[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28600-28601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13439]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration
Finding of No Significant Impact and Floodplain Statement of
Findings for Dworshak Wildlife Mitigation Project
agency: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy
(DOE).
action: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Floodplain
Statement of Findings.
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summary: This notice announces environmental findings on BPA's proposal
to implement the Wildlife Mitigation Agreement for Dworshak Dam
(Agreement) in order to mitigate for loss of wildlife habitat caused by
the development of Columbia River Basin hydroelectric projects,
particularly Dworshak Dam. The project involves wildlife conservation
on 24 420 hectares (ha; 60,000 acres) of land in the Craig Mountain
area of Idaho, and future acquisition of additional, unidentified lands
in the lower Clearwater River drainage of Idaho for wildlife
conservation purposes. BPA has prepared an environmental assessment
(DOE/EA-1066) evaluating the proposed project. Based on the analysis in
the EA, BPA has determined that the proposed action is not a major
Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental
impact statement (EIS) is not required and BPA is issuing this FONSI.
A finding is included that there is no practicable alternative to
locating the project within 100-year floodplains.
for further information contact: Thomas C. McKinney, Bonneville Power
Administration, PO Box 3621 (ECN), Portland, Oregon, 97208-3621, phone
number 503-230-4749, fax number 503-230-5699. For copies of the EA and
this FONSI, please call BPA's toll-free document request line: 800-622-
4520.
Public Availability: This FONSI will be distributed to all persons
and agencies known to be interested in or affected by the proposed
action or alternatives.
supplementary information: Implementation of the Agreement would
transfer fee-title ownership of 24 420 ha (60,000 acres) to the Idaho
Department of Fish and Game, and establish trust funds for the State of
Idaho and the Nez Perce Tribe to use for protection and enhancement of
wildlife and wildlife habitat in Idaho. Some of the trust fund assets
would be used to acquire additional properties and/or conservation
easements, and some would be used for management activities.
Alternatives to the proposed action include maintaining the status quo,
site-specific wildlife mitigation, and no action.
Potential impacts of the proposed action are: (1) Slow changes to
vegetation patterns on wildlife mitigation lands; (2) avoidance of
further loss or degradation of habitat on wildlife mitigation lands;
(3) increased populations of target wildlife species; (4) improved
surface water quality on wildlife mitigation lands; and (5) reduced
grazing, timber production, and farming on wildlife mitigation lands.
There are two main reasons why these impacts would not be significant.
First, most of the impacts would gradually result from natural
succession of vegetation patterns. Encouragement of desirable plant
species (especially native species), discouragement of exotic species,
and grazing control would eventually increase biological diversity on
wildlife mitigation lands. Also, land use changes would not be
significant because most would occur over a period of years, and
because the amount of lands removed from economic uses would be minor
in relation to other lands in the general area remaining available for
similar uses. No impacts are expected on cultural resources, air
quality, or unique environmental resources such as components of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System or the National Trails System.
Floodplain Statement of Findings: This is a Floodplain Statement of
Findings prepared in accordance with 10 CFR part 1022. BPA publishes a
Notice of Floodplain and Wetland Involvement in the Federal Register on
May 10, 1994, and incorporated a floodplain and wetland assessment into
the EA. The proposed action may involve activities in the 100-year
floodplains of the Clearwater, Salmon, and Snake Rivers and their
tributaries because the floodplains and their related surface waters
have high wildlife value. Any development (such as fencing) within the
floodplains would be to protect or enhance wildlife values, and is
therefore consistent with Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management.
The proposed action [[Page 28601]] would preserve wetlands and is
therefore consistent with Executive Order 11990, Protection of
Wetlands.
BPA will endeavor to allow 15 days of public review after
publication of this statement of findings before implementing the
proposed action.
Determination: Based on the information in the EA, as summarized
here, BPA determines that the proposed action is not a major Federal
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment
within the meaning of NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. Therefore, an EIS
will not be prepared and BPA is issuing this FONSI.
Issued in Portland, Oregon, on May 11, 1995.
Randall W. Hardy,
Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-13439 Filed 5-31-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-M
