[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75587-75589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-29654]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

[LLOR930000.L51010000.ER0000. LVRWH09H0320.14XL5017AP; HAG14-0178]


Notice of Availability of the Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific 
Connector Gas Pipeline Projects Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
and the Draft Associated Land Management Plan Amendments

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended; the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended; and the National Forest Management Act of 1976, as 
amended (NFMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest 
Service (USFS) have participated as Cooperating Agencies with the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the preparation of the 
Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific Connector Pipeline (PCGP) Projects Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Draft EIS addresses the 
impacts of these projects, the associated draft Land Management Plan 
(LMP) amendments of the BLM and the USFS, and the application to the 
BLM for a Right-of-Way Grant sought by Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline 
LP for the PCGP project. With this agency-specific Notice of 
Availability, the BLM and the USFS are announcing the opening of the 
FERC comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the FERC must 
receive written comments on the draft Jordan Cove Energy and PCGP 
Projects Draft EIS within 90 days following the date the Environmental 
Protection Agency published its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the 
Federal Register, which occurred on November 17, 2014. The FERC will 
announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement 
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media 
releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Jordan Cove Energy 
and PCGP Projects Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
    Web site: www.ferc.gov under the Documents and Filings link. The 
eComment tool is limited to text-only comments on the project. The 
eFiling tool allows users to submit files in a variety of formats. 
First-time users of eFiling must first create an account using 
eRegister.
    Mail: Kimberley D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426
    Your comments must reference the FERC Docket number(s) (Jordan Cove 
Energy Project, L.P., Docket No. CP13-483-000 and/or Pacific Connector 
Gas Pipeline Project, L.P., Docket No. CP13-492-000) to be correctly 
attributed to this specific project.
    Copies of the Jordan Cove Energy and PCGP Projects Draft EIS are 
available for inspection in the BLM district offices and the offices of 
the Forest Supervisors listed under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information about the 
projects is available from the FERC's Office of External Affairs at 
866-208-FERC (3372), or on the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov). On the 
FERC Web site, go to Documents and Filings and click on the eLibrary 
link. Then click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number, 
excluding the last three digits in the field (i.e., CP13-492). For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e6a0839485a9888a8f8883b5939696899492a680839485c8818990"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5c1a392e3f1332303532390f292c2c332e281c3a392e3f723b332a">[email protected]</span></a>, or toll free at 866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact 202-502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the 
texts of formal documents issues by the FERC such as orders, notices, 
and rulemakings.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This NOA is specific to the BLM and the USFS 
and provides notice that these agencies have participated as 
cooperating agencies with FERC in the preparation of the Jordan Cove 
Energy and PCGP Projects

[[Page 75588]]

Draft EIS. The comprehensive Draft EIS includes consideration of the 
proposed actions of the FERC and the cooperating agencies, including a 
BLM right-of-way grant and the associated BLM and USFS LMP amendments. 
Following issuance of a FERC-prepared Final EIS, the Bureau of 
Reclamation and the USFS will determine whether to provide letters of 
concurrence to the BLM with regard to the issuance of a right-of-way-
grant. Through this concurrence process, the Bureau of Reclamation and 
USFS will submit to the BLM any specific stipulations applicable to 
lands, facilities, water bodies, and easements for inclusion in the 
right-of-way grant.
    In order for these potential actions to be consistent with the 
respective BLM Resource Management Plans (RMP) and USFS Land and 
Resource Management Plans (LRMP), collectively referred to asLMP, a 
number of amendments to these LMPs would be required prior to 
authorization of a Right-of-Way Grant for the PCGP Project. The 
proposed action described in the FERC Draft EIS includes a number of 
amendments to the BLM and USFS LMPs for the BLM's Coos Bay, Roseburg, 
and Medford Districts and the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the 
Lakeview District and the Umpqua, Rogue River, and Winema National 
Forests. In addition, the proposed action in the Draft EIS includes the 
Right-of-Way Grant across Federal lands managed by the BLM, USFS, and 
Bureau of Reclamation.
    The FERC is the NEPA Lead Federal Agency for the environmental 
analysis of the construction and operation of the proposed Jordan Cove 
Energy and PCGP Projects. The BLM, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the 
USFS are cooperating agencies with the FERC for the preparation of the 
FERC Draft EIS.
    The BLM's identified Purpose and Need for the proposed action is to 
respond to a right-of-way grant application submitted by the applicant 
to the BLM on February 25, 2013, to construct, operate, maintain, and 
eventually decommission a 234-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter, high-
pressure natural gas pipeline between the proposed Jordan Cove 
Liquefied Natural Gas terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon, and the Malin Hub, 
where several interstate natural gas pipelines converge near Malin, 
Oregon. The Secretary of the Interior has delegated authority to the 
BLM to grant a right-of-way in response to the PCGP application for 
natural gas transmission on Federal lands under the Mineral Leasing Act 
of 1920. Before issuing the right-of-way grant, the BLM will acquire 
the written concurrence of the surface managing Federal agencies. In 
addition, there is a need for the BLM and the USFS to amend affected 
LMPs. Although the Bureau of Reclamation has facilities that would be 
affected by the PCGP, it has not identified any agency-specific actions 
for analysis in the Draft EIS.
    In accordance with 36 CFR 219.17(b)(2), the Deciding Official for 
the USFS has elected to use the 1982 planning rule procedures to amend 
U.S. Forest Service LRMPs as provided in the transition procedures of 
the 2000 planning rule. The 1982 planning rule procedures require the 
USFS to determine the significance of the draft amendments or 
alternatives in accordance with national forest planning regulation 36 
CFR 219.10(f) (1982 procedures). The USFS will use criteria in Forest 
Service Manual 1926.5 to make this determination of the significance of 
draft LRMP amendments.
    The following amendments have been drafted by the BLM and the USFS 
as part of the proposed action in FERC's Draft EIS:

Amendment of the BLM's Coos Bay District, Roseburg District, Medford 
District, and Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District RMPs 
and the Umpqua National Forest, Rogue River National Forest, and Winema 
National Forest LMPs

    BLM/USFS-1--Applicable BLM RMPs and USFS LMPs would be amended to 
exempt ``certain known sites'' within the area of the proposed PCGP 
Project from the Management Recommendations required by the 2001 
``Record of Decision and Standards and Guidelines for Amendments to the 
Survey and Manage, Protection Buffer, and other Mitigation Measures 
Standards and Guidelines,'' as modified by court order.

Amendment of the BLM Coos Bay District and Roseburg District RMPs

    BLM-1--The Coos Bay District and Roseburg District RMPs would be 
amended to waive the requirements to protect occupied, suitable, and 
potential habitat for the marbled murrelet, as mapped by the BLM within 
the proposed PCGP Project area.

Amendments of BLM Roseburg District RMP

    BLM-2--The Roseburg District RMP would be amended to exempt the 
PCGP Project from the requirement to retain habitat in ``Known Owl 
Activity Centers'' at three locations.
    BLM-3--The Roseburg District RMP would be amended to change the 
designation of approximately 409 acres from the Matrix land allocation 
to the Late Successional Reserve (LSR) land allocation in Sections 32 
and 34, T. 29 1/2 S., R. 7 W., and Section 1, T. 30 S., R. 7 W., W.M., 
Oregon.

Amendment of BLM Coos Bay District RMP

    BLM-4--The Coos Bay District RMP would be amended to change the 
designation of approximately 387 acres from the Matrix land allocation 
to the LSR land allocation in Sections 19 and 29, T. 28 S., R. 10 W., 
W.M., Oregon.

Amendments of the Rogue River National Forest LMP

    RRNF-2--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to 
change the Visual Quality Objective (VQO) in the area where the PCGP 
Project corridor would cross the Big Elk Road at pipeline milepost 
161.4 in Section 16, T. 37 S., R. 4 E., W.M., Oregon, from ``foreground 
retention'' to ``foreground partial retention'' and allow more time for 
amended visual quality objectives to be attained.
    RRNF-3--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to 
change the VQO in the vicinity where the PCGP Project corridor would 
cross the Pacific Crest Trail at pipeline milepost 167.84 in Section 
32, T. 37 S., R. 5 E., W.M., Oregon, from ``foreground partial 
retention'' to ``modification'' and allow more time for amended VQOs to 
be attained.
    RRNF-4--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to 
allow more time to meet the VQO between the PCGP Project corridor 
mileposts 156.3 to 156.8 and 157.2 to 157.5 in Sections 11 and 12, T. 
37 S., R. 3 E., W.M., Oregon. Standards and Guidelines for 
``middleground partial retention'' require that VQOs for a given 
location be achieved within one year of completion of the project. 
Approximately 0.8 miles or 9 acres of Middleground Partial Retention 
VQO visible at distances of 0.75 to 5 miles from State Highway 140 
would be affected by this amendment.
    RRNF-5--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to 
allow the PCGP Project corridor to cross lands subject to the 
``restricted riparian management strategy'' Standards and Guidelines. 
This would potentially affect approximately 2.5 acres of the PCGP 
Project corridor associated with one perennial stream crossing of the 
South Fork of Little Butte Creek at milepost 162.45 in Section 15, T. 
37 S., R. 4 E., W.M., Oregon.
    RRNF-6--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to 
waive limitations on areas affected by detrimental soil conditions from 
displacement and compaction within

[[Page 75589]]

the proposed PCGP Project corridor in all affected management areas.
    RRNF-7--The Rogue River National Forest LMP would be amended to 
change the designation of approximately 512 acres from the Matrix land 
allocation to the LSR land allocation in Section 32, T. 36 S., R. 4 E., 
W.M., Oregon.

Amendments of the Umpqua National Forest LMP

    UNF-1--The Umpqua National Forest LMP would be amended to change 
the Standards and Guidelines for Fisheries to allow the removal of 
effective shading vegetation where perennial streams would be crossed 
by the PCGP Project corridor. This change would potentially affect an 
estimated three acres of shading vegetation at four perennial stream 
crossings in the East Fork of Cow Creek from pipeline mileposts 109 to 
110 in Sections 16 and 21, T. 32 S., R. 2 W., W.M., Oregon.
    UNF-2--The Umpqua National Forest LMP would be amended to change 
prescriptions C2-II and C2-IV and to allow the PCGP Project corridor to 
cross Riparian Areas (i.e., Riparian Reserves) and run parallel to the 
East Fork of Cow Creek for approximately 0.1 mile between milepost 
109.68 and 109.78 in Section 21, T. 32 S., R. 2 W., W.M., Oregon. This 
change would potentially affect approximately one acre of Riparian 
Reserve along the East Fork of Cow Creek.
    UNF-3--The Umpqua National Forest LMP would be amended to waive 
limitations on the area affected by detrimental soil conditions from 
displacement and compaction within the proposed PCGP Project corridor. 
Standards and Guidelines for Soils requires that not more than 20 
percent of the project area have detrimental compaction, displacement, 
or puddling after completion of a project.
    UNF-4--The Umpqua National Forest LMP would be amended to change 
the designation of approximately 588 acres from the Matrix land 
allocation to the LSR 223 land allocation in Sections 7, 18, and 19, T. 
32 S., R. 2 W., and Sections 13 and 24, T. 32 S., R. 3 W., W.M., 
Oregon.

Amendments of the Winema National Forest LMP

    WNF-1--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to change 
the Standards and Guidelines for Management Area 3 (MA-3) to allow for 
development of the 95-foot-wide PCGP Project corridor in MA-3 from the 
Forest Boundary in Section 32, T. 37 S., R. 5 E., to the Clover Creek 
Road corridor in Section 4, T. 38 S, R. 5 E., W.M., Oregon. Standards 
and Guidelines for MA-3 state that the area is currently an avoidance 
area for new utility corridors. This amendment would apply to a portion 
of the proposed PCGP Project corridor that would be approximately 1.5 
miles long and occupy approximately 17 acres.
    WNF-2--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to allow 
more time to achieve the VQO where the PCGP Project corridor would 
cross the Dead Indian Memorial Highway at approximately milepost 168.84 
in Section 33, T. 37 S., R. 5 E., W.M., Oregon.
    WNF-3--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to allow 
more time to meet the VQO for Scenic Management, Foreground Partial 
Retention, where the PCGP Project corridor would be adjacent to the 
Clover Creek Road from approximately milepost 170 to 175 in Sections 2, 
3, 4, 11 and 12, T. 38 S., R. 5 E., and Sections 7, 17 and 18, T. 38 
S., R. 6 E., W.M., Oregon. This amendment would be applicable to 
approximately 50 acres of the proposed PCGP Project corridor.
    WNF-4--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to waive 
restrictions on detrimental soil conditions from displacement and 
compaction within the proposed PCGP Project corridor in all affected 
management areas.
    WNF-5--The Winema National Forest LMP would be amended to waive 
restrictions on detrimental soil conditions from displacement and 
compaction within the proposed PCGP Project corridor within Management 
Area 8, Riparian Area (MA-8). This amendment would be applicable to 
approximately 0.5 mile or an estimated 9.6 acres of MA-8. Standards and 
Guidelines for Soil and Water, MA-8 require that not more than 10 
percent of the total riparian zone in an activity area be in a 
detrimental soil condition upon the completion of a project.
    Copies of the Jordan Cove Energy and PCGP Projects Draft EIS are 
available for inspection in the BLM's Coos Bay, Roseburg, and Medford 
District offices; the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview 
District office; and at the offices of the Forest Supervisors for the 
Rogue River, Umpqua, and Winema National Forests.
    Consistent with BLM land use planning regulations at 43 CFR 
1610.2(f)(3), the BLM is requesting comments on the draft amendments of 
BLM RMPs that are necessary to allow for the PCGP Project in the Coos 
Bay, Roseburg, and Medford Districts and Klamath Falls Resource Area of 
the Lakeview District. The BLM is also requesting public comments on 
the issuance of a right-of-way grant that would allow the PCGP to to be 
constructed on Federal lands managed by the BLM, USFS, and Reclamation. 
The USFS is requesting public comments on the draft amendments of USFS 
LMPs to allow for the PCGP Project on the Rogue River, Umpqua, and 
Winema National Forests. Reclamation is not offering plan amendments 
and is not requesting specific comments. All comments must be submitted 
to the FERC, the Lead Federal Agency. You may submit comments in 
writing at any public meeting, or you may submit comments to the FERC 
using one of the methods listed in the ``ADDRESSES'' section above. As 
noted above, the comment period on the Draft EIS has already commenced 
following publication of the NOA by EPA.
    Refer to Dockets CP13-483-000 [Jordan Cove Energy Project] and/or 
CP13-492-000 [Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline Project] in all 
correspondence to ensure that your comments are correctly filed in the 
record for the Jordan Cove Energy and PCGP Projects.
    The FERC offers a free service called e-subscription that allows 
you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific 
dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching 
proceedings by automatically providing you with notification of these 
filings, document summaries, and direct links to the documents at: 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be 
aware that the entire text of your comments--including your personal 
identifying information--would be publicly available through the FERC 
eLibrary system, if you file your comments with the Secretary of the 
Commission.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Jerome E. Perez,
State Director, Oregon/Washington.
Alice Carlton,
Forest Supervisor, Umpqua National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2014-29654 Filed 12-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P


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