Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for Klamath Facilities Removal, 32269-32270 [2013-12675]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 103 (Wednesday, May 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32269-32270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12675]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[A10-2006-1010-000-00-0-0, 2015200]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report for Klamath Facilities Removal

AGENCY: Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior and the California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife have prepared a final environmental impact 
statement and environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) evaluating the 
potential effects of removing four privately owned dams on the Klamath 
River in southern Oregon and northern California should the Secretary 
of the Interior determine that removal will advance restoration of 
salmonid fisheries in the Klamath Basin and is in the public interest. 
The Department of the Interior has released the final EIS/EIR pursuant 
to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the 
Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement. The California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife is not releasing the document at this time, 
therefore there is no action under California Environmental Quality Act 
at this time. Additionally, no decision on the potential removal of 
these facilities is being made with the release of this document.

DATES: Under the terms of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement 
Agreement, congressional authorization is necessary prior to a decision 
on the proposed action. Because Congress has not enacted the 
legislation necessary to authorize a Secretarial Determination, the 
Department of the Interior will not make a final decision on the 
proposed action at this time.

ADDRESSES: The final EIS/EIR may be viewed and electronically 
downloaded at https://klamathrestoration.gov. To request a compact disc 
of the final EIS/EIR, please contact Ms. Elizabeth Vasquez, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825; email 
KlamathSD@usbr.gov; or telephone 916-978-5040. See the Supplementary 
Information section for locations where copies of the final EIS/EIR are 
available for public review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth Vasquez, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 916-978-5040, evasquez@usbr.gov. For public involvement 
information, please contact Mr. Matt Baun, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 530-841-3119, Matt_Baun@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of the Interior (Department) 
and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have prepared 
an EIS/EIR for Klamath Facilities Removal. The EIS/EIR evaluates 
potential effects of the proposed removal of four PacifiCorp dams on 
the Klamath River in southern Oregon and northern California. The 
proposed removal would be in accordance with the Klamath Hydroelectric 
Settlement Agreement (KHSA). The KHSA established a process for studies 
and environmental review, leading to a Secretarial Determination on 
whether removal of the dams will accomplish the following:
    (1) Advance restoration of salmonid (salmon, steelhead, and trout) 
fisheries of the Klamath River Basin; and
    (2) Be in the public interest, including, but not limited to, 
consideration of potential impacts on affected local communities and 
Tribes.
    The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) provides for 
restoration of native fisheries and sustainable water supplies 
throughout the Klamath River Basin. Together, these two agreements 
attempt to resolve long-standing conflicts in the Klamath River Basin.
    The KHSA, pursuant to its terms, requires certain criteria to be 
met prior to a determination as to whether these privately owned dams 
should be removed. One such criterion is for the enactment of 
legislation by the Congress authorizing the Secretary of the Interior 
(Secretary) to make this decision. Because legislation has not been 
enacted, the Department is not making any decision regarding the 
potential removal of these privately owned facilities. Nonetheless, the 
Department also believes that release of this final EIS/EIR will help 
inform public discourse at the federal, state and local levels.
    While CDFW has participated in the development of this joint EIS/
EIR, the release of this document at this time is solely pursuant to 
NEPA. Questions regarding the application of CEQA to this EIS/EIS 
should be directed to CDFW.

Statement of Purpose and Need and Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to remove the four lower PacifiCorp dams on 
the Klamath River in accordance with the KHSA. The need for the 
proposed action is to advance restoration of the salmonid fisheries in 
the Klamath Basin consistent with the KHSA and the connected KBRA. The 
purpose is to achieve a free-flowing river condition and full 
volitional fish passage as well as other goals expressed in the KHSA 
and KBRA. Under the terms of the KHSA, the Secretary will determine 
whether the proposed action is appropriate and should proceed. In 
making this determination, the Secretary will consider whether removal 
of the four private facilities will advance the restoration of the 
salmonid fisheries of the Klamath Basin, and is in the public interest, 
which includes, but is not limited to, consideration of potential 
impacts on affected local communities and Tribes.
    The EIS/EIR and its related processes were developed to accomplish 
the following:
     Inform the Secretary's decision on whether to approve the 
proposed removal of the four PacifiCorp dams, consistent with the KHSA 
and the connected KBRA;
     Provide meaningful opportunities for involvement by 
Tribes, agencies, and the public;
     Analyze and disclose the effects of the proposed action 
and alternatives on the human and physical environment, including, but 
not limited to, effects on biological resources, historic and 
archaeological resources, geomorphology, flood hydrology, water 
quality, air quality, public safety, hazardous materials and waste, 
visual resources, socioeconomics, real estate, tribal trust, 
recreation, and environmental justice;
     Meet the requirements of Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act, in lieu of the procedures set forth in 36 
CFR Sec. Sec.  800.3 through 800.6, pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8; and
     Comply with NEPA and the California Environmental Quality 
Act (CEQA).
    The public review period of the draft EIS/EIR opened with a Notice 
of Availability of the draft EIS/EIR, published in the Federal Register 
on Thursday, September 22, 2011 (76 FR 58833). A second notice was 
published on Thursday, December 1, 2011 to provide the public an 
additional 30 days to submit written comments (77 FR 74804). The public 
review period ended on December 30, 2011. During the public review 
period, six public meetings were held in California and Oregon to 
solicit comments. Over 4,000 verbal and written comments were

[[Page 32270]]

received. The final EIS/EIR considers comments received and responds, 
as appropriate, with text revisions, clarifications, and corrections. 
The final EIS/EIR is divided into three volumes: Volumes I and II 
comprise the revised EIS/EIR and appendices, with actual text changes 
resulting from responses to comments; Volume III provides responses to 
all comments received, as well as an appendix with copies of each 
comment letter or communication.
    Copies of the final EIS/EIR are available for public inspection at 
several libraries and government offices. A full list of locations 
where the final EIS/EIR is available for public inspection can be found 
at https://klamathrestoration.gov. Following is a partial list of the 
locations:
 Main Siskiyou County Library, 719 Fourth Street, Yreka, CA 
96097
 Main Klamath County Library, 126 South Third Street, Klamath 
Falls, OR 97601
 Arcata Library, 500 7th Street, Arcata, CA 95521
 Main Humboldt County Library, 1313 3rd Street, Eureka, CA 
95501
 Hoopa Library, Loop Rd. & Orchard Street, Hoopa, CA 95546
 Willow Creek Library Branch, Junction of Highways 299 & 96, 
Willow Creek, CA 95573
 Main Del Norte County Library, 190 Price Mall, Crescent City, 
CA 95531
 Medford Library Branch, 205 South Central Avenue, Medford, OR 
97501
 Ashland Library Branch, 410 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR 
97520
 Chetco Community Public Library, 405 Alder Street, Brookings, 
OR 97415
 Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-152, Sacramento, 
CA 95825
 California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 619 Second Street, 
Eureka, CA 95501
 Natural Resources Library, Department of the Interior, 1849 C 
Street NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 20240-0001
 Bureau of Reclamation, Klamath Basin Area Office, 6600 
Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, OR 97603.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in any communication, you should 
be aware that your entire communication--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your communication to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

    Dated: May 10, 2013.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2013-12675 Filed 5-28-13; 8:45 am]
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