[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 184 (Thursday, September 23, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51517-51518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24764]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
[I.D. 091799E]
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
Regarding Proposed Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit to the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for All Activities in the
State of Washington Associated with Their Hydraulic Project Approval
Program.
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce; Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Conduct Public Scoping and Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) (collectively, the Services) intend to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) related to the proposed issuance
of an Incidental Take Permit (Permit) to the Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for all activities in the State of Washington
associated with their Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) program. The
proposed Permit would authorize take of Federally listed fish and
shellfish species in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (ESA) and certain other unlisted fish and shellfish
species should they be listed in the future. As required by the ESA,
the applicant is preparing a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan). The
Permit application is related to the state-wide issuance of HPAs for
activities that will alter the natural flow or bed of any salt or fresh
waters of the State. The Services, with WDFW, are preparing the EIS as
a joint document in
[[Page 51518]]
accordance with NEPA and the Washington State Environmental Policy Act.
The Services are furnishing this notice to advise other agencies
and the public of our intentions and to announce the initiation of a
60-day public scoping period during which other agencies and the public
are invited to provide written comments on the scope of issues and
potential alternatives to be included in the EIS.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 22,
1999. Public hearings have been scheduled (see SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION for dates, times, and locations).
ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for additional information should be
sent to the HPA HCP Project, WDFW Habitat Program, 600 Capitol Way
North, MS 43200, Olympia, Washington 98501-1091, E-mailed to
HPAHCPComments@dfw.wa.gov or submitted on-line via the WDFW web site,
http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/. From this site, click on ``Habitat Sciences,''
then to the HPA/HCP Project under ``Permits and Regulations.'' Select
the draft document to which your comments refer, then follow the
directions to complete and send the on-screen response form.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Romanski, FWS, 510 Desmond Drive,
SE, Suite 102, Lacey, Washington 98503-1273, telephone (360) 753-5823,
facsimile (360) 534-9331; or Gordon Zillges, NMFS, 510 Desmond Drive,
SE, Suite 103, Lacey, Washington 98503-1273, telephone (360) 753-9090,
facsimile (360) 453-9517.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: WDFW is responsible under State law for the
protection of Washington State's fish and wildlife resources. Chapter
75.20 Revised Code of Washington directs WDFW to review, and approve as
appropriate, hydraulic projects or other work that will use, divert,
obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any of the salt or fresh
waters of the State, to ensure the proper protection of fish and
shellfish life. The authority under which HPAs are written only applies
to fish and shellfish. Standards for fish protection by specific
project type are set in Chapter 220-110 Washington Administrative Code.
WDFW issues 6,000 to 8,000 HPAs in a typical year.
Each project conducted pursuant to a HPA has the potential to
impact fish or shellfish species that are subject to protection under
the ESA. Section 10(a)(2)(B) of the ESA contains provisions for the
issuance of permits to non-Federal entities for the take of endangered
and threatened species, provided the take is incidental to otherwise
lawful activities and will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of the
survival and recovery of the species in the wild. An applicant for a
permit under Section 10 of the ESA must prepare and submit to the
Services for approval a Plan containing a strategy for minimizing and
mitigating, to the maximum extent practicable, all take associated with
the proposed activities. The applicant must also ensure that adequate
funding for the proposed Plan will be provided.
WDFW has initiated discussions with the Services regarding the
possibility of a permit and associated programmatic Plan for the
activities associated with HPA issuance throughout the State. The
proposed Plan is expected to encompass all HPA types and forms issued
by WDFW and will address impacts to all Federal proposed or listed fish
or shellfish species in Washington State waters.
The Services will conduct an environmental review of the Plan and
prepare an EIS. The environmental review will analyze the proposal as
well as a full range of reasonable alternatives and the associated
impacts of each. The Services and WDFW are currently in the process of
developing alternatives for analysis. Alternatives thus far include a
No Action Alternative and one Plan Alternative. Under the No Action
Alternative, WDFW would not have incidental take coverage for HPAs
issued. The applicant's Plan Alternative proposes that WDFW implement
the proposed Plan throughout the State and the Services issue
incidental take permits. The scoping process will be used to develop
additional alternatives.
Comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties to
ensure that the full range of issues related to these proposed actions
are addressed and that all significant issues are identified. Comments,
questions or requests for additional information concerning this
proposed action and the environmental review should be directed to the
HPA HCP Project, WDFW (see ADDRESSES).
Public meetings are scheduled to be held at the following times and
locations: October 6, 1999, from 7:00-9:30 p.m., Washington State
Capitol Campus, General Administration Building Auditorium, 210
11th Avenue South, Olympia, Washington; October 7, 1999,
from 7:00-9:30 p.m.,Central Washington University Student Union
Building, Yakima Room, Ellensburg, Washington; October 12, 1999 from
7:00-9:30 p.m., at the Cowlitz County Public Utility District, 961
12th Avenue, Longview, Washington; October 14, 1999, from
7:00-9:30 p.m., at the Everett Community College, Jackson Center, JCR
Room, 801 Wetmore Avenue, Everett, Washington; October 19, 1999, from
7:00-9:30 p.m., at the Spokane Falls Community College, Student Union
Building in Lounge Rooms A and B, 3410 West Fort George Wright Drive,
Spokane, Washington; and October 20, 1999, from 7:00-9:30 p.m.,
Okanogan Public Utility District, 1331 2nd Avenue North,
Okanogan, Washington.
The environmental review of this project will be conducted in
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), the requirements
of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (Chapter 197-11 WAC
and Chapter 43.21C RCW) and of other appropriate Federal laws and
regulations and policies and procedures of the Services for compliance
with those regulations. We estimate the draft Environmental Impact
Statement will be available for public review during December of 2000.
Dated: September 16, 1999.
Cynthia U. Barry,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Portland, Oregon.
Dated: September 17, 1999.
Wanda L. Cain,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-24764 Filed 9-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F, 4310-55-F
