Department of the Interior January 14, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice publishes the Third Extension of the Tribal-State Compact between the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indian Tribe and the State of Nevada. The Compact is extended until January 5, 2006.

On December 22, 2004, R. Thomas Weimer, Acting Assistant SecretaryWater and Science, Department of the Interior, signed the Record of Decision (ROD) which documents the selection of the Proposed Action Alternative as presented in the Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water Delivery System (Utah Lake System) Final Environmental Impact Statement (ULS FEIS), INT FES 04-41, filed September 30, 2004. The ROD also approves the initiation of construction of the Utah Lake System, in accordance with statutory and contractual obligations. The following features will be constructed as part of the Proposed Action: (1) Sixth Water Hydropower Plant, Substation, and Transmission Facilities, (2) Upper Diamond Fork Hydropower Plant and Underground Transmission Facilities, (3) Spanish Fork Canyon Pipeline, (4) Spanish Fork Santaquin Pipeline, (5) SantaquinMona Reservoir Pipeline, (6) MapletonSpringville Lateral Pipeline, and (7) Spanish ForkProvo Reservoir Canal Pipeline. The ROD acknowledged that value engineering studies would be conducted that could result in minor modifications to the physical facilities to further reduce environmental impacts and reduce construction costs. The Proposed Action specifically fulfills project needs to: (1) Complete the Bonneville Unit by delivering 101,900 acre-feet on an average annual basis from Strawberry Reservoir to the Wasatch Front Area and project water from other sources to meet some of the municipal and industrial (M&I) demand in the Wasatch Front Area; (2) implement water conservation measures; (3) address all remaining environmental commitments associated with the Bonneville Unit; and (4) maximize current and future M&I water supplies associated with the Bonneville Unit. Interior, the Mitigation Commission, and CUWCD serve as the Joint Lead Agencies for the ULS. During preparation of the ULS FEIS, the Joint Lead Agencies formally consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C.A. sections 1531 to 1544, as amended). The Joint-Lead Agencies will also obtain an exemption from Section 404 requirements provided by Section 404(r) of the Clean Water Act by including a Section 404(b)(1) analysis within the ULS FEIS. In addition to this notification, notices will be published in local newspapers.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan (PRMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Upper Deschutes portion of the Deschutes Resource Area of the Prineville District. This Notice of Availability also serves as a notice of realty action in accordance with 43 CFR 2920.4 to be made available for non-competitive lease under Section 302(b) of FLPMA for military use by the Oregon Military Department and National Guard.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia) Management to Reduce Predation of Juvenile Salmonids in the Columbia River Estuary is available for review and comment. This Final EIS was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) as cooperating agencies. This Final EIS describes the three Federal Agencies' proposal for the redistribution of the Caspian tern colony from East Sand Island, Columbia River estuary to various sites located throughout the Pacific Coast/Western region. The purposes of the proposed action are to reduce tern predation on juvenile Columbia River salmonids and eliminate the vulnerability of the regional tern population associated with having the majority of the population (70 percent) breeding in one location.