[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10184-10185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03379]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[20X.LLWO200000. L11700000.PH0000.LXSGPL000000]
Notice of Availability of the Nevada and Northeastern California
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Greater Sage-
Grouse Conservation
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared this
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and by this
notice is announcing the opening of the comment period. BLM Nevada and
BLM California are soliciting comments on the Draft Supplemental EIS.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft Supplemental EIS within 45 days following
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a Notice of
Availability of the Draft Supplemental EIS in the Federal Register. The
BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public
participation activities at least 15 days in advance through public
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Nevada and
Northeastern California Draft Supplemental EIS by any of the following
methods:
[[Page 10185]]
Website: https://goo.gl/uz89cT.
Mail: BLM Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno,
NV 89502.
Copies of the Nevada and Northeastern California Draft Supplemental
EIS are available for public inspection at the BLM Nevada State Office,
1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89502; the BLM California State Office,
2800 Cottage Way #W1623, Sacramento, CA 95825 and online at https://goo.gl/uz89cT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Sherve, Acting Nevada Sage-
Grouse Lead, telephone 775-861-6482; address 1340 Financial Blvd.,
Reno, NV 89502; email [email protected]; or Arlene Kosic, California
Sage-Grouse Lead, telephone 530-279-2726; email [email protected]. Persons
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above
individuals during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above
individuals. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Greater Sage-Grouse is a State-managed
species that is dependent on sagebrush steppe ecosystems. These
ecosystems are managed in partnership across the range of the Greater
Sage-Grouse by State wildlife agencies, Federal agencies, local
communities, private landowners, and other stakeholders. Since the
1950s these partners have collaborated to conserve Greater Sage-Grouse
and its habitats. The U.S. Department of the Interior and the BLM have
broad responsibilities to manage Federal lands and resources for the
public benefit. Nearly half of Greater Sage-Grouse habitat is managed
by the BLM. The BLM is committed to being a good neighbor and investing
in on-the-ground conservation activities through close collaboration
with State governments, local communities, private landowners, and
other stakeholders.
In 2019 the BLM Nevada and California State Directors signed the
Record of Decision and Approved the Nevada and Northeastern California
Greater Sage-Grouse Resource Plan Amendment (84 FR 10323), building
upon the BLM's commitment to conserve and restore Greater Sage-Grouse
habitat while improving collaboration and alignment with State
management strategies for Greater Sage-Grouse. The BLM sought to
improve management alignment in ways that would increase management
flexibility, maintain access to public resources, and promote
conservation outcomes.
The Draft Supplemental EIS will supplement and clarify the analysis
relied on in the 2019 BLM Nevada and Northeastern California Record of
Decision, including with respect to the BLM considering a range of
reasonable alternatives, taking a ``hard look'' at environmental
effects, and evaluating cumulative impacts. Through the Draft
Supplemental EIS, the BLM will also allow for additional public comment
on the BLM's approach to compensatory mitigation and Greater Sage-
Grouse habitat conservation.
The Nevada and Northeastern California planning area includes
approximately 70.3 million acres of BLM, National Park Service, U.S.
Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, State, local, and private
lands in 17 counties: Churchill, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander,
Lassen, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Modoc, Nye, Pershing, Plumas, Sierra,
Storey, Washoe, and White Pine. Also analyzed are the cumulative
effects across the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies'
management zones and entire Greater Sage-Grouse range. Within the
decision area, the BLM administers approximately 45.4 million acres of
public lands, providing approximately 20.5 million acres of Greater
Sage-Grouse habitat.
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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.
Jon Raby,
BLM Nevada State Director.
Karen E. Mouritsen,
BLM California State Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-03379 Filed 2-20-20; 8:45 am]
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