Bureau of Reclamation March 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (as amended) and the general authority to conduct water resources planning under the Reclamation Act of 1902 and all acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a Planning Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (PR/DEIS). This document was undertaken to provide a discussion for the (1) various ways to provide a municipal and industrial (M&I) water supply to the Navajo Nation; City of Gallup, New Mexico; and Jicarilla Apache Nation; (2) identification of a preferred alternative; and (3) associated environmental impacts and costs of such an endeavor, should it be undertaken. The PR/DEIS presents alternatives for providing an anticipated year 2040 M&I water supply for the project area. Alternatives considered include diverting and distributing water from the San Juan River using various configurations, water conservation using existing groundwater supplies, and no action.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the lead Federal agency; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), a cooperating Federal agency; the Reclamation Board, the lead State agency; and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA), the local sponsor, have prepared a Final EIS/EIR for the Folsom DS/FDR Action. The Folsom DS/ FDR proposed action includes features that address Reclamation's DS objectives and the Corps' FDR objectives jointly as well as features or increments that exclusively address DS, security, or FDR objectives and would be constructed by the respective agencies. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to comments received on the Draft EIS/EIR. The Corps intends to adopt the Final EIS/EIR to satisfy the requirements of National Environmental Policy Act for the Joint Federal Project (JFP) component and other FDR features as appropriate. The Corps has prepared a Post Authorization Change (PAC) Report which documents recommended changes to the authorized Folsom Modifications and Folsom Dam Raise projects. A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 (71 FR 68837). The public review period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended on January 22, 2006. The public review period was extended via a press release to January 26, 2007.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Recreation Survey, New Melones Lake Project, Sonora, CA. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and hour burden.

Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the corresponding Council of Environmental Quality implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation, as lead agencies for the Department of Interior, announce the availability of the Clean Water Coalition Systems Conveyance and Operations Program (SCOP) Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). The SCOP Final EIS completes the evaluation of potential environmental impacts associated with a proposed pipeline alternative, two additional pipeline alternatives, and the baseline No Action alternative (and also presents a Process Improvements option derived from the No Action Alternative). The purpose of implementing the proposal is to put into operation a treatment and conveyance system that will allow for flexible management of wastewater flow in the Las Vegas Valley, while maintaining water quality standards. Clark County, Nevada is one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S., with a projected population in the area of approximately 3,130,000 by 2035. The quantity of effluent treated and discharged in the Las Vegas Valley will increase with the Valley populations. The treatment and conveyance facilities must accommodate the additional flows while continuing to meet current or future water quality standards for Las Vegas Wash and Bay, and Lake Mead. The Final EIS evaluates effects of the alternatives on both visitor experience and park resources including: surface water hydrology, groundwater, water quality, biological resources/endangered species, cultural resources, recreation, land use, air quality, noise, socioeconomics, and other appropriate resource issues identified during the public scoping phase. An impairment analysis was also completed by the National Park Service (NPS) for the portion of the proposed actions that would impinge upon this unit of the National Park System.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us) intends to submit a request for renewal (with revisions) of an existing approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Individual Landholder's and Farm Operator's Certification and Reporting Forms for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426 and 43 CFR part 428, OMB Control Number: 1006-0005. This information collection is required under the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA), Acreage Limitation Rules and Regulations, 43 CFR part 426, and Information Requirements for Certain Farm Operations In Excess of 960 Acres and the Eligibility of Certain Formerly Excess Land, 43 CFR part 428. We request your comments on the revised RRA forms and specific aspects of the information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us) intends to seek approval of the following proposed new information collection: Recreation Visitor Use Surveys. We will use several distinct forms to collect different types of recreation information. Before submitting the information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, we are soliciting comments on specific aspects of the information collection.