[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]



=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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