NOI to Prepare EIS for Wind Energy Project 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA 680-07-5101-ER B241] [CACA 48254]

Granite Mountain LLC Wind Farm, California Desert District, Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report and To Amend the California Desert Conservation Area Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Barstow Field Office, Barstow, California, in coordination with the County of San Bernardino (County), California will prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the development and operation of a wind energy farm on public and private lands in the Granite Mountains, north of Apple Valley, California to meet the requirements of both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and NEPA. The project and associated ancillary facilities will require both BLM and County authorizations.

Pursuant to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan, new power generation projects must be evaluated through the planning process. By this notice the BLM is announcing a 30-day period for public scoping of alternatives, issues, the scope of the direct, indirect, and cumulative analysis for this proposal and associated planning criteria. In addition, BLM is requesting the views of other agencies as to the scope and content of the environmental information that is germane to the statutory responsibilities or areas of expertise for your agencies in connection with the proposed project and the analysis of its impacts.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. Requests for participation in the development of this EIS/EIR as a cooperating or participating agency, and comments on issues or alternatives related to this proposal must be received within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register, and may be submitted in writing to the address listed below. Additionally, at least two scoping meetings will be held to encourage public input. The public meetings will be announced through the local news media, newspapers, and the BLM Web site (http://www.ca.blm.gov/barstow) at least 15 days prior to the event. Additional opportunities for public participation will be provided upon publication of the draft EIS/EIR.

ADDRESSES: Requests for participation in the EIS development by agencies, requests to be added to the mailing list, and comments on the scope and content of the EIS should be sent to Edy Seehafer, Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311, or by fax at 760-252-6099, or e-mail at eseehafe@blm.gov.

A follow-up hard copy is requested when comments are sent by fax or e-mail, to assure readability. Documents pertinent to this proposal, including comments with the names and addresses of respondents, will be available for public review Monday through Friday, except holidays, at the BLM Barstow Field Office located at 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, California, during regular business hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and at the County of San Bernardino, either at 385 N. Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino or at 15456 West Sage Street, Victorville, CA 92392, during regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and may be published as part of the EIS/EIR.

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Technical Information: Joan Patrovsky, 760-252-6032, or jpatrovs@blm.gov.

EIS/EIR Process: Edy Seehafer, 760-252-6032, or eseehafe@blm.gov.

Click here to read the complete Federal Register Notice

MUIRNet

6 December 2007