[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 73 (Friday, April 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19989-19990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8512]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Final Environmental Impact Statement for Drought Management 
Planning at the Kerr Hydroelectric Project, Flathead Lake, MT

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) provides this notice that 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Drought Management 
Planning at the Kerr Hydroelectric Project, Flathead Lake, Montana, is 
now available for public review and comment.

DATES: The BIA will issue a final decision on drought management 
planning at the Kerr Hydroelectric Project no sooner than 30 days 
following the publication date of this notice. Thus, any comments on 
the FEIS must arrive by May 17, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-carry written comments to: Mr. Bob 
Dach, Hydropower Program Manager, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 911 NE 11th 
Avenue, Portland, OR 97232. You may e-mail written comments to: 
[email protected]. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this 
notice for locations where the FEIS will be available for review and 
instructions for submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bob Dach, Hydropower Program 
Manager, Bureau of Indian Affairs, telephone: (503) 231-6711; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This FEIS finalizes the draft document, 
titled Drought Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, for 
which notice was provided in the Federal Register on July 26, 2006 (71 
FR 42415).
    The Kerr Hydroelectric Project (Project) is located at river mile 
72.0 on the Flathead River, just downstream from Flathead Lake. The 
Project is within the Flathead Indian Reservation and is operated 
pursuant to a July 17, 1985, license order issued jointly to PPL 
Montana, LLC (successor-in-interest to the Montana Power Company) and 
the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (Tribes).
    The license contains specific operating requirements governing, 
among other things, lake levels (Article 43) and minimum stream flows 
(Article 56). Minimum stream flows were required by the Secretary of 
the Interior (Secretary) pursuant to his authority under section 4(e) 
of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 797(e)) to protect natural 
resources important to the Tribes.
    During drought years, the available water supply may not be 
sufficient to provide minimum stream flows while maintaining Flathead 
Lake levels. As such, the Secretary also required the licensees to 
develop a Drought Management Plan (DMP) (Article 60) in an effort both 
to avoid and resolve potential water use conflicts that may arise under 
drought conditions. PPL Montana submitted a proposed DMP to the 
Secretary on March 4, 2002. Under Article 60, the Secretary has the 
sole authority to reject, modify, or otherwise alter the proposed DMP.
    Issues addressed in the DEIS included, but were not limited to, 
effects on hydroelectric power production, recreation, tourism, 
irrigation, flooding, treaty-protected fisheries, biological resources, 
wildlife habitat, and Indian traditional and cultural properties and 
resources. Alternatives to the licensees' proposed DMP were also 
evaluated in the DEIS. The FEIS refines the environmental analyses 
based on comments received on the DEIS from State and Federal agencies, 
other project stakeholders, and the public.
    A final decision regarding the framework and requirements of a DMP 
will be included in a Record of Decision (ROD), expected to be complete 
by Spring 2010. The ROD will identify the specific actions and 
procedures that must be included in the final DMP and will state 
specifically the next steps required by PPL Montana and the Tribes in 
finalizing the plan. Neither this EIS nor the ROD will include a 
``stand alone'' DMP as required by the license (Article 60), although 
the ROD will have all of the fundamental components required to be 
included in the final plan specifically identified. Finalizing the DMP 
in this manner should facilitate integration of DMP requirements with 
Kerr Project operational requirements that are best addressed by the 
licensees. We anticipate that the final DMP will be developed by PPL 
Montana and the Tribes in consultation with the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and BIA, and filed with the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission by Fall 2010.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: To submit comments on the FEIS, 
please include your name, return address and the caption ``FEIS 
Comments, Drought Management Planning at the Kerr Hydroelectric 
Project'' on the first page of your written comments.
    Directions for Obtaining Review of the FEIS: Copies of the FEIS 
will be mailed to individuals, agencies, organizations, and companies 
identified in the Draft EIS. Electronic copies of the FEIS are 
available upon request by contacting the person listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. The document is 
available electronically at: http://www.flatheadlake-eis.com/. Copies 
of the FEIS will also be available for review at the following 
locations in Montana:
     Polson City Library, 21st Avenue East, Polson, MT 59860.
     Flathead County Library, 247 1st Avenue East, Kalispell, 
MT 59901.
    Public Availability of Comments: Before including your address, 
phone number, e-mail address, or other

[[Page 19990]]

personal identifying information in your comment, you should 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.

    Authority:  This notice is published in accordance with section 
1503.1 of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 
parts 1500 through 1508) implementing the procedural requirements of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4371 et seq.) and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-
6), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

    Dated: March 26, 2010.
George T. Skibine,
Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2010-8512 Filed 4-15-10; 8:45 am]
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