72846 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Notices 

DATES: Scoping meetings will be held 

during fall 2005. Comments on issues 

and planning criteria may be submitted 

in writing to the address listed below. 

All public meetings will be announced 

at least 15 days prior to the event 

through the local news media, 

newspapers, and these two agency Web 

sites: http://www.ca.blm.gov/ 

palmsprings and http:// 

www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/ 

aspen/dpv2/ dpv2.htm. In addition to 

the ongoing public participation 

process, formal opportunities for public 

participation will be provided upon 

publication of the Draft EIS/EIR. Written 

comments must be postmarked no later 

than 30 days from the date of this notice 

in order to be included in the Draft EIS/ 

EIR. When available, the public will be 

provided a 60-day public review period 

on the Draft EIS/EIR. These documents 

will be made available at document 

repository sites listed on the previously 

identified agency Web sites. Contact the 

BLM if you would like to be included 

in the mailing list to receive copies of 

all public notices relevant to this 

project. 

ADDRESSES: Comments and other 

correspondence should be sent to Field 

Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 

690 West Garnet Ave., P.O. Box 581260, 

North Palm Springs, CA 92258–1260 or 

by fax at (760) 251–4899. Documents 

pertinent to this proposal, including 

comments with the names and 

addresses of respondents, will be 

available for public review at the BLM 

Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office 

located at 690 W. Garnet Avenue, North 

Palm Springs, California 92258, during 

regular business hours of 7:45 a.m. to 

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

except holidays, and may be published 

as part of the Draft EIS/EIR. Individual 

respondents may request 

confidentiality. If you wish to withhold 

your name or street address from public 

review or from disclosure under the 

Freedom of Information Act, you must 

state this prominently at the beginning 

of your written comment. Such requests 

will be honored to the extent allowed by 

law. BLM will not consider anonymous 

comments. All submissions from 

organizations and businesses, and from 

individuals identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

available for public inspection in their 

entirety. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information and/or to have your 

name added to our mailing list, contact 

Claude Kirby, Bureau of Land 

Management, Palm Springs-South Coast 

Field Office, 690 West Garnet Ave, P.O. 

Box 581260, North Palm Springs, 

California 92258–1260, (760) 251–4850. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Southern 

California Edison (SCE) is proposing to 

construct a new 230-mile long, 500- 

kilovolt (kV) electrical transmission line 

between SCE’s Devers Substation 

located near Palm Springs, California, 

and the Harquahala Generating Station 

switchyard, located near the Palo Verde 

Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS) 

west of Phoenix, Arizona. For the most 

part, this portion of the project would 

parallel SCE’s existing Devers-Palo 

Verde No. 1 500kV transmission line. In 

addition, SCE is proposing to upgrade 

48.2 miles of existing 230 kV 

transmission lines between the Devers 

Substation west to the San Bernardino 

and Vista Substations, located in the 

San Bernardino, California, vicinity. 

Together, the proposed 500 kV line and 

the 230 kV transmission facility 

upgrades are known as DPV2. 

Construction of DPV2 would add 1,200 

megawatts (MW) of transmission import 

capacity from the southwestern United 

States to California, which would 

reduce energy costs throughout 

California and enhance the reliability of 

California’s energy supply through 

increased transmission infrastructure. 

The BLM has identified a preliminary 

list of issues that will need to be 

addressed in this analysis, including the 

impacts of the proposed project on 

visual resources, agricultural lands, air 

quality, plant and animal species 

including special status species, cultural 

resources, and watersheds. Other issues 

identified by the BLM are impacts to the 

public in the form of noise, traffic, 

accidental release of hazardous 

materials, and impacts to urban, 

residential, and recreational areas. 

Members of the public are invited to 

identify additional issues and concerns 

to be addressed. 

Gail Acheson, 

Field Manager. 

[FR Doc. E5–6975 Filed 12–6–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[CO501–1431–EQ; COC–68431] 

Notice of Realty Action: NonCompetitive Lease of Public Land in 

Fremond County, CO 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of realty action. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) has determined that 

approximately 0.055 acres of public 

land in Fremont County, Colorado, is 

suitable for lease pursuant to Section 

302 of the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

1732). 

DATES: Interested parties may submit 

comments for a period of January 23, 

2006. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to 

the Field Manager, Royal George Field 

Office, Bureau of Land Management, 

3170 East Main Street, Can ̃ on City, 

Colorado 81212. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lindell Greer, Realty Specialist, BLM 

Royal Gorge Field Office, (719) 269–

8532. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The BLM has examined a parcel of 

public land, containing approximately 

0.055 acres and described as a metes 

and bounds parcel in the SW1⁄4SW1⁄4 of 

section 33, T. 50 N., R. 11 E., New 

Mexico Principal Meridian, Fremont 

County, Colorado, and determined that 

it is suitable for lease pursuant to 

Section 302 of the Federal Land Policy 

and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

1732), using noncompetitive lease 

procedures as provided in 43 CFR 

2920.5–4(b). The lands are presently 

used for seasonal occupancy purposes. 

The BLM proposes to grant the 

current occupant Charles E. Afeman, a 

non-assignable life-estate lease to 

authorize the existing seasonal 

occupancy and use. The lease, if issued, 

would be for not less than fair market 

value and be to all valid existing rights 

and the provisions of the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act and 

applicabl regulations of the Secretary of 

the Interior. Upon relinquishment or 

cancellation of the lease, or death of the 

lessee, the lease would terminate, the 

existing improvements would be 

removed, and the land would be 

restored to its natural condition. Issuing 

a non-assignable, life-estate lease for 

this public land parcel is consistent 

with the Royal Gorge Resource 

Management Plan (May 1996). 

Publication of this notice will initiate 

public review, consultation, and 

collaboration for this proposed land use 

authorization. Detailed information 

concerning the proposed action is 

available for review at the Royal Gorge 

Field Office, Bureau of Land 

Management, 3170 East Main Street, 

Can ̃ on City, Colorado 81212, or by 

telephoning Lindell Greer, Realty 

Specialist, at (719) 269–8532. 

Interested parties may submit 

comment to the Field Manager, Royal 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Notices 72847 

Gorge Field Office, at the above address 

until January 23, 2006. Any adverse 

comments will be evaluated by the 

Royal Gorge Field Manager, who may 

sustain, vacate, or modify this realty 

action. In the absence of any adverse 

comments, this action will become the 

final determination of the Department of 

the Interior. 

Roy L. Masinton, 

Royal Gorge Field Manager. 

[FR Doc. 05–23731 Filed 12–6–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[CA–330–04–1610–DN] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare Arcata 

Resource Management Plan 

Amendment for Recently Acquired 

Humboldt County Coastal Lands 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: This document provides 

notice that the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) Arcata Field Office 

intends to prepare a Resource 

Management Plan (RMP) Amendment 

with an associated Environmental 

Assessment (EA) for recently acquired 

BLM coastal lands in Humboldt County 

in Northwest California. The lands 

addressed by this amendment have been 

acquired through a combination of fee 

title and conservation easements, using 

private donations and state and Federal 

funds. 

Approximately 1100 acres have been 

acquired by the BLM along the 

Humboldt County coast since 

completion of the Arcata RMP in 1992. 

These lands are located in T.6N., R.1W., 

Secs. 26, 27, 34 and 35; T.4N., R.2W., 

Secs. 13, 14, 23, 24, 26 and 27; and 

T.2N., R.3W., Secs. 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 

26, Humboldt Meridian. The plan 

amendment will fulfill the obligations 

set forth by the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) 

and BLM management policies. The 

plan amendment will serve to update 

the Arcata RMP and associated 

amendments for the affected lands. The 

BLM will work collaboratively with 

interested parties to identify the 

management decisions that are best 

suited to local, regional, and national 

needs and concerns. The public scoping 

process will identify planning issues, 

develop planning criteria, and outline a 

vision for area management that reflects 

the needs and interests of the public and 

protection of the areas’ resource values. 

DATES: The publication of this notice 

initiates the public scoping process. 

Public comments concerning the scope 

of the draft RMP amendment should be 

submitted within 30 days of the date of 

publication of this notice in the Federal 

Register. Comments are requested on 

potential issues, alternatives, as well as 

any suggested planning criteria that 

BLM should use to guide the plan 

amendment process. 

Public Participation: Public input will 

be accepted throughout the preparation 

period. Public open houses will be held 

in the Eureka, CA area during the 

scoping period and again with the 

release of the draft RMP amendment. 

Information concerning the planning 

process, including open houses and 

other public participation opportunities, 

will be announced by BLM through 

news releases, direct mailings or other 

applicable means of public notification. 

Current information about the planning 

process is also maintained at the Arcata 

Field Office, 1695 Heindon Rd., Arcata, 

CA 95521, telephone (707) 825–2300. 

ADDRESSES: Scoping comments should 

be sent to Arcata RMP Amendment, 

Bureau of Land Management, Arcata 

Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road, 

Arcata, California 95521; Fax (707) 825–

2301, or e-mail at 

caweb330@ca.blm.gov. The BLM will 

maintain a record of public documents 

related to the development of the RMP 

amendment at the Arcata Field Office at 

the address listed above. Comments, 

including names and street addresses of 

respondents, will be available for public 

review at the Arcata Field Office during 

regular business hours, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 

p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 

Federal holidays, and may be published 

as part of the environmental assessment. 

Individual respondents may request 

confidentiality. Individuals who wish to 

withhold their name or street address 

from public review or from disclosure 

under the Freedom of Information Act 

must state this prominently at the 

beginning of their written comment. 

Such requests will be honored to the 

extent allowed by law. All submissions 

from organizations and businesses, and 

from individuals identifying themselves 

as representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

available for public inspection in their 

entirety. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For further 

information or to have your name added 

to the mailing list, contact Bob Wick, 

telephone (707) 825–2321 or e-mail to 

rwick@ca.blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A plan 

amendment is needed because the 

existing 1992 Arcata RMP does not 

provide specific management direction 

for the coastal properties identified in 

this notice (since they were not 

managed by the BLM at the time of the 

RMP approval). The lands contain a 

number of resource issues/opportunities 

that call for a plan amendment to 

facilitate management. Portions of the 

acquired lands contain populations of 

Federally listed threatened and 

endangered species including two 

plants; beach layia (Layia carnosa) and 

Humboldt Bay wallflower (Erysimum 

menziesii ssp. eurekense); one 

endangered bird, the California brown 

pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis 

californicus); and one threatened bird, 

the western snowy plover (Charadrius 

alexandrinus nivosus). The plan 

amendment will include measures to 

protect habitat for these species. 

The South Spit makes up the majority 

of the acquired lands and is the primary 

reason behind the timeframe for the 

RMP amendment. Through a Deed of 

Conservation Easement, the State of 

California conveyed to the Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) management 

authority over the South Spit in all 

aspects of its use in perpetuity. The 

deed conveying an easement to the BLM 

from the State of California stated that 

the area will be administered consistent 

with management planning. This longterm management plan will involve a 

community-based partnership approach 

with all interested parties and the 

general public. This includes the Table 

Bluff Reservation—Wiyot Tribe, 

government agencies, environmental 

and conservation organizations, and 

recreation groups. The BLM completed 

an interim plan/biological assessment in 

2003 with an understanding that a longterm plan would be completed within 

three years (2006). The current process 

will serve to develop this long-term plan 

and will include both RMP and 

implementation level decisions. 

The South Spit is a unique and 

significant area to the region. Due to the 

area’s natural diversity, cultural 

resource values, and populations of 

sensitive species, protection of these 

resources is necessary and will require 

active management. The South Spit has 

historically provided a variety of 

recreation activities and other public 

uses. The BLM will work collaboratively 

with other agencies, tribes and 

interested parties to identify the 

management decisions that are best 

suited to local, regional, and national 

needs and concerns. Preliminary issues 

and management concerns have been 

identified by BLM personnel, other