Director’s Protest Resolution Report Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment & Final Environmental Impact Statement (DRECP PLUPA/FEIS) September 14, 2016 1 Contents Reader’s Guide................................................................................................................................ 3 List of Commonly Used Acronyms ................................................................................................ 4 Protesting Party Index ..................................................................................................................... 5 Issue Topics and Responses ............................................................................................................ 8 NEPA – Range of Alternatives ................................................................................................... 8 NEPA – Best Available Information ......................................................................................... 18 NEPA – Purpose and Need ....................................................................................................... 22 NEPA – Impacts Analysis - General ......................................................................................... 28 NEPA – Impacts Analysis - Air ................................................................................................ 42 NEPA – Impacts Analysis - Soil ............................................................................................... 48 NEPA – Impacts Analysis – Prime Farmlands ......................................................................... 52 NEPA – Impacts Analysis – Cultural ........................................................................................ 54 NEPA – Impacts Analysis – Livestock Grazing ....................................................................... 58 NEPA – Impacts Analysis – Recreation ................................................................................... 60 NEPA – Impacts Analysis – Socioeconomics & Environmental Justice .................................. 64 NEPA – Impacts Analysis - Water ............................................................................................ 67 NEPA – Impacts Analysis - Wildlife ........................................................................................ 71 NEPA – Mitigation - General.................................................................................................... 78 NEPA – Mitigation – Air and Water ......................................................................................... 83 NEPA – Mitigation - Wildlife ................................................................................................... 87 NEPA – Mitigation – Cultural .................................................................................................. 91 NEPA – Supplementation ......................................................................................................... 93 NEPA – Response to Comments ............................................................................................. 102 NEPA – Public Participation ................................................................................................... 112 NEPA – Environmental Review and Consultation ................................................................. 123 Secretarial Order 3330 ............................................................................................................ 126 Government-to-Government Consultation .............................................................................. 130 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) ........................................................................... 135 FLPMA.................................................................................................................................... 141 California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) ....................................................................... 150 Consistency with Other Plans ................................................................................................. 164 Cooperation & Coordination ................................................................................................... 172 Protest Process......................................................................................................................... 176 General Mining Law ............................................................................................................... 178 Endangered Species Act .......................................................................................................... 182 National Conservation Lands – National Trails System ......................................................... 186 National Conservation Lands – Omnibus Act......................................................................... 190 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern ............................................................................... 202 BLM Visual Resource Management Policy ............................................................................ 215 BLM Special Status Species Policy ........................................................................................ 219 Lands with Wilderness Characteristics ................................................................................... 223 Travel Management................................................................................................................. 233 Clarification Issues .................................................................................................................. 236 2 Reader’s Guide How do I read the Report? The Director’s Protest Resolution Report is divided into sections, each with a topic heading, excerpts from individual protest letters, a summary statement (as necessary), and the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) response to the summary statement. Report Snapshot Topic heading Issue Topics and Responses NEPA Submission number Issue Number: PP-CA-DRECP-15-120-10 Protest issue number Organization: The Forest Initiative Protesting organization Protester: John Smith Protester’s name Direct quote taken from the submission Issue Excerpt Text: Rather than analyze these potential impacts, as required by NEPA, BLM postpones analysis of renewable energy development projects to a future case-by-case analysis. Summary General statement summarizing the issue excerpts (optional). There is inadequate NEPA analysis in the PRMP/FEIS for renewable energy projects. Response BLM’s response to the summary statement or issue excerpt if there is no summary. Specific renewable energy projects are implementation-level decisions rather than RMP-level decisions. Upon receipt of an application for a renewable energy project, the BLM would require a site-specific NEPA analysis of the proposal before actions could be approved (FEIS Section 2.5.2, p. 2- 137). Project specific impacts would be analyzed at that time (including impacts to surrounding properties), along with the identification of possible alternatives and mitigation measures. How do I find my Protest Issues and Responses? 1. Find your submission number on the protesting party index which is organized by case file number (numbered as received). 2. In Adobe Reader search the report for your name, organization or submission number (do not include the issue number). Key word or topic searches may also be useful. 3 List of Commonly Used Acronyms ACEC Area of Critical Environmental HCP Habitat Conservation Plan Concern IB Information Bulletin ACHP Advisory Council on Historic IM Instruction Memorandum Preservation KOP Key Observation Points ACP Advanced Conservation Practice LUPA Land Use Plan Amendment APE Area of Potential Effects MOU Memorandum of Understanding BA Biological Assessment NAE Native American Element BLM Bureau of Land Management NEPA National Environmental Policy BMP Best Management Practice Act of 1969 BO Biological Opinion NHPA National Historic Preservation CAA Clean Air Act Act of 1966, as amended CDCA California Desert Conservation NLCS* National Conservation Lands* Area NOA Notice of Availability CEQ Council on Environmental NOI Notice of Intent Quality NRHP National Register of Historic CFR Code of Federal Regulations Places CMA Conservation and Management NSO No Surface Occupancy Actions OHV Off-Highway Vehicle COA Condition of Approval PA Programmatic Agreement CSP Concentrated Solar Power PLUPA Proposed Land Use Plan CSU Controlled Surface Use Amendment CWA Clean Water Act PPA Power Purchase Agreement DLUPA/EIS REAT Renewable Energy Action Team Draft Land Use Plan Amendment RFDS Reasonably Foreseeable and Environmental Impact Development Scenario Statement RMP Resource Management Plan DFA Designated Focus Area ROD Record of Decision DM Departmental Manual ROW Right-of-Way (Department of the Interior) SO State Office DOI Department of the Interior T&E Threatened and Endangered DWMA Desert Wildlife Management Area TCA Tortoise Conservation Area EA Environmental Assessment USC United States Code EIR Environmental Impact Report USGS U.S. Geological Survey EIS Environmental Impact Statement VPL Variance Process Land EO Executive Order VRM Visual Resource Management EPA Environmental Protection WA Wilderness Area Agency WEMO West Mojave Route Network ESA Endangered Species Act Project FEIS Final Environmental Impact WSA Wilderness Study Area Statement WSR Wild and Scenic River(s) FLPMA Federal Land Policy and *National