[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6768-6770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3399]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement for a Recovery Implementation Program for Four Threatened and 
Endangered Species in the Central Platte River Region and Announcement 
of Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact 
statement, and announcement of public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation) and Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce their 
intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) 
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as 
amended.
    This PEIS will evaluate impacts of alternative Recovery 
Implementation Programs (Programs) to: (1) Secure defined benefits for 
the target species and their associated habitats to assist in their 
conservation and recovery through a basin-wide cooperative approach 
that can be agreed to by the three states and the Department of the 
Interior (Department); (2) serve as the reasonable and prudent 
alternative to offset the effects of existing and new water related 
activities in the Platte River Basin that, in the absence of such a 
Program, would be found by FWS to be likely to jeopardize the continued 
existence of the target species or adversely modify designated critical 
habitat; (3) help prevent the need to list more basin associated 
species pursuant to the ESA; and (4) mitigate new water related 
activities in a state in a manner that will not increase the mitigation 
responsibilities of other signatory states.
    The Department invites other Federal agencies, States, Indian 
tribes, local governments, and the general public to submit written 
comments or suggestions concerning the scope of the issues to be 
addressed, alternatives to be analyzed, and the environmental impacts 
to be assessed in the Draft PEIS. The public is invited to participate 
in a series of scoping workshops and meetings that will be held during 
the months of February through April in Wyoming, Nebraska, and 
Colorado. A schedule of the meetings is provided. Those not desiring to 
submit comments or suggestions at this time, but who would like to 
receive a copy of the Draft PEIS, should write to the address below.
    During the scoping process, Reclamation and the Service will be 
identifying which other Federal, State and local agencies, and tribal 
governments may have expertise or authority relative to the Program and 
may be invited to become cooperating agencies in the preparation of the 
PEIS.
    When the Draft PEIS is complete, its availability will be announced 
in the Federal Register and in the local news media. Comments will be 
solicited on this document.

DATES: See Supplementary Information section for meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information section for meeting locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Curt Brown, Study Manager, or Ms. 
Lynn Holt, Outreach Coordinator, Platte River EIS Office, PO Box 25007, 
Mail Code PL-100, Department of the Interior, Denver, Colorado 80225-
0007. Telephone: (303) 445-2096. FAX: (303) 445-6331.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The States of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado, and the U.S. 
Department of the Interior have entered into an agreement to begin 
cooperatively addressing endangered species issues in the Platte River 
in Nebraska which may affect the entire Platte River Basin, including 
development of a recovery implementation program (Program). 
(Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research and Other Efforts 
Relating to Endangered Species Habitat Along the Central Platte River, 
Nebraska. Signed July 1, 1997, by the Governors of Wyoming, Colorado, 
and Nebraska, and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the 
Interior.) A copy of the Cooperative Agreement may be obtained by 
contacting the Platte River EIS Office, or attending a scoping meeting. 
It is also available at the Platte River EIS website: http://
www.usbr.gov/platte.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The whooping crane, piping plover, and interior least tern, which 
are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA), use the

[[Page 6769]]

Central Platte River Valley in Nebraska. The Fish and Wildlife Service 
has designated the reach of the Central Platte River from Lexington to 
Shelton, Nebraska, as critical habitat for the whooping crane. The 
pallid sturgeon, which occurs in the Lower Platte River between its 
confluence with the Elkhorn and the Missouri River, is also listed as 
endangered. Together, these four species are the ``target species'' for 
the partnership.
    The waters of the Platte River serve the people of Wyoming, 
Colorado and Nebraska in many ways. Federal and non-Federal water 
projects in the Platte River Basin, including 15 major dams, provide 
municipal and industrial water supplies for about 3.5 million people, 
irrigate millions of acres of farmland, and generate millions of 
dollars in hydroelectric power. These projects also provide flood 
control, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat.
    The Service has concluded that suitable habitat in the Central 
Platte region for the target species has been significantly reduced by 
water diversions and other factors, such as highway and bridge 
construction and other changes in land use that have come with 
extensive settlement throughout the Platte River Basin. Under the ESA, 
Federal agencies must ensure that the water projects which they operate 
or for which they provide Federal permits or funds are not likely to 
jeopardize the continued existence of any threatened or endangered 
species or to adversely modify critical habitat. If a project is likely 
to cause these adverse impacts, its operation must be modified or other 
measures undertaken to protect the species.
    Many water projects in the Platte River Basin are now or soon will 
be undergoing a review of their impacts on endangered species. These 
projects include Reclamation's North Platte Projects in Wyoming and 
western Nebraska and the Colorado Big Thompson Project in Colorado; the 
Corps of Engineers' reservoirs in the Denver area; and a large number 
of non-Federal water storage and diversion projects, primarily in 
Colorado, which require renewal of permits from the U.S. Forest 
Service. Also included are the non-Federal hydropower projects in 
Nebraska and Colorado, including Kinglsey Dam, which require license 
renewals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
    The Department believes that the best approach to addressing the 
ESA issues in the Platte region in Nebraska is a basin-wide, 
cooperative effort to improve and maintain habitat for the target 
species. The alternative to a basin-wide approach would be for each of 
these water projects in the Platte River Basin to undergo individual 
review and lengthy proceedings to develop separate measures to help the 
listed species. The Department believes that a basin-wide, cooperative 
approach will be more effective, efficient, and equitable, and provide 
greater certainty for water users regarding compliance with the ESA.
    The purpose of the Proposed Program, and any Program alternatives 
formulated is to:
    1. Secure defined benefits for the target species and their 
associated Platte River habitat through a Program that offsets the 
effects of existing and new water related activities in the basin that 
without a Program would be found likely to jeopardize the continued 
existence of the target species or adversely modify critical habitat. 
(``Associated habitats,'' ``water related activities,'' and ``new water 
related activities'' are defined in the Cooperative Agreement.) This 
will be accomplished by implementing certain aspects of the Fish and 
Wildlife Service recovery plans for the target species that relate to 
their associated habitats by:
     Improving and maintaining the migrational habitat for the 
whooping cranes.
     Improving and maintaining the reproductive habitat for the 
interior least tern and the piping plover.
     Testing the assumption that it is possible to improve 
habitat for the pallid sturgeon by managing flows in the Central Platte 
River that may also affect the sturgeon's habitat in the Lower Platte 
River.
    2. Ensure that the effects of future water activities in the Platte 
River Basin are offset so that they are not likely to jeopardize the 
continued existence of the target species or adversely modify critical 
habitat. Mitigate new water related activities in the States of 
Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska in a manner that will not increase the 
mitigation responsibilities of the other states.
    3. Provide greater regulatory certainty regarding compliance with 
section 7 of the ESA, by serving as the reasonable and prudent 
alternative under the ESA for existing and new water related 
activities.
    4. Help prevent the need to list more species associated with the 
Platte River as threatened or endangered pursuant to the ESA.
    5. Accomplish these goals through a cooperative, basin-wide 
approach that can be agreed to by the three States and the Department 
of the Interior.

The Proposed Federal Action

    The Cooperative Agreement describes a proposed Recovery 
Implementation Program to address the endangered species issues. This 
proposed Program, and alternatives, will be evaluated according to the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.
    The long-term objectives for the proposed Program are to:
     Provide additional or modified river flows to and through 
the Central Platte habitat area. The Service has identified flow levels 
they believe are necessary to provide adequate habitat for the 
endangered species. Existing flows currently fall short of these 
targets. The Department and the States agree that flow targets will be 
reviewed and may be modified as new information becomes available.
     Improve habitat through management, leasing, or 
acquisition of approximately 29,000 acres of suitable habitat between 
Lexington and Chapman, Nebraska.
     Mitigate or offset any impacts on the target species that 
might result from new water related activities in the basin.
    The first phase of the proposed Program (10-12 years) would:
     Reduce shortages to the current target flows by an average 
of 130,000 to 150,000 acre-feet per year. The proposed Program would 
restore the original storage capacity of Pathfinder Reservoir in 
Wyoming; establish an environmental water account in Lake McConaughy in 
Nebraska; and develop a groundwater recharge and river re-regulation 
project near Tamarack State Wildlife Area in Colorado. These three 
actions are expected to reduce shortages by approximately 70,000 acre-
feet of water. A basin-wide study will look for ways to provide an 
additional 60,000 acre-foot reduction in flow shortages through water 
conservation and water supply options.
     Protect or restore, through acquisition, lease, or 
easement, 10,000 acres of habitat in the Central Platte River area 
between Lexington and Chapman, Nebraska. The Nebraska Public Power 
District's Cottonwood Ranch between Overton and Elm Creek (2,650 acres) 
will contribute to that goal.1
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    \1\  In later phases of the proposed Program, the holdings of 
the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, the Nebraska Game 
and Parks Commission, the Nature Conservancy, and the Audubon 
Society, totaling approximately 9,000 acres of habitat, will be 
included toward the long-term goal of 29,000 acres.
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    All water conservation, habitat management, leases, easements, or 
acquisition of lands to meet these goals

[[Page 6770]]

would be undertaken only with willing sellers and participants.
    Progress made under this initial phase of the proposed Program 
would be closely monitored. The cooperating entities would then 
evaluate the results of the first phase and define any subsequent 
approaches and actions needed to meet the overall goals.
    Additional description of the proposed Program can be obtained by 
contacting the Platte River EIS Office at the address above.

Programmatic EIS

    The impacts of the proposed Program and alternatives will be 
evaluated through a PEIS. This assessment will look at the effects of 
the proposed Program and alternatives primarily upon the habitat of the 
four target threatened and endangered species along the Central Platte 
River in Nebraska in order to assess the degree to which each 
alternative achieves the program purposes. Other impacts of the 
alternatives will be examined more broadly. Once a preferred 
alternative is selected for implementation, further NEPA compliance may 
be required for site-specific Federal actions. For example, the PEIS 
will examine the effects of restoring the original storage in 
Pathfinder Reservoir upon the water operations of Reclamation's North 
Platte reservoirs and the downstream effects upon the habitat of the 
target species. If this element is part of the ultimately selected 
Program, an additional site-specific NEPA study would likely need to be 
undertaken to assess, for example, the construction impacts of raising 
Pathfinder Dam. Similarly, it is expected that the PEIS will examine 
the benefits to the habitat of the target species from a range of water 
conservation measures throughout the Platte River Basin, including the 
costs of such measures and their broad effects on factors such as water 
use, associated revenues, and local taxes. It is possible that further 
NEPA compliance might be required prior to implementing some specific 
conservation measures in specific locations.
    A Draft PEIS is scheduled for completion by mid-1999.

Public Scoping

    Scoping meetings will be held in Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska in 
February through April of 1998 for the purpose of obtaining public 
input and suggestions on the significant issues related to the proposed 
action. The schedule and locations for these activities are shown 
below. The public is especially asked to provide input on:
    (1) alternative approaches to meeting the needs and purposes of the 
Federal action. For example, are there more effective or feasible ways 
to improve or protect the habitat of the four target species? 
Suggestions could address individual elements of a plan, such as ways 
to conserve water or to improve habitat management, or could provide 
broader options, such as reoperation of the Federal reservoirs in the 
Platte River Basin. Suggestions also could address such factors as the 
timing of a program, e.g., implementing an entire program at the onset, 
rather than using the phased, adaptive management approach in the 
proposed Program.
    (2) impacts of the proposed Program and alternatives that should be 
evaluated and reported. In addition to the effects of the alternatives 
on the habitat of the target species, what are likely to be significant 
consequences of the various options that should be considered and 
reported?

Schedule of Scoping Meetings

    A series of meetings will be conducted in Colorado, Nebraska, and 
Wyoming. Each will begin with a 1-hour open house at which the public 
can informally discuss issues and ask questions of staff and managers 
involved in the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership.
    The open house will be followed by a more formal scoping meeting in 
which each participant will be given time to make comments. Speakers 
should plan on 5 minutes for their comments. These comments will be 
formally recorded. Speakers are encouraged to provide written versions 
of their oral comments, and any other additional written materials, for 
the record.
    Comments may also be sent directly to the Platte River EIS Office 
to be included in the record.

Dates of Scoping Meetings

February 25, 1998, 5-8 p.m., Loveland, CO
March 2, 1998, 4-7 p.m., Scottsbluff, NE
March 3, 1998, 2-5 p.m., North Platte, NE
March 4, 1998, 4-7 p.m., Grand Island, NE
March 5, 1998, 4-7 p.m., Lincoln, NE
March 11, 1998, 3-6 p.m., Kearney, NE
March 17, 1998, 3-6 p.m., Saratoga, WY
March 18, 1998, 4-7 p.m., Casper, WY
March 19, 1998, 2-5 p.m., Torrington, WY
March 26, 1998, 4-7 p.m., Sterling, CO
April 7, 1998, 6-9 p.m., Denver, CO

Addresses of Scoping Meetings

     Loveland--Loveland Museum, 503 North Lincoln Avenue, 
Loveland, CO 80537.
     Scottsbluff--Scottsbluff Inn, 1901 21st Avenue, 
Scottsbluff, NE 69361.
     North Platte--Camino Inn & Suites, Jct US 83 & I-80, North 
Platte, NE 69101.
     Grand Island--Holiday Inn Midtown, 2503 South Locust, 
Grand Island, NE 68801.
     Lincoln--The Nebraska Center for Continuing Education, 
33rd and Holdrege Street, Lincoln, NE 68583.
     Kearney--Regency Inn, 301 2nd Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847.
     Saratoga--Riviera Lodge, 104 East Saratoga Street, 
Saratoga, WY 82331.
     Casper--Casper Hilton Inn, 800 North Poplar Street, 
Casper, WY 82601.
     Torrington--The King's Inn, 1555 S Main Street, 
Torrington, WY 82240.
     Sterling--Ramada Inn, I-76 & Highway 6, Sterling, CO 
80751.
     Denver--Stapleton Plaza Hotel and Fitness Center, 
(Ballroom Arapaho A), 3333 Quebec Street, Denver, CO 80207.

    Dated: February 5, 1998.
Patricia J. Beneke,
Assistant Secretary--Water and Science, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 98-3399 Filed 2-9-98; 8:45 am]
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