[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 117 (Friday, June 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37797-37798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15255]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-030-1010-DC-032F]


Environmental Statements; Notice of Intent; Walker River Basin, 
NV; Water and/or Water Rights From Willing Sellers

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

ACTION: Second Amendment to the February 1, 2000 notice of intent to 
prepare an environmental impact statement for obtaining water and/or 
water rights from willing sellers in the Walker River Basin.

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    Second Amendment to the February 1, 2000 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 total dissolved solids (TDS) in the lake; 
possible use in a settlement of the United States' water rights claims 
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.

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 hold four public workshops for the purposes of refining 
issues identified in the on-going scoping process and developing 
reasonable alternative for consideration and analysis in the Walker 
River Basin Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
    These workshops are a follow-up to public scoping meetings held in 
February, 2000 regarding BLM's proposal to obtain water and/or water 
rights from willing sellers to protect the Walker Lake ecosystem from 
degradation resulting from increasing concentrations of total dissolved 
solids (TDS) in the lake, for possible use in a settlement of the 
United States' water rights claims in the Walker River Basin should a 
settlement be negotiated, and to assist in the recovery of the 
threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout.

EFFECTIVE DATES: A series of four public workshops will be held between 
July 5 and July 13, 2000. The workshops will be held from 5:30 p.m. 
until 9 p.m. at each of the following locations:


[[Page 37798]]


July 5, 2000  Yerington H.S. Multi-Purpose Room, 114 Pearl St., 
Yerington, Nevada
July 6, 2000  Mineral County Library, 110 1st St., Hawthorne, Nevada
July 12, 2000  Memorial Hall, School Street, Bridgeport, California
July 13, 2000  Carson City Field Office (BLM), 5665 Morgan Mill Rd, 
Carson City, Nevada

    These workshops will be conducted by Desert Research Institute as 
the principal contractor for preparing the Walker River Basin EIS, and 
personnel from the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Fish and Wildlife Service will 
participate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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, [email protected]; or Mike McQueen 
(BLM NEPA Coordinator) at (775) 885-6120, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed EIS schedule is as follows:

Begin Initial Public Comment Period  February 1, 2000
Hold Four Public Workshops  July 5-13, 2000
End of Extended Public Scoping Period  July 31, 2000
Issue Draft EIS (75-day public review)  November 24, 2000
End Draft EIS Public Review  February 7, 2000
Issue Final EIS (30-day public review)  June 1, 2001
Issue Record of Decision  August 5, 2001
End 30-Day Appeal Period/Implementation  September 5, 2001

    Dated: June 12, 2000.
John O. Singlaub,
Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 00-15255 Filed 6-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M