33728 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 120 / Friday, June 25, 2021 / Notices 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Completed and Active Reviews 

A list of all completed and currently 

active 5-year status reviews addressing 

species for which our Regional Office 

has lead responsibility is available at 

http://www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/ 

endangered/recovery/5year.html. 

Authority 

This document is published under the 

authority of the Endangered Species Act 

of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

seq.). 

Hugh R. Morrison, 

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13534 Filed 6–24–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

[212A2100DD/AAKC001030/ 

A0A501010.999900253G] 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Yahthumb Solar Project on the 

Moapa River Indian Reservation, Clark 

County, Nevada 

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs 

(BIA), as lead agency in cooperation 

with the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians 

(Moapa Band), Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM), and other agencies, 

intend to prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) that will 

evaluate the development of the 

Yahthumb Solar Project (Project) on the 

Moapa River Indian Reservation 

(Reservation). This notice announces 

the beginning of the scoping process to 

solicit public comments and identify 

potential issues related to the EIS. The 

BIA requests comments concerning the 

scope of the analysis, and identification 

of relevant information, studies, and 

analyses. It also announces that two 

public scoping meetings will be held 

virtually to identify potential issues, 

alternatives, and mitigation to be 

considered in the EIS. 

DATES: All comments must be received 

July 26, 2021. The draft EIS is scheduled 

for December 2021 and the final EIS is 

scheduled for May 2022 with a Record 

of Decision in June 2022. The dates of 

the public scoping meetings will be 

included in notices to be posted in the 

Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas ReviewJournal, and Moapa Valley Progress 15 

days before the meetings. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Mr. Chip Lewis, BIA Western Regional 

Office, 2600 North Central Avenue, 4th 

Floor Mailroom, Phoenix, Arizona 

85004. Comments may also be sent via 

email to Chip.Lewis@bia.gov or on the 

Projects website at 

www.YahthumbSolarProjectEIS.com. 

Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice for 

directions on submitting comments. The 

public meetings can be joined online 

through the Projects website at 

www.YahthumbSolarProjectEIS.com. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chip Lewis, BIA; telephone: (602) 379– 

6750; email: Chip.Lewis@bia.gov. 

Individuals who use telecommunication 

devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8 

a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday 

through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Proposed Federal Action 

A. Purpose and Need for the Proposed 

Action 

The proposed Federal action, taken 

under 25 U.S.C. 415, is BIA’s approval 

of the solar energy ground lease and 

related agreements entered into by the 

Moapa Band with Yahthumb Solar 

Project, LLC (Applicant). The 

agreements provide for construction, 

operation and maintenance (O&M), and 

decommissioning of a 138-megawatt 

(MW) alternating current (MWac) solar 

photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation 

facility located entirely on the 

Reservation and specifically on lands 

held in trust by the United States for the 

Moapa Band. 

In addition, a transmission generation 

interconnection (gen-tie) line would be 

constructed to interconnect the Project 

to the regional electrical grid. Portions 

of this line would cross lands managed 

by BLM within a designated utility 

corridor on the Reservation and BLM 

land. The BIA and BLM would approve 

rights-of-way (ROWs) authorizing the 

construction and operation of the 

transmission line. 

The purposes of the proposed Project 

are, among other things, to: (1) Help to 

provide a long-term, diverse, and viable 

economic revenue base and job 

opportunities for the Moapa Band; (2) 

meet the terms of the existing Power 

Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the 

output of the Project; (3) help Nevada 

and neighboring States to meet their 

State renewable energy needs; and (4) 

allow the Moapa Band, in partnership 

with the Applicant, to optimize the use 

of the lease site while maximizing the 

potential economic benefit to the Tribe. 

B. Preliminary Proposed Action and 

Alternatives 

The Applicant plans to develop the 

Yahthumb Solar Project on the 

Reservation in Clark County, Nevada. 

The solar project would generate 138 

MWs of solar energy generation, using 

PV technology, and would incorporate a 

battery energy storage system (BESS). 

The proposed Yahthumb solar 

generating facility would be constructed 

on up to 1,400 acres within a lease 

study area of approximately 1,695 acres 

of Tribal trust land on the Reservation 

set aside by the Moapa Band for the 

Project. The solar field and associated 

facilities would be in parts of Sections 

29, 30, 31, and 32 in Township 15 

South, Range 65 East; Section 1 in 

Township 16 South, Range 64 East; and 

Section 6 in Township 16 South, Range 

65, East Mount Diablo Base Meridian. 

Major components of the solar site 

would include multiple blocks of solar 

PV panels mounted on single-axis 

tracking systems, associated inverter 

and transformer equipment, collection 

lines, BESS, a Project substation, and 

O&M facilities. Construction of the 

Project is expected to take 

approximately 14 months. 

A gen-tie line approximately 8.5 to 10 

miles long would interconnect the 

Project to the regional electrical grid at 

the existing Reid-Gardner Substation. 

This line would be built on the 

Reservation within a designated utility 

corridor that is managed by BLM, on 

BLM-managed Federal land, and on 

private land near the existing 

substation. 

Primary access to the Yahthumb site 

would be provided via Interstate-15 to 

the existing Ute Road on the Reservation 

that would be upgraded as needed. 

Secondary access would be provided via 

an existing road within the designated 

utility corridor that would also be 

upgraded as needed. The water supply 

for the Project would be leased from the 

Moapa Band, drawn from the Band’s 

existing water rights, and delivered to 

the site via a temporary water pipeline 

or by truck. Water will be needed during 

construction for dust control and a 

minimal amount will be needed during 

operations for administrative and 

sanitary water use and panel washings. 

The Applicant is expected to operate 

the energy facility for up to 56 and a 

half years under the terms of the solar 

lease with the Moapa Band. The Project 

is being built to meet the power 

purchase agreement (PPA) for its output. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 120 / Friday, June 25, 2021 / Notices 33729 

The EIS will focus on the Proposed 

Action as described above at the 

location on the Reservation selected by 

the Moapa Band. It will evaluate the 

Proposed Action and the No Action 

Alternative. Additional viable 

alternatives may be identified in 

response to issues raised during the 

scoping process. 

C. Summary of Expected Impacts 

Potential impacts to be addressed in 

the EIS analysis may include, but would 

not be limited to, impacts on water 

resources, biological resources, 

threatened and endangered species, 

cultural resources, Native American 

religious concerns, aesthetics, and 

traffic. In addition to those resource 

topics identified above, Federal, State, 

and local agencies, along with other 

stakeholders that may be interested or 

affected by the BIA’s decision on the 

proposed Projects, are invited to 

participate in the scoping process to 

identify additional issues to be 

addressed. 

D. Anticipated Permits and 

Authorizations 

In addition to the land lease and 

ROWs to be approved by BIA and the 

ROWs to be approved by BLM, the 

Project would also require other permits 

and authorizations. These could include 

a Utility Environmental Protection Act 

(UEPA) permit from the Public Utilities 

Commission of Nevada and/or dust 

control and special use permits from 

Clark County. 

II. EIS Preparation 

A. Lead and Cooperating Agencies 

BIA will prepare the EIS in 

cooperation with the Moapa Band, BLM, 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS), and possibly the National 

Park Service (NPS), Nevada Department 

of Wildlife (NDOW), and Nevada 

Department of Transportation (NDOT). 

The resulting EIS will aim to (1) provide 

agency decision makers, the Moapa 

Band, and the general public with a 

comprehensive understanding of the 

impacts of the proposed development of 

the solar field on the Reservation; (2) 

describe the impacts of increased 

development on the Reservation; and (3) 

identify and propose mitigation 

measures that would minimize or 

prevent significant adverse impacts. 

B. Schedule for the Decision-Making 

Process 

The EIS will provide a framework for 

BIA and BLM to make determinations 

and to decide whether to take the 

aforementioned Federal actions. The 

Records of Decision (RODs) to be issued 

by the BIA and BLM are currently 

scheduled for June 2022. 

C. Nature of Decision To Be Made 

The BIA and the BLM decisions, if 

approved, would assist in addressing 

the management objectives in the 

Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Title II, 

Section 211) and Secretarial Order 

3285A1 (March 11, 2009) that 

established the development of 

environmentally responsible renewable 

energy as a priority for the Department 

of the Interior. 

Because the BIA has a jurisdictional 

trust responsibility over Indian lands 

and the BLM has land management 

responsibilities under FLPMA, the 

Project is a major Federal action and 

must comply with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Because 

most of the Projects would be located on 

tribal trust lands, the BIA is the lead 

federal agency. The BIA and BLM will 

use this EIS to make their respective 

decisions and the other cooperating 

parties will use this information to 

support their analyses and decisions, as 

needed. 

III. Public Scoping Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the EIS. 

A. Public Scoping Meetings 

Two public scoping meetings will be 

conducted virtually to further describe 

the Projects and identify potential issues 

and alternatives to be considered in the 

EIS. The public meetings can be joined 

online through the Projects website at 

www.YahthumbSolarProjectEIS.com. 

Those unable to live stream the 

presentation would be able to access the 

meeting presentation on the project 

website and could join by telephone. 

Additionally, the live presentation will 

be recorded and made accessible for 

viewing throughout the scoping period. 

During the virtual meetings, a short 

presentation will be provided and team 

members will be available to discuss 

and answer questions. The PowerPoint 

presentation will be posted to the 

Project website and printed copies will 

be made available at the BLM Las Vegas 

Field Office and the Moapa River Indian 

Reservation Tribal Hall prior to the 

meetings. The dates of the public 

scoping meetings will be included in 

notices to be posted in the Las Vegas 

Sun, Las Vegas Review-Journal, and 

Moapa Valley Progress 15 days before 

the meetings. 

B. Directions for Preparing Comments 

Please include your name, return 

address, and the caption ‘‘EIS, 

Yahthumb Solar Project,’’ on the first 

page of any written comments. It is 

important that reviewers provide their 

comments in such manner that they are 

useful to the agency’s preparation of the 

EIS. Therefore, please clearly articulate 

your concerns and contentions. 

Interested parties are invited to identify 

potential alternatives, issues to be 

analyzed, mitigation measures, and 

other information to be considered in 

the EIS. 

C. Directions for Submitting Comments 

Please submit comments by the date 

listed in the DATES section of this notice 

to the address listed in the ADDRESSES

section of this notice. You may also 

submit comments at the public scoping 

meetings. 

D. Public Comment Availability 

Written comments, including names 

and addresses of respondents, will be 

available for public review at the BIA 

Western Regional Office, at the mailing 

address shown in the ADDRESSES section 

during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except holidays. Before including your 

address, telephone 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. 

IV. Authority 

This notice is published in 

accordance with section 1503.1 of the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

regulations (40 CFR 1500 et seq.) and 

the Department of the Interior 

Regulations (43 CFR part 46) 

implementing the procedural 

requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.), and in accordance with 

the exercise of authority delegated to the 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary— 

Indian Affairs by part 209 of the 

Department Manual. 

Bryan Newland, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary—Indian 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13578 Filed 6–24–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4337–15–P 


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