[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 16 (Monday, January 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3600-3601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1554]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[INT-DES-04-3]


Platte River Recovery Implementation Program

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft environmental impact 
statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (as amended), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) as lead agencies have prepared a 
draft programmatic environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Platte 
River Recovery Implementation Program (Program). This DEIS also serves 
as the Biological Assessment necessary for consultation under Section 7 
of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 1997, the States of Nebraska, 
Wyoming, and Colorado and the U.S. Department of the Interior 
(Interior) signed a Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research and 
Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitats Along the Central 
Platte River, Nebraska (Cooperative Agreement). In this document, the 
signatories agreed to pursue a basinwide, cooperative approach to 
improve and maintain habitat for four threatened and endangered 
species--the whooping crane, interior least tern, piping plover, and 
pallid sturgeon (target species) in the Platte River in Nebraska.

DATES: A 60-day public review period commences with the publication of 
this notice, or until April 2, whichever comes later. Public hearings 
on the DEIS will be held during the month of March. Times and locations 
will be announced in the Federal Register and local media.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on, or requests for copies of, the DEIS 
should be addressed to Platte River EIS Office (PL-100), PO Box 25007, 
Denver, Colorado, 80225-0007; telephone: (303) 445-2096, or by sending 
an email request to [email protected]. The document is available on 
the Internet at http://www.platteriver.org. Copies of the DEIS area 
also available for public inspection at the locations listed under the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation and the Service have prepared 
this DEIS to analyze the impacts of the First Increment (13 years) of a 
proposed Program to benefit the target species and their habitat in the 
Platte River Basin and to provide compliance with the ESA for certain 
historic and future water uses in each State. The habitat objectives of 
the proposed Program include: improving flows in the Central Platte 
River through water re-regulation and conservation/supply projects; and 
protecting, restoring, and maintaining at least 10,000 acres of habitat 
in the Central Platte River area between Lexington and Chapman, 
Nebraska. The DEIS analyzes the impacts of four alternatives to 
implement the Program.
    The programmatic DEIS focuses on impacts that the Program may have 
on hydrology, water quality, land, target species and their habitat, 
other species, hydropower, recreation, economics, and social and 
cultural resources. Subsequent NEPA and ESA documents required for 
implementation of specific Program actions will be tiered off of this 
document.
    DEIS available for public inspection at the following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Public Affairs Office, 
1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240
     Bureau of Reclamation, Platte River EIS Office, 
44 Union Blvd., Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80228
     Bureau of Reclamation, Great Plains Regional 
Office, 316 N. 26th Street, Billings, MT 59101
     Bureau of Reclamation, Eastern Colorado Area 
Office, 11056 W. County Rd. 18E, Loveland, CO 80537-9711
     U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 203 W. 2nd 
Street, Grand Island, NE 68801
     U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4000 Airport 
Parkway, Cheyenne, WY 82001
    Libraries:
     Omaha Public Library, 215 South 15th Street, 
Omaha, NE 68102
     Scottsbluff Public Library, 1809 Third Avenue, 
Scottsbluff, NE 69361
     University of Nebraska at Kearney, Calvin T. 
Ryan Library, Kearney, NE 68849-2240
     University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Love Memorial 
Library, Lincoln, NE 68588-4100
     Grand Island Public Library, 211 North 
Washington, Grand Island, NE 68801
     North Platte Public Library, 120 West 4th 
Street, North Platte, NE 69101
     Goodall City Library, 203 W. A Street, Ogallala, 
NE 69153
     Natrona County Public Library, 307 East 2nd 
Street, Casper, WY 82601
     Wyoming State Library, 2301 Capitol Avenue, 
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0002
     University of Wyoming, Coe Library, 13th & 
Ivinson Streets, Laramie, WY 82071-3334
     Goshen County Library, 2001 East A Street, 
Torrington, WY 82240
     Carbon County Government Public Library, 
Rawlins, WY 82301
     Library, 2660 Peck Avenue, Riverton, WY 82501-
2273
     University of Colorado, Boulder, Norlin Library, 
1720 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO 80309-0184
     Denver Public Library, 10 West 14th Avenue 
Parkway, Denver, CO 80204-2731
     Colorado State University, William E. Morgan 
Library, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1019
     University of Northern Colorado, James A. 
Michener Library, 501 20th Street, Greeley, CO 80639-0091
     Jefferson County Public Library, Lakewood 
Library, 10200 West 20th Avenue, Lakewood CO 80215-1402
     Julesburg Public Library, 320 Cedar Street, 
Julesburg, CO 80737-1545
     Sterling Public Library, 420 N. 5th Street, 
Sterling, CO 80751-0400
     Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams, Loveland, 
CO 80537-5754
     Fort Morgan Public Library, 414 Main Street, 
Fort Morgan, CO 80701-2209
     Garfield County Public Library, 413 9th Street, 
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601-3607

Public Disclosure Statement

    Comments received in response to this notice will become part of 
the administrative record for this project and are subject to public 
inspection. Comments, including names and home

[[Page 3601]]

addresses of respondents, will be available for public review. 
Individual respondents may request that Reclamation and the Service 
withhold their home address from public disclosure, which will be 
honored to the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances 
in which Reclamation and the Service would withhold a respondent's 
identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish to 
have your name and/or address withheld, you must state this prominently 
at the beginning of your comment. Reclamation and the Service will make 
all submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses available for public disclosure in their entirety.

    Dated: January 16, 2004.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 04-1554 Filed 1-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P