[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21329-21330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9160]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; Nevada; Environmental Impact
Statement for Geothermal Leasing on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National
Forest
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (HTNF) will prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate certain National
Forest System (NFS) lands for geothermal leasing availability. The
project area includes NFS lands on the HTNF in Douglas, Lyon, Mineral,
Lander, Nye and White Pine County, NV.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by May 16, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement is expected
in October 2011 and the final environmental impact statement is
expected in March 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Keith Whaley, Project Manager,
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Bridgeport Ranger District, HC 62 Box
1000, Bridgeport, CA 93517. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to
comments-intermtn-humboldt-toiyabe @fs.fed.us or via facsimile to (760)
932-5899. Comments can be hand-delivered to: Bridgeport Ranger Station,
Highway 395 South, Bridgeport, CA, Attn. Keith Whaley. Comments
received in response to this Notice of Intent (NOI), including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the
public record for this project and will be available for public
inspection and will be released, if requested, under the Freedom of
Information Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Whaley, Project Manager,
Bridgeport Ranger District, HC 62 Box 1000, Bridgeport, CA 93517;
Telephone: (760) 932-5821; E-mail: [email protected].
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the proposed action is to determine if certain lands
within the HTNF may be made available for geothermal leasing, and if
so, to identify reasonable and necessary conditions to protect surface
resources. The need for the proposed action is to allow the FS to
satisfy their respective statutory and policy mandates in responding to
requests for the environmentally responsible development of energy
resources; to address provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(Sections 211 and 222[d][1]); respond to other policy directives
calling for clean and renewable energy; and to meet the increasing
energy demands of the nation while reducing reliance on foreign energy
imports, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving national
security.
Proposed Action
The HTNF would make approximately 662,700 acres of NFS lands
administratively available for geothermal leasing. The lands to be made
available encompass the Nevada portion of the Bridgeport Ranger
District (approximately 659,000 acres), one area on the Austin Ranger
District (approximately 3,200 acres), one area (approximately 160
acres) on the Tonopah District and one area on the Ely Ranger District
(approximately 3,574 acres). Leasing would include stipulations from
Chapter 2 of the Geothermal Leasing Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (BLM, October 2008) and other stipulations determined to be
reasonable and necessary to protect surface resources.
The Decision resulting from this analysis would not affect any
prior decisions on: (1) Geothermal leases in effect (2) Regional
Forester Consent Decisions for specific geothermal leases or (3) lands
made available under previous Forest-Level Availability Determination
Decisions at the time said Decision is made. In addition, this analysis
does not make any leasing determination decisions on any lands being
analyzed under a separate environmental analysis at the time of this
EIS.
Possible Alternatives
The No-Action Alternative: The USFS would not make an availability
determination on these lands identified under this analysis. Processing
of geothermal lease applications and nominations would continue,
however, they would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis under separate
NEPA analyses.
The No Leasing Alternative: The No Leasing Alternative would not
allow leasing of geothermal resources on the subject NFS lands. Under
this alternative, lands within the project area analyzed would not be
available for leasing.
[[Page 21330]]
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The Bureau of Land Management Nevada State office, located at 1340
Financial Blvd, Reno, NV 89502, is a cooperating agency for this NEPA
analysis.
Responsible Official
Jeanne M. Higgins, Forest Supervisor, Humboldt-Toiyabe National
Forest, 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, Nevada 89431.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Based on the environmental analysis and disclosure in the EIS, the
Forest Supervisor will decide whether or not to make available for
geothermal leasing the lands analyzed in this EIS.
Preliminary Issues
Preliminary issues identified based on our experience with similar
projects includes, but is not limited to, cultural resources, wildlife,
vegetation, air, water, Native American concerns, visuals, land use,
hazardous materials, inventoried roadless areas, social, and economic
conditions. Other issues may be identified during the scoping period.
Scoping Process
This NOI initiates the scoping process, which guides the
development of the environmental impact statement. The scoping period
for this EIS will run 30 days from the published date of this NOI.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered, however.
Dated: 17, 2011.
Jeanne M. Higgins,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2011-9160 Filed 4-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P