[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 82 (Friday, April 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10323]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: April 29, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Intent To Prepare An Environmental Impact Statement and
Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery
Project
AGENCIES: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy
(DOE) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Department of Interior (DOI).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) under section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321) and Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands
Involvement.
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SUMMARY: BPA and BIA intend to prepare an EIS on the proposed Nez Perce
Tribal Hatchery (NPTH) Project to try and rebuild naturally reproducing
salmon runs in the watersheds of the Clearwater and Salmon River sub-
basins. BPA and BIA intend to decide whether or not to provide funding
to construct, operate, and maintain the NPTH in these sub-basins. BIA,
as trustee for Tribal trust resources, will participate as co-lead
agency with BPA. The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) is the primary cooperating
agency. The EIS will evaluate the potential environmental effects of
the proposed action to construct and operate the NPTH and alternatives
to the proposed action. This action may involve floodplains and
wetlands located in the State of Idaho and within Nez Perce,
Clearwater, and Idaho counties.
In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain
and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR part 1022), BPA
and BIA will prepare a floodplains and wetlands assessment and would
perform this proposed action in a manner so as to avoid or minimize
potential harm to or within the affected floodplains and wetlands. The
assessment and a floodplain statement of findings will be included in
the EIS being prepared for the proposed project in accordance with
NEPA.
DATES: BPA and BIA have established a 45-day scoping period (beginning
April 29, 1994) during which affected landowners, concerned citizens,
special interest groups, local governments, fishery and environmental
groups, and any other interested parties are invited to comment on the
scope of the EIS. Scoping will help BPA and BIA ensure that a full
range of issues related to the proposed action and alternatives to the
proposed action are addressed in the EIS, and also will identify
significant or potentially significant environmental impacts that may
result from the proposed action and alternatives. Written comments
should be sent to the address below no later than June 13, 1994.
Comments may also be made at two EIS scoping meetings which will be
held at: May 24, 1994, 6 to 9 p.m., Red Lion--Downtowner, Teton Room,
1800 Fairview, Boise, Idaho 83702, and May 25, 1994, 6 to 9 p.m.,
National Park Service, Nez Perce National Historical Park, Highway 95,
Spalding, Idaho 83551. At the informal meetings, the NPT, project
sponsor and primary developer of the associated NPTH Master Plan, will
present information on technical aspects of the NPTH Project. Written
information also will be available, and BPA and NPT staff will answer
questions and accept oral and written comments.
Subsequently, a draft EIS (DEIS) will be circulated for public
review and comment, and BPA and BIA will hold public comment meetings
at the locations designated above. BPA and BIA will then prepare a
final EIS which will consider and respond to comments received on the
DEIS.
ADDRESSES: BPA and BIA invite comments and suggestions on the proposed
scope of the DEIS. Send comment letters, requests to be placed on the
project mailing list, and/or requests for more information to the
Public Involvement Manager, Lynn W. Baker, BPA-ALP, P.O. Box 12999,
Portland, Oregon 97212 or to BIA, 911 NE. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon
97232-4169. The phone number of BPA's Public Involvement Office is
(503) 230-3478 in Portland, Oregon; toll-free (800) 622-4519
nationwide.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: (1) Mr. Roy B. Fox, BPA NEPA
Compliance Officer--PG at (503) 230-4261 or Ms. June Boynton, BIA
Environmental Coordinator, at (503) 231-6749; (2) Mr. Chuck Korson, BPA
Environmental Manager, at (503) 230-5182; (3) Mr. Robert L. Swedo, BPA
Upper Columbia Area Office, 707 W. Main Avenue, suite 500, Spokane, WA
99201, (503) 353-2913; (4) Mr. Jim Normandeau, BPA Boise District
Office, 304 N. 8th Street, Boise, ID 83702, (208) 334-9137; or (5) Mr.
Ed Larson, Nez Perce Fisheries Resource Management, P.O. Box 365,
Lapwai, ID 83540, (208) 843-7320.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Project that is the subject of
the EIS consists of several components, including central and auxiliary
salmon incubation and rearing facilities, satellite rearing facilities,
and monitoring and evaluation facilities located in the Clearwater and
Salmon River Basins in central Idaho. The proposed NPTH would be
consistent with the Northwest Power Planning Council's (Council) Fish
and Wildlife Program Measure 703 (g)(2), calling for construction of
low-capital salmon and steelhead propagation facilities adaptable to
Columbia River Basin locales. The Council envisioned that the NPTH
Production Project would help rebuild or re-establish anadromous salmon
runs in the Clearwater and Salmon River sub-basins. The Nez Perce
Tribal Government envisioned the NPTH production project as a way of
helping to rebuild a fishery resource that is important to the Tribal
culture and allowing rights reserved in the 1855 Treaty with the United
States to be exercised. Further, this action would provide an
opportunity for the Federal government to fulfill its trust
responsibility to the NPT. BPA proposes this Project as a means to
protect, mitigate, and enhance Columbia River Basin fish and wildlife
resources under the authority of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power
Planning and Conservation Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-501). If developed,
the NPTH will employ state-of-the-art, technologically advanced salmon
supplementation techniques in an attempt to rebuild naturally
reproducing salmon runs in the watersheds of the Clearwater and Salmon
River sub-basins. As requested by the Council, BPA and NPT completed a
master plan for the proposed Project. The Council approved the NPTH
Master Plan, requesting final design and construction of the NPTH, on
May 27, 1992.
A. Proposed Action
The following need statement has been identified for the NPTH EIS:
The need is for naturally reproducing salmon at harvestable
populations in the upriver Clearwater and Salmon River sub-basins.
The established purpose(s) for the proposed NPTH project are
manyfold:
1. Protect, mitigate, and enhance Columbia River Basin anadromous
fish resources.
2. Develop, increase, and reintroduce natural spawning populations
of salmon within the Clearwater and Salmon River sub-basins.
3. Provide long-term harvest opportunities for Tribal and non-
Tribal anglers within Nez Perce Treaty lands.
4. Sustain long-term fitness and genetic integrity of target fish
populations.
5. Keep ecological and genetic impacts to nontarget fish
populations within acceptable limits.
6. Provide harvest opportunities for Tribal and non-Tribal anglers
within four salmon generations (20 years) following completion of the
Project.
7. Promote NPT management of NPTH production facilities and
production areas.
To meet the underlying need and purpose statements, the proposed
action is for BPA and BIA to fund: (1) Construction, (2) operation and
maintenance, and (3) monitoring and evaluation of a NPTH
supplementation project within the Clearwater and Salmon River sub-
basins. The NPTH supplementation facilities would consist of a central
incubation and rearing facility on the Clearwater River at Cherry Lane,
Idaho; an auxiliary salmon incubation and rearing facility on
Sweetwater Creek near Lewiston, Idaho; 13 satellite juvenile rearing
and adult holding facilities located in various tributary watersheds;
and monitoring facilities for juvenile and adult salmon in each
watershed where satellites are proposed. Species targeted for
supplementation are spring, summer, and fall chinook salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).
The central facility would incubate eggs and alevins and rear fry
to approximately 50-80 millimeters (2-3 inches) in size to prepare them
for final rearing and release at the satellite facilities or in natural
stream systems. The Sweetwater Creek holding facility would be
constructed to backup the central facility and rear subyearling or
yearling smolts and, when needed, to hold adult broodstock.
Satellite facilities used for rearing, acclimation, release, adult
holding, monitoring, and evaluation would also be constructed. They
would be located in key tributary watersheds of the Clearwater and
Salmon River sub-basins. Facility locations in the Clearwater sub-basin
would be: Lolo Creek (Mainstem Lolo Creek, Yoosa Creek, and Eldorado
Creek); South Fork Clearwater River (Meadow Creek, Mill Creek, Newsome
Creek); and the Selway River (Meadow Creek). Facility locations in the
Salmon River sub-basin would be: Slate Creek (Mainstem Slate Creek and
Little Slate Creek).
Floodplains and wetlands may be involved at the following central
and satellite facility sites:
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Site name County Township Range Section
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Cherry Lane; 21 miles East of Lewiston, Nez Perce................... 37N 3W 35
Darrell Kerby Ranch.
Sweetwater Sp., Origin W.F. Sweetwater Crk Nez Perce................... 33N 4W 4
Mann Lake Headgate, Lewiston Orchards Irr. Nez Perce................... 34N 47E 21
District, Sweetwater Crk.
No. Lapwai Valley, Tribal Allotment 606, Nez Perce................... 36N 4W 22, 27
Lapwai Crk., Clearwater R.
Mouth Lolo Crk., Clearwater R............. Clearwater, Idaho........... 35N 2E 14
Yoosa/Camp Crk. Confluence, Lolo Crk...... Idaho....................... 35N 6E 1,12
Crk. at Six-Bit Crk. Confluence, Lolo Crk. Idaho....................... 34N 6E 1
Newsom Crk/Beaver Crk Confluence, S.F. Idaho....................... 30N 7E 31
Clearwater River.
Mill Crk, S.F. Clearwater River........... Idaho....................... 29N 4E 27
Meadow Crk, S.F. Clearwater River......... Idaho....................... 30N 4E 35
Cedar Flats, Selway R..................... Idaho....................... 32N 7E 23
Meadow Crk, Selway R...................... Idaho....................... 31N 9E 11
Slate Crk, Hurley Crk Confl., Salmon R.... Idaho....................... 27N 2E 34
Slate Crk, Dead Horse Crk Confl., Salmon R Idaho....................... 26N 3E 3,10
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B. Process to Date
BPA and BIA have assumed the co-lead agency role for the NPTH EIS.
The NPT Department of Fisheries Resource Management will act as the
primary Cooperating Agency. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
and U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Nez Perce National Forest, will also
participate as Cooperating Agencies in the NEPA process.
The Council's Master Plan process involved close coordination among
the NPT, BPA, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, USFWS, and USFS.
Several meetings were held by these parties to focus on technical
issues that needed resolution and clarification so that preparation of
the Master Plan could proceed. Other meetings between the NPT and the
State involved discussions of harvest and production issues.
Discussions in January 1992, led to a Memorandum of Agreement between
the parties on a process for discussing management issues and
developing common positions to present in different forums. The NPT has
also met numerous times with field staffs of the USFS and others to
review technical elements of the Master Plan as it developed. Of
particular interest to the land managers is the location of the
proposed tributary facilities and constraints that might be needed on
current management practices.
C. Alternatives Proposed for Consideration
Alternatives thus far identified for evaluation in the EIS are: (1)
the proposed action to construct, operate, and maintain the NPTH
Project; and (2) no action (to not undertake action to develop the NPTH
Project). Intermediate alternatives that will feature scaled-down
versions of the total project will also be evaluated. Other
alternatives will be identified through the scoping process and will be
considered, if appropriate, in the EIS. Those reasonable alternatives
that meet both the stated need and purposes for action will be
evaluated in greatest detail.
D. Identification of Environmental Issues
BPA and BIA will prepare a DEIS that addresses and fully discloses
the potential environmental effects of the proposed facility and
associated operations as well as reasonable alternatives to the
proposed action. The principal environmental issues identified through
the Council's Master Plan scoping process for the NPTH include the
following: (1) Assessment of genetic and ecological risks; (2) direct
and cumulative effects of hatchery fish on wild fish, particularly
Snake River salmon stocks currently listed as threatened or endangered
under the Federal Endangered Species Act; (3) effectiveness of
supplementation as a fishery management tool to rebuild weak stocks;
(4) effects on non-target resident fish species; (5) water quality
effects; (6) effects on cultural resources; and (7) monitoring and
evaluation concerns. These, together with any additional issues
identified through the scoping process, will be examined in the NPTH
EIS.
Issued in Portland, Oregon, on April 19, 1994
John Robertson,
Deputy Asst. Administrator, Bonneville Power Admin.
[FR Doc. 94-10323 Filed 4-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
