Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to Section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, the Council has amended its 2014 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program by adding a 2020 Addendum to that 2014 Program.

Pursuant to Section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, the Council has amended its Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (program). The final amended program may be found on the Council's Web site at https://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/program/2014-12. In the Council's earlier notice of the amended program (Doc #2015-06299, published 3/19/ 2015) the URL link was incorrectly stated as https://www.nwcouncil.org/ fw/2014F&WProgram/. Background: Pursuant to Section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, in March 2013 the Northwest Power and Conservation Council requested in writing that state and federal fish and wildlife agencies, Indian tribes, and others submit recommendations for amendments to the Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The Council received over 1,500 pages of recommendations and supporting information from 68 entities and 412 individuals. The Council subsequently received extensive written public comment on the program amendment recommendations. In May 2014, after reviewing the recommendations, the supporting information, the comments received on the recommendations, and other information in the administrative record, the Council released for public review a draft revised program. The Council received over 1,500 pages of substantial written comments on the draft amendments. The Council also took oral testimony at ten public hearings around the region and at regularly scheduled Council meetings. Transcripts of these hearings are in the administrative record along with the written comments. As specified in Section 4(h)(5), the Council also held a number of consultations on the recommendations and draft amendments with representatives of state and federal fish and wildlife agencies, Indian tribes, federal hydrosystem agencies, and customers of the Bonneville Power Administration. Notes from these consultations are also in the administrative record. Relevant documents from the program amendment process, including the recommendations, draft program amendments and comments, may be found on the Council's Web site at https://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/program/2014-03. Following this public review process required by the Northwest Power Act, and after deliberations in public over the course of several Council meetings, the Council adopted the final revised program in October 2014 at a regularly scheduled Council meeting in Pendleton, Oregon. The Council based its decisions on the recommendations, supporting documents, and views and information obtained through public comment and participation and consultation with the agencies, tribes, and customers. In the final step of this program amendment process, at its regularly scheduled March 2015 meeting in Eugene, Oregon, the Council adopted written findings as part of the program explaining its disposition of program amendment recommendations along with responses to comments received on the program amendment recommendations and on the draft amended program. The findings and responses have been made part of the program as Appendix S.

Pursuant to Section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, the Council has amended its Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program to add the Blackfoot River Subbasin Plan. The program as amended may be found on the Council's Web site at https://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/program and then, for the subbasin plan elements and relevant decision documents in particular, at https://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/ subbasinplanning/Default.htm. Further information and an explanation of this amendment process may be found in the documents on that page or by contacting the Northwest Power and Conservation Council at (503) 222- 5161 or toll free (800) 452-5161.

Pursuant to Section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, the Council has amended its Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program to add the Bitterroot River Subbasin Plan. The program as amended may be found on the Council's Web site at https://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/ program and then, for the subbasin plan elements and relevant decision documents in particular, at https://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/ subbasinplanning/Default.htm. Further information and an explanation of this amendment process may be found in the documents on that page or by contacting the Northwest Power and Conservation Council at (503) 222- 5161 or toll free (800) 452-5161.

Pursuant to section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, the Council has amended its Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (program). The final amended program may be found on the Council's Web site at https://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/program. Background: Pursuant to section 4(h) of the Northwest Power Act, in November 2007 the Northwest Power and Conservation Council requested in writing that State and Federal fish and wildlife agencies, Indian tribes, and others submit recommendations for amendments to the Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The Council received over 3000 pages of recommendations and supporting information from 65 entities. The Council then received extensive written public comment on the program amendment recommendations. In September 2008, after reviewing the recommendations, the supporting information, and the comments received on the recommendations, the Council released for public review a draft revised Fish and Wildlife Program. The Council received over 1000 pages of substantial written comments on the draft amendments. All of these documents may be found on the Council's Web site at https:// www.nwcouncil.org/fw/program/2008amend. The Council also took oral testimony at a dozen public hearings around the region. Transcripts of these hearings are in the administrative record along with the written comments. As specified in section 4(h)(5), the Council also held a number of consultations on the recommendations and draft amendments with representatives of State and Federal fish and wildlife agencies, Indian tribes, Federal hydrosystem agencies, and customers of the Bonneville Power Administration. Notes from these consultations are also in the administrative record.

The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act of 1980 (U.S.C. 839 et seq.) (the Power Act) requires the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to adopt and periodically review and amend the Fish and Wildlife Program. The program must be designed to protect, mitigate and enhance the fish and wildlife affected by the development and operation of the hydroelectric facilities of the Columbia River and its tributaries, while also assuring the region of an adequate, efficient, economical and reliable power supply. On August 12, 2002, pursuant to Section 4(h) of the Power Act, the Council requested in writing that state and federal fish and wildlife agencies, Indian tribes and others submit recommendations for amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program. The Council requested recommendations for objectives and measures for the program at the subbasin level, to be submitted in the form of a subbasin plan for each subbasin or as possible elements for a subbasin plan. On May 28, 2004, the Council received proposed subbasin plans for 59 subbasins of the Columbia River, formally recommended for amendment into the Council's Fish and Wildlife Program. The Council then engaged in the lengthy public review process required by the Power Act for recommended program amendments, including notice and public review and comment on the recommendations and notice, comment and public hearings in all four states of the Columbia basin on proposed draft amendments based on the recommendations. Following the required public review, the Council formally adopted as amendments into the Fish and Wildlife Program subbasin plans for 57 Columbia basin subbasins, based on the recommendations submitted. The Council made its decisions to adopt the subbasin plan amendments at its public meetings in December 2004, February 2005, May 2005 and June 2005. At its September 2005 public meeting, the Council concluded its subbasin plan program amendment process by adopting, as part of its program, a document describing the subbasin plan amendment process, making written findings explaining the Council's disposition of the amendment recommendations, and explaining how the Council responded to the public comment on the recommendations and draft program amendments. This documents also serves as a Statement of Basis and Purpose for the Council's decision. The subbasin plans amended into the program and the program document with the findings on recommendations and responses to comments may be found on the Council's Web site, at https://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/ subbasinplanning/Default.htm.

Following the mandate set out in the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 839 et seq.) (the Act), in November 1982 the Council adopted a regional program, the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The Act requires the program be designed to protect, mitigate and enhance fish and wildlife of the Columbia River Basin affected by hydropower dams, while also assuring the region of an adequate, efficient, economical and reliable power supply.