[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 78 (Friday, April 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22724-22725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9744]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Draft Program Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact 
Report (PEIS/R) and Public Hearings for San Joaquin River Restoration 
Program, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of 
Water Resources (DWR) have prepared a joint Draft PEIS/R, for the 
implementation of the Stipulation of Settlement (Settlement) in NRDC et 
al. v. Kirk Rodgers et al. The Settlement is based on two goals: (1) To 
restore and maintain fish populations in ``good condition'' in the 
mainstem of the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam to the confluence of 
the Merced River, including naturally reproducing and self-sustaining 
populations of salmon and other fish (Restoration Goal); and (2) to 
reduce or avoid adverse water supply impacts to all of the Friant 
Division long-term contractors that may result from the flows provided 
for in the Settlement (Water Management Goal). The Draft PEIS/R 
document evaluates the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of 
implementing the Settlement. The alternatives considered in the Draft 
PEIS/R include actions that will be implemented to work towards 
achieving the Settlement's Restoration and Water Management goals.

DATES: The Draft PEIS/R will be available for a 60-day public review 
period. Comments are due by June 21, 2011.
    Four public hearings have been scheduled to receive oral or written 
comments on the Draft PEIS/R:
     Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Visalia, CA.
     Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 6-8:30 p.m., Fresno, CA.
     Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 6-8:30 p.m., Los Banos, CA.
     Thursday, May 26, 2011, 1:30-4 p.m., Sacramento, CA.
    A presentation and open house to view project information and 
interact with San Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP) staff will 
precede the public hearings.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the Draft PEIS/R to Alicia 
Forsythe, SJRRP Program Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage 
Way, MP-170, Sacramento, CA 95825, or via e-mail at 
[email protected].
    The public hearings will be held at the following locations:
     Visalia, CA at the Lamp Liter Inn Ballroom, 3300 West 
Mineral King Avenue.
     Fresno, CA at the Piccadilly Inn--University Grand 
Ballroom, 4961 North Cedar Avenue.
     Los Banos, CA at the Merced County Fairgrounds Germino 
Room, 403 F Street.
     Sacramento, CA at the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza John Q. 
Ballroom, 300 J Street.
    The Draft PEIS/R is available on the SJRRP Web site at http://www.restoresjr.net or Reclamation's Web site at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=2940. If you would like to 
request a compact disc containing the document, please contact Ms. 
Margaret Gidding at 916-978-5461, or [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Michelle Banonis at 916-978-5457, 
via fax at 916-978-5469, or e-mail at [email protected]. Additional 
information is available online at http://www.restoresjr.net.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1988, a coalition of environmental 
groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), filed a 
lawsuit challenging the renewal of long-term water service contracts 
between the United States and the Central Valley Project (CVP) Friant 
Division contractors. After more than 18 years of litigation, this 
lawsuit, known as NRDC, et al., v. Kirk Rodgers, et al., was settled. 
On September 13, 2006, the Settling Parties, including NRDC, Friant 
Water Users Authority, and the U.S. Departments of the Interior and 
Commerce, agreed on the terms and conditions of the Settlement, which 
was subsequently approved by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District 
of California (Court) on October 23, 2006. The Settlement establishes 
two primary goals:
     Restoration Goal--To restore and maintain fish populations 
in ``good condition'' in the mainstem San Joaquin River below Friant 
Dam to the confluence of the Merced River, including naturally 
reproducing and self-sustaining populations of salmon and other fish.
     Water Management Goal--To reduce or avoid adverse water 
supply impacts on all of the Friant Division long-term contractors that 
may result from the Interim and Restoration flows provided for in the 
Settlement.
    The planning and environmental review necessary to implement the 
Settlement is authorized under the San

[[Page 22725]]

Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act (Act), included in Public Law 
111-11. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to 
implement the terms and conditions of the Settlement through the Act. 
The SJRRP, consisting of Reclamation, DWR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (FWS), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the 
California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), will work to implement 
the Settlement.
    Reclamation, on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, proposes 
to implement the terms and conditions of the Settlement, consistent 
with the Act. Additionally, the Settling Parties agreed that 
implementation of the Settlement will also require participation of the 
state of California (State). Therefore, concurrent with the execution 
of the Settlement, the Settling Parties entered into a Memorandum of 
Understanding with the State (by and through the California Resources 
Agency, DWR, DFG, and the California Environmental Protection Agency) 
regarding the State's role in the implementation of the Settlement. The 
``implementing agencies,'' which include Reclamation, FWS, NMFS, DWR, 
and DFG, are responsible for the management of the program to implement 
the Settlement.
    The Draft PEIS/R evaluates and documents numerous physical and 
operational actions that, when implemented, could potentially directly, 
indirectly, or cumulatively affect environmental conditions in the 
Central Valley. The Draft PEIS/R study area includes areas potentially 
affected by Settlement actions and involves the San Joaquin River, from 
Millerton Reservoir to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the water 
service areas of the CVP and State Water Project, including the Friant 
Division.
    The Draft PEIS/R considers a reasonable range of alternatives and 
analyzes the environmental effects of implementation of the Settlement. 
Seven alternatives are evaluated in the document, including a No-Action 
Alternative and six action alternatives. The Draft PEIS/R analyzes most 
activities that would be implemented at a program level. Actions 
analyzed at a program level in the Draft PEIS/R would require future 
project-specific environmental compliance. The Draft PEIS/R also 
analyzes the reoperation of Friant Dam to implement the Settlement at a 
project level. The project level review for the reoperation of Friant 
Dam comprises the entire NEPA analysis for this component of the 
Settlement. The Draft PEIS/R provides broad direction for a wide range 
of possible future project-level actions while allowing the opportunity 
for flexibility to respond to changing needs.
    Copies of the Draft PEIS/R are available for public inspection and 
review, including the following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-170, 
Sacramento, California.
     Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area 
Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, California.
     California Department of Water Resources, South Central 
Region Office, 3374 East Shields Avenue, Fresno, CA.
     Visalia Branch Library, 200 West Oak Avenue, Visalia, CA.
     Central Branch, 2420 Mariposa Street, Fresno, CA.
     Sacramento Public Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento, CA.
     Merced County, Los Banos Public Library, 1312 S. 7th 
Street, Los Banos, CA.

Special Assistance for Public Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
meetings, please contact Ms. Margaret Gidding at 916-978-5461, by TDD 
916-978-5608, or via e-mail at [email protected]. Please contact Ms. 
Gidding at least 10 working days prior to the meetings.

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 28, 2010.
Pablo R. Arroyave,
Mid-Pacific Region.

    Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the 
Federal Register on April 19, 2011.
[FR Doc. 2011-9744 Filed 4-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P