Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 167 / Monday, August 30, 2010 / Notices 52967 

be designed to generate a combined total 

of approximately 250 MW of electricity. 

Phase 1 would consist of the Unit 1 

(western) power block, access road, 

natural gas pipeline, and electric 

transmission line. Phase 2 would 

consist of the Unit 2 (eastern) power 

block. The project would also include 

above-ground and subsurface fiber optic 

lines. 

The overall site layout and 

generalized land uses are characterized 

as follows: 

1. 250-MW facility including solar 

generation facilities; on-site switchyard 

(substation); administration, operations, 

and maintenance facilities: 

approximately 1,800 acres. 

2. Two wastewater evaporation 

ponds: Up to 30 acres each (located 

within the 1,800-acre site). 

3. A new generation-tie line to route 

generated electrical power transmitted 

from the GSEP switchyard by way of a 

southeasterly ROW, that would connect 

to the Southern California Edison 500– 

230 kV Colorado River substation via 

the existing Blythe Energy Project 

Transmission Line between the Julian 

Hinds and Buck substations. 

4. Additional linear facilities off-site, 

including a 6.5-mile access road and 

natural gas pipeline. 

5. Surface water control facilities for 

storm water flow and discharge. 

6. Temporary construction laydown 

area(s) within the larger site footprint. 

No additional laydown areas outside the 

project footprint are contemplated. 

Access to the site would be via a new 

6.5-mile long, 24-foot wide 

(approximately 18.9 acres) paved access 

road extending north and west from the 

existing Wiley’s Well Road. Wiley’s 

Well Road is accessible by both 

eastbound and westbound traffic off 

Interstate 10 at the Wiley’s Well Road 

Interchange. The new access road would 

be constructed entirely on BLMadministered land. 

The BLM’s purpose and need for the 

NEPA analysis of the GSEP project is to 

respond to Genesis Solar, LLC’s 

application under Title V of FLPMA 

(43 U.S.C. 1761) for a ROW grant to 

construct, operate, and decommission a 

solar thermal facility on public lands in 

compliance with FLPMA, BLM ROW 

regulations, and other applicable 

Federal laws. The BLM will decide 

whether to approve, approve with 

modification, or deny a ROW grant to 

Genesis Solar, LLC for the proposed 

GSEP project. The BLM will also 

consider amending the California Desert 

Conservation Act (CDCA) Plan of 1980, 

as amended, in this analysis. The CDCA 

Plan, while recognizing the potential 

compatibility of solar generation 

facilities on public lands, requires that 

all sites associated with power 

generation or transmission not 

identified in that Plan be considered 

through the plan amendment process. If 

the BLM decides to grant a ROW, the 

BLM would also amend the CDCA Plan. 

In the Final EIS, the BLM’s Preferred 

Alternative is the direct dry cooling 

project alternative with a 250 nominal 

MW output which includes a CDCA 

Plan Amendment. In addition to the 

Preferred Alternative, the Final EIS 

analyzes the following alternatives: The 

proposed action with a 250 nominal 

MW output, wet-cooling technology and 

an amendment the CDCA Plan to make 

the area suitable for solar energy 

development; a reduced acreage 

alternative which includes a 150 

nominal MW output, wet cooling 

technology, and an amendment to the 

CDCA Plan to make the area suitable for 

solar energy development; and an 

amendment to the CDCA Plan without 

approving any project. As required 

under NEPA, the Final EIS analyzes a 

no action alternative, which would not 

approve the GSEP or amend the CDCA 

Plan. The BLM also analyzes an 

alternative that denies the GSEP, but 

amends the CDCA Plan to designate the 

project area as suitable for other 

possible solar energy power generation 

projects, and an alternative to deny the 

project and amend the CDCA Plan to 

designate the project area as unsuitable 

for solar energy power generation 

projects. The BLM will take into 

consideration the provisions of the 

Energy Policy Act of 2005 and 

Secretarial Orders 3283 Enhancing 

Renewable Energy Development on the 

Public Lands and 3285A1 Renewable 

Energy Development by the Department 

of the Interior in responding to the GSEP 

application. 

The Final EIS evaluates the potential 

impacts of the proposed GSEP on air 

quality, biological resources, cultural 

resources, water resources, geological 

resources and hazards, land use, noise, 

paleontological resources, public health, 

socioeconomics, soils, traffic and 

transportation, visual resources, 

wilderness characteristics, and other 

resources. 

A Notice of Availability of the Draft 

EIS/Staff Assessment for the proposed 

GSEP and Possible Plan Amendment to 

the CDCA Plan was published in the 

Federal Register on April 9, 2010 (75 FR 

18204). Comments on the Draft RMP 

Amendment/Draft EIS/Staff Assessment 

received from the public and internal 

BLM review were considered and 

incorporated as appropriate into the 

Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final 

EIS. Public comments resulted in the 

addition of clarifying text and the 

change in the preferred alternative from 

wet cooling to dry cooling technology, 

but did not significantly change 

proposed land use plan decisions. 

Instructions for filing a protest with 

the Director of the BLM regarding the 

Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment may 

be found in the ‘‘Dear Reader’’ Letter of 

the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/ 

Final EIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5–2. 

E-mailed and faxed protests will not be 

accepted as valid protests unless the 

protesting party also provides the 

original letter by either regular or 

overnight mail postmarked by the close 

of the protest period. Under these 

conditions, the BLM will consider the 

e-mail or faxed protest as an advance 

copy and it will receive full 

consideration. If you wish to provide 

the BLM with such advance 

notification, please direct faxed protests 

to the attention of the BLM protest 

coordinator at (202) 912–7212, and emails to Brenda_HudgensWilliams@blm.gov. All protests, 

including the follow-up letter to e-mails 

or faxes, must be in writing and mailed 

to the appropriate address, as set forth 

in the ADDRESSES section above. 

Before including your phone number, 

e-mail address, or other personal 

identifying information in your protest, 

you should be aware that your entire 

protest—including your personal 

identifying information—may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you can ask us in your protest to 

withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10 and 

43 CFR 1610.2 and 1610.5. 

Thomas Pogacnik, 

Deputy State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2010–21570 Filed 8–27–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

and South Florida and Caribbean 

Parks Exotic Plant Management Plan 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of a final 

environmental impact statement for the 

South Florida and Caribbean Parks 

Exotic Plant Management Plan. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 

U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), and the Council on 

Environmental Quality regulations (40 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
52968 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 167 / Monday, August 30, 2010 / Notices 

CFR part 1500–1508), the National Park 

Service (NPS), Department of the 

Interior, announces the availability of 

the final environmental impact 

statement (FEIS) in abbreviated form for 

the proposed South Florida and 

Caribbean Parks Exotic Plant 

Management Plan. This plan guides the 

management and control of exotic 

plants and restoration of native plant 

communities in nine national parks: Big 

Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne 

National Park, Canaveral National 

Seashore, Dry Tortugas National Park, 

Everglades National Park, Buck Island 

Reef National Monument, Christiansted 

National Historic Site, Salt River Bay 

National Historic Park and Ecological 

Preserve, and Virgin Islands National 

Park. The FEIS identifies and evaluates 

the proposed plan and two alternatives 

and their potential environmental 

consequences and identifies and 

analyzes appropriate mitigation 

strategies. 

In accordance with the Plant 

Protection Act of 2000, (7 U.S.C. 7701 

et seq.), the United States Government 

has designated certain plants as noxious 

weeds; many of these are exotic plant 

species. Approximately 1,200 exotic 

plant species in Florida and the 

Caribbean have become established in 

natural areas, and as many as 4 percent 

of those exotic plant species have 

displaced native species. Exotic plants 

compete aggressively with native plants 

and are often at an advantage because 

they have little or no predatory control. 

Among other problems, exotic plants 

displace native species, alter native 

species proportion, degrade or reduce 

available habitat for threatened and 

endangered species, consume nutrients, 

alter fire patterns, reduce recreational 

opportunities, and clog waterways. 

The purpose of the plan/FEIS is to (1) 

provide a programmatic plan to manage 

and control exotic plants in nine parks 

in south Florida and the Caribbean; (2) 

promote restoration of native species 

and habitat conditions in ecosystems 

that have been invaded by exotic plants; 

and (3) protect park resources and 

values from adverse effects resulting 

from exotic plant presence and control 

activities. 

DATES: In December 2003, the NPS met 

with various Federal, territorial, State, 

and local government agencies to share 

information among agencies and elicit 

issues, concerns, and other relevant 

information to address during the 

planning process. Agency 

representatives participated in meetings 

in the Virgin Islands, (one on St. John 

and one on St. Croix), and in a meeting 

in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Notice 

of Intent to prepare an environmental 

impact statement (EIS) for South Florida 

and Caribbean parks exotic plant 

management was published in the 

Federal Register on January 22, 2004 

(69 FR 3174). Public scoping open 

houses were held in March 2004 in Cruz 

Bay, St. John; Christiansted and 

Frederiksted, St. Croix; and Naples and 

Homestead, Florida. A project 

newsletter was also distributed and 40 

letters or e-mails were received and 

used by the interdisciplinary planning 

team to refine the issues to be addressed 

in the plan/EIS. The Environmental 

Protection Agency published its notice 

of filing of the Draft EIS in the Federal 

Register on September 22, 2006 (71 FR 

55463). The NPS notice of availability 

was published in the Federal Register 

on September 27, 2006 (71 FR 56549). 

Following a 60-day public comment 

period, NPS considered carefully the 

agency and public comments received, 

and prepared the FEIS. Not sooner than 

30 days from the date of publication of 

the Notice of Availability for the FEIS in 

the Federal Register by the 

Environmental Protection Agency the 

NPS will sign a Record of Decision on 

the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement/South Florida and Caribbean 

Parks Exotic Plant Management Plan. 

After the Record of Decision is signed, 

the NPS will publish a Notice of 

Availability of the Record of Decision 

on the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement/South Florida and Caribbean 

Parks Exotic Plant Management Plan in 

the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the 

final document will be available online 

at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER. 

To request a copy contact Sandra 

Hamilton, Environmental Quality 

Division, National Park Service, 

Academy Place, P.O. Box 25287, 

Denver, Colorado 80225, 303–969–2068. 

While supplies last, the document can 

also be picked up in person at the 

participating parks’ headquarters: Big 

Cypress National Preserve, 33100 

Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, Florida 

34141; Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW 

328 Street, Homestead, Florida 33033; 

Canaveral National Seashore, 212 S. 

Washington Avenue, Titusville, Florida 

32796; Dry Tortugas National Park 

40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, 

Florida 33034; Everglades National 

Park, 40001 State Road 9336, 

Homestead, Florida 33034; Buck Island 

Reef National Monument, Danish 

Custom House, Kings Wharf, 2100 

Church Street #100, Christiansted, St. 

Croix, Virgin Islands 00820; 

Christiansted National Historic Site; Salt 

River Bay National Historic Park and 

Ecological Preserve, and Virgin Islands 

National Park, 1300 Cruz Bay Creek, St. 

John, Virgin Islands 00830. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Three 

alternatives are identified and potential 

impacts analyzed in the plan/FEIS. 

Alternative C, New Framework for 

Exotic Plant Management: Increased 

Planning, Monitoring, and Mitigation, 

with an Emphasis on Active Restoration 

of Native Plants, is the environmentally 

preferable alternative and the NPS 

preferred alternative. Alternative C 

would augment the systematic approach 

integral to alternative B, described 

below, and would add an active 

restoration program to enhance the 

return of native species to treated areas 

in selected high-priority areas. Under 

Alternative C, a decision tool would be 

applied to determine areas that are 

appropriate for active restoration, which 

would occur in park areas that have 

been previously disturbed and in areas 

with potential threatened and 

endangered species habitat or sensitive 

vegetation communities where a more 

rapid recovery would be desirable. The 

active restoration approach for a given 

treatment area would be determined 

based on a site-specific evaluation. 

Other areas in the parks would recover 

passively. Under Alternative B, New 

Framework for Exotic Plant 

Management: Increased Planning, 

Monitoring, and Mitigation, the parks 

would apply a systematic approach that 

would prioritize exotic plants for 

treatment, monitor effects of those 

treatments on exotic plants and park 

resources, and mitigate any adverse 

effects to park resources, as determined 

through the monitoring program. 

Alternative B would employ an adaptive 

management strategy, using the results 

of monitoring to adjust treatment 

methods or mitigation methods to reach 

the desired future condition of treated 

areas in the parks. The effectiveness of 

efforts to control exotic plant invasion 

of native habitats would increase as a 

result of uniform recording and storage 

of information acquired during 

monitoring and of sharing that 

information among the nine park units. 

Under Alternative A, Continue Current 

Management, the parks would continue 

to manage exotic plants under the 

existing management framework. 

The parks would continue to treat 

infestations of exotic plants on an ad 

hoc basis using a variety of physical, 

mechanical, chemical, and biological 

methods and through currently 

available funding sources. 

Authority: The authority for publishing 

this notice is 40 CFR 1506.6. 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 167 / Monday, August 30, 2010 / Notices 52969 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sandra Hamilton, Environmental 

Quality Division, National Park Service, 

Academy Place, P.O. Box 25287, 

Denver, Colorado 80225, 303–969–2068. 

The responsible official for this final 

EIS is the Regional Director, Southeast 

Region, National Park Service, 100 

Alabama Street, SW., 1924 Building, 

Atlanta, Georgia 30303. 

Dated: August 16, 2010. 

Gordon Wissinger, 

Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region. 

[FR Doc. 2010–21550 Filed 8–27–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Final Environmental Impact Statement; 

Prisoners Harbor Wetland Restoration, 

Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands 

National Park, Santa Barbara County, 

CA; Notice of Approval of Record of 

Decision 

Summary: Pursuant to § 102(2)(C) of 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969 (Pub. L. 91–190, as amended) 

and the regulations promulgated by the 

Council on Environmental Quality (40 

CFR 1505.2), the Department of the 

Interior, National Park Service (NPS) 

has prepared and approved a Record of 

Decision for the Final Environmental 

Impact Statement for restoration of 

approximately 3 acres of coastal 

wetland on Santa Cruz Island, Channel 

Islands National Park. The requisite noaction ‘‘wait period’’ was initiated April 

16, 2010, with the Environmental 

Protection Agency’s Federal Register 

notification of the filing of the Final EIS. 

Decision: As soon as practical the NPS 

will begin to implement restoration of 

palustrine wetlands and deepwater 

habitat at Prisoners Harbor, as well as 

remove a berm constricting natural 

flows in lower Canada del Puerto Creek, 

in order to reconnect the creek to its 

floodplain. Other project elements 

include removing cattle corrals and 

relocating a scale house to its pre-1960s 

location, removing eucalyptus and 

controlling other non-native species, 

and protecting archeological resources. 

This alternative was identified and 

analyzed as the agency-preferred 

Alternative B in the Final EIS (and 

includes no substantive modifications to 

the course of action which was 

described in the Draft EIS). The full 

range of foreseeable environmental 

consequences were assessed, and 

appropriate mitigation measures 

(developed in consultation with Tribal 

representatives and other agencies) are 

included in the approved plan. Both a 

No Action alternative and one 

additional ‘‘action’’ alternative 

(Alternative C, which would have 

restored approximately a third less 

wetland habitat) were also identified 

and analyzed. As documented in the 

Draft and Final EIS, the selected 

alternative was deemed to be the 

‘‘environmentally preferred’’ course of 

action. 

Copies: Interested parties desiring to 

review the Record of Decision may 

obtain a copy by contacting the 

Superintendent, Channel Islands 

National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, 

Ventura, CA 93001 or via telephone 

request at (805) 658–5700. 

Dated: July 13, 2010. 

Patricia L. Neubacher, 

Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 

[FR Doc. 2010–21566 Filed 8–27–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–F6–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

National Park System Advisory Board; 

Meeting 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given in 

accordance with the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix, that 

the National Park System Advisory 

Board will meet September 15–16, 2010, 

in Washington, DC. The Board will have 

an orientation session on the morning of 

September 15, and in the afternoon will 

tour park sites in the National Capital 

Region. On September 16, the Board 

will convene its business meeting from 

8:30 a.m., to 4 p.m. 

DATES: September 15–16, 2010. 

Location: The Dupont Hotel, meeting 

room Glover Park A, 1500 New 

Hampshire Avenue, NW.; Washington, 

DC 20036; 202–448–3848. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information concerning the 

National Park System Advisory Board or 

to request to address the Board, contact 

Ms. Shirley Sears Smith, Office of 

Policy, National Park Service, 1201 I 

Street, NW., 12th Floor, Washington, DC 

20005; telephone 202–354–3955; e-mail 

Shirley_S_Smith@nps.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

September 15, the Board will convene 

from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., for an 

orientation session for Board members, 

followed by a tour of national park sites 

of the National Capital Region. The 

Board will convene its business meeting 

on September 16, at 8:30 a.m., and 

adjourn at 4 p.m. During the course of 

the two days, the Board expects to be 

addressed by Secretary of the Interior 

Ken Salazar and National Park Service 

Director Jonathan Jarvis, and will be 

briefed by park officials on matters 

including education, science, funding, 

and public engagement. Other officials 

of the Department of the Interior and the 

National Park Service may address the 

Board, and other miscellaneous topics 

and reports may be covered. 

The Board meeting will be open to the 

public. The order of the agenda may be 

changed, if necessary, to accommodate 

travel schedules or for other reasons. 

Space and facilities to accommodate the 

public are limited and attendees will be 

accommodated on a first-come basis. 

Anyone may file with the Board a 

written statement concerning matters to 

be discussed. The Board also will 

permit attendees to address the Board, 

but may restrict the length of the 

presentations, as necessary to allow the 

Board to complete its agenda within the 

allotted time. Before including your 

address, telephone number, e-mail 

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. 

Draft minutes of the meeting will be 

available for public inspection about 12 

weeks after the meeting, at 1201 I Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20005. 

Dated: August 25, 2010. 

Bernard Fagan, 

Chief, Office of Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2010–21552 Filed 8–27–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Rim of the Valley Corridor Special 

Resource Study, Los Angeles and 

Ventura Counties, CA; Notice of 

Scoping 

Summary: Notice is hereby given in 

accordance with provisions of the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (Pub. L. 91–190) and the Council 

on Environmental Quality’s 

implementing regulations (40 CFR 

1502.9(c)) that public scoping has been 

initiated for a conservation planning 

and environmental impact analysis 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES