[Federal Register: July 28, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 145)]
[Notices]
[Page 43779-43781]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy08-90]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Provide Opportunity To Comment on Changes to the Eastern San
Diego County Proposed Resource Management Plan
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The BLM is soliciting comments, electronic or written, on
significant changes and clarifications (collectively ``changes'') to
the Proposed Plan as set forth in the PRMP for wind energy and VRM. The
environmental consequences of the proposed changes and clarification
have been analyzed as part of the RMP/EIS process. After considering
public comments on these changes, BLM will issue a Record of Decision
(ROD) for the Eastern San Diego County Resource Management Plan.
DATES: Written comments on the changes to the PRMP will be accepted
until August 27, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to Erin Dreyfuss,
Planning and Environmental Coordinator, BLM El Centro Field Office,
1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243. Comments may also be e-mailed
to caesdrmp@.ca.blm.gov or faxed to (760) 337-4490 Attention: Erin
Dreyfuss, Planning and Environmental Coordinator.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Dreyfuss, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, or Thomas Zale, Associate Field Manager, at
(760) 337-4400.
[[Page 43780]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
published the Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Eastern San Diego
County Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DRMP/EIS) in the Federal Register on March 2, 2007, which
initiated a 90-day comment period.
The EPA published the NOA for the Eastern San Diego County Proposed
Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement
(PRMP/FEIS) in the Federal Register on December 7, 2007, which
initiated the 30-day protest period. The PRMP/FEIS identified
Alternative E as the Proposed Plan. The BLM received nine (9) protest
letters. In response to protests and based on additional policy
discussions, the BLM will clarify and make changes to the Proposed Plan
as set forth in the PRMP.
Comments (written or electronic) submitted during the 30-day public
comment period will be available for public review at the El Centro
Field Office during regular business hours 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except holidays, and will be subject to
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
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.
The clarification and changes include: (1) Modifying renewable
energy (wind) related proposals and (2) clarifying and modifying Visual
Resource Management (VRM) proposals and classifications. This Notice
identifies the clarifications and changes and initiates a 30-day public
notice and comment period. (43 CFR 1610.2(f)(5) and 43 CFR 1610.5-
1(b)).
1. Renewable Energy (Wind)--Proposed Changes
The BLM is changing the Proposed Plan, as it was set forth in the
PRMP, to allow for additional lands in the planning area to be
available for wind energy development. This change is being made in
response to issues raised during the protest period, in addition to
internal policy discussions.
Concerns have been raised by the public that the Eastern San Diego
County PRMP is overly restrictive regarding wind energy development and
is not adequately responsive to national goals and directives,
summarized herein, regarding renewable energy development on public
lands. On May 18, 2001, the President issued Executive Order 13212,
Actions to Expedite Energy-Related Projects, establishing a policy that
federal agencies should take appropriate actions, to the extent
consistent with applicable law, to expedite projects to increase the
production, transmission, or conservation of energy. Also in 2001, the
President's National Energy Policy Development Group (NEPDG)
recommended to the President, as part of the National Energy Policy
Report, that the Departments of the Interior, Energy, Agriculture, and
Defense work together to increase renewable energy production (NEPDG
2001). The Energy Policy Act of 2005 states that ``the Secretary of the
Interior should, before the end of the 10-year period beginning on the
date of enactment of this Act, seek to have approved non-hydropower
renewable energy projects located on the public lands with a generation
capacity of at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity.'' Sec. 211
Energy Policy Act (2005), Public Law 109-58. Based on a broad scale
assessment of wind energy potential in the western United States, the
Department of Energy determined that the Eastern San Diego County
planning area has approximately 33,100 acres of land with high quality
wind resources. From that total, BLM excludes designated Wilderness
Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, and Areas of Critical Environmental
Concern from wind energy development. These exclusions are consistent
with the Record of Decision for the Final Programmatic EIS for Wind
Energy Development on BLM-Administered Lands in the Western United
States, which was published in December 2005.
BLM also has the discretion to exclude other areas from wind energy
development where significant resource impacts or conflicts cannot be
mitigated. Other areas that were excluded from wind energy development
in the original PRMP include, but are not limited to, designated
critical habitat, recreation areas and an existing utility corridor. In
applying all of these restrictions, the acres of high quality wind
resources available for renewable energy development in the planning
area would be reduced to 16,078 acres. Under the original PRMP, many of
these remaining lands were designated as VRM Management Class II where
wind energy development would likely not comply with the objectives of
that management class.
In recognition of concerns raised by the public and in an effort to
meet its goals to support renewable energy development on public lands,
the BLM is changing the PRMP regarding wind energy in the vicinity of
McCain Valley consistent with Alternative D. Specifically, the BLM
proposes to designate McCain Valley East (3,635 acres outside of ACECs
and WSAs) and McCain Valley West (8,560 acres) as VRM Management Class
IV (These areas were designated as VRM Management Class II and III,
respectively, in the original PRMP, p. 2-58 and Map 2-5). For more
information on the objectives of each VRM Management Class, see the
PRMP/FEIS p. 2-57. Please refer to the following table for a comparison
of the PRMP changes to VRM Management Classes. The BLM also proposes to
make recreation areas in McCain Valley available for renewable energy
development consistent with Alternative D. This includes Lark Canyon
Off-Highway Vehicle Area and the Lark Canyon Campground/Staging Area
(1,300 acres) and Cottonwood Campground (16 acres) (PRMP/FEIS
Alternative D, p. 2-110).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Changed
Classification of lands PRMP PRMP
acres acres
------------------------------------------------------------------------
VRM Class I....................................... 61,908 61,908
VRM Class II...................................... 31,623 28,033
VRM Class III..................................... 9,288 693
VRM Class IV...................................... 51 12,236
---------------------
Total......................................... 102,870 102,870
------------------------------------------------------------------------
High quality wind resources in McCain Valley and its proximity to
the existing utility corridor make it a logical area to focus wind
energy development in the planning area. Furthermore, wind energy
development currently exists in McCain Valley and is visible in the
area. Wind energy development and recreation can effectively coexist in
McCain Valley. This decision is consistent with the Record of Decision
for the Final Programmatic EIS for Wind Energy Development on BLM-
Administered Lands in the Western United States (December 2005).
Appropriate mitigation would be required for all future development on
or adjacent to recreation areas to minimize user conflicts and
degradation of the recreational experience.
2. Visual Resource Management--Proposed Clarification
As part of its protest analysis, the BLM found that it needed to
clarify its description of land use restrictions in VRM Management
Classes. BLM is required to manage all uses and
[[Page 43781]]
activities consistent with an area's VRM Management Class as
established in the RMP. It is not BLM policy to determine, at the RMP
level, which land uses or activities to restrict based on VRM
Management Class. Rather, BLM must consider, at the site specific
activity level, all uses proposed for an area with a given VRM
Management Class and determine if those uses would be consistent with
the objectives for that Class.
Therefore, the RMP will be clarified by removing the following
restrictions (this will not impact RMP decisions related to designated
critical habitat, Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), or Areas of
Environmental Concern (ACECs)):
VRM Management Class II areas are closed to leasable
mineral entry under the Proposed Plan (PRMP/FEIS p. 2-77). Removal of
this restriction will result in an additional 27,387 acres open to
leasable mineral entry in the planning area (34,993 acres total).
VRM Management Class II areas are exclusion areas for
renewable energy under the Proposed Plan (PRMP/FEIS p. 2-110). Removal
of this restriction will result in an additional 27,327 acres available
for renewable energy in the planning area (34,259 acres total).
VRM Management Class II areas are avoidance areas for all
land use authorizations under the Proposed Plan (other than renewable
energy which is described above) (PRMP/FEIS p. 2-110). Removal of this
restriction will allow BLM to consider issuing land use authorizations
on approximately 31,600 acres of land designated as VRM Management
Class II in the planning area, outside of designated critical habitat,
WSAs, and ACECs.
All future development in the planning area would adhere to the VRM
Management Class objectives established in the RMP (PRMP/FEIS p. 2-57).
For example, VRM Class II objectives require that the existing
character of the landscape be retained and that the level of change to
be low. In order to meet these objectives, BLM expects that the level
of development in VRM Management Class II would be very minimal. BLM
will utilize visual resource design techniques and best management
practices to mitigate the potential visual impacts. Visual contrast
ratings will be required for all major projects proposed for VRM
Management Class I, II, and III areas which have high sensitivity
levels. In areas where VRM Management Class objectives cannot be met
through design techniques and/or best management practices, BLM has the
authority to deny the project. (PRMP/FEIS p. 2-57 and 2-58).
Mike Pool,
State Director, California.
[FR Doc. E8-17208 Filed 7-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P