[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 82 (Friday, April 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10323]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 29, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

 

Intent To Prepare An Environmental Impact Statement and 
Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery 
Project

AGENCIES: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy 
(DOE) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Department of Interior (DOI).

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) under section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321) and Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands 
Involvement.

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SUMMARY: BPA and BIA intend to prepare an EIS on the proposed Nez Perce 
Tribal Hatchery (NPTH) Project to try and rebuild naturally reproducing 
salmon runs in the watersheds of the Clearwater and Salmon River sub-
basins. BPA and BIA intend to decide whether or not to provide funding 
to construct, operate, and maintain the NPTH in these sub-basins. BIA, 
as trustee for Tribal trust resources, will participate as co-lead 
agency with BPA. The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) is the primary cooperating 
agency. The EIS will evaluate the potential environmental effects of 
the proposed action to construct and operate the NPTH and alternatives 
to the proposed action. This action may involve floodplains and 
wetlands located in the State of Idaho and within Nez Perce, 
Clearwater, and Idaho counties.
    In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain 
and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR part 1022), BPA 
and BIA will prepare a floodplains and wetlands assessment and would 
perform this proposed action in a manner so as to avoid or minimize 
potential harm to or within the affected floodplains and wetlands. The 
assessment and a floodplain statement of findings will be included in 
the EIS being prepared for the proposed project in accordance with 
NEPA.

DATES: BPA and BIA have established a 45-day scoping period (beginning 
April 29, 1994) during which affected landowners, concerned citizens, 
special interest groups, local governments, fishery and environmental 
groups, and any other interested parties are invited to comment on the 
scope of the EIS. Scoping will help BPA and BIA ensure that a full 
range of issues related to the proposed action and alternatives to the 
proposed action are addressed in the EIS, and also will identify 
significant or potentially significant environmental impacts that may 
result from the proposed action and alternatives. Written comments 
should be sent to the address below no later than June 13, 1994.
    Comments may also be made at two EIS scoping meetings which will be 
held at: May 24, 1994, 6 to 9 p.m., Red Lion--Downtowner, Teton Room, 
1800 Fairview, Boise, Idaho 83702, and May 25, 1994, 6 to 9 p.m., 
National Park Service, Nez Perce National Historical Park, Highway 95, 
Spalding, Idaho 83551. At the informal meetings, the NPT, project 
sponsor and primary developer of the associated NPTH Master Plan, will 
present information on technical aspects of the NPTH Project. Written 
information also will be available, and BPA and NPT staff will answer 
questions and accept oral and written comments.
    Subsequently, a draft EIS (DEIS) will be circulated for public 
review and comment, and BPA and BIA will hold public comment meetings 
at the locations designated above. BPA and BIA will then prepare a 
final EIS which will consider and respond to comments received on the 
DEIS.

ADDRESSES: BPA and BIA invite comments and suggestions on the proposed 
scope of the DEIS. Send comment letters, requests to be placed on the 
project mailing list, and/or requests for more information to the 
Public Involvement Manager, Lynn W. Baker, BPA-ALP, P.O. Box 12999, 
Portland, Oregon 97212 or to BIA, 911 NE. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 
97232-4169. The phone number of BPA's Public Involvement Office is 
(503) 230-3478 in Portland, Oregon; toll-free (800) 622-4519 
nationwide.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: (1) Mr. Roy B. Fox, BPA NEPA 
Compliance Officer--PG at (503) 230-4261 or Ms. June Boynton, BIA 
Environmental Coordinator, at (503) 231-6749; (2) Mr. Chuck Korson, BPA 
Environmental Manager, at (503) 230-5182; (3) Mr. Robert L. Swedo, BPA 
Upper Columbia Area Office, 707 W. Main Avenue, suite 500, Spokane, WA 
99201, (503) 353-2913; (4) Mr. Jim Normandeau, BPA Boise District 
Office, 304 N. 8th Street, Boise, ID 83702, (208) 334-9137; or (5) Mr. 
Ed Larson, Nez Perce Fisheries Resource Management, P.O. Box 365, 
Lapwai, ID 83540, (208) 843-7320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Project that is the subject of 
the EIS consists of several components, including central and auxiliary 
salmon incubation and rearing facilities, satellite rearing facilities, 
and monitoring and evaluation facilities located in the Clearwater and 
Salmon River Basins in central Idaho. The proposed NPTH would be 
consistent with the Northwest Power Planning Council's (Council) Fish 
and Wildlife Program Measure 703 (g)(2), calling for construction of 
low-capital salmon and steelhead propagation facilities adaptable to 
Columbia River Basin locales. The Council envisioned that the NPTH 
Production Project would help rebuild or re-establish anadromous salmon 
runs in the Clearwater and Salmon River sub-basins. The Nez Perce 
Tribal Government envisioned the NPTH production project as a way of 
helping to rebuild a fishery resource that is important to the Tribal 
culture and allowing rights reserved in the 1855 Treaty with the United 
States to be exercised. Further, this action would provide an 
opportunity for the Federal government to fulfill its trust 
responsibility to the NPT. BPA proposes this Project as a means to 
protect, mitigate, and enhance Columbia River Basin fish and wildlife 
resources under the authority of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power 
Planning and Conservation Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-501). If developed, 
the NPTH will employ state-of-the-art, technologically advanced salmon 
supplementation techniques in an attempt to rebuild naturally 
reproducing salmon runs in the watersheds of the Clearwater and Salmon 
River sub-basins. As requested by the Council, BPA and NPT completed a 
master plan for the proposed Project. The Council approved the NPTH 
Master Plan, requesting final design and construction of the NPTH, on 
May 27, 1992.

A. Proposed Action

    The following need statement has been identified for the NPTH EIS:
    The need is for naturally reproducing salmon at harvestable 
populations in the upriver Clearwater and Salmon River sub-basins.
    The established purpose(s) for the proposed NPTH project are 
manyfold:
    1. Protect, mitigate, and enhance Columbia River Basin anadromous 
fish resources.
    2. Develop, increase, and reintroduce natural spawning populations 
of salmon within the Clearwater and Salmon River sub-basins.
    3. Provide long-term harvest opportunities for Tribal and non-
Tribal anglers within Nez Perce Treaty lands.
    4. Sustain long-term fitness and genetic integrity of target fish 
populations.
    5. Keep ecological and genetic impacts to nontarget fish 
populations within acceptable limits.
    6. Provide harvest opportunities for Tribal and non-Tribal anglers 
within four salmon generations (20 years) following completion of the 
Project.
    7. Promote NPT management of NPTH production facilities and 
production areas.
    To meet the underlying need and purpose statements, the proposed 
action is for BPA and BIA to fund: (1) Construction, (2) operation and 
maintenance, and (3) monitoring and evaluation of a NPTH 
supplementation project within the Clearwater and Salmon River sub-
basins. The NPTH supplementation facilities would consist of a central 
incubation and rearing facility on the Clearwater River at Cherry Lane, 
Idaho; an auxiliary salmon incubation and rearing facility on 
Sweetwater Creek near Lewiston, Idaho; 13 satellite juvenile rearing 
and adult holding facilities located in various tributary watersheds; 
and monitoring facilities for juvenile and adult salmon in each 
watershed where satellites are proposed. Species targeted for 
supplementation are spring, summer, and fall chinook salmon 
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).
    The central facility would incubate eggs and alevins and rear fry 
to approximately 50-80 millimeters (2-3 inches) in size to prepare them 
for final rearing and release at the satellite facilities or in natural 
stream systems. The Sweetwater Creek holding facility would be 
constructed to backup the central facility and rear subyearling or 
yearling smolts and, when needed, to hold adult broodstock.
    Satellite facilities used for rearing, acclimation, release, adult 
holding, monitoring, and evaluation would also be constructed. They 
would be located in key tributary watersheds of the Clearwater and 
Salmon River sub-basins. Facility locations in the Clearwater sub-basin 
would be: Lolo Creek (Mainstem Lolo Creek, Yoosa Creek, and Eldorado 
Creek); South Fork Clearwater River (Meadow Creek, Mill Creek, Newsome 
Creek); and the Selway River (Meadow Creek). Facility locations in the 
Salmon River sub-basin would be: Slate Creek (Mainstem Slate Creek and 
Little Slate Creek).
    Floodplains and wetlands may be involved at the following central 
and satellite facility sites: 

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                Site name                              County               Township       Range       Section  
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Cherry Lane; 21 miles East of Lewiston,     Nez Perce...................  37N            3W                   35
 Darrell Kerby Ranch.                                                                                           
Sweetwater Sp., Origin W.F. Sweetwater Crk  Nez Perce...................  33N            4W                    4
Mann Lake Headgate, Lewiston Orchards Irr.  Nez Perce...................  34N            47E                  21
 District, Sweetwater Crk.                                                                                      
No. Lapwai Valley, Tribal Allotment 606,    Nez Perce...................  36N            4W               22, 27
 Lapwai Crk., Clearwater R.                                                                                     
Mouth Lolo Crk., Clearwater R.............  Clearwater, Idaho...........  35N            2E                   14
Yoosa/Camp Crk. Confluence, Lolo Crk......  Idaho.......................  35N            6E                 1,12
Crk. at Six-Bit Crk. Confluence, Lolo Crk.  Idaho.......................  34N            6E                    1
Newsom Crk/Beaver Crk Confluence, S.F.      Idaho.......................  30N            7E                   31
 Clearwater River.                                                                                              
Mill Crk, S.F. Clearwater River...........  Idaho.......................  29N            4E                   27
Meadow Crk, S.F. Clearwater River.........  Idaho.......................  30N            4E                   35
Cedar Flats, Selway R.....................  Idaho.......................  32N            7E                   23
Meadow Crk, Selway R......................  Idaho.......................  31N            9E                   11
Slate Crk, Hurley Crk Confl., Salmon R....  Idaho.......................  27N            2E                   34
Slate Crk, Dead Horse Crk Confl., Salmon R  Idaho.......................  26N            3E                3,10 
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B. Process to Date

    BPA and BIA have assumed the co-lead agency role for the NPTH EIS. 
The NPT Department of Fisheries Resource Management will act as the 
primary Cooperating Agency. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
and U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Nez Perce National Forest, will also 
participate as Cooperating Agencies in the NEPA process.
    The Council's Master Plan process involved close coordination among 
the NPT, BPA, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, USFWS, and USFS. 
Several meetings were held by these parties to focus on technical 
issues that needed resolution and clarification so that preparation of 
the Master Plan could proceed. Other meetings between the NPT and the 
State involved discussions of harvest and production issues. 
Discussions in January 1992, led to a Memorandum of Agreement between 
the parties on a process for discussing management issues and 
developing common positions to present in different forums. The NPT has 
also met numerous times with field staffs of the USFS and others to 
review technical elements of the Master Plan as it developed. Of 
particular interest to the land managers is the location of the 
proposed tributary facilities and constraints that might be needed on 
current management practices.

C. Alternatives Proposed for Consideration

    Alternatives thus far identified for evaluation in the EIS are: (1) 
the proposed action to construct, operate, and maintain the NPTH 
Project; and (2) no action (to not undertake action to develop the NPTH 
Project). Intermediate alternatives that will feature scaled-down 
versions of the total project will also be evaluated. Other 
alternatives will be identified through the scoping process and will be 
considered, if appropriate, in the EIS. Those reasonable alternatives 
that meet both the stated need and purposes for action will be 
evaluated in greatest detail.

D. Identification of Environmental Issues

    BPA and BIA will prepare a DEIS that addresses and fully discloses 
the potential environmental effects of the proposed facility and 
associated operations as well as reasonable alternatives to the 
proposed action. The principal environmental issues identified through 
the Council's Master Plan scoping process for the NPTH include the 
following: (1) Assessment of genetic and ecological risks; (2) direct 
and cumulative effects of hatchery fish on wild fish, particularly 
Snake River salmon stocks currently listed as threatened or endangered 
under the Federal Endangered Species Act; (3) effectiveness of 
supplementation as a fishery management tool to rebuild weak stocks; 
(4) effects on non-target resident fish species; (5) water quality 
effects; (6) effects on cultural resources; and (7) monitoring and 
evaluation concerns. These, together with any additional issues 
identified through the scoping process, will be examined in the NPTH 
EIS.

    Issued in Portland, Oregon, on April 19, 1994
John Robertson,
Deputy Asst. Administrator, Bonneville Power Admin.
[FR Doc. 94-10323 Filed 4-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P