[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 162 (Friday, August 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44918-44919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22489]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Intent To Conduct Public Scoping and Prepare an 
Environmental Document

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; National Marine Fisheries 
Service, NOAA, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct public scoping and prepare an 
environmental document.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and in 
accordance with the Washington State Environmental Policy Act, this 
notice advises the public that the Fish and Wildlife Service and 
National Marine Fisheries Service (Services) intend to gather 
information necessary to prepare an environmental document 
(environmental assessment or environmental impact statement) related to 
the proposed approval of a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) and 
issuance of an incidental take permit (Permit) to take endangered and 
threatened species in accordance with section 10(a) of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Permit applicant is the City 
of Tacoma, Washington, Public Utilities, Water Division (Tacoma Water); 
the application is related to forest management activities in the Green 
River Watershed located in southern King County, Washington. Tacoma 
Water intends to request a Permit for the northern spotted owl, marbled 
murrelet, and other federally-listed species. Tacoma Water also plans 
to seek coverage for approximately 25 currently unlisted fish and 
wildlife species (including Chinook salmon and bull trout which are 
proposed for listing under the Act, and other anadromous and resident 
fish) under specific provisions of the Permit, should these species be 
listed in the future. In accordance with the Act, Tacoma Water will 
prepare a Plan for, among other things, minimizing and mitigating any 
such take which could occur incidental to the proposed Permit 
activities (watershed management).
    The Services are furnishing this notice in order to: (1) advise 
other agencies and the public of our intentions; and (2) to obtain 
suggestions and information on the scope of issues to include in the 
environmental document.

DATES: Written comments from all interested parties must be received on 
or before September 21, 1998. A public scoping meeting will be held 
August 25, 1998, 6:30-9:00 p.m., at the Enumclaw Public Library, 1700 
First Street, Enumclaw, Washington.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for information should be sent to John 
Engbring, Habitat Conservation Plan Program Manager, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 510 Desmond Drive, S.E., Suite 102, Lacey, Washington 98503-
1273, telephone (360) 753-5836, facsimile (360) 753-9518; or Steve 
Landino, Habitat Conservation Plan Program Manager, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, 510 Desmond Drive, S.E., Suite 103, Lacey, 
Washington 98503-1273, telephone (360) 753-6054, facsimile (360) 753-
9517. Comments and materials received will be available for public 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above 
address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Tacoma Water owns and manages a water diversion dam and associated 
facilities (Headworks) on the Green River, approximately 5500 hectares 
(13,600 acres) of land upstream of the diversion dam on both sides of 
the River, and a well field (North Fork Well Field) located 
approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) upstream of the Headworks. Tacoma 
Water operates and manages the Headworks, watershed lands, and the 
North Fork Well Field as the principal source of municipal and 
industrial water for the City of Tacoma and portions of Pierce and King 
Counties. Howard Hanson Dam (Dam) and Howard Hanson Reservoir 
(Reservoir), owned and operated by the

[[Page 44919]]

Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), are also located on the Green River, 
upstream of the Headworks. City lands in the watershed are adjacent to 
the Dam and Reservoir on all sides.
    Current trends in population growth within the Puget Sound region 
create a need for Tacoma Water to explore possibilities for increasing 
its water supply capabilities. To meet this need, Tacoma has developed 
two separate but related plans. The first of these, the Second Supply 
Project, involves improvements at the Headworks and the construction of 
a 54 kilometers (33.5 miles) long pipeline from the Headworks to the 
City of Tacoma. This project is the subject of a State Environmental 
Policy Act review in the document entitled ``Final Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Second Supply Project, October 
18, 1994,'' prepared by Tacoma Water. The second related plan was 
developed in conjunction with the Corps, and in cooperation with the 
Services, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington 
Department of Ecology, and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, to increase 
the size of the Dam and consequently the Reservoir. Known as the 
Additional Water Storage Project, this plan incorporates restoration 
and mitigation measures (including fish passage) to alleviate the 
historical barrier to migrating salmon, and hence spawning, created by 
the Headworks and the Corps' Dam. This project is the subject of a 
National Environmental Policy Act review in the document entitled 
``Draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement, Howard 
Hanson Dam, Green River, Washington, April 1998,'' prepared by the 
Seattle District of the Corps.
    Tacoma Water's activities associated with the Second Supply 
Project, the Additional Water Storage Project, and other management 
activities on the City's watershed lands have the potential to impact 
species subject to protection under the Act. Section 10 of the Act 
contains provisions for the issuance of incidental take permits to non-
Federal landowners for the take of endangered and threatened species, 
provided the take is incidental to otherwise lawful activities, and 
will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery 
of the species in the wild. In addition, the applicant must prepare and 
submit to the Services for approval a Plan containing a strategy for 
minimizing and mitigating all take associated with the proposed 
activities to the maximum extent practicable. The applicant must also 
ensure that adequate funding for the Plan will be provided.
    Tacoma Water has initiated discussions with the Services regarding 
the possibility of securing a Permit and associated Plan for their 
activities in the Green River Watershed. Activities proposed for 
coverage under the Permit include the following:
    (1) Water withdrawal at the Headworks for Municipal and Industrial 
Water Supply which will reduce flows and have concomitant habitat 
effects downstream and include the bypass of fish at the Headworks 
intake, and inundate the impoundment area;
    (2) Water withdrawal from the North Fork Well Field for Municipal 
and Industrial Water Supply which will potentially reduce flows in the 
North Fork Green River above the Reservoir;
    (3) Construction of Headworks improvements (anticipated to occur 
during a 2 year period from the third quarter 1999 through the third 
quarter 2001). Such construction will cause:
    (a) Bypassing of fish at the Headworks intake during construction;
    (b) Raising the existing diversion dam by approximately 2 meters 
(6.5 feet) which will extend the inundation pool to about 780 meters 
(2,570 feet) upstream of the Headworks diversion;
    (c) Realigning and enlarging the existing intake and adding 
upgraded fish screens and bypass facilities for downstream passage;
    (d) Reshaping the Green River channel downstream of the existing 
diversion to accommodate the future installation of an efficient trap 
and haul facility for upstream fish passage; and
    (e) Installation, monitoring and maintenance of the instream 
structures in the impoundment for the Headworks dam raise fisheries 
mitigation;
    (4) Fish and water quality impacts related to the Headworks 
improvement construction;
    (5) Operation and maintenance of a wetland restoration project at 
Auburns Narrows associated with the Second Supply Project;
    (6) Operation of a downstream fish bypass facility at the 
Headworks;
    (7) Tacoma watershed forest management activities;
    (8) Monitoring of downstream fish passage through a proposed fish 
passage facility at the Dam associated with the Additional Water Supply 
Project;
    (9) Monitoring and maintenance of Additional Water Supply Project 
fish habitat restoration projects and Additional Water Supply Project 
fish and wildlife habitat mitigation projects; and
    (10) Restoration of anadromous fish above the Dam by trapping and 
hauling of adults returning to the Headworks, and possible planting of 
hatchery juveniles if found to be beneficial to restoration.
    The Services will conduct an environmental review of the Plan and 
prepare an environmental document. The environmental review will 
analyze the proposal, as well as a full range of reasonable 
alternatives and the associated impacts of each. The Services are 
currently in the process of developing alternatives for analysis. 
Should information become available which indicates the likelihood of 
significant impacts from the proposed project, an environmental impact 
statement will be prepared.
    Comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties to 
ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed action 
and all significant issues are identified. Comments or questions 
concerning this proposed action and the environmental review should be 
directed to the Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries 
Service at the address or telephone numbers provided above.
    The environmental review of this project will be conducted in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969, as amended (42 USC 4321 et seq.), National Environmental 
Policy Act Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), other appropriate Federal 
laws and regulations, and policies and procedures of the Services for 
compliance with those regulations.

    Dated: August 14, 1998.
Thomas Dwyer,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 98-22489 Filed 8-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-55-P