Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 141 / Friday, July 24, 2009 / Notices 36737 

publishes its Notice of Availability in 

the Federal Register. The BLM will 

announce future meetings or hearings 

and any other public involvement 

activities at least 15 days in advance 

through public notices, media news 

releases, and/or mailings. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

Web Site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/ 

palmsprings. 

• E-mail: mbennett@ca.blm.gov. 

• Fax: (760) 833–7199. 

• Mail: Bureau of Land Management, 

Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 

1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, 

CA 92262. 

Copies of the Draft South Coast 

Resource Management Plan Amendment 

and Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) for the Santa Ana Wash 

Land Exchange are available for review 

at the Palm Springs-South Coast Field 

Office and via the Internet at http:// 

www.blm.gov/ca/palmsprings. 

Electronic (on CD–ROM) or paper 

copies may also be obtained by 

contacting Michael Bennett at the 

addresses and phone number below. 

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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael Bennett; Bureau of Land 

Management, Palm Springs-South Coast 

Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, 

Palm Springs, CA 92262; (760) 833– 

7139; mbennett@blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft 

EIS analyzes a proposed exchange of 

ownership of approximately 315 acres 

of BLM land with approximately 320 

acres of land owned by the San 

Bernardino Valley Water Conservation 

District (District), and the amendment of 

the South Coast Resource Management 

Plan (SCRMP) to support this exchange. 

Additional lands, including up to 85 

acres of BLM lands (Federal lands 

managed by the BLM) and up to 60 

acres of District land, will be exchanged 

if necessary to equalize values. The 

lands proposed for exchange are located 

within the Santa Ana River Wash in 

southwestern San Bernardino County, 

California. A primary purpose of the 

exchange is for the BLM to dispose of 

isolated lands which have been 

previously degraded by mining 

activities within the Santa Ana River 

Wash ACEC, and in exchange, to 

acquire District lands with high habitat 

value. Lands acquired by the BLM 

through the proposed exchange would 

be given the ACEC land use designation. 

These lands would also become part of 

the planned multi-jurisdictional, multispecies Habitat Conservation Area 

(HCA) described in the 2008 Upper 

Santa Ana River Wash Land 

Management and Habitat Conservation 

Plan (Wash Plan). Of the lands acquired 

by the District, approximately 259 acres 

would be leased for mining and 

approximately 56 acres would be set 

aside for habitat conservation. This 

action would fulfill the need for a 

comprehensive solution to competitive 

land uses within the Wash Plan Area by 

preserving unique habitats under the 

BLM ACEC while allowing mineral 

development and other uses to occur in 

predominantly disturbed areas. These 

Federal actions are analyzed in the Draft 

EIS. A Record of Decision for the 

proposed land exchange and plan 

amendment will be prepared following 

the Final EIS in accordance with the 

planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610 

and the NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. 

The Notice of Intent to publish this EIS 

was published in the Federal Register 

on April 26, 2004. Public workshops 

and scoping meetings were held in the 

cities of Highland and Redlands in May 

2004. Predominant issues identified so 

far include threatened, endangered, and 

other special status species, mineral 

resources, water resources, recreation, 

visual resources, cultural resources, 

land management, and traffic 

management. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 43 CFR 1610.2. 

John R. Kalish, 

Field Manager. 

[FR Doc. E9–17574 Filed 7–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Reclamation 

Walker River Basin Acquisition 

Program 

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability and 

Notice of Public Meetings for the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (Draft 

EIS). 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation 

(Reclamation) has made available for 

public review and comment the Draft 

EIS for the Walker River Basin 

Acquisition Program. (Acquisition 

Program). Reclamation is directed in 

Public Law 109–103 to provide $70 

million in funding to the University of 

Nevada to implement a program for 

environmental restoration in the Walker 

River Basin. The law directs that the 

funds be used by the University to 

acquire from willing sellers land, water 

appurtenant to the land, and related 

interests in the Walker River Basin, 

Nevada. Acquired water rights would be 

transferred to provide water to Walker 

Lake. The funding is also for the 

University to establish and operate an 

agricultural and natural resources 

center. 

The Draft EIS evaluates the potential 

environmental effects of the Acquisition 

Program on the affected communities, 

tribes, and environmental resources of 

the Walker River Basin in Nevada. 

DATES: Submit written comments on the 

draft environmental document on or 

before [INSERT DATE 45 DAYS AFTER 

DATE OF EPA’S PUBLICATION OF 

EISES REICEVED]. 

Public meetings will be held to 

discuss the purpose and content of the 

draft environmental document and to 

provide the public an opportunity to 

comment on the draft environmental 

document. Written comments will also 

be accepted at the public meetings. The 

meetings dates and times are: 

• Monday, August 17, 2009, 6 to 8 

p.m., Reno, NV; 

• Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 6 to 8 

p.m., Yerington, NV; 

• Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 6 to 

8 p.m., Wellington, NV; 

• Thursday, August 20, 2009, 6 to 8 

p.m., Hawthorne, NV. 

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be 

held at: 

• Rancho San Rafael County Park, 

Main Ranch House, 1595 N. Sierra 

Street, Reno, NV 89503; 

• Casino West Convention Center, 11 

North Main Street, Yerington, NV 

89447; 

• Smith Valley Community Center, 

2783 Highway 208, Wellington, NV 

89444; 

• Mineral County Public Library, 

First & ‘‘A’’ Street, Hawthorne, NV 

89415. 

Written comments on the Draft EIS 

should be addressed to Mrs. Caryn 

Huntt DeCarlo, Bureau of Reclamation, 

705 N Plaza, Room 320, Carson City, NV 

89701. 

Copies of the draft document may be 

requested from Mrs. Caryn Huntt 

DeCarlo at the above address, by calling 

775–884–8352 or at 

chunttdecarlo@mp.usbr.gov. See 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for 

locations where copies of the Draft EIS 

are available. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
36738 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 141 / Friday, July 24, 2009 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. 

Caryn Huntt DeCarlo, Bureau of 

Reclamation at the phone number or 

e-mail address above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since 

1882, diversions from the Walker River, 

primarily for irrigated agriculture, have 

resulted in a steadily declining surface 

elevation of Walker Lake with a current 

net decrease of 150 feet. The decrease 

has resulted in negative impacts to 

water quality and lake ecology and 

congressional legislation has been 

passed to address the concerns. Section 

2507 of Public Law 107–171 (Desert 

Terminal Lakes Program) appropriated 

funds to provide water to at-risk natural 

desert terminal lakes. Subsequent 

legislation in 2003 specified that the 

funding was to be used ‘‘only for the 

Pyramid, Summit, and Walker Lakes in 

the State of Nevada.’’ Additional 

legislation in 2006, Public Law 109–103, 

Title II, Section 208(a) allocated $70 

million to be provided by Reclamation 

to the University of Nevada for 

acquisition, from willing sellers, for 

land, water appurtenant to the land, and 

related interests in the Walker River 

Basin, Nevada. The goal of the 

Acquisition Program is to acquire water 

rights sufficient to increase the longterm average annual inflow to Walker 

Lake by 50,000 acre-feet. 

The Draft EIS considers the direct, 

indirect, and cumulative effects on the 

physical, natural, and human 

environment that may result from the 

Acquisition Program. The Draft EIS 

addresses potentially significant 

environmental issues. Three acquisition 

alternatives as well as the no action 

alternative are addressed. 

Copies of the Draft EIS are available 

for public review at the following 

locations: 

• Bureau of Reclamation, Denver 

Office Library, Building 67, Room 167, 

Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, 

Denver, CO 80225 

• Natural Resources Library, U.S. 

Department of the Interior, 1849 C 

Street, NW., Main Interior Building, 

Washington, DC 20240–0001; 

• Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific 

Regional Office Library, 2800 Cottage 

Way, W–1825, Sacramento, CA 95825– 

1898; 

• Bureau of Reclamation, Lahontan 

Basin Area Office, 705 N Plaza, Room 

320, NV 89701; 

• Lyon County Library—Smith 

Valley, 32 Day Lane, Smith Valley, NV 

89444–0156; 

• Lyon County Library—Yerington, 

20 Nevin Way, Yerington, NV 89447; 

• Mineral County Library— 

Hawthorne, P.O. Box 1390, Hawthorne, 

NV 89415; 

• Walker River Paiute Tribe—P.O. 

Box 220, Schurz, NV 89427; 

• Yerington Paiute Tribe—171 

Campbell Lane, Yerington, NV 89447. 

If special assistance is required at the 

public meetings, please contact Caryn 

Huntt DeCarlo at 775–884–8352 no less 

than five working days before the 

meeting to allow Reclamation to secure 

the needed services. If a request cannot 

be honored, the requestor will be 

notified. 

Before including your name, 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. 

Dated: February 27, 2009. 

Richard M. Johnson, 

Acting Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received in the Office of the Federal Register 

on July 21, 2009. 

[FR Doc. E9–17675 Filed 7–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLIDI01000–L71220000–PH0000– 

LVTF80230000; DDG–07–0010] 

Notice of Availability of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Three Rivers Stone Quarry 

Expansion 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 

U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM), Challis Field 

Office, announces the availability of the 

Three Rivers Stone Quarry Expansion 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

(FEIS). The FEIS addresses a proposal 

submitted by L&W Stone Corporation to 

amend the existing Plan of Operations 

to allow for expansion of its existing 

building stone quarry. 

DATES: The FEIS is available for 30 days 

following publication of the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

Notice of Availability (NOA) in the 

Federal Register. The Record of 

Decision (ROD) will not be approved by 

the BLM for at least 30 days following 

publication of the NOA for the FEIS by 

the Environmental Protection Agency. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS are 

available upon request from the BLM 

Idaho Falls District Office, 1405 

Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 

83401, phone 208–524–7530. You may 

request either a paper or an electronic 

(CD) copy. A copy of the FEIS is also 

available on the Internet at http:// 

www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/challis/nepa/ 

Three_Rivers.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Charles Horsburgh, Project Manager, 

BLM Idaho Falls District, 1405 

Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 

83401, phone 208–524–7530, or fax 

208–524–7505. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: L&W 

Stone Corporation mines locatable 

flagstone on public lands administered 

by the BLM’s Challis Field Office in 

Custer County, Idaho. L&W Stone 

submitted an Amended Plan of 

Operations for its quarry under the 43 

CFR 3809 Regulations in December 

2002. The BLM completed an 

Environmental Assessment (EA) 

regarding the Amended Plan of 

Operations, signed a Finding of No 

Significant Impact (FONSI) in July 2004, 

and approved the project. As a result of 

a lawsuit that was filed objecting to that 

approval, the BLM was ordered by a 

Federal judge to prepare an EIS for the 

Amended Plan of Operations. 

A Notice of Intent to Prepare the EIS 

was published in the Federal Register 

on October 21, 2005, inviting comments 

on the scope of the EIS, concerns, 

issues, and proposed alternatives. 

Public scoping meetings were held 

during the 45-day public comment 

period in Challis, Idaho, on November 

16, 2005, and in Boise, Idaho, on 

November 17, 2005. 

The Draft EIS was released for public 

review on December 14, 2007. Public 

meetings were held during the 45-day 

public comment period in Boise, Idaho, 

on January 16, 2008, and in Challis, 

Idaho, on January 17, 2008. A total of 13 

written comments were received during 

this process. All comments were 

analyzed and appropriate changes or 

clarifications were incorporated into the 

FEIS. The comments and responses are 

appended to the FEIS. 

The BLM will prepare a Record of 

Decision (ROD) for the proposed project 

no earlier than 30 days following the 

publication of the NOA by the 

Environmental Protection Agency. 

Public comments will be accepted on 

the FEIS and will be considered as part 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES