[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69698-69699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28603]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Criteria for Developing 
Refuge Water Management Plans

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The ``Criteria for Developing Refuge Water Management Plans'' 
(Refuge Criteria) are now available for public comment. The Refuge 
Criteria provide a common methodology, or standard, for efficient use 
of water by Federal Wildlife Refuges, State Wildlife Management Areas 
and Resource Conservation Districts that receive water under provisions 
of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA). They document 
the process and format by which Refuge Water Management Plans (Plans) 
should be prepared and submitted to Reclamation as part of the Refuge/
District Water Supply Contracts and Memoranda of Agreement. The Refuge 
Criteria refer to Refuges, Wildlife Areas, and Resource Conservation 
Districts as Refuges. Those Refuges that entered into water supply 
contracts with Reclamation as a result of the CVPIA and subsequent 
Department of the Interior administrative review processes are required 
to prepare Plans using the Refuge Criteria.

DATES: Submit written comments by December 15, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Please mail comments to Ms. Christy Ritenour, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-410, Sacramento, California, 95825, 
916-978-5281, or e-mail at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To be placed on a mailing list for any 
subsequent information or to obtain a copy of any water management 
plans, please contact Ms. Ritenour at the e-mail address or telephone 
number above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to the Central Valley Project 
Improvement Act of 1992 and a 1995 Department of the Interior 
administrative review process, the Interagency Coordinated Program for 
Wetland and Water Use Planning (ICP) was formed. The ICP was comprised 
of representatives from the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the 
Grassland Resource Conservation District. The ICP developed the 1998 
Task Force Report, which outlines past, present, and future wetland 
planning and management issues and a methodology for Refuge Criteria. 
To continue the work of the now disbanded ICP, an Interagency Refuge 
Water Management Team (IRWMT) was formed composed of the same agencies 
to continue working on wetland issues such as water delivery, including 
additional work on wetland Refuge Criteria. The IRWMT used the 1998 
Task Force Report and

[[Page 69699]]

Reclamation's 1999 Conservation and Efficiency Criteria as the 
foundation for developing the water management planning requirements or 
criteria included in these Refuge Criteria. The Refuge Criteria also 
incorporated comments, ideas, and suggestions from Refuge/District 
managers, biologists, water conservation specialists, engineers, the 
CALFED Bay-Delta Program, and other Central Valley stakeholders. The 
Refuge Criteria were last updated in 2004 and the proposed 2010 update 
is currently under review. The Refuge Criteria apply to the following 
areas: Kern National Wildlife Refuge, Merced National Wildlife Refuge, 
Pixley National Wildlife Refuge, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, Los 
Banos State Wildlife Area, Mendota State Wildlife Area, North Grassland 
State Wildlife Area, Volta State Wildlife Area, Grassland Resource 
Conservation District, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan 
National Wildlife Refuge, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Sutter 
National Wildlife Refuge, and Gray Lodge State Wildlife Area.
    Public Disclosure: Before including your name, address, phone 
number, e-mail address, or other 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.

    Dated: October 12, 2010.
Richard J. Woodley,
Regional Resources Manager, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2010-28603 Filed 11-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P