[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4827-4828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2078]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-030-1920-00-4032]


Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Obtaining 
Water and/or Water Rights from Willing Sellers in the Walker River 
Basin and Public Scoping Meeting

    Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for 
obtaining water and/or water rights from willing sellers in the Walker 
River Basin for the purposes of protecting the Walker Lake ecosystem 
from degradation resulting from increasing salinity (TDS) in the lake; 
possible use in a settlement of the United States' water rights claim 
in the Walker River Basin should a settlement be negotiated; and to 
assist in recovery of the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout in the 
Walker River Basin.

AGENCY:  Bureau of Land Management, Carson City Field Office, 5665 
Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 89701.

[[Page 4828]]


ACTION:  Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for obtaining water and/or water rights from willing sellers in the 
Walker River Basin, notice of scoping period and public meetings.

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SUMMARY:  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City Field 
Office, in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Phoenix 
Area Office, The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Lahontan Basin Area 
Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Nevada Fish and 
Wildlife Office, will direct preparation of an EIS to be produced by a 
third-party contractor analyzing the impacts (direct, indirect, and 
cumulative) of obtaining water and/or water rights from willing sellers 
on the human environment in the Walker River Basin.

EFFECTIVE DATES:  Four public scoping meetings will be held in February 
and March, 2000 to allow the public an opportunity to identify issues 
and concerns to be addressed in the EIS. Representatives of the BLM, 
FOR, BIA, and FWS will be available to answer questions about the EIS 
process. Comments will be accepted until March 15, 2000. Scoping 
comments may be sent to: Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 5665 
Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 89701.
    The scheduled public meetings are:

Lyon County Library, 20 Nevin Way, Yerington, NV 89447
February 16, 2000--7 p.m.
Mineral County Library, 110 1st Street, Hawthorne, NV 89415
February 17, 2000--7 p.m.
Memorial Hall, School Street, Bridgeport, CA 93517
February 23, 2000--7 p.m.
Carson City Field Office, BLM, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 
89701
February 29, 2000--7 p.m.

    A Draft EIS (DEIS) is expected to be completed by August 25, 2000 
and made available for public review and comment. The comment period on 
the DEIS will be 60 days from the date the Notice of Availability (NOA) 
is published in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:  For additional information, write to the 
Field Manager of the Carson City Field Office at the address listed in 
the agency section of this notice, call or email Walt Devaurs (BLM Team 
Leader) at (775) 885-6150, wdevaurs&nv.blm.gov or Mike McQueen (BLM 
NEPA Coordinator) at (775) 885-6120, mmcqueen&nv.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The proposed EIS schedule is as follows:

Begin Public Comment Period: February 1, 2000
Issue Draft EIS: August 25, 2000
Issue Final EIS: March 1, 2001
Issue Record of Decision: June 5, 2001
End 30-day Appeal Period/Implementation: July 5, 2001

    Dated: January 26, 2000.
John O. Singlaub,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 00-2078 Filed 1-31-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M