[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 45652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18722]



[[Page 45652]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Final Program Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact 
Report for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and the 
California Environmental Quality Act, the Bureau of Reclamation and the 
California Department of Water Resources have prepared a joint Final 
Program Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report 
(Final PEIS/R), for the implementation of the Stipulation of Settlement 
in NRDC, et al., v. Rodgers, et al. The Final PEIS/R recommends a 
proposed action from the alternatives considered in the Draft PEIS/R to 
achieve the Stipulation of Settlement's restoration and water 
management goals.

DATES: The Bureau of Reclamation will not make a decision on the 
proposed action until at least 30 days after release of the Final PEIS/
R. After the 30 day waiting period, the Bureau of Reclamation will 
complete a Record of Decision. The Record of Decision will state the 
actions that will be implemented and will discuss factors leading to 
the decisions.

ADDRESSES: A compact disk or a copy of the Final PEIS/R may be 
requested in writing from Ms. Margaret Gidding, Bureau of Reclamation, 
2800 Cottage Way, MP-170, Sacramento, California 95825, by email to 
[email protected], or by calling 916-978-5461. The Final PEIS/R is also 
accessible from the following Web site: www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=2940.
    Copies of the Final PEIS/R are available to the public, including 
the following locations:

 Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-170, Sacramento, 
California 95825
 Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 
1243 N Street, Fresno, California 93721-1813
 California Department of Water Resources, South Central Region 
Office, 3374 East Shields Avenue, Fresno, California 93726
 Visalia Branch Library, 200 West Oak Avenue, Visalia, 
California 93291-4931
 Central Branch, 2420 Mariposa Street, Fresno, California 93721
 Sacramento Public Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento, 
California 95814
 Merced County, Los Banos Public Library, 1312 S. 7th Street, 
Los Banos, California 93635-4757

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Michelle Banonis at 916-978-5457, 
via fax at 916-978-5469, or email at [email protected]. Additional 
information is available online at 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. Rodgers, et al., was settled. On 
September 13, 2006, the Settling Parties, including NRDC, Friant Water 
Users Authority, and the 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 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 San Joaquin River 
Restoration Program (SJRRP), consisting of the Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation), the California Department of Water Resources (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,'' Reclamation, FWS, NMFS, DWR, and DFG, are 
responsible for the management of the program to implement the 
Settlement.
    The Final 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 Final 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 Final PEIS/R selects proposed actions that would be implemented 
at a program level and will require future project-specific 
environmental compliance. The Final 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 Final PEIS/R provides broad direction for a wide range 
of possible future actions while allowing the opportunity for 
flexibility to respond to changing needs.

 Public Disclosure

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your communication, you 
should be aware that your entire communication--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your communication to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

    Dated: June 27, 2012.
 Pablo R. Arroyave,
Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2012-18722 Filed 7-31-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P