[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 120 (Thursday, June 22, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32514-32515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15324]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for the Wildlife
Mitigation Program
AGENCY: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy
(DOE).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement.
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SUMMARY: Today's notice announces BPA's intention to prepare an EIS on
proposed establishment of principles for implementing a program to
mitigate the loss of wildlife habitat caused by the development and
operation of Columbia River Basin (Basin) hydroelectric projects (as
allocated to the purpose of power production). This action involves
land resources planning probably affecting many floodplains and
wetlands throughout the Basin. In accordance with the Pacific Northwest
Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (Northwest Power Act, 16
U.S.C. 839), specific wildlife mitigation activities that BPA would
implement under the program are developed through Pacific Northwest
Power Planning Council (Council) procedures and proposed in the
Council's Fish and Wildlife Program. Although BPA decisions on these
specific actions are independent of one another, preparation of this
EIS recognizes their similarity of impacts, methods of implementation,
and subject matter. We stress that the EIS will focus on wildlife
mitigation, not on anadromous or resident fish mitigation. In
accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain and
wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR part 1022), the EIS
will integrate a floodplain and wetlands assessment.
BPA invites public comment on the range of actions, alternatives,
and impacts to address in the Wildlife Mitigation Program EIS.
DATES: A public scoping meeting is schedule for July 14, 1995, 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m., at the Forum Building, room 190, 525 NE Oregon Street,
Portland, Oregon. BPA is willing to hold additional scoping meetings
depending on public interest and will contact Tribes, agencies, and
groups known to be interested in the wildlife program. Written comments
are due to the address below no later than July 28, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments and requests to be placed on
the project mailing list to the Public Involvement and Information
Manager, Bonneville Power Administration--CKP, PO Box 12999, Portland,
Oregon 97212. The phone number of the Public Involvement and
Information Office is 503-230-3478 in Portland; toll-free 1-800-622-
4519 outside of Portland.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: [[Page 32515]]
Thomas C. McKinney, Bonneville Power Administration, PO Box 3621(ECN),
Portland, Oregon 97208-3621, phone number 503-230-4749, fax number 503-
230-5699.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Development and operation of the hydropower
system in the Columbia River Basin has had far-reaching effects on many
species of wildlife. Some floodplain and riparian habitats important to
wildlife were inundated when reservoirs filled. BPA needs mitigation
for the loss of wildlife habitat caused by the federal portion of this
development. Specific mitigation actions that BPA may support to
satisfy this need are initially developed in a public process managed
by the Northwest Power Planning Council. Future mitigation actions with
potential environmental effects are expected to include fee-title land
acquisition and management, property lease and management, conservation
easement acquisition and management, water rights acquisition and
management, habitat restorations and enhancements, installation of
watering devices, riparian fencing, and similar wildlife conservation
actions. Potential project implementors and managers include Indian
Tribes, states, private conservation groups, and other federal
agencies. The area of potential impact is most of the Columbia River
Basin, including land in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and
Washington.
Proposed Action
The proposed action to be considered in this BPA Wildlife
Mitigation Program EIS is the establishment of principles to guide
program implementation. A primary purpose of these program
implementation principles will be cost-effective achievement of
wildlife mitigation goals. General issues the EIS may address include
wildlife management, vegetation management, water management, ecosystem
management, fire management, multiple use and public access management,
cultural resource management, Indian treaty rights, and local economic
effects. Identification of additional issues may result from the public
scoping process, and scoping may also eliminate some issues from in-
depth analysis. The proposed program principles may establish criteria
for implementing specific mitigation actions without further review, or
with limited site-specific analysis tiered to the Program EIS.
Undertaking preparation of the EIS necessarily assumes future BPA
funding of wildlife mitigation, but is not a commitment to program
funding. If funds are available, the EIS will help to achieve maximum
benefits for wildlife.
Process to Date
BPA began mitigating for wildlife losses under the Northwest Power
Act following issuance of the Council's initial Fish and Wildlife
Program in 1982. To date, BPA has performed environmental review of
requests for wildlife mitigation funding concurrent with site-specific
proposals for action. Issues common to many of these site-specific
reviews have helped to tentatively define the scope of the Wildlife
Mitigation Program EIS. To the extent practical, the Council and BPA
intend to integrate the Wildlife Mitigation Program EIS process with
this year's process to amend the wildlife section of the Council's Fish
and Wildlife Program.
Information developed from other environmental reviews in the
Pacific Northwest, particularly the System Operation Review EIS jointly
undertaken by BPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation, may be included in the Wildlife Mitigation
Program EIS as appropriate.
Possible Alternatives
Alternatives to be considered in the BPA Wildlife Mitigation
Program EIS would include alternative implementation principles for
each management issue addressed. The EIS will also consider a No Action
alternative, i.e., program implementation without defined program-wide
implementation principles.
Identification of Environmental Issues
The environmental issues associated with wildlife mitigation
activities include changes in land use, vegetation patterns, wildlife
populations, recreational opportunities, and water use and quality.
Additional environmental issues concern protection of historic and
cultural resources, introduction of herbicides into the environment,
and smoke from vegetation burning.
Issued in Portland, Oregon, on June 12, 1995.
Randall W. Hardy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-15324 Filed 6-21-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-M