[Federal Register: September 29, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 188)]
[Notices]
[Page 55991-55992]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29se03-124]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NV-050-5853-EU]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Las Vegas Valley Disposal Area as Expanded by the Clark County
Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002, Pub. L.
107-282, November 6, 2002, as Well as Other Designated Disposal Areas
Within the Las Vegas Valley
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for land disposal and other land use authorizations in the Las
Vegas Valley.
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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the BLM intends to prepare
a comprehensive EIS with the specific purpose to authorize transfer of
title disposal actions or uses of public land in the Las Vegas Valley.
The project area consists of all lands currently identified for
disposal within the Las Vegas
[[Page 55992]]
Valley, including the Las Vegas Valley disposal area, the Valley West
Disposal area and other legislatively authorized disposal areas. This
does not preclude other authorized uses of public lands such as
application for Rights-of-Way, Leases and Recreation and Public Purpose
uses located in Clark County, Nevada, Hydrographic Basin 212. The EIS
will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth by the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act (FLPMA), and BLM management policies. Completion of this EIS effort
will ensure the intent of Congress as portrayed in the Southern Nevada
Public Lands Management Act is met by providing land for organized
local community development. The BLM will work collaboratively with all
the interested public. The public scoping process will help identify
issues and concerns based on potential build-out of the Las Vegas
Valley as well as other potential uses of lands within Hydrographic
Basin 212. This is critical as Basin 212 is currently classified as a
serious non-attainment area for Particulate Matter 10 microns or less
in size (PM10) and Carbon Monoxide (CO).
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. Comments and
concerns on issues can be submitted in writing to the address listed
below and will be accepted throughout the 30-day scoping period. All
public meetings will be announced through the local news media,
newsletters, and the BLM web site at http://www.nv.blm.gov at least 15
days prior to the meeting. The minutes and list of attendees for each
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days to any
participant who wishes to clarify the views they expressed.
Public Participation: Public meetings will be held throughout the
EIS scoping and preparation period. The BLM will announce the locations
and times for public scoping meetings at least fifteen days prior to
the actual meeting dates. At this time, the BLM anticipates meetings
will be held in late September and early October. Times and places will
be posted on our web site as well as in notices in the local
newspapers. Early participation is encouraged and will provide guidance
and suggestions for future development within the Las Vegas Valley. In
addition to the ongoing public participation process, formal
opportunities for public participation will be provided upon
publication of the BLM draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Bureau of Land
Management, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las
Vegas, Nevada 89130-2301; Fax (702) 515-5023. Documents pertinent to
this proposal may be examined at the Las Vegas Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Jeffrey Steinmetz, BLM,
Las Vegas Field Office, Telephone (702) 515-5097; email jsteinme@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Law 107-282 added approximately
22,000 acres to the existing Las Vegas Valley Disposal Area, by
amending the existing boundary defined and approved in the Southern
Nevada Public Lands Management Act, Pub. L. 105-263. Shortly after
approval of Pub. L. 107-282, the BLM experienced a rapid increase in
the requests for public land disposal. Public Law 107-282 significantly
increased the amount of land available for disposal in the Las Vegas
Valley. This created an immediate need to augment the impact analysis,
especially the cumulative impact analysis contained in the Las Vegas
Resource Management Plan, signed October 5, 1998.
The changing needs and interests of the local governments and
public relating to land for growth within the Las Vegas Valley
necessitates a comprehensive update to the analysis in the existing Las
Vegas Resource Management Plan, EIS. The major issue themes that will
be addressed in the EIS include: Impacts to air quality; impacts to
surface water hydrology and water quality; impacts to water use based
on increased population; protection of federally-listed species, state-
listed species, and BLM sensitive species; analyze development
scenarios based on local community development land use plans;
minimizing visibility impacts; balancing conflicting and compatible
land uses; protection of cultural and paleontological resources;
environmental justice, social and economic impacts, cumulative impacts
of the project for the entire 212 hydrologic basin based on build-out
(build-out will include sales, and other land use authorizations); and
assessment of land surface conditions.
After gathering public comments on what issues the EIS should
address, the suggested issues will be placed in one of three
categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the EIS;
2. Issues resolved through policy or administrative action; or
3. Issues beyond the scope of the EIS.
Rationale will be provided in the EIS for each issue placed in category
two or three. In addition to these major issues, a number of management
questions and concerns will be addressed in the EIS. The public is
encouraged to help identify these questions and concerns during the
scoping phase.
BLM is currently working with the Argonne National Laboratory to
provide all baseline data as well as a predictive model for air impacts
within the Las Vegas Valley. This analysis will be incorporated into
the Las Vegas Valley Disposal EIS as the best available data to
complete the cumulative impact analysis portion of the EIS.
An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the EIS in
order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns
identified. Disciplines involved in the EIS process will include
specialists with expertise in soils, minerals and geology; hydrology;
botany; wildlife; transportation; visual resources; air quality; lands
and realty; outdoor recreation; archaeology; paleontology; and
sociology and economics.
Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will
be available for public review at the Las Vegas Field Office during
regular business hours (7:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.), Monday through
Friday, except holidays, and may be published as part of the EIS.
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to
withhold your name or street address from public review or from
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. 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.
Dated: August 14, 2003.
Angie C. Lara,
Acting Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-24666 Filed 9-25-03; 10:46 am]