[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80914-80916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22982]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_NV_FRN_MO# 4500180403]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Amend 
the Resource Management Plan for the Proposed Dodge Flat Solar II 
Project in Washoe County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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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 Office intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
amendment with an associated

[[Page 80915]]

Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Dodge Flat Solar II 
Project 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 November 4, 2024. To afford the BLM the 
opportunity to consider issues raised by commenters in the Draft RMP 
amendment and associated EA, 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.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Dodge Flat Solar II Project by any of the following 
methods:
    <bullet> Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2027081/510.
    <bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7e5ebeaf8e9f1f8e4e4e3e8f8e3c8c3c0c2f8e1cbc6d3f8f4c8cbc6d5e7c5cbca89c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2a68666775647c7569696e65756e454e4d4f756c464b5e757945464b586a484647044d455c">[email protected]</span></a>.
    <bullet> Mail: BLM, Carson City District Office, Attn: Dodge Flat 
Solar II Project, 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: Jonathan Kalb, Realty Specialist, 
telephone (775) 885-6033; address 5665 Morgan Mill Rd., Carson City, NV 
89701; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cf85a4aea3ad8fada3a2e1a8a0b9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cd87a6aca1af8dafa1a0e3aaa2bb">[email protected]</span></a>. Contact Jonathan Kalb 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 Jonathan Kalb. 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: This document provides notice that the BLM 
intends to prepare an RMP amendment with an associated EA for the 
proposed Dodge Flat Solar II Project and announces the beginning of the 
scoping process that seeks public input on issues and planning 
criteria. The RMP amendment is being considered to allow the BLM to 
evaluate modifying a portion of an energy corridor designated by BLM 
under section 368 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Section 368 energy 
corridors) around the proposed Dodge Flat Solar II Project. This would 
require removal of approximately 608 acres of the section 368 energy 
corridor, as currently identified, and designating approximately 92 
acres of new section 368 energy corridor to the southeast of the 
proposed Dodge Flat Solar II Project. Section 368 energy corridors are 
managed as the preferred locations for development of energy 
transportation projects on lands managed by the BLM. Each corridor has 
a defined centerline, width, and compatible uses (underground-only, 
electric-only, or multi-modal). The rerouting of the section 368 energy 
corridor would require amending the Carson City Field Office 
Consolidated RMP, as amended by the 2009 West Wide Energy Corridor 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision. The 
planning area is located in Washoe County, NV, and encompasses 
approximately 990 acres of public land.

Purpose and Need

    The BLM's purpose for this Federal action is to respond to the ROW 
application submitted under Title V of FLPMA and to amend the section 
368 energy corridor (15-17) direction in the Carson City Field Office 
Consolidated RMP in compliance with the BLM ROW regulations (43 CFR 
part 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 Carson City Field 
Office Consolidated RMP planning area.
    A Notice of Intent for an amendment to the Carson City Field Office 
Consolidated RMP for use of exclusion areas within the proposed Dodge 
Flat Solar II Project was published on January 19, 2024. Since then, it 
was determined that an amendment to the Carson City Field Office 
Consolidated RMP is needed for the Section 368 energy corridor 
rerouting as well.

Preliminary Alternatives

    Under the No Action alternative, the BLM would not approve the 
proposed Dodge Flat Solar II Project on public lands and would not 
amend the corridor alignment in the Carson City Field Office 
Consolidated RMP. Under the proposed action alternative, the BLM would 
change the corridor alignment in the Carson City Field Office 
Consolidated RMP to allow the Dodge Flat Solar II Project 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 stakeholders. The BLM has identified several 
preliminary issues for this planning effort's analysis. The planning 
criteria are available for public review and comment at the ePlanning 
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 EA. The BLM will hold one 
virtual scoping meeting. The specific date and time of the scoping 
meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through the 
project ePlanning web page (See ADDRESSES).

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, 
archaeology, botany, climate change (greenhouse gases), environmental 
justice, fire and fuels, geology/mineral resources and soils, hazardous 
materials, hydrology, groundwater, invasive/non-native species, 
jurisdictional delineations, lands and realty, paleontology, public 
health and safety, rangelands, transportation, socioeconomics, soils, 
visual resources, 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

[[Page 80916]]

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 Solar II 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 EA 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, 43 CFR 1610.2, and 43 CFR 2800)

Jon K. Raby,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-22982 Filed 10-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P


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