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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 3, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11463-11466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04341]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2015-N254; FXES11120000-156-FF08E00000]

Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed South Coast Resource Management Plan Amendment; for the 
Proposed Upper Santa Ana River Habitat Conservation Plan and Land 
Exchange

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; Bureau of Land Management, 
Interior.

[[Page 11464]]

ACTION: Notice of intent and notice of public meeting; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM), intend to prepare a Supplemental Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) under the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, for the proposed Upper Santa Ana 
River Wash Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), and a related land 
exchange. The SDEIS will be a joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR), for which the Service, the BLM, 
and the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District (District) 
intend to gather information necessary for preparation. The proposed 
HCP has been drafted to meet the requirements of the Federal Endangered 
Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, and the State of California's 
Endangered Species Act and Natural Communities Conservation Planning 
Act. The BLM, in compliance with the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act, as amended, will consider this NEPA process and the resulting HCP 
documents in its analysis toward possible amendment of the BLM South 
Coast Resource Management Plan (SCRMP) to support the land exchange.

DATES: Please send written comments on or before May 4, 2015.
    We will hold two public scoping meetings on March 18, 2015, from 2 
to 4 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the San Bernardino Valley Water 
Conservation District office located at 1630 West Redlands Avenue, 
Redlands, CA 92373. In addition to this notice, we will announce the 
public scoping meetings in local news media and on the Internet at the 
BLM Web site (http://www.ca.blm.gov/palmsprings) and the Service Web 
site (http://www.fws.gov/carlsbad) at least 15 days prior to the event. 
For more information, see Public Comments and Reasonable Accommodation 
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Comments or requests for more information specific to the 
proposed land exchange and amendment to the SCRMP should be sent via 
any one of the following methods:
    U.S. Mail: Brandon Anderson, Santa Ana River Wash Project, Bureau 
of Land Management, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
    Email: [email protected]. Subject line should include ``Scoping 
Comments for the Upper Santa Ana River Wash Project.''
    Comments or requests for more information specific to the issuance 
of an incidental take permit and the HCP should be sent to the 
following:
    U.S. Mail: Kennon Corey, Santa Ana River Wash Project, Palm Springs 
Fish and Wildlife Service Office, 777 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 
208, Palm Springs, CA 92262.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Brandon Anderson, Santa 
Ana River Wash Project, Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs South 
Coast Field Office, by telephone at 760-833-7117, or by email at 
[email protected], or Kennon Corey, Santa Ana River Wash Project, by 
mail at Palm Springs Fish and Wildlife Office, 777 East Tahquitz Canyon 
Way, Suite 208, Palm Springs, CA 92262 or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    In 1993, representatives of numerous agencies, including water, 
mining, flood control, wildlife, and municipal interests, formed a Wash 
Committee to address mining issues that were local to the upper Santa 
Ana River wash area. The role of the Committee was subsequently 
expanded, and it began meeting in 1997 to determine how this area might 
accommodate the ongoing and contemplated future activities of the 
participating entities. To achieve this goal, the Wash Committee worked 
with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the 
Service to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), which would 
establish a structure to integrate ongoing operations and planned 
projects with biological resource conservation within the Plan area. 
The District prepared a draft HCP on behalf of the Wash Committee in 
November 2008 and subsequently revised it in January 2010. The District 
and the Wash Committee subsequently worked with the Service and CDFW to 
revise the HCP, which now provides additional conservation. The 
District and the Wash Committee have also been working with the BLM to 
facilitate a land exchange to accommodate the HCP conservation 
strategy.
    The Supplemental Draft EIR/EIS (SDEIS) will provide an updated 
analysis to the 2009 Draft EIS issued by the BLM in April 2009 for the 
Proposed Santa Ana River Wash Land Use Plan Amendment and Land Exchange 
and the Final EIR issued by the District for the HCP. The SDEIS will 
consider the environmental effects associated with the proposed land 
exchange, the proposed amendment to the SCRMP, and the proposed HCP, as 
well as those of several alternatives.
    The SDEIS will evaluate the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
impacts of several alternatives related to the proposed land exchange 
and to the proposed issuance of Endangered Species Act permits to 
permit applicants in San Bernardino County, California. The permit 
applicants intend to apply for a 30-year permit from the Service that 
would authorize the incidental take of species resulting from 
implementation or approval of covered activities, including aggregate 
mining, the construction of ground water recharge basins, road 
improvements, trail construction, and other kinds of projects.
    Pursuant to 43 CFR 1610.2(c), notice is hereby given that the BLM 
is considering a proposal to amend the 1994 SCRMP and exchange lands 
with the District. Additionally, the Service is considering the 
issuance of an incidental take permit consistent with the Upper Santa 
Ana River Wash HCP. The SDEIS will describe and analyze alternatives to 
the proposed land use plan amendment, and HCP. The lands proposed for 
exchange in the 2009 Draft EIS have been revised to incorporate the 
activities and conservation strategy to be carried out consistent with 
the terms of the HCP and the refinement of exchange parcels to allow 
water conservation, mining, flood control, and other public actions 
within the study area while protecting and consolidating the natural 
resources, especially the threatened and endangered species in the 
area. This analysis will also review reasonably foreseeable activities 
currently undergoing initial feasibility review for an additional flood 
control activity, potentially resulting in a new Area of Critical 
Environmental Concern designation. Covered activities will also be 
reviewed for potential impacts to land designated as an Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern and Research Natural Area for protection 
of two plants federally listed as endangered, Eriastrum densifolium 
subsp. sanctorum (Santa Ana River woolly-star) and Dodecahema 
leptoceras (slender-horned spineflower); as well as the federally 
endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami parvus); the 
federally threatened coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila 
californica californica); and the cactus wren (Campylorhynchus 
brunneicapillus). In order to respond to comments received on the 2009 
Draft EIS, extensive biological fieldwork was conducted to identify the 
areas in which the species

[[Page 11465]]

are found in both a quantitative and qualitative manner. The 
Supplemental EIS will address the Federal actions in approving and 
implementing the project, including the proposed land exchange between 
the BLM and the District, the proposed amendment to the SCRMP by the 
BLM to accommodate the land exchange and the overall Wash Plan, and the 
proposed issuance of an incidental take permit consistent with the HCP. 
The BLM and the Service will be co-lead Agencies for the Supplemental 
EIS. The District will be the Lead Agency for the Supplemental EIR, 
under the California Environmental Quality Act.
    The Service and BLM are publishing this notice to announce the 
initiation of a public scoping period, during which we invite other 
agencies (local, State, and Federal), Tribes, nongovernmental 
organizations, and the public to submit written comments providing 
suggestions and information on the scope of issues and alternatives to 
be addressed in the SDEIS. Concurrently with this notice, the District 
has publicly released a California Environmental Quality Act Notice of 
Preparation for its EIR via State and local media.

Project Area

    The project area lies within San Bernardino County, California, 
primarily in the cities of Highland and Redlands, as well as within the 
unincorporated County area. The project area encompasses approximately 
4,467 acres within the area bounded by Greenspot Road to the north and 
east, Alabama Street to the west, and the Santa Ana River Wash to the 
south.

Potential Applicants

    The Upper Santa Ana River Wash Plan is being prepared through a 
collaboration of Federal, State, and local agencies as the basis for 
the BLM to amend the SCRMP and exchange lands for the HCP, for the HCP 
approval and potential issuance of incidental take permits for the 
implementation of the Upper Santa Ana River Wash Plan by the District, 
City of Highland, City of Redlands, San Bernardino County, San 
Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and others. The incidental 
take permits would be issued pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA 
and section 2081 (CESA) of the California Fish and Game Code. Only the 
applicants listed in the applications and HCP could receive incidental 
take permits for the covered activities and the covered species.

Covered Activities

    The HCP is intended to cover two types of activities in the Upper 
Santa Ana River Wash Plan project area:
    (1) Activities related to the operations and maintenance of 
existing facilities or land uses already in operation in the Wash, 
covering an area totaling 166.9 acres; and
    (2) Expansion or enhancement of facilities planned for the Wash 
area, totaling 634.1 acres.
    It should be noted that activities related to all utilities 
belonging to Southern California Edison within the project footprint, 
and the EBX Foothill Pipeline, also located within the project 
footprint, are excluded from the covered activities described in the 
HCP.
    All listed project activities can be subdivided into the following 
categories:
    (1) Flood Control--activities related to the operation and 
maintenance of existing flood control facilities;
    (2) Mining--activities that support continued aggregate mining 
activities in the Wash;
    (3) Trails--the development of trails and open space opportunities; 
activities that support the restoration and maintenance of habitat 
values in the Wash;
    (4) Transportation--activities related to the construction and 
maintenance of planned transportation facilities;
    (5) Water Conservation--activities related to water management for 
conservation purposes, as well as habitat restoration activities, and 
the continued operations and maintenance of certain miscellaneous 
activities present on the site such as citrus production; and
    (6) Wells--activities related to the recharge or extraction of 
potable water from groundwater basins as part of the regional water 
supply.

Covered Species

    Covered Species are those species addressed in the proposed Upper 
Santa Ana River Wash Plan for which conservation actions will be 
implemented and for which the applicants will seek incidental take 
authorizations for a period of up to 30 years. Proposed Covered Species 
are expected to include threatened and endangered species listed under 
the ESA, species listed under CESA, and unlisted species of Federal and 
State conservation concern.
    Under the ESA, there is no take of federally listed plant species, 
and authorization under an ESA section 10 permit is not required. 
Section 9 of ESA does, however, prohibit certain actions related to 
plants including the removal of federally listed plants from areas 
under Federal jurisdiction and the removal or destruction of endangered 
plants in knowing violation of State law. In addition, section 7(a)(2) 
of the ESA prohibits Federal agencies from jeopardizing the continued 
existence of any listed plant or animal species, or destroying or 
adversely modifying the critical habitat of such species. The species 
that may be affected by the proposed actions include two plants 
federally listed as endangered, Eriastrum densiflorum subsp. sanctorum 
and Dodecahema leptoceras, the federally endangered San Bernardino 
kangaroo rat and federally threatened coastal California gnatcatcher, 
and the cactus wren (not currently listed under the ESA).
    The species noted above will be evaluated for inclusion in the 
Upper Santa Ana River Wash Plan as proposed Covered Species. However, 
the list of Covered Species may change as the planning process 
progresses; species may be added or removed as more is learned about 
the nature of Covered Activities and their impact on native species 
within the Plan area.

Environmental Impact Statement

    Before deciding whether to issue the requested Federal incidental 
take permit, the land exchange and the SCRMP, the Service and BLM will 
prepare a SDEIS, and a final EIS as part of the joint EIS/EIR, in order 
to analyze the environmental impacts associated with potential adoption 
and implementation of the proposed Upper Santa Ana River Wash Plan as a 
HCP, land exchange, and SCRMP amendment. In the EIS component of the 
joint EIS/EIR, the Service and BLM intend to consider the following 
alternatives:
    (1) The proposed action, which includes the Service issuance of 
incidental take Permit consistent with the proposed Upper Santa Ana 
River Wash Plan HCP under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA to the 
applicants, and BLM's approval of a land exchange and SCRMP amendment;
    (2) No action (no Federal ESA permit issuance, no land exchange, 
and no SCRMP amendment); and
    (3) A reasonable range of alternatives that address different 
scenarios of development and species conservation on both Federal and 
non-Federal land. The SDEIS will include a detailed analysis of the 
impacts of the proposed action and alternatives. The range of 
alternatives to be considered and analyzed will represent varying 
levels of conservation and impacts, and may include variations in the 
scope of

[[Page 11466]]

Covered Activities; variations in the locations, amount, and type of 
conservation and land exchange; variations in permit duration; or a 
combination of these elements. The BLM may address other considerations 
in the SDEIS. In compliance with NEPA, the Service and BLM will be 
responsible for the scope and preparation of the EIS component of the 
joint EIS/EIR.
    The SDEIS will identify and analyze potentially significant direct, 
indirect, and cumulative impacts of the Service's authorization of 
incidental take (permit issuance) and the implementation of the 
proposed Upper Santa Ana River Wash Plan on biological resources, land 
uses, utilities, air quality, water resources (including surface and 
groundwater supply and water quality), cultural resources, 
socioeconomics and environmental justice, outdoor recreation, visual 
resources, induced growth, climate change and greenhouse gases, and 
other environmental issues that could occur with implementation of the 
proposed action and alternatives. The Service and the BLM will use all 
practicable means, consistent with NEPA and other essential 
considerations of national policy, to avoid or minimize significant 
effects of their actions upon the quality of the human environment.
    The CDFW has requested and agreed to be a State cooperating agency. 
The Service, BLM, and CDFW agree that establishing a cooperating agency 
relationship will create a more streamlined and coordinated approach in 
developing this joint EIS/EIR.

Reasonable Accommodation

    The Service and BLM are committed to providing access to these 
scoping meetings for all participants. Please direct all requests for 
sign language interpreting services, closed captioning, or other 
accommodation needs to Kennon Corey at 760-322-2070 (telephone), 
[email protected] (email), or 800-877-8339 (TTY), as soon as possible. 
To allow sufficient time to process requests, please call no later than 
1 week before the public meeting. Information regarding this proposed 
action is available in alternative formats upon request.

Public Comments

    We invite other government agencies, Native American Tribes, the 
scientific community, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and all 
other interested parties to participate in this scoping process and 
provide comments and information. Comments on issues and potential 
impacts, or suggestions for additional or different alternatives, may 
be submitted in writing at any public scoping meeting or through one of 
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    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

    We provide this notice under section 10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.) and by NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1501.7, 1506.6, and 1508.22).

    Dated: February 23, 2015.
Alexandra Pitts,
Deputy Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Sacramento, California.
    Dated: February 23, 2015.
Tom Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources, California State Office, 
Bureau of Land Management, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2015-04341 Filed 3-2-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
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