[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 250 (Friday, December 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68284-68285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32925]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement on Impacts of Artificial Salmon and Steelhead Production 
Strategies in the Columbia Basin

AGENCIES: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (lead agency), National 
Marine Fisheries Service, Bonneville Power Administration (cooperating 
agencies).

Action: Notice of availability and schedule of public workshops.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (Service), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the 
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) have issued a draft Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on Impacts of Artificial Salmon 
and Steelhead Production Strategies in the Columbia Basin. The draft 
PEIS frames the policy level issues associated with the agencies' 
proposals to change salmon and steelhead fish hatchery production in 
Columbia Basin and discusses the cumulative impact issues within the 
basin's salmon and steelhead mainstem migration corridor. This notice 
is being furnished pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations for Implementing The Procedural Provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

DATES: Written comments are requested by February 10, 1997.
    Three public informational workshops have been scheduled to explain 
the proposals and receive comments. All of the workshops will be held 
from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

January 14, 1997, Red Lion--Downtowner, Boise, Idaho
January 16, 1997, Red Lion Inn, Pasco, Washington
January 21, 1997, Red Lion Hotel--Lloyd Center, Portland, Oregon

ADDRESS WRITTEN COMMENTS: Send comments to PEIS Team Leader, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, 911 NE 11 Ave, Portland, Oregon, 97232-4181.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lee Hillwig, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Telephone: 503-872-2766 or Dave Riley, Telephone: 503-226-
2460.
    Copies of the Draft PEIS are available for review at the following 
libraries:

Astoria Public Library, Astoria, Oregon
Deschutes County Library, Bend, Oregon
Hood River County Library, Hood River, Oregon
King County Library System, Seattle, Washington
Multnomah County Library, Portland, Oregon
North Central Regional Library, Wenatchee, Washington
Seattle Public Library, Seattle, Washington
Yakima Valley Regional Library, Yakima, Washington

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Columbia Basin fish managers continue to 
struggle to meet a variety of fishery obligations and mandates that 
often compete for scarce resources. Management of fish hatcheries is 
one of many factors affecting overall fish populations within the 
basin. In recognition of the need to develop a systemwide salmon and 
steelhead artificial production strategy in the Columbia Basin that 
better

[[Page 68285]]

balances responses to competing legal mandates, the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bonneville Power 
Administration are proposing policy level changes in Columbia Basin 
salmon and steelhead fish hatchery production. These proposals are 
contained in the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on 
Impacts of Artificial Salmon and Steelhead Production Strategies in the 
Columbia Basin.

A. Development of the Draft EIS

    This draft PEIS has been developed cooperatively by the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Pacific Division (lead agency); the National 
Marine Fisheries Service, and the Bonneville Power Administration.
    In the development of this draft PEIS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service has initiated action to assure compliance with the purpose and 
intent of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended. 
Extensive scoping activities were undertaken preparatory to developing 
the EIS with a variety of Federal, State, and local entities. A Notice 
of Intent to prepare the EIS was published in the Federal Register on 
July 25, 1994.
    Key issues addressed in this draft PEIS are identified as the 
effects that implementation of various alternatives would have upon (1) 
production for fisheries, (2) fish stock diversity, and (3) social and 
economic conditions.

B. Alternatives Analyzed in the Draft EIS

    The draft PEIS examines a range of alternatives from closure of all 
or most fish hatcheries to abandoning most fish habitat improvement 
programs and relying almost exclusively on increased artificial 
production. The preferred action proposes systemwide, policy-level 
decisions to better meet competing fishery obligations and mandates. 
Key components include:

 Limiting overall basin artificial production to current levels 
or very small increases,
 Shifting some emphasis of outplanting strategies from 
downstream (below Bonneville Dam) to the upstream and/or tributary 
streams,
 Implementing measures to more fully assess risks where site 
specific hatchery management changes are contemplated,
 Establishing an enhanced natural production objective, and
 Proposing aggressive subbasin planning and monitoring for 
hatchery programs and adaptive management measures for hatchery 
practices where indicated.

    At the programmatic or systemwide level, the PEIS frames the policy 
level issues associated with the proposed actions and discusses the 
cumulative impact issues within the basin's salmon and steelhead 
mainstream migration corridor.

    Dated: December 13, 1996.
Michael J. Spear,
William W. Stelle, Jr.,
For the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
    Dated: December 19, 1996.
For the National Marine Fisheries Service:
[FR Doc. 96-32925 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am]
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