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Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Westside Irrigation District Land Conveyance Project, Big Horn and Washakie Counties, WY

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.



[Federal Register: January 11, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 8)]
[Notices]
[Page 2061-2062]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11ja08-64]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-010-07-5440]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the Westside Irrigation District Land Conveyance Project, Big Horn
and Washakie Counties, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969 as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
announces the availability of the Westside Irrigation District Land
Conveyance Project DEIS for public review and comment. The DEIS
analyzes the consequences of a legislated conveyance of all right,
title and interest, excluding mineral interest, of a parcel of land
administered by the BLM to the Westside Irrigation District, Worland,
Wyoming.

DATES: The DEIS will be available for public review and comment for 45
calendar days starting on the date the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) publishes its NOA in the Federal Register. The BLM can best use
public comments if they are submitted within the 45-day review period.
    Any public meetings or other involvement activities for the
Westside Irrigation District Land Conveyance (Westside Conveyance)
project will be announced to the public by the BLM at least 15 days in
advance through public notices, media news releases, Web site
announcements, or mailings.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the DEIS has been sent to affected Federal, State,
and local governments and to interested parties. The DEIS and its
supporting documents will be available electronically on the following
Web site: http://www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/wfodocs/westside.

    Copies of the DEIS are available for public inspection during
normal business hours at the following locations:
     Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003; and
     Bureau of Land Management, Worland Field Office, 101 S.
23rd, Worland, Wyoming 82401.
    Copies of the DEIS will also be delivered to the public libraries
in the following communities:
     Worland, Wyoming;
     Basin, Wyoming;
    A limited number of copies of the document will be available as
long as supplies last. To request a copy, contact Don Ogaard, Project
Manager, as described below. Written comments may be submitted by the
following methods:
     E-mail: wymail_westside@blm.gov;
     Mail: Don Ogaard, Project Manager, Bureau of Land
Management, Worland Field Office, P.O. Box 119, Worland, Wyoming 80401;
     Hand-delivered to the Worland Field Office at the street
address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Ogaard, Project Manager, Bureau of
Land Management, Worland Field Office, P.O. Box 119, 101 S. 23rd,
Worland, Wyoming 82401. Mr. Ogaard may also be reached by telephone at
(307) 347-5160.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Law 106-485 (Nov. 9, 2000; 114 Stat.
2199) directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the BLM, to
convey a parcel of public land in Big Horn County and Washakie County,
to the Westside Irrigation District (Irrigation District), Worland,
Wyoming. Public Law 106-485 also directs the BLM to complete an
environmental analysis under NEPA.
    The Westside Conveyance project area is located in southern Big
Horn County and northern Washakie County. The southern end of the
project area is approximately 5 miles northwest of Worland, Wyoming.
The study area and tract of land comprises 16,500 acres, in Townships
92 W., 92\1/2\ W., and 93 W.; Ranges 48 N. and 49 N.
    On February 22, 2005, the BLM published in the Federal Register a
Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
under the NEPA.
    The DEIS considers the environmental consequences of three
alternatives:
     The No Action Alternative;
     Alternative 1--the legislated proposed action transferring
16,500 acres; and,
     Alternative 2--an alternative under which only those lands
actually suitable for irrigation and those needed for project
infrastructure, approximately 11,500 acres, would be transferred.
    Alternative 2 is the BLM's Preferred Alternative.
    After the sale and conveyance of the land to the Irrigation
District, the Irrigation District would offer the conveyed land for
sale to qualified individuals in parcels no less than 160 acres per
individual. The parcels of land would be specified for use to serve
agricultural purposes. The Irrigation District would select qualified
individuals through a lottery. Successful individuals then would be
required to be members of and their lands included in the Irrigation
District.
    The law directing the conveyance of the land specifies that acreage
may be added to or subtracted from the original 16,500 acres to satisfy
any mitigation as required in the Final EIS and its Record of Decision
(ROD). Alternative 2 would subtract 5,000 acres in accordance with this
provision. The law further provides that proceeds from the sale of the
public lands to the Irrigation District will be deposited in a special
account ``for the acquisition of land and interests in land in the
Worland District of the Bureau of Land Management that will benefit
public recreation, public access, fish and wildlife habitat, or
cultural resources.''
    The State of Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) is joint
lead agency as provided in 40 Code of Federal Regulations 1500-1580. In
the future the WWDC would use the FEIS and ROD in support of any future
funding decisions made by the WWDC should the Irrigation District apply
for water supply development assistance. Cooperating agencies in the
preparation of the DEIS include Big Horn and Washakie Counties.
    All comments submitted must include the commenter's name and street
address. Comments including the names and addresses of the respondent
will be available for public inspection at the Worland Field Office
during its business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or any other personal identifying information
in your comment, be advised that your entire comment, including your
personal

[[Page 2062]]

identifying information may be publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review your
personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.

Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E8-279 Filed 1-10-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-22-P

 
 

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