[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4677-4680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2629]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Final Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Acreage 
Limitation and Water Conservation Rules and Regulations

February 2, 1996.
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability on the final environmental impact 
statement; INT-FES-96-7.

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[[Page 4678]]


SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended, and in response to a September 1993 contract for settlement of 
a lawsuit filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, National 
Wildlife Federation, California Natural Resources Federation, 
California Association of Family Farmers, California Action Network, 
League of Rural Voters, Inc., and County of Trinity, California 
(hereinafter NRDC et al.); the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has 
prepared a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) on proposed 
acreage limitation and water conservation rules and regulations for 
implementing the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA), as amended, 
throughout the 17 Western States.
    The purpose of the FEIS is to evaluate potential impacts associated 
with alternatives for implementing rules under the RRA. As such, the 
FEIS presents an evaluation of six alternatives, including no action.

DATES: February 7, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies should be addressed to: Public 
Involvement Group, D-8280, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 25007, Denver 
CO 80225; telephone: (303) 236-2722 extension 322.
    Copies are available for inspection at all Reclamation Regional and 
Area offices at the following locations as of the date of this Federal 
Register notice:
 Office of the Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Room 7612, 
1849 C Street, NW, Washington DC 20240
 Reclamation Service Center, Bureau of Reclamation, Library, 
Room 167, Building 67, Denver Federal Center, Denver CO 80225
 Pacific Northwest Regional Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Room 
214, 1150 North Curtis Road, Boise ID 83706
     Snake River Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 214 
Broadway Avenue, Boise ID 83702
     Upper Columbia Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 1917 
Marsh Road, Yakima WA 98901
     Lower Columbia Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 1503 NE 
78th Street, Suite 15, Vancouver WA 98665
     Snake River Area Office--East, Bureau of Reclamation, 1359 
Hansen Avenue, Burley ID 83318
 Mid-Pacific Regional Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Library, 
Room W-1522, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento CA 95825
     North-Central California Area Office, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom CA 95630
     South-Central California Area Office, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 2666 North Grove Industrial Drive, Suite 106, Fresno CA 
93727
     Northern California Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 
16345 Shasta Dam Boulevard, Shasta Lake CA 96019
     Klamath Basin Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 6600 
Washburn Way, Klamath Falls OR 97603
     Lahontan Basin Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 705 
North Plaza Street, Carson City NV 89701
 Lower Colorado Regional Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Library, Room M117, Nevada Highway and Park Street, Boulder City NV 
89005
     Phoenix Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 23636 North 
7th Street, Phoenix AZ 85024
     Lower Colorado Dams Facilities Office, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Highway 93, Hoover Dam, Boulder City NV 89005
     Southern California Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 
27710 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 201, Temecula CA 92590
     Grand Canyon Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 3 miles 
south of Buchanan, Boulder City NV 89006
     Yuma Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 7301 Calle Agua 
Salada, Yuma AZ 85364
 Upper Colorado Regional Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Library, Room 7101, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City UT 84138
     Albuquerque Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 505 
Marquette NW, Suite 1313, Albuquerque NM 87102
     Western Colorado Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 2764 
Compass Drive, Grand Junction CO 81506
     Provo Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 302 East 1860 
South, Provo UT 84606
 Great Plains Regional Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Library, 
Room 2037, Federal Office Building, 316 North 26th Street, Billings MT 
59101
     Dakotas Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 304 East 
Broadway Avenue, Bismarck ND 58501
     Eastern Colorado Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 11056 
West County Road 18E, Loveland CO 80537
     Montana Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 2900 Fourth 
Avenue North, Billings MT 59101
     Nebraska-Kansas Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Federal Building, 203 West 2nd Street, Grand Island NE 68801
     Oklahoma-Texas Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 420 
West Main Street, Suite 630, Oklahoma City OK 73102
     Wyoming Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 705 Pendell 
Boulevard, Mills WY 82644
    Copies will also be available for public inspection at the 
following libraries:
 Arizona
     Arizona Department of Water Resources Library, Phoenix
     Arizona State Library, Department of Library, Archives and 
Public Records, Phoenix
     Arizona State Regional Library for the Blind and 
Physically Handicapped, Phoenix
     Arizona State University, Noble Science and Engineering 
Library, Tempe
     Arizona State University, Hayden Library, Tempe
     Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library, Flagstaff
     Maricopa County Library, Phoenix
     Mesa Public Library, Mesa
     Northern Arizona University, Cline Library, Flagstaff
     Phoenix Public Library, Phoenix
     Scottsdale Public Library, Scottsdale
     Tempe Public Library, Tempe
     Tucson Pima Library, Tucson
     University of Arizona Library, Tucson
     Yuma County Library District, Yuma
 California
     Bay Area Library and Information System, Oakland
     California State Library, Sacramento
     California State University, Hayward Library, Hayward
     California State University, University Library, Los 
Angeles
     California State University Library, Sacramento
     Colorado River Board of California Library, Glendale
     Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX Library, San 
Francisco
     Fresno County Free Library, Fresno
     Fresno State University Library, Fresno
     Kern County Library, Bakersfield
     Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles
     Los Angeles Public Library, Water and Power Section, Los 
Angeles
     Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento
     San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco
     Stanford University Libraries, Stanford
     University of California Water Resources Center Library, 
Berkeley
     University of California, General 

[[Page 4679]]
    Library, Berkeley
     University of California, University Research Library, Los 
Angeles
     University of California, Shields Library, Davis
     University of Southern California, Doheny Memorial 
Library, Los Angeles
 Colorado
     Colorado State University Libraries, Fort Collins
     Denver Central Library, Denver
     University of Colorado at Boulder, Norlin Library, Boulder
     University of Denver, Penrose Library, Denver
     U.S. Air Force Academy, Academy Library, Colorado Springs
     Grand Junction Public Library, Grand Junction Idaho
     University of Idaho Library, Moscow
     Ada Community Library, Boise
     Idaho State Library, Boise
     Pocatello Public Library, Pocatello
 Kansas
 University of Kansas, Lawrence
     Kansas State Library, Topeka
     Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka
 Montana
     University of Montana, Maurene and Mike Mansfield Library, 
Missoula
    Billings Gazette Library, Billings
    Parmly Billings Library, Billings
    Missoula Public Library, Missoula
 Nebraska
    University of Nebraska, D.L. Love Memorial Library, Lincoln
    Lincoln City Library, Lincoln
    North Platte Public Library, North Platte
    Omaha Public Library, Omaha
 Nevada
    Boulder City Library, Boulder City
    Carson City Library, Carson City
    Clark County Library District, Las Vegas
    Nevada State Library, Carson City
    University of Nevada, Reno Library, Reno
    University of Nevada at Las Vegas, James Dickinson Library, Las 
Vegas
    Washoe County Library, Reno
 New Mexico
    Albuquerque Public Library, Albuquerque
    New Mexico State Library, Santa Fe
    New Mexico State Library, Las Cruces
    University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
 North Dakota
    Bismarck Public Library, Bismarck
    Fargo Public Library, Fargo
    North Dakota State University, Fargo
    Minot Public Library, Minot
 Oklahoma
    Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma County Area, Oklahoma City
    Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Oklahoma City
    Oklahoma State University, Edmon Low Library, Stillwater
    University of Oklahoma, University Libraries, Norman
 Oregon
    Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls
    Portland State University, Millar Library, Portland
    University of Oregon Library, Eugene
 South Dakota
    Rapid City Public Library, Rapid City
    Sioux Falls Public Library, Sioux Falls
    South Dakota State Library, Pierre
 Texas
    Amarillo Public Library, Amarillo
    Dallas Public Library, Dallas
    El Paso Public Library, El Paso
    Harris County Public Library, Houston
    Texas State Library, Austin
    Texas Technical University Library, Lubbock
 Utah
    Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library, Provo
    Cedar City Public Library, Cedar City
    Salt Lake City Public Library, Salt Lake City
    Salt Lake County Library System, Salt Lake City
    Southern Utah State University Library, Cedar City
    University of Utah, Marriott Library, Salt Lake City
    Utah State University, Merrill Library, Logan
    Utah State Library, Salt Lake City
    Washington County Library, St. George
    Weber State University, Stewart Library, Ogden
 Washington
    King County Library System, Seattle
    Seattle Public Library, Seattle
    Spokane Public Library, Spokane
    University of Washington Libraries, Allen Library, Seattle
    Washington State Library, Olympia
    Yakima Valley Regional Library, Yakima
 Wyoming
    Laramie County Library System, Cheyenne
    Rock Springs Public Library, Rock Springs
    University of Wyoming, Coe Library, Laramie
    Western Wyoming Community College, Rock Springs
    Wyoming State Library, Cheyenne
 Other States
    District of Columbia Public Library, Washington DC
    Library of Congress, Washington DC
    Library Program Service, Government Printing Office, Washington DC
    New York State Library, Albany, New York
    New York Public Library, New York, New York
    Research Libraries, New York, New York

    Copies of the FEIS will also be distributed to everyone on 
Reclamation's current mailing list for this FEIS, which includes anyone 
who received a copy of the DEIS, anyone who submitted comments on the 
DEIS, and those who specifically expressed an interest in being added 
to the mailing list for this FEIS. The appendix containing public 
comments and Reclamation's responses to those comments will be 
distributed only to those who submitted comments on the DEIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ronald J. Schuster (D-5300), 
Westwide Settlement Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office, PO 
Box 25007, Denver CO 80225; telephone: (303) 236-9336 ext 237.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In recognition of organizational, economic, 
and technological changes in western irrigated farming that have 
occurred since the Reclamation Act of 1902, the Reclamation Reform Act 
of 1982 (RRA), Title II, Public Law 97-293 (96 Stat. 1263), was signed 
into law on October 12, 1982. The RRA revised the number of acres upon 
which a landowner could receive Reclamation irrigation water. RRA 
provisions established how much land upon which a landowner could 
receive Reclamation irrigation water, established reporting 
requirements, set specific criteria for the price at which an 
individual or legal entity could receive Reclamation water, and 
established a requirement for districts to prepare water conservation 
plans. Amendments to the RRA were included in the Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act of December 22, 1987 (Reconciliation Act), Title V, 
Public Law 100-203 (101 Stat. 1330).
    Rules and regulations for implementing the RRA, initially becoming 
effective on January 5, 1984, were amended in 1987, 1988, 1991, and 
1995. Environmental assessments and associated supplements were 
prepared in 1983, 1987, and 1988 that resulted in ``Findings of No 
Significant Impact'' from implementation of the proposed rules and 
regulations.
    The proposed rules and regulations and the draft environmental 
impact statement (DEIS) were prepared in response to a September 1993 
contract 

[[Page 4680]]
between the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Department of 
Justice, and the Department of the Interior for the settlement of a 
lawsuit challenging the inadequacy of the environmental documentation 
prepared for the 1987 and 1988 amendments to the RRA rules and 
regulations. Reclamation agreed to propose new regulations as part of a 
new rulemaking proceeding that comprehensively reexamines 
implementation of the RRA, and prepare an EIS considering the impacts 
of the proposed regulations and alternatives. The FEIS represents a 
modification of the DEIS based upon public comments.
    Six alternativesincluding no action and preferredare presented in 
the FEIS. They encompass varying levels of regulation to implement the 
RRA on a westwide basis. This is an EIS in which existing information 
was used in conjunction with the development of specific assumptions to 
estimate a range of potential environmental impacts resulting from 
specific rule changes. While the significance of these impacts on a 
westwide basis is small, localized impacts could be significant for 
some alternatives.

    Dated: February 2, 1996.
Stephen V. Magnussen,
Acting Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 96-2629 Filed 2-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P