[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 189 (Wednesday, September 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52286-52287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-26130]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Milltown Hill Project, Douglas County, Oregon

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of the supplement to the final 
environmental statement.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is canceling work 
under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on the Supplement to 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Milltown Hill 
Project. A notice of intent to prepare a supplemental FEIS for the 
project was published in the Federal Register (62 FR 67890, December 
30, 1997). Douglas County (County) Oregon, the project applicant, has 
suspended its plans to develop a dam and reservoir at the Milltown Hill 
site on Elk Creek above Drain, Oregon. The County has been unsuccessful 
in obtaining a waiver from the State of Oregon to forego the 
construction of fish passage facilities at the proposed Milltown Hill 
Dam.

ADDRESSES: Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Regional Office, 
1150 North Curtis Road, Suite 100, Boise, ID 83706-1234.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For information on the project contact Robert Hamilton, telephone (208) 
378-5087. For information regarding the

[[Page 52287]]

NEPA process contact Robert Christensen, telephone (208) 378-5039.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Milltown Hill Project would 
have provided regulated flows of water to improve anadromous and 
resident fisheries and would have provided mitigating measures to 
improve fishery habitats. However, under Oregon law, each new dam is 
required to have appropriate fish passage facilities unless granted a 
waiver by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (Commission). No fish 
passage facilities were proposed for the Milltown Hill Dam because the 
added expense of constructing and operating the facilities would render 
the project uneconomical. The County applied to the Commission for a 
waiver, but the Commission denied the waiver. Therefore, the County has 
suspended further work on the project until an economical solution to 
the fish passage issue can be found.

    Dated: September 24, 1998.
Paul D. Rachetto,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 98-26130 Filed 9-29-98; 8:45 am]
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