[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 214 (Monday, November 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64982-64983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18575]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG)

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent and notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Adaptive Management Program (AMP) was implemented as a 
result of the Record of Decision on the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam 
Final Environmental Impact Statement to comply with consultation 
requirements of the Grand Canyon Protection Act (Pub. L. 102-575) of 
1992. The AMP includes a federal advisory committee (AMWG), a technical 
work group (TWG), a monitoring and research center, and independent 
review panels. The AMWG makes recommendations to the Secretary of the 
Interior concerning Glen Canyon Dam operations and other management 
actions to protect resources downstream of Glen Canyon Dam consistent 
with the Grand Canyon Protection Act. The TWG is a subcommittee of the 
AMWG and provides technical advice and recommendations to the AMWG.
    Dates and Addresses: The AMWG will conduct the following public 
meeting:
    Phoenix, Arizona--December 5-6, 2006. The meeting will begin at 
9:30 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. on the first day and begin at 8 a.m. 
and conclude at 3 p.m. on the second day. The meeting will be held at 
the Fiesta Inn Resort (Encantada Ballroom) located at 2100 South Priest 
Drive in Tempe, Arizona.
    Agenda: The purpose of the meeting will be to (1) review and 
develop a recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior for a Long-
Term Experimental Plan; (2) receive an update on progress for 
development of a Lower Colorado River recovery program and related 
work/goals for the endangered humpback chub; (3) discuss a selective 
withdrawal structure for Glen Canyon Dam; (4) review fiscal year 2006 
program expenditures; (5) approve the public outreach Web site; and (6) 
discuss research and monitoring reports, basin hydrology, and other 
administrative and resource issues pertaining to the AMP. To view a 
copy of the draft agenda, please visit Reclamation's Web site at: 
http://www.usbr.gov/uc/rm/amp/amwg/mtgs/06dec05/index.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Anticipated Approach Regarding Adoption of Long-Term Experimental Plan

    Based upon the foregoing agenda, the Department of the Interior 
anticipates utilizing the information developed through, and any 
recommendation(s) from, the TWG and the AMWG in preparing appropriate 
environmental compliance documentation to analyze the alternatives for 
a Long-Term Experimental Plan for the future operation of Glen Canyon 
Dam and other potential associated management activities. The Long-Term 
Experimental Plan is intended to ensure a continued, structured 
application of adaptive management in such a manner as to protect, 
mitigate adverse impacts to, and improve the values for which Grand 
Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area were 
established, including, but not limited to natural and cultural 
resources and visitor use, consistent with applicable federal law.
    The Long-Term Experimental Plan will build on a decade of 
scientific experimentation and monitoring that has taken place as part 
of the AMP, and will build on the knowledge gained by experiments, 
operations, and management actions taken under the AMP. Accordingly, 
the Department intends to tier from earlier National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) compliance documents prepared as part of the 
Department's Glen Canyon AMP efforts, see 40 CFR Sec. Sec.  1500.4(i), 
1502.20, and 1508.20(b), such as the 2002 Environmental Assessment 
prepared on adaptive management experimental actions at Glen Canyon Dam 
(Proposed Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam and Removal of 
Non-Native Fish).

Notice of Intent

    Pursuant to 40 CFR Sec.  1508.22, the Department of the Interior, 
through this Federal Register notice, announces its notice of intent to 
prepare and consider an environmental impact statement on the adoption 
of a Long-Term Experimental Plan for the future operation of Glen 
Canyon Dam and other associated management activities. The Long-Term 
Experimental Plan is proposed to implement a structured, long-term, 
program of experimentation (including dam operations, potential 
modifications to Glen Canyon Dam intake structures, and other potential 
management actions, such as removal of non-native fish species) in the 
Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. The range of alternatives for the 
proposed action will be developed following recommendations provided by 
the AMWG. The Department anticipates initiation of consultation through 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as appropriate, on the 
consideration and implementation of the Long-Term Experimental Plan.

Scoping

    Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.7(a)(1), 1501.7(b)(4), the Department of 
the Interior intends to utilize the information presented at the 
upcoming AMWG meeting as part of the scoping process in the NEPA 
process that is intended to address adoption and implementation of a 
Long-Term Experimental Plan pursuant to this Federal Register notice. 
In addition, Reclamation will also utilize the information developed 
through prior meetings of the AMWG, TWG, and Science Planning Group as 
relevant information for the purposes of scoping the upcoming NEPA 
process and to develop the appropriate scope of analysis pursuant to 40 
CFR 1508.25. Opportunities for additional public comment will be 
described in a subsequent Federal Register notice.

Relationship With Settlement Agreement in Center for Biodiversity v. 
Kempthorne

    Recently, the Center for Biodiversity and others filed suit against 
the U.S. Department of the Interior regarding operations of Glen Canyon 
Dam. In a Settlement Agreement approved by the United States District 
Court for the District of Arizona, the United States and Plaintiffs 
agreed to the following provision:

    1. Not later than January 31, 2007, Reclamation shall initiate 
environmental documentation activities pursuant to NEPA and the ESA 
with respect to modification of current, or other prospective, 
operations of Glen Canyon Dam and associated management actions of 
Reclamation and other agencies with the Department of the Interior; 
* * * (Settlement Agreement at section 1, pg. 3)

    It is the intention of the Department of the Interior to comply 
with this provision of the Settlement Agreement through this Notice of 
Intent published in the Federal Register. The Settlement Agreement can 
be found at the following Internet location: http://www.usbr.gov/uc/rm/amp/amwg/mtgs/06sep06CC/Attach_07.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Kubly, Bureau of Reclamation, 
telephone (801) 524-3715; faxogram (801) 524-3858; e-mail at 
[email protected].
    To allow full consideration of information by the AMWG members,

[[Page 64983]]

written notice must be provided to Dennis Kubly, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 South State Street, Room 6107, Salt 
Lake City, Utah 84138; telephone (801) 524-3715; faxogram (801) 524-
3858; e-mail at [email protected] at least five (5) days prior to the 
meeting. Any written comments received will be provided to the AMWG 
members.

Public Disclosure

    It is our practice to make comments, including names, home 
addresses, home telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, 
available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we 
withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to 
consider withholding this information you must state this prominently 
at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a 
rationale for withholding this information. This rationale must 
demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted 
invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. 
In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this 
information will be released. We will always make submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: October 24, 2006.
Darryl Beckmann,
Deputy Regional Director--UC Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
 [FR Doc. E6-18575 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am]
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