Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 142 / Monday, July 27, 2009 / Notices 37053 

The Echanis Wind Energy Project is to 

be located entirely within private lands. 

A conditional use permit for the wind 

project was issued to Columbia Energy 

Partners by Harney County in April 

2007. Although wind testing and project 

feasibility studies are currently ongoing 

on private, State, and Federal lands in 

several areas throughout Harney 

County, the Echanis project is the only 

wind energy project approved for 

development, to date, by Harney County 

or any other jurisdiction. Currently 

there are no transmission facilities 

available in the Diamond/North Steens 

area to transport electrical power 

produced from the Echanis Wind 

Energy Project to the existing 

transmission grid. 

Public scoping will aid in 

determining relevant issues influencing 

the scope of the environmental analysis, 

including alternatives, and guide the 

process for developing the EIS. At 

present, the BLM has identified the 

following preliminary issues: sagegrouse, migratory birds, recreation, local 

and regional social/economic 

conditions, visual resource 

management, and special management 

areas including the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Malheur National 

Wildlife Refuge and the Steens 

Mountain Cooperative Management and 

Protection Area. 

An interdisciplinary approach will be 

used to develop the EIS in order to 

consider the variety of resource issues 

and concerns identified through the 

scoping process. Resources addressed in 

the EIS process will include (but are not 

limited to) air quality, American Indian 

traditional practices, biological soil 

crusts, cultural heritage, fire 

management, fisheries, grazing 

management, migratory birds, minerals, 

noxious weeds, recreation, soils, social/ 

economic values, special status species, 

transportation/roads, vegetation, visual 

resources, water quality, riparian zones, 

wildlife, and wilderness values. The 

BLM will analyze the proposed action 

and no action alternatives, as well as 

other reasonable alternatives to the 

proposed transmission line location, 

access routes, and construction/design 

methods. 

Authorization of this proposal may 

require amendments to one or more 

Resource Management Plans (RMP). By 

this notice, the BLM is complying with 

requirements in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) to 

notify the public of potential RMP 

amendments, predicated on the findings 

of the EIS. If RMP amendments are 

necessary, the BLM will integrate the 

RMP process with the NEPA process for 

this project. 

Any authorization of the project on 

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge lands 

would require a formal determination 

by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

that the proposal is compatible with 

Refuge purposes. This compatibility 

determination would be incorporated 

into the NEPA process for this project. 

The BLM is the lead Federal agency 

for the NEPA analysis process and 

preparation of the EIS. U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service-Malheur National 

Wildlife Refuge and Harney County 

have agreed to be cooperating agencies 

in the EIS. Other potential cooperating 

agencies identified at this time include 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Bend 

Field Office, Burns Paiute Tribe, and 

State of Oregon Department of Fish and 

Wildlife. Other cooperating agencies 

having specific expertise or interests in 

the project could also be invited to 

participate based on the outcome of 

scoping. 

You may submit comments on issues 

in writing to the BLM at any public 

scoping meeting, or you may submit 

them to the BLM using one of the 

methods listed in the ADDRESSES section 

above. Comments, including the names 

and addresses of respondents will be 

available for public review at the BLM 

Burns District Office during regular 

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

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays, and may be published as part 

of the EIS. 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. 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. 

(Authority: 43 CFR part 2800) 

Joan Suther, 

Acting Burns District Manager. 

[FR Doc. E9–17780 Filed 7–24–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–33–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[CACA 49834; L51010000.ER0000 

LLCAD09000 LVRWB09B3160] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Joint 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

Final Environmental Impact Report for 

the Southern California Edison, 

Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission 

Project; California, Nevada 

Agency: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the 

California Environmental Quality Act of 

1970 (CEQA), the Department of the 

Interior, Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM), together with the California 

Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), 

intend to prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement/Environmental 

Impact Report (EIS/EIR) on the impacts 

of the Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission 

Project (EITP). 

DATES: This notice initiates the public 

participation and scoping processes for 

the EIS. A public scoping period of at 

least 30 days is hereby announced, and 

at least one public meeting has been 

announced through the local news 

media, newspapers, and BLM’s Web 

page (http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ 

needles.html). During the public 

scoping period, the BLM solicits public 

comment on issues, concerns, and 

opportunities that should be considered 

in the analysis of the proposed action. 

Comments on issues, potential impacts, 

or suggestions for additional alternatives 

may be submitted in writing to the 

address listed below. In order to be 

included in the Draft EIS all comments 

must be received prior to the close of 

the scoping period or 15 days after the 

last public meeting, whichever is later. 

Additional opportunities for public 

participation and formal comment will 

occur when the Draft EIS/Draft EIR is 

issued. 

ADDRESSES: Comments and other 

correspondence should be sent to the 

BLM Needles Office, attention George R. 

Meckfessel, Planning and 

Environmental Coordinator, Needles 

Field Office, 1303 South U.S. Highway 

95, Needles, California, 92363–4228, or 

by fax at (760) 326–7099 or by e-mail at 

mailto:ca690@ca.blm.gov attention 

EITP. Documents pertinent to this 

proposal, including comments of 

respondents, will be available for public 

review at the BLM Needles Field Office 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
37054 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 142 / Monday, July 27, 2009 / Notices 

during regular business hours of 7:30 

a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

excluding holidays. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information and/or to have your 

name added to our mailing list, contact 

Tom Hurshman, Project Manager, 2465 

South Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 

81401, Phone (970) 240–5345, fax (970) 

240–5368, or e-mail 

Tom_Hurshman@blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

applicant, Southern California Edison, 

has requested a right-of-way (ROW) 

authorization to construct a proposed 

electric transmission line and associated 

facilities on public lands located in San 

Bernardino County, California, and 

Clark County, Nevada. The EIS/EIR will 

analyze the site-specific impacts to the 

environment resulting from the 

proposed project. The CPUC is the lead 

State of California agency for the 

licensing of electric transmission 

facilities and, in the present case, for 

compliance with the requirements of 

CEQA. BLM will utilize and coordinate 

the NEPA commenting process to satisfy 

the public involvement process for 

Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 

470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 

800.2(d)(3). 

Southern California Edison has 

applied for a ROW authorization to 

upgrade and replace an existing 115 kV 

electric transmission line on public 

lands with a new double circuit 220 kV 

electric transmission line. The proposed 

transmission line would handle 

projected electricity produced from 

several renewable energy project 

proposals in and around the Ivanpah 

Valley, including the Ivanpah Solar 

Energy Generation System planned by 

Solar Partners, LLC. The proposed 

electric transmission line and a new 

substation would be constructed within 

an existing designated utility corridor. 

The public lands are managed by BLM 

in accordance with the California Desert 

Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and the 

Las Vegas Field Office Resource 

Management Plan (RMP). The segment 

of electric transmission line to be 

replaced is approximately 36 miles long 

and originates at the existing Eldorado 

Substation in T. 25 S., R. 62 E., Sec. 1, 

Mount Diablo PM, and terminates at the 

proposed Ivanpah Substation in T. 16 

N., R. 14 E., Sec. 4, San Bernardino PM. 

In addition to the electric 

transmission line, the applicant requires 

telecommunications facilities to operate 

the substation. Primary 

telecommunications would be provided 

with an optical overhead ground wire 

constructed on the proposed electric 

transmission line, and redundant 

telecommunications would be 

established by construction of an 

independent fiber optics cable that will 

be located on other existing electric 

transmission towers owned by the 

applicant. 

BLM will consider approval of the 

proposed Project in a manner that 

avoids or reduces impacts to public 

lands. This action is consistent with 

Federal law and BLM’s policy allowing 

the use of public lands for the 

generation and transmission of electrical 

energy from renewable energy projects 

pursuant to Title V of the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) 

and Section 211 of the Energy Policy 

Act of 2005 (119 Stat. 594, 660). BLM 

has an established process to respond to 

applications for ROW’s for major 

utilities while protecting the 

environment. The CDCA Plan, the Las 

Vegas Field Office RMP, and the 

FLPMA recognize that public lands will 

be managed for multiple uses and 

emphasize the use of ROW corridors. 

The EIS/EIR will describe and analyze 

the project as proposed and will 

include: (1) Measures to avoid, 

minimize, or mitigate impacts on the 

environment; (2) alternative routes and 

locations for facilities; and (3) the ‘‘No 

Action’’ alternative (no upgrades to the 

existing electric transmission line). 

Through public scoping, BLM expects to 

identify various issues, potential 

impacts, and mitigation measures. As 

proposed, the electric transmission line 

has been sited to take advantage of 

existing designated ROW corridors, 

which are areas identified by BLM land 

use plans as suitable for ROW 

development. 

BLM has identified a potential list of 

issues that will need to be addressed in 

this analysis including but not limited 

to: Social and economic impacts, 

including impacts to the public from 

traffic; ground and surface water 

quantity and quality impacts; plant and 

animal species including special status 

species; cultural resources; and visual 

resource impacts. If approved, the 

electric transmission line project on 

public lands would be authorized in 

accordance with the FLPMA and federal 

regulations at Title 43 Code of Federal 

Regulations Part 2800. 

You may submit comments in writing 

at the public scoping meeting, by mail, 

or via e-mail (see ADDRESSES section 

above). Before including your address, 

phone 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. 

Tom Zale, 

Deputy State Director, Natural Resources 

(acting), California State Office. 

[FR Doc. E9–17784 Filed 7–24–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

[LLCAD00000 L19900000.AL 0000] 

Meeting of the California Desert 

District Advisory Council 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, in 

accordance with Public Laws 92–463 

and 94–579, that the California Desert 

District Advisory Council to the Bureau 

of Land Management, U.S. Department 

of the Interior, will meet in formal 

session on Friday, August 28, 2009, 

from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on 

Saturday, August 29, from 8 a.m. to 4 

p.m. at the Riverside Marriott, 3400 

Market St., Riverside, CA 92501. 

Agenda topics will include updates 

by Council members and reports from 

the BLM District Manager and five field 

office managers. Additional agenda 

topics may include updates on 

legislation, renewable energy, the wild 

horse and burro program, DesertXpress, 

and grazing. Final agenda items will be 

posted on the BLM California State Web 

site at http://www.blm.gov/ca/news/ 

rac.html. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All 

California Desert District Advisory 

Council meetings are open to the public. 

Public comment for items not on the 

agenda will be scheduled at the 

beginning of the meeting Friday 

afternoon, as well as Saturday morning. 

Time for public comment may be made 

available by the Council Chairman 

during the presentation of various 

agenda items, and is scheduled at the 

end of the meeting for topics not on the 

agenda. 

While the meetings are tentatively 

scheduled to conclude at 4:30 p.m. on 

Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday, they 

could conclude earlier should the 

Council conclude its presentations and 

discussions. Therefore, members of the 

public interested in a particular agenda 

item or discussion should schedule 

their arrival accordingly. 

Written comments may be filed in 

advance of the meeting for the 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES