[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 194 (Thursday, October 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51872-51874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24342]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-MB-2009-N193; 80213-9410-0000-7B]


Federal Sport Fish Restoration; California Department of Fish and 
Game Fish Hatchery and Stocking Program

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments: draft 
environmental impact report/environmental impact statement (EIR/EIS).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announces the 
availability of the draft EIR/EIS for the California Department of Fish 
and Game's (CDFG) Fish Hatchery and Stocking Program (Program). FWS is 
lead agency, under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended, for the draft EIR/EIS jointly prepared with CDFG. 
Under the Sport Fish Restoration Act (SFRA), FWS proposes to fund 
actions associated with the operation of CDFG's 14 trout hatcheries and 
the Mad River Hatchery for the anadromous steelhead, and stocking from 
the 15 hatcheries. The Federal action does not include funding CDFG's 
other anadromous fish hatcheries and associated stocking, nor its 
issuance of private stocking permits. SFRA funding may also support 
CDFG's Fishing in the City and Classroom Aquarium Education Programs. 
CDFG is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA) and proposes to implement hatchery operations and stocking 
funded by FWS, as well as all other components of the CDFG Program, 
including anadromous fish hatchery operations and associated stocking, 
and issuance of stocking permits to private parties seeking to stock 
fish in California's inland waters. We invite and encourage interested 
persons to review the draft EIR/EIS and submit written comments 
regarding alternatives addressed in the document.

DATES: We must receive written comments at the address below on or 
before November 30, 2009. We will hold

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four public meetings to solicit comments. The meeting dates are:
    1. Wednesday, October 21, 2009, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., 
Sacramento, CA.
    2. Monday, October 26, 2009, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Redding, 
CA.
    3. Wednesday, October 28, 2009, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., 
Bakersfield, CA.
    4. Thursday, October 29, 2009, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Carson, 
CA.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting locations are:
    1. Sacramento--Elks Lodge, 6446 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 
95831.
    2. Redding--Shasta Builder's Exchange Training Facility, Shasta 
Room, 2985 Innsbruck Drive, Redding, CA 96003.
    3. Bakersfield--Double Tree Hotel, California Grill Room, 3100 
Camino Del Rio Court, Bakersfield, CA 93308.
    4. Carson--Carson Community Center, Main Hall, 3 Civic Plaza Drive, 
Carson, CA 90745.
    Mail comments to Mr. Bart Prose, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
2800 Cottage Way, Room W-1729, Sacramento, CA 95825; via e-mail to 
[email protected]; or via fax to (916) 978-6155. Copies of the draft 
EIR/EIS can be downloaded from the CDFG Web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/pubnotice/hatchery/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bart Prose, (916) 978-6152 
(phone); [email protected] (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the SFRA (Pub. L. 106-408), FWS has 
authority to grant Federal funds from the Sport Fish Restoration and 
Boating Trust Fund to support actions associated with CDFG's Program. 
The Trust Fund is financed through collection of excise taxes on sport-
fishing equipment, electric motors, and sonar; import duties on fishing 
tackle, yachts, and pleasure craft; the portion of gasoline tax 
attributable to motorboats and small engines; and interest on the Trust 
Fund.
    CDFG has been rearing and stocking fish in the inland waters of 
California since the late 1800s, when the State of California enacted 
legislation to restore and preserve fish in State waters. This 
legislation called for the newly formed California State Fish and Game 
Commission, to establish ``fish breederies'' to stock and supply 
streams, lakes, and bays with both foreign and domestic fish. Since 
that time in the late 1800s, CDFG has continued that mandate by rearing 
and stocking both inland trout and anadromous species of fish reared at 
24 hatcheries and planting bases located throughout the state.
    For the past approximately 100 years, CDFG has stocked nonnative 
trout throughout the State. CDFG's Program currently operates 14 trout 
hatcheries throughout the state, rearing 6 trout species and 3 salmon 
species. Trout hatcheries rear rainbow, golden, cutthroat, brown, lake, 
and brook trout. Salmon species reared include Chinook, Coho, and 
kokanee. CDFG's Mad River Hatchery for anadromous fish presently rears 
only steelhead. Over the past 5 years, CDFG planted over 3.6 million 
pounds of combined trout and inland salmon, annually, from its 14 trout 
hatcheries into hundreds of locations, including high mountain lakes, 
low elevation reservoirs, and various streams and creeks. The Mad River 
Hatchery planted over 39,000 pounds of steelhead, annually, into the 
Mad River.
    Funding CDFG Program activities provides freshwater angling 
opportunities and recreation throughout the state. Operations and 
stocking associated with the 14 trout hatcheries and the Mad River 
anadromous fish hatchery are eligible for SFRA grants. FWS does not 
fund operations or stocking associated with other anadromous hatcheries 
because they are mitigation hatcheries, which are funded through other 
sources.
    In 2005, State Assembly Bill 7 added Section 13007 to the 
California Fish and Game Code (FGC 13007), which established annual 
minimum release targets for hatchery trout based upon sport-fishing 
license sales, and required CDFG to deposit one-third of sport-fishing 
license fees into its Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Fund for specified 
fisheries management purposes. Per CDFG's implementation plan for FGC 
13007, funding for the stocking program was scheduled to increase from 
almost $8 million for State fiscal year (FY) 2005-2006, to $15 million 
for State FY 2006-2007. In addition, a State court order in 2006 
required CDFG to complete an environmental review for its Program. To 
expediently address Program changes due to FGC 13007, the court-ordered 
environmental review, and associated SFRA funding contributions to the 
Program, FWS and CDFG agreed to prepare a joint EIR/EIS. FWS published 
a notice of intent to prepare the EIR/EIS in the Federal Register on 
August 5, 2008 (73 FR 45470).
    The objectives of CDFG's Program are to continue the rearing and 
stocking of fish for the recreational use of anglers, while balancing 
the interaction between State- and privately stocked fish and 
threatened and endangered species. The purpose of FWS's proposed SFRA 
funding is to support operations of CDFG's 14 trout hatcheries and the 
Mad River Hatchery for the anadromous steelhead, and associated 
stocking of fish produced at those hatcheries. SFRA funding also 
supports CDFG's Fishing in the City and Classroom Aquarium Education 
Programs. The need addressed by the proposed action is the support of 
viable recreational fishing in California, through increased angler 
success that is provided by stocking of hatchery fish in both urban and 
rural water bodies. Provision of SFRA funds for support of private 
stocking permits, or operation of other anadromous fish hatcheries and 
their associated stocking efforts, is outside the scope of actions 
contemplated by FWS at this time.
    Hatchery operations and stocking activities associated with CDFG's 
inland water hatchery program, including potential increases in fish 
rearing and stocking in the future, have been evaluated for their 
effects on the environment. Potential impacts to native amphibians and 
fish, which have experienced declines within the state, are of chief 
interest. Results of the evaluations and alternative courses of action 
are presented in the draft EIR/EIS, in accordance with CEQA (PRC 21000 
et seq.) and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

Alternatives

    Four alternatives were developed for CDFG's Fish Hatchery and 
Stocking Program, and each is included for detailed analysis in the 
draft EIS/EIR. All Program components are subject to CEQA, but only the 
subset of components with Federal discretionary involvement (associated 
with SFRA funding) are subject to NEPA; i.e., operations of CDFG's 14 
trout hatcheries and the Mad River Hatchery for steelhead, associated 
stocking of fish produced at those hatcheries, and the Fishing in the 
City and Classroom Aquarium Education Programs. Only the components of 
the 4 alternatives pertinent to NEPA are described here.

Preferred Alternative

    Under the Preferred Alternative, FWS will continue to provide 
funding, as modified by certain mitigation provisions, for operations 
of CDFG's 14 trout hatcheries and the Mad River Hatchery for steelhead, 
and associated stocking of fish produced at those hatcheries. Although 
hatchery operations will remain unchanged from those conducted during 
the last 5 years, decisions on stocking of trout will be made using a 
statewide tiered review process that emphasizes protection of native, 
sensitive, or legally protected species. In high mountain lake areas 
where Aquatic Biodiversity Management Plans (ABMPs) have been

[[Page 51874]]

prepared, stocking will continue to follow guidelines that ensure 
expansion of habitats for native amphibians and fish. In areas without 
ABMPs, trout stocking will be based on site-specific evaluations of 
risk to native, sensitive, or legally protected species. Where 
appropriate surveys have yet to be completed, stocking will be 
suspended until the appropriate evaluations have been completed. ABMPs 
or other similar plans may be developed and implemented prior to 
reinitiation of stocking in those locations. Depending on the specific 
location, such plans could include eradication of nonnative fish from 
water bodies currently or formerly harboring sensitive native species, 
genetic analysis of native fish to determine degree of hybridization, 
cessation of nonnative trout stocking in waters occupied by native 
trout populations, and implementation of measures consistent with FWS 
recovery plans and CDFG management plans. Stocking of Mad River 
steelhead will continue with measures intended to reduce the 
interaction between hatchery reared fish and naturally reproducing 
populations and consistent with the Draft Hatchery and Genetic 
Management Plan submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service. The 
Fishing in the City and Classroom Aquarium Education Programs will 
continue under uniform protocols developed to ensure that stocking 
locations are properly screened to protect native, sensitive, and 
legally protected species. Implementation of Program activities 
following development of any ABMPs or uniform protocols for the Fishing 
in the City and Classroom Aquarium Education Programs may require 
additional, site-specific NEPA compliance tiered from the EIR/EIS.

Continuation of Interim Program Provisions Alternative

    Under the Continuation of Interim Program Provisions Alternative, 
FWS will continue to provide funding for operations of CDFG's 14 trout 
hatcheries and the Mad River Hatchery for steelhead, and associated 
stocking of fish produced at those hatcheries, consistent with the 
court-ordered prohibitions and exceptions on fish stocking that were 
put into place for the interim period between the date of the court 
order and completion of the EIR/EIS. The interim provisions prohibit 
stocking nonnative fish in any California fresh water body where 
surveys have demonstrated the presence of 25 specified amphibian or 
fish species, or where a survey for those species has not yet been 
completed. The order does not address the stocking of native fish into 
native waters. Exceptions to the prohibitions include stocking in 
human-made reservoirs larger than 1000 acres; stocking in human-made 
reservoirs less than 1000 acres that are not connected to a river or 
stream, are not within California red-legged frog critical habitat, or 
are not where California red-legged frogs are known to exist; stocking 
as required for state or federal mitigation; stocking for the purpose 
of enhancing salmon and steelhead populations and funded by the 
Commercial Trollers Salmon Stamp; stocking of steelhead from the Mad 
River Hatchery into the Mad River Basin; CDFG's Aquarium in the 
Classroom program; stocking actions to support scientific research; and 
stocking done under an existing private stocking permit or to be 
completed under a new permit with terms similar to one that was issued 
in the last 4 years. The Fishing in the City and Classroom Aquarium 
Education Programs will continue under uniform protocols developed to 
ensure that stocking locations are properly screened to protect native, 
sensitive, and legally protected species.

Continuation of Existing Program Alternative

    The Continuation of Existing Program Alternative (consistent with 
the CEQA No Project Alternative) is continuation of SFRA funding for 
the existing Fish Hatchery and Stocking Program. The hatcheries' 
operation and stocking activities undertaken by CDFG over the past 5 
years would continue unchanged (some activities may be inconsistent 
with the court-ordered prohibitions and exceptions), and the SFRA 
funding process for these activities will continue as it has over the 
same period.

No Action Alternative

    Under the No Action Alternative, FWS would not approve SFRA grant 
funds to be used by CDFG to support actions associated with operations 
of the CDFG Fish Hatchery and Stocking Program. Because of State 
statutory and public trust requirements related to the hatchery 
program, CDFG would attempt to continue to implement its State hatchery 
program, seeking other funding sources to replace the Federal funds.

Special Assistance for Public Meetings

    If special assistance is required at the public meetings, please 
contact Mr. Bart Prose, (916) 978-6152 (phone); [email protected] (e-
mail). Please notify Mr. Prose as far in advance of the meetings as 
possible to enable FWS to secure the needed services. If a request 
cannot be honored, the requestor will be notified.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in comments, please be aware 
that your entire comment, including your personal identifying 
information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so. We will use the comments to prepare a final EIR/EIS. A 
decision will be made no sooner than 30 days after the publication of 
the final EIR/EIS. We anticipate that a Record of Decision will be 
issued by FWS in 2010.

    Authority:  National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.); Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR parts 1500-1508).

    Dated: October 2, 2009.
Margaret Kolar,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E9-24342 Filed 10-7-09; 8:45 am]
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