[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 63 (Monday, April 3, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16865-16866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8110]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, 
Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement and Notice of Scoping 
Meetings for the Hood River Fisheries Restoration Project

AGENCY: Boneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS), and conduct scoping meetings and notice of floodplain and 
wetlands involvement.

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SUMMARY: Today's notice announces BPA's intention to prepare an EIS on 
actions to protect and improve anadromous salmonid populations in the 
Hood River Basin. These actions are proposed to mitigate the losses of 
fish and wildlife associated with the construction and operation of 
Federal hydro-power facilities in the Columbia River Basin. These 
actions are expected to protect and improve the status of native stocks 
of salmonids in the Hood River and Columbia River Basin, establish a 
viable spring chinook population in the Hood River Basin, and protect, 
to the extent practicable, other aquatic and terrestrial resources in 
the Hood River Basin, consistent with tribal treaty rights, Federal 
environmental legislation, and the fish and wildlife management 
objectives of the confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian 
Reservation (Tribes), and the State of Oregon. In addition to 
protecting and improving salmonid populations, these actions would also 
provide a sustainable Indian and non-Indian harvest of salmon and 
steelhead. The Tribes and the State of Oregon, Department of Fish and 
Wildlife, will be cooperating agencies and will participate in the 
development of the EIS. This action may involve floodplain and wetlands 
located in Hood River County, Oregon.
    In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain 
and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR Part 1022), BPA 
will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment and will perform this 
proposed action in a manner so as to avoid or minimize potential harm 
to or within the affected floodplain 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 has established a 45-day scoping period during which 
affected landowners, concerned citizens, special interest groups, local 
governments, and any other interested parties are invited to comment on 
the scope of the proposed EIS. Scoping will help BPA ensure that a full 
range of issues related to this proposal is addressed in the EIS, and 
also will identify significant or potentially significant impacts that 
may result from the proposed project. Written comments are due to the 
address below no later than May 21, 1995.
    Comments may also be made at an open house technical scoping 
meeting for Federal, State and interested parties on April 11, 1995, at 
the Bonneville Power Administration, 905 NE 11th, Room 106, Portland, 
Oregon, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM; an open house public scoping meeting 
on April 12, 1995, at the Yaucoma Buildings, 902 Wasco, Hood River, 
Oregon, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm; and an open house scoping 
[[Page 16866]] meeting on April 13, 1995, at the Warm Springs Community 
Center, Social Hall, 2200 Hollywood Blvd., Warm Springs, Oregon, from 
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Written information also will be available, and BPA 
staff will answer questions and accept oral and written comments.
    When completed, the Draft EIS will be circulated for review and 
comment, and BPA will hold public comment meetings for the Draft EIS. 
BPA will consider and respond to comments received on the Draft EIS in 
the Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: BPA invites comments and suggestions on the proposed scope 
of the Draft EIS. Send comment letters 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:
Tom Morse-EWN, Bonneville Power Administration, PO Box 3621, Portland, 
Oregon, 97208-3621, phone number 503-230-3694, fax number 503-230-4564.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Proposed Action

    BPA proposes to initiate actions to protect, enhance, and mitigate 
fish resources in the Hood River basin impacted by the construction and 
operation of Columbia River hydroelectric projects as defined by 
section 7.4L2 of the 1994 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife 
Program in accordance with the Pacific Northwest Electric Power 
Planning and Conservation Act of 1980.
Specific Goals of the Project Are

    1. Re-establish a spring chinook population in the Hood River 
Basin.
    2. Improve native winter and summer steelhead populations in the 
Hood River Basin.
    3. Achieve goals 1 and 2 in a manner that protects and improves, 
where practicable, habitat for other aquatic and terrestrial species in 
the Hood River Basin.
    4. Contribute to tribal and non-tribal fisheries, ocean fisheries, 
and the Northwest Power Planning Council's interim goal of doubling 
salmon runs.

Alternatives Proposed for Consideration

    Most alternatives would use one or more of the following mitigation 
techniques:
    (1) A hatchery program (continued planting of hatchery reared fish 
in a stream to provide harvest opportunities).
    (2) A supplementation program (use of hatchery reared fish to 
maintain or increase natural production of target species where it is 
inadequate to meet management objectives, while protecting system 
diversity and genetic character of all populations).
    (3) Habitat improvement (alteration of existing habitat to improve 
its ability to support fish).
    Alternative #1: Re-establish, or re-build naturally sustaining 
anadromous salmonid runs in the Hood River Basin via a combination of 
hatchery (see #1 above), supplementation (see #2 above), and habitat 
improvement actions (see #3 above) that can provide Indian and non-
Indian harvest of fish.
    Alternative #2: Re-establish, or re-build and sustain populations 
of anadromous salmonids in the Hood River Basin via a hatchery program 
that can provide Indian and non-Indian harvest of fish.
    Alternative #3: Re-establish, or re-build and sustain populations 
of anadromous salmonids in the Hood River Basin via a supplementation 
program that can provide Indian and non-Indian harvest of fish.
    Alternative #4: Re-establish, or re-build and sustain populations 
of anadormonous salmonids in the Hood River Basin via a program of 
habitat improvements that can provide Indian and non-Indian harvest of 
fish.
    Alternative #5: No Action.

Identification of Environmental Issues

    The following issues have been identified to be addressed in this 
EIS:
    1. Effectiveness of different fish management techniques.
    A. Supplementation and hatchery protocols.
    B. Use of out-of-basin stocks.
    C. Wild versus hatchery stocks.
    D. Disease prevention.
    2. Effects on other species in Hood River Basin.
    3. Effects on endangered species in Columbia and Hood River Basins.
    4. Ability to measure program effects.
    5. Indian cultural and treaty concerns.
    Maps and further information are available from BPA at the address 
above.

    Issued in Portland, Oregon, on March 27, 1995.
Sue Hickey,
Chief Operating Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-8110 Filed 3-31-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6540-01-P-M