52966 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 167 / Monday, August 30, 2010 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Endangered 

Species Division, P.O. Box 1306, 

Albuquerque, NM 87103; (505) 248– 

6920. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

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. 

Permit TE–13850A 

Applicant: Jarrod Edens, Fort Worth, 

Texas. 

Applicant requests a new permit for 

research and recovery purposes to 

conduct presence/absence surveys for 

American burying beetle (Nicrophorus 

americanus) within Oklahoma, 

Arkansas, and Texas. 

Permit TE–037155 

Applicant: Bio-West, Inc., Round 

Rock, Texas. 

Applicant requests an amendment to 

a current permit for research and 

recovery purposes to conduct presence/ 

absence surveys for Rio Grande silvery 

minnow (Hybognathus amarus) and 

southwestern willow flycatcher 

(Empidonax traillii extimus) along the 

Rio Grande. 

Permit TE–17497A 

Applicant: Christa Weise, Tucson, 

Arizona. 

Applicant requests a new permit for 

research and recovery purposes to 

conduct presence/absence surveys for 

lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris 

yerbabuenae) within Arizona and New 

Mexico and Mexican long-nosed bat 

(Leptonycteris nivalis) within New 

Mexico and Texas. 

Permit TE–17509A 

Applicant: University of Rhode 

Island, Kingston, Rhode Island. 

Applicant requests a new permit for 

research and recovery purposes to 

obtain seeds of Welsh’s milkweed 

(Asclepias welshii) from the Arboretum 

at Flagstaff (Permit TE–226653) at the 

University’s greenhouse where 

biological control agent testing will be 

conducted inside their quarantine 

facility. 

Permit TE–236730 

Applicant: Timothy Bonner, San 

Marcos, Texas. 

Applicant requests an amendment to 

a current permit for research and 

recovery purposes to conduct presence/ 

absence surveys for fountain darter 

(Etheostoma fonticola), San Marcos 

gambusia (Gambusia georgei), Comal 

Springs riffle beetle (Heterelmis 

comalensis), Texas wild-rice (Zizania 

texana), and Texas blind salamander 

(Eurycea rathbuni) within Texas. 

Permit TE–20166A 

Applicant: Trinity Bey, Boerne, Texas. 

Applicant requests a new permit for 

research and recovery purposes to 

conduct presence/absence surveys for 

golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica 

chrysoparia) within Texas. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. 

Dated: August 18, 2010. 

Regional Director, Southwest Region, Fish 

and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–21502 Filed 8–27–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[CACA 048880, LLCAD06000, 

L51010000.FX0000, LVRWB09B2520] 

Notice of Availability of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Genesis Solar, LLC Genesis Solar 

Energy Project and Proposed 

California Desert Conservation Area 

Plan Amendment 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance 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) has 

prepared a Proposed California Desert 

Conservation Act Plan Amendment/ 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) for Genesis Solar LLC’s Genesis 

Solar Energy Project (GSEP) and by this 

notice is announcing its availability. 

DATES: The publication of the 

Environmental Protection Agency’s 

(EPA) Notice of Availability (NOA) of 

this Final EIS in the Federal Register 

initiates a 30-day public comment 

period. In addition, the BLM’s planning 

regulations state that any person who 

meets the conditions as described in the 

regulations may protest the BLM’s 

Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment. A 

person who meets the conditions and 

files a protest must file the protest 

within 30 days of the date that EPA 

publishes its NOA in the Federal 

Register. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Proposed Plan 

Amendment/Final EIS for the GSEP 

have been sent to affected Federal, state, 

and local government agencies and to 

other stakeholders. Copies of the 

Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS 

are available for public inspection at the 

Palm Springs South Coast Field Office, 

1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, 

California 92262. Interested persons 

may also review the document at the 

following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ 

ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/Solar_Projects/ 

Genesis_Ford_Dry_Lake.html. Submit 

comments on the Final EIS to the Palm 

Springs South Coast Field Office at the 

address above or e-mail them to 

CAPSSolarNextEraFPL@blm.gov. 

All protests must be in writing and 

mailed to one of the following 

addresses: 

Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), 

Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 

66538, Washington, DC 20035. 

Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), 

Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L 

Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, 

DC 20036. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Allison Shaffer, BLM Project Manager, 

telephone (760) 833–7100; address (see 

ADDRESSES, above); or e-mail 

CAPSSolarNextEraFPL@blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Genesis 

Solar, LLC has submitted an application 

to the BLM for development of the 

proposed GSEP, which would consist of 

two independent solar electric 

generating facilities with a nominal net 

electrical output of 125 megawatts (MW) 

each, resulting in a total net electrical 

output of 250 MW. The Proposed Action 

would be designed to utilize solar 

parabolic trough technology to generate 

electricity. 

Genesis Solar, LLC is seeking a rightof-way (ROW) grant for approximately 

4,640 acres of land. Construction and 

operation of the Proposed Action would 

disturb a total of about 1,800 acres 

within the site boundaries, and 

approximately 90 acres for linear 

facilities and drainage features outside 

the site boundaries. 

The proposed GSEP would be 

approximately 27 miles east of the 

unincorporated community of Desert 

Center and 25 miles west of the 

Arizona-California border city of Blythe 

in Riverside County, California. 

The Applicant proposes to construct 

the GSEP in two phases, which would 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
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