 

suited for utility-scale production of 

solar energy (i.e., SEZs) where the BLM 

would prioritize development. The 

modified program alternative 

emphasizes and incentivizes 

development within SEZs and proposes 

a collaborative process to identify 

additional SEZs. In order to 

accommodate the flexibility described 

in the BLM’s program objectives, the 

modified program alternative allows for 

utility-scale solar development outside 

of SEZs in accordance with the 

proposed variance process. The 

modified program alternative also 

establishes authorization policies and 

procedures for utility-scale solar energy 

development on BLM-administered 

lands. 

Under the modified SEZ alternative, 

the BLM would restrict utility-scale 

solar energy development applications 

to SEZs only, and designate all other 

lands as exclusion areas for utility-scale 

solar energy development. The 

proposed authorization policies that are 

part of the modified program alternative 

would also apply to applications in 

SEZs under the modified SEZ 

alternative. 

The no action alternative remains 

unchanged from the Draft Solar 

Programmatic EIS. The no action 

alternative continues the issuance of 

right-of-way authorizations for utilityscale solar energy development on BLMadministered lands by implementing the 

requirements of the BLM’s existing solar 

energy policies. Lands available for 

solar energy development would 

include those areas currently allowable 

under existing applicable laws and 

statutes and in conformance with the 

approved land use plan(s). Future solar 

energy projects and land use plan 

amendments would continue to be 

evaluated solely on an individual, caseby-case basis. 

DOE-Specific Information 

The DOE is required to meet 

mandates under Executive Order 13212, 

‘‘Actions to Expedite Energy-Related 

Projects’’ (66 FR 28357; May 22, 2001); 

Executive Order 13514, ‘‘Federal 

Leadership in Environmental, Energy, 

and Economic Performance’’ (74 FR 

52117; October 8, 2009); and Section 

603 of the Energy Independence and 

Security Act of 2007 (EISA) (Pub. L. 

110–140). The DOE’s purpose and need 

is to satisfy both executive orders and 

comply with congressional mandates to 

promote, expedite, and advance the 

production and transmission of 

environmentally sound energy 

resources, including renewable energy 

resources and, in particular, costcompetitive solar energy systems at the 

utility scale. 

Specifically, the DOE proposes to 

further integrate environmental 

considerations into its analysis and 

selection of solar projects through the 

development of programmatic 

environmental guidance. The proposed 

DOE guidance, provided in this 

Supplement, builds on the BLM’s 

analysis of potential impacts of utilityscale solar development on the 

environment for all phases of 

development to provide a technical 

basis. The DOE could use, as 

appropriate, the programmatic guidance 


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66960 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 209 / Friday, October 28, 2011 / Notices 

for solar projects supported by DOE in 

any location, not just BLM-administered 

lands in the six-state study area. 

The DOE will consider this guidance, 

including recommended environmental 

practices and mitigation measures, in its 

investment and deployment strategies 

and decision-making process. This 

guidance, based on the analyses in the 

Draft Solar Programmatic EIS and other 

information, would provide DOE with a 

tool for making more informed, 

environmentally sound decisions at the 

outset, help to streamline future 

environmental analysis and 

documentation for DOE-supported solar 

projects, and support the DOE’s efforts 

to comprehensively (1) Determine 

where to make technology and resource 

investments to minimize the potential 

environmental impacts of solar 

technologies for DOE-supported solar 

projects, and (2) establish 

environmental mitigation 

recommendations for proponents of 

DOE solar projects to consider in project 

plans. 

Through the Solar Programmatic EIS, 

the DOE is evaluating two alternatives: 

an action alternative and a no action 

alternative. Under the action alternative, 

the DOE would develop and adopt 

programmatic environmental guidance 

that would be used by DOE to further 

integrate environmental considerations 

into its analysis and selection of 

proposed solar projects. In the 

Supplement, DOE presents for public 

comment proposed guidance intended 

to amend its existing case-by-case 

approach, thus facilitating the 

advancement of solar energy 

development. Under the no action 

alternative, the DOE would continue its 

existing case-by-case process for 

addressing environmental concerns for 

solar projects supported by DOE. It 

would not develop programmatic 

environmental guidance with 

recommended environmental best 

management practices and mitigation 

measures that could be applied to DOEsupported solar projects. 

Other Agency Involvement 

Cooperating Federal agencies on the 

Solar Programmatic EIS include the 

Department of Defense; the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service; the National Park 

Service; the Bureau of Reclamation; the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region 9; and the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, South Pacific Division. Other 

cooperating agencies on the Solar PEIS 

include the Arizona Game and Fish 

Department; the California Energy 

Commission and Public Utilities 

Commission; the Nevada Department of 

Wildlife, the N–4 Grazing Board, and 

the Southern Nevada Water Authority; 

the Utah Public Lands Policy 

Coordination Office; Clark, Esmeralda, 

Eureka, Lincoln, and Nye Counties, 

Nevada; Saguache County, Colorado; 

and Dona Ana County, New Mexico. 

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. 

Michael D. Nedd, 

Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty 

Management, Bureau of Land Management. 

Henry Kelly, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 

Department of Energy. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 1506.10, 43 

CFR 1610.2, and 10 CFR 1021.313. 

[FR Doc. 2011–27874 Filed 10–27–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–84–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

[NPS–NCR–NAMA–0411–7123; 3401–007– 

SZM] 

Record of Decision on the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the National Mall Plan, National Mall 

and Memorial Parks, Washington, DC 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability, Record of 

Decision on the Final Environmental 

Impact Statement for the National Mall 

Plan, National Mall and Memorial 

Parks, Washington, DC. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 

U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park 

Service announces the availability of the 

Record of Decision for the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

National Mall Plan, National Mall and 

Memorial Parks (Final EIS/Plan). 

ADDRESSES: The Record of Decision, 

Final EIS/Plan, and other information 

are available for public review in the 

Office of the Superintendent, National 

Mall and Memorial Parks, 900 Ohio 

Drive SW., Washington, DC 20024– 

2000. Copies are also posted online at 

http://www.nps.gov/nationalmallplan. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Superintendent, National Mall and 

Memorial Parks, 900 Ohio Drive SW., 

Washington, DC 20024–2000, or by 

telephone at (202) 245–4690. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Record of Decision was signed at the 

Thomas Jefferson Memorial in 

Washington, DC on November 9, 2010, 

by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar; 

Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife 

and Parks Tom Strickland, and National 

Park Service Director Jon Jarvis. The 

Record of Decision was also signed by 

National Capital Regional Director 

Peggy O’Dell and Acting National Mall 

and Memorial Parks Superintendent 

Maria Burks. A Floodplain Statement of 

Findings was signed on September 30, 

2010, and a Programmatic Agreement 

with the Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation, the District of Columbia 

State Historic Preservation Office, and 

others was signed on November 8, 2010. 

All of these documents are posted 

online at http://www.nps.gov/ 

nationalmallplan. 

Other related material is also available 

at http://www.nps.gov/ 

nationalmallplan—‘‘A National Mall 

Plan: Summary,’’ ‘‘The National Mall 

Plan: 2010 General Implementation 

Priorities’’ list and related map, ‘‘The 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

and National Mall Plan,’’ newsletters, 

studies, public comment reports, maps, 

historic reports and background 

materials, and a number of related 

papers. 

The National Mall in Washington, DC 

is managed by the National Park Service 

as part of the National Park System. 

Following direction by Congress, in 

November 2006, the National Park 

Service announced an intensive 

planning effort to refurbish the National 

Mall so that (1) Its treasured memorials 

and historic landscapes could be 

preserved, (2) very high levels of use 

could be sustained, and (3) the needs of 

visitors could be met. This effort 

recognized that the National Mall was 

not designed for the types and levels of 

use it currently receives—nearly 25 

million visits annually, including 

demonstrations, national celebrations, 

and permitted events. This high level of 

visitation has resulted in adverse 

impacts on the cultural and natural 

resources of the National Mall. 

Adequate facilities are lacking for large 

gatherings, events, exhibitions, and 

celebrations; for tourism and general 

visitation; for group visitation; for 

visitors with disabilities; and for 

recreational opportunities. This has had 

adverse impacts on visitor experiences 

and park operations. 

The scope of the Final Plan/EIS 

encompasses three specific locations 


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