[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 30659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8265]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051606C]


Notice of Availability of Records of Decision for the Final 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Montrose 
Settlements Restoration Program

AGENCIES: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),Commerce; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (USFWS), Interior; National Parks Service (NPS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the three Records of Decision for the 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Montrose 
Settlements Restoration Program Natural Resource Restoration Plan.

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SUMMARY: The NOAA, USFWS, and NPS collectively announce the 
availability of their Records of Decision (RODs) for the Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Montrose Settlements 
Restoration Program Natural Resource Restoration Plan. NOAA, USFWS, and 
NPS are members of the natural resource trustee council planning and 
implementing natural resource restoration under the terms of the final 
settlement of litigation against the Montrose Chemical Corporation and 
other defendants. NOAA is the lead Federal agency, and USFWS and NPS 
are cooperating Federal agencies. The final EIS was released to the 
public for 30 days after the publication of a Notice of Availability in 
the Federal Register on November 11, 2005. The ROD documents the 
selection of Alternative 2 (the preferred alternative) in the final 
EIS.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the RODs may be obtained by written request to 
Trina Heard, NOAA GCNR, 501 West Ocean Blvd. Suite 4470, Long Beach, CA 
90802; by email request to [email protected]; or by calling Trina 
Heard at (562) 980-4070. The documents are also available on the 
Montrose Settlements Restoration Program web site at 
www.montroserestoration.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Baker, Program Manager, Montrose 
Settlements Restoration Program, 345 Middlefield Road, MS-999, Menlo 
Park, CA 94025, or [email protected], (650) 329-5048.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the RODs. 
NOAA, USFWS, and NPS selected final Restoration Plan EIS Alternative 2. 
Alternative 2 describes a first phase, $25 million course of action to 
restore natural resources injured by past releases of DDT 
(dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) 
into Southern California coastal waters. The selected actions restore 
fishing and fish habitat, seabirds, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons 
over a broad geographic area within the Southern California Bight. The 
restoration actions are:
     Construct artificial reefs and fishing access 
improvements;
     Provide public information to restore lost fishing 
services;
     Restore full tidal exchange wetlands;
     Augment funds for implementing Marine Protected Areas in 
California;
     Complete the NCI Bald Eagle Feasibility Study before 
deciding on further restoration actions;
     Monitor the recovery of peregrine falcons on the Channel 
Islands;
     Restore seabirds to San Miguel Island;
     Restore alcids to Santa Barbara Island;
     Restore seabirds to San Nicolas Island;
     Restore seabirds to Scorpion and Orizaba Rocks; and
     Restore seabirds to Baja California Pacific Islands.
    The NOAA, USFWS, and NPS reached their decision after taking into 
account the evaluation factors listed in the Restoration Plan EIS and 
in 43 CFR Part 11.82, the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act and its implementing regulations, and other applicable laws 
and regulations listed in Section 8 of the final EIS. The final 
selected program (Alternative 2) includes minor modifications based on 
public comments. As documented in the FEIS, this alternative was deemed 
to be the environmentally preferred course of action.

    Dated: May 24, 2006.
William T. Hogarth,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E6-8265 Filed 5-26-06; 8:45 am]
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