[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 122 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 30645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15090]


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PACIFIC NORTHWEST ELECTRIC POWER AND CONSERVATION PLANNING COUNCIL


Amended Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program

AGENCY: Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning 
Council (Northwest Power and Conservation Council, Council), an 
interstate compact agency organized under the authority of the Pacific 
Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act of 1980, 16 
U.S.C. 839 et seq. (Northwest Power Act).

ACTION: Notice of final action adopting the amended Columbia River 
Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, the 
Council has amended its Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program 
(program). The final amended program may be found on the Council's Web 
site at http://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/program. Background: Pursuant to 
section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, in November 2007 the Northwest 
Power and Conservation Council requested in writing that State and 
Federal fish and wildlife agencies, Indian tribes, and others submit 
recommendations for amendments to the Council's Columbia River Basin 
Fish and Wildlife Program. The Council received over 3000 pages of 
recommendations and supporting information from 65 entities. The 
Council then received extensive written public comment on the program 
amendment recommendations. In September 2008, after reviewing the 
recommendations, the supporting information, and the comments received 
on the recommendations, the Council released for public review a draft 
revised Fish and Wildlife Program. The Council received over 1000 pages 
of substantial written comments on the draft amendments. All of these 
documents may be found on the Council's Web site at http://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/program/2008amend. The Council also took oral 
testimony at a dozen public hearings around the region. Transcripts of 
these hearings are in the administrative record along with the written 
comments. As specified in section 4(h)(5), the Council also held a 
number of consultations on the recommendations and draft amendments 
with representatives of State and Federal fish and wildlife agencies, 
Indian tribes, Federal hydrosystem agencies, and customers of the 
Bonneville Power Administration. Notes from these consultations are 
also in the administrative record.
    Following this public review process required by the Northwest 
Power Act, and after deliberations in public over the course of several 
Council meetings, the Council adopted the final revised program in 
February 2009 at a Council meeting in Portland, Oregon. The Council 
based its decisions on the recommendations, supporting documents, and 
the views and information obtained through public comment and 
participation and consultation with the agencies, tribes, and 
customers. The Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program 
continues to include detailed plans for nearly 60 subbasins and 
mainstem reaches of the Columbia River Basin. The subbasin plans 
themselves were not revised in this process. In the final step of this 
program amendment process, at its June 2009 meeting in Whitefish, 
Montana, the Council adopted written findings explaining its 
disposition of the program amendment recommendations, as required by 
section 4(h)(7) of the Northwest Power Act, along with responses to 
comments received on the program amendment recommendations and on the 
draft amended program. The findings and responses have been made part 
of the program as Appendix F. All of the elements of the Council's Fish 
and Wildlife Program may be found on the Council's Web site at http://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please visit the Council's Web site at 
http://www.nwcouncil.org or contact the Council at (503) 222-5161 or 
toll free (800) 452-5161.

Stephen L. Crow,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. E9-15090 Filed 6-25-09; 8:45 am]
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