Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Drought Management Plan for Operation of the Kerr Hydroelectric Project, Flathead Lake, MT, 42414-42415 [E6-11936]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 26, 2006 / Notices
‘‘* * * to conserve (A) fish or wildlife
which are listed as endangered species
or threatened species * * * or (B)
plants’’ (16 U.S.C. 1534 (Endangered
Species Act of 1973)).
The Refuge was established to protect
endangered species, and to conserve
migratory birds and other wildlife by
preserving habitat and open space while
providing compatible wildlife-oriented
outdoor recreation to the public. While
the Refuge was formally established in
1970, lands were not acquired until
1974.
The Service anticipates a draft CCP
and EA to be available for public review
and comment in 2007.
Doug S. Vandegraft,
Acting Manager, CA/NV Operations,
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. E6–11915 Filed 7–25–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Notice of Availability of a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for a
Drought Management Plan for
Operation of the Kerr Hydroelectric
Project, Flathead Lake, MT
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public
hearings.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) announces the availability of a
draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for a drought management plan for
the operation of the Kerr Hydroelectric
Project, Flathead Lake, Montana. In
addition to mailing the draft EIS to
cooperating agencies and those who
previously requested the document, the
BIA has made the draft EIS available at
the Polson City Library, 2 First Avenue
East, Polson, Montana, and the Flathead
County Library, 247 First Avenue East,
Kalispell, Montana. Additionally, the
draft EIS may be obtained on the
following Web site: https://
www.flatheadlake-eis.com. The purpose
of this notice is to inform the public,
other Federal agencies, tribal, State, and
local governments, organizations and
businesses of the availability of the draft
EIS and to announce public hearings to
discuss the draft EIS.
DATES: Comments on the draft EIS must
be received by September 29, 2006. The
hearing dates and locations are:
1. August 29, 2006, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30
p.m., Red Lion Inn, 20 North Main
Street, Kalispell, Montana.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:16 Jul 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
2. August 30, 2006, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30
p.m., Polson City Library, Community
Meeting Room, 2 First Avenue East,
Polson, Montana.
Mail or hand deliver written
comments to Jeffery Loman, Chief,
Natural Resources Division, Office of
Trust Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Mail Stop 4655–MIB, 1849 C Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20240. You may
also fax comments to Chief, Natural
Resources, (202) 219–0006 or (202) 219–
1255.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeffery Loman, Chief, Natural Resources
Division, (202) 208–7373 or (202) 903–
8295.
Flathead
Lake is the largest natural fresh water
lake in the western United States. It is
home to the Confederated Salish and
Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation,
whose reservation encompasses an area
including approximately the southern
half of Flathead Lake. Flathead Lake is
regulated by the operation of Kerr Dam,
located at River Mile 72.0 at Polson,
Montana. The Kerr Dam and
Hydroelectric Project are located within
the exterior boundaries of the Flathead
Indian Reservation. The Project operates
under a joint license issued by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
on July 17, 1985 to PPL Montana, LLC,
successor-in-interest to the Montana
Power Company and current operator of
the Kerr Project, and the Confederated
Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The license
has been amended several times since
initial issuance.
Section 4(e) of the Federal Power Act
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior
to include conditions in hydropower
licenses for the protection and
utilization of Indian reservations.
Pursuant to this authority, the Secretary
required that certain articles be
included in the Kerr Project license for
the protection and utilization of the
Flathead Indian Reservation. Among
these is license Article 56, which
requires minimum instream flow rates
for the protection of fisheries and other
resources in the Lower Flathead River
below Kerr Dam. In addition to the
Secretary’s section 4(e) conditions,
Article 43 of the Kerr Project license
requires the operator to regulate
Flathead Lake in accordance with a
1962 Memorandum of Understanding,
as amended in 1965, between the
Montana Power Company and the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. The purposes
behind the MOU include providing for
flood control by drawing down Flathead
Lake every spring, and supporting
recreation, tourism and associated
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Fmt 4703
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activities on Flathead Lake by refilling
the lake in time for the summer season.
During low-water years, there may be
an insufficient volume of water to
achieve Article 43 lake levels while
maintaining the minimum instream
flow requirements of Article 56.
Accordingly, the Secretary also
included Article 60 in the Project
license, which requires that the
licensees develop and implement a
drought management plan in
consultation with the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
and Montana Department of
Environmental Quality. Article 60
further requires that the drought
management plan include a reevaluation and adjustment of flood
control requirements and other
provisions necessary for compliance
with lower Flathead River minimum
instream flow mandates.
Pursuant to Article 60, PPL Montana
submitted a proposed drought
management plan to the Secretary of the
Interior on March 4, 2002. Under Article
60, the Secretary has the authority to
reject, modify, or otherwise alter the
proposed drought management plan.
The Secretary determined that the
decision on the proposed drought
management plan constitutes a major
federal action that could significantly
affect the quality of the human
environment. The National
Environmental Policy Act therefore
requires preparation of an EIS. PPL
Montana’s plan serves as the proposed
action in the EIS.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs was
delegated the responsibility to serve as
the Lead Agency for NEPA compliance
in connection with the proposed
drought management plan. On June 20,
2002, BIA published a Notice of Intent
in the Federal Register (67 FR 42054)
informing agencies and the public of
BIA’s intent to gather information
necessary to prepare an EIS for the
proposed drought management plan and
initiating the formal scoping process
(See Appendix A). The Notice of Intent
encouraged comments and participation
in the scoping process and included
meeting dates, times, and locations. BIA
held a series of public meetings and
workshops in Kalispell, Charlo and
Polson, Montana, on July 9–10, 2002,
August 27–28, 2002, and October 22–23,
2002.
The drought management plan
ultimately approved by the Secretary
will govern how the Kerr Project
licensees will prepare for and operate
the Project during a drought and will
benefit the public by providing
information regarding the operation of
E:\FR\FM\26JYN1.SGM
26JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 26, 2006 / Notices
the Kerr Project in drought conditions.
The NEPA process will allow the
Secretary of the Interior to issue a
Record of Decision selecting an
alternative regarding a drought
management plan. Issues addressed in
the environmental analysis include, but
are not limited to, hydroelectric power
production, recreation, tourism,
irrigation, treaty-protected fisheries,
biological resources, wildlife habitat,
and Indian traditional and cultural
properties and resources. Alternatives to
the proposed drought management plan
examined in the EIS include a variety of
measures, such as adjustments to flood
control rule curves, implementation of
advanced climate prediction initiatives,
and deviation from minimum instream
flow requirements. The range of
environmental issues and alternatives
was developed through comments
received during the scoping process,
including the public scoping meetings
and workshops held in Montana.
Authority
This notice is published in
accordance with section 1503.1, Council
on Environmental Quality Regulations
(40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508)
implementing the procedural
requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and
the Department of the Interior Manual
(516 DM 1.6) and is within the exercise
of authority delegated to the Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary—Indian
Affairs by 209 DM 8.
Dated: July 19, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary—Indian
Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6–11936 Filed 7–25–06; 8:45 am]
Division, New England Office, 222
Merrimack Street, Suite 400E, Lowell,
Massachusetts 01852, and in the Offices
of the National Park Service,
Department of the Interior, Washington,
DC 20240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Superintendent, Fire Island National
Seashore, 120 Laurel Street, Patchogue,
NY 11772.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
7c) of the Land and Water Conservation
Fund Act of 1965, as amended, 16
U.S.C. 4601–9(c), authorizes the
Secretary of the Interior to make minor
revisions to the boundaries of a unit of
the National Park System that will
contribute to and are necessary for the
proper preservation, protection,
interpretation, or management of such a
unit. To provide for the proper
protection and management of Fire
Island National Seashore, it is necessary
to include within the boundaries of the
national seashore certain property
referred to as Tract No. 17–04,
consisting of 0.82 acre of Federal land,
more or less, on Fire Island in the Town
of Islip, Suffolk County, New York,
located adjacent to federally owned
Tract No. 17–01. The tract is owned by
the United States of America by
resumption of title from and with the
acknowledgement of the State of New
York pursuant to the Act of June 7,
1924, Public Law 252.
Dated: May 10, 2006.
Mary A. Bomar,
Regional Director, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 06–6476 Filed 7–25–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–YV–M
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BILLING CODE 4310–W7–P
National Park Service
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Draft General Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement,
Hovenweep National Monument,
Colorado and Utah
National Park Service
National Park Service, Interior.
Announcement of park
boundary revision.
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of termination of the
Environmental Impact Statement for the
General Management Plan, Hovenweep
National Monument.
SUMMARY: Notice is given that that the
western boundary of Fire Island
National Seashore is revised to include
Tract No. 17–04 as depicted on map
number 615/81,487 prepared by the
National Park Service in October 2005.
This map and other supporting
documentation are available for
inspection at the National Park Service,
Northeast Region, Land Resources
SUMMARY: The National Park Service
(NPS) is terminating preparation of an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the General Management Plan,
Hovenweep National Monument,
Colorado and Utah. A Notice of Intent
to prepare the EIS for the Hovenweep
National Monument General
Management Plan was published in Vol.
68, No. 167, of the August 28, 2003,
Minor Boundary Revision at Fire Island
National Seashore
AGENCY:
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ACTION:
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17:16 Jul 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
AGENCY:
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42415
Federal Register (2351). The National
Park Service has since determined that
an Environmental Assessment (EA)
rather than an EIS is the appropriate
environmental documentation for the
general management plan.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
general management plan will establish
the overall direction for the national
monument, setting broad management
goals for managing the area over the
next 15 to 20 years. The plan was
originally scoped as an EIS. However,
few public comments were received in
the scoping process. Although some
concerns were expressed during the
public scoping process, particularly on
the potential for impacts related to
energy exploration in areas adjacent to
the national monument, no issues were
identified for the general management
plan that have the potential for
controversial impacts.
In the general management planning
process the NPS planning team
developed two alternatives for the
national monument, neither of which
would result in substantial changes in
the operation and management of the
monument. As the park does not have
a general management plan,
management under the no-action
alternative would continue existing
operations with no changes in
interpretation, resource protection
strategies, or facility development. The
action alternative would focus on
maintaining and protecting resources,
addressing park maintenance/operations
needs and developing a maintenance
facility within previously disturbed
areas. The preliminary impact analysis
of the alternatives revealed no major
(significant) effects on the human
environment or impairment of park
resources and values. Most of the
impacts to the national monument’s
resources and values were negligible to
minor in magnitude.
For these reasons the NPS determined
the appropriate National Environmental
Policy Act documentation for the
general management plan is an
environmental assessment.
DATES: The draft general management
plan/environmental assessment is
expected to be distributed for a 30 day
public comment period in the fall of
2006 and a decision is expected be
made in the fall of 2006. The NPS will
notify the public by mail, Web site, and
other means, and will include
information on where and how to obtain
a copy of the EA, how to comment on
the EA, and the length of the public
comment period.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Coralee Hays, Superintendent,
E:\FR\FM\26JYN1.SGM
26JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42414-42415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11936]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for a Drought Management Plan for Operation of the Kerr Hydroelectric
Project, Flathead Lake, MT
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announces the availability
of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a drought
management plan for the operation of the Kerr Hydroelectric Project,
Flathead Lake, Montana. In addition to mailing the draft EIS to
cooperating agencies and those who previously requested the document,
the BIA has made the draft EIS available at the Polson City Library, 2
First Avenue East, Polson, Montana, and the Flathead County Library,
247 First Avenue East, Kalispell, Montana. Additionally, the draft EIS
may be obtained on the following Web site: https://www.flatheadlake-
eis.com. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public, other
Federal agencies, tribal, State, and local governments, organizations
and businesses of the availability of the draft EIS and to announce
public hearings to discuss the draft EIS.
DATES: Comments on the draft EIS must be received by September 29,
2006. The hearing dates and locations are:
1. August 29, 2006, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Red Lion Inn, 20 North
Main Street, Kalispell, Montana.
2. August 30, 2006, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Polson City Library,
Community Meeting Room, 2 First Avenue East, Polson, Montana.
ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver written comments to Jeffery Loman,
Chief, Natural Resources Division, Office of Trust Services, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Mail Stop 4655-MIB, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC
20240. You may also fax comments to Chief, Natural Resources, (202)
219-0006 or (202) 219-1255.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffery Loman, Chief, Natural
Resources Division, (202) 208-7373 or (202) 903-8295.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Flathead Lake is the largest natural fresh
water lake in the western United States. It is home to the Confederated
Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, whose reservation
encompasses an area including approximately the southern half of
Flathead Lake. Flathead Lake is regulated by the operation of Kerr Dam,
located at River Mile 72.0 at Polson, Montana. The Kerr Dam and
Hydroelectric Project are located within the exterior boundaries of the
Flathead Indian Reservation. The Project operates under a joint license
issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on July 17, 1985 to
PPL Montana, LLC, successor-in-interest to the Montana Power Company
and current operator of the Kerr Project, and the Confederated Salish
and Kootenai Tribes. The license has been amended several times since
initial issuance.
Section 4(e) of the Federal Power Act authorizes the Secretary of
the Interior to include conditions in hydropower licenses for the
protection and utilization of Indian reservations. Pursuant to this
authority, the Secretary required that certain articles be included in
the Kerr Project license for the protection and utilization of the
Flathead Indian Reservation. Among these is license Article 56, which
requires minimum instream flow rates for the protection of fisheries
and other resources in the Lower Flathead River below Kerr Dam. In
addition to the Secretary's section 4(e) conditions, Article 43 of the
Kerr Project license requires the operator to regulate Flathead Lake in
accordance with a 1962 Memorandum of Understanding, as amended in 1965,
between the Montana Power Company and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The purposes behind the MOU include providing for flood control by
drawing down Flathead Lake every spring, and supporting recreation,
tourism and associated activities on Flathead Lake by refilling the
lake in time for the summer season.
During low-water years, there may be an insufficient volume of
water to achieve Article 43 lake levels while maintaining the minimum
instream flow requirements of Article 56. Accordingly, the Secretary
also included Article 60 in the Project license, which requires that
the licensees develop and implement a drought management plan in
consultation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Montana Department of
Environmental Quality. Article 60 further requires that the drought
management plan include a re-evaluation and adjustment of flood control
requirements and other provisions necessary for compliance with lower
Flathead River minimum instream flow mandates.
Pursuant to Article 60, PPL Montana submitted a proposed drought
management plan to the Secretary of the Interior on March 4, 2002.
Under Article 60, the Secretary has the authority to reject, modify, or
otherwise alter the proposed drought management plan. The Secretary
determined that the decision on the proposed drought management plan
constitutes a major federal action that could significantly affect the
quality of the human environment. The National Environmental Policy Act
therefore requires preparation of an EIS. PPL Montana's plan serves as
the proposed action in the EIS.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs was delegated the responsibility to
serve as the Lead Agency for NEPA compliance in connection with the
proposed drought management plan. On June 20, 2002, BIA published a
Notice of Intent in the Federal Register (67 FR 42054) informing
agencies and the public of BIA's intent to gather information necessary
to prepare an EIS for the proposed drought management plan and
initiating the formal scoping process (See Appendix A). The Notice of
Intent encouraged comments and participation in the scoping process and
included meeting dates, times, and locations. BIA held a series of
public meetings and workshops in Kalispell, Charlo and Polson, Montana,
on July 9-10, 2002, August 27-28, 2002, and October 22-23, 2002.
The drought management plan ultimately approved by the Secretary
will govern how the Kerr Project licensees will prepare for and operate
the Project during a drought and will benefit the public by providing
information regarding the operation of
[[Page 42415]]
the Kerr Project in drought conditions. The NEPA process will allow the
Secretary of the Interior to issue a Record of Decision selecting an
alternative regarding a drought management plan. Issues addressed in
the environmental analysis include, but are not limited to,
hydroelectric power production, recreation, tourism, irrigation,
treaty-protected fisheries, biological resources, wildlife habitat, and
Indian traditional and cultural properties and resources. Alternatives
to the proposed drought management plan examined in the EIS include a
variety of measures, such as adjustments to flood control rule curves,
implementation of advanced climate prediction initiatives, and
deviation from minimum instream flow requirements. The range of
environmental issues and alternatives was developed through comments
received during the scoping process, including the public scoping
meetings and workshops held in Montana.
Authority
This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1, Council
on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508)
implementing the procedural requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the
Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1.6) and is within the
exercise of authority delegated to the Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.
Dated: July 19, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6-11936 Filed 7-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P
