[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 1995)] [Notices] [Page 15132] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-6981] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project Nos. 2113, 2239, 2476, and 1999, 2212, 2590, and 2256, 2255, 2291, and 2292--WI] Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company, Tomahawk Power and Pulp Company, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, Weyerhaeuser Paper Company, Consolidated Water Power Company, Nekoosa Papers, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Hold Public Meetings in Rhinelander and Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, To Discuss the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Proposed Relicensing of the Existing Wisconsin River Headquarters, Kings Dam, Jersey, Wausau, Rothschild, Wisconsin River Division, Wisconsin Rapids, Centralia, Port Edwards and Nekoosa Projects March 16, 1995. On February 23, 1995, the Commission staff mailed the Wisconsin River Basin DEIS to the Environmental Protection Agency, resource and land management agencies, and interested organizations and individuals. This document evaluates the environmental consequences of the proposed relicensing of the Wisconsin River Headquarters project (no power; regulates flows to the Wisconsin River); 2.7 megawatt (MW) Kings Dam; 0.512 MW Jersey; 5.4 MW Wausau; 4.66 MW Rothschild; 6.4 MW Wisconsin River Division; 9.02 MW Wisconsin Rapids; 3.2 MW Centralia; 3.592 MW Port Edwards; and 3.78 MW Nekoosa projects. The projects are located in Vilas, Forest, Oneida, Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, and Wood counties, Wisconsin, and in Gogebic County, Michigan. The public meetings will be recorded by a court reporter and are scheduled as follows: (1) A meeting on the Wisconsin Headwaters Project No. 2113, will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4, 1995, at the Claridge Motor Inn (Best Western), 70 N. Stevens Street, Rhinelander, Wisconsin; and (2) a meeting on the 9 hydropower projects will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, 1995, at Wausau Inn and Conference Center, 2001 N. Mountain Road, Rib Mountain, Wisconsin. At the meetings, Commission staff will summarize major DEIS findings and recommendations. Resource agency personnel and other interested persons will be provided an opportunity to submit oral and written comments regarding the DEIS for the Commission's public record. Written comments on the DEIS may also be sent to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 N. Capitol Street NE., Washington, D.C. 20426. Comments must be received by April 17, 1995. All correspondence should include the appropriate project name(s) and number(s) on the first page of the correspondence. The DEIS considers over 400 resource recommendations received from license applicants, citizens, resource agencies, and organizations. Resource enhancements relating to hydrologic flow regulation, recreation, land use, fish, wildlife, water quality, reservoir shoreline erosion, vegetation resources and other resource issues are proposed. All of the projects are proposed to continue operation in a run-of- river mode with no expansion of hydroelectric generating capacity. In major findings, staff recommends adoption of the licensee's hydrological flow regime for the 21 headwater reservoirs together with staff recommended enhancements which would protect water quality in the Wisconsin River, enhance recreation in certain headwater man-made lakes, and generally maintain existing fishing and flood control benefits throughout the Wisconsin River. For entrainment issues at the nine hydroelectric reservoirs, the DEIS finds that avoidance and protection measures are not feasible, that entrainment is biologically insignificant, and that limited payments for enhancement of fishery resources may be appropriate. Lois D. Cashell, Secretary. [FR Doc. 95-6981 Filed 3-21-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-M