Notices. Notice of Availability
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/register/2006/09/15/06-7705A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
BILLING CODE 4311-AM-M DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CA-180-06-1610-DP] Notice of Availability of Draft Sierra Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement, California AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 *et seq.* ) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 *et seq.* ), the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM)has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS) for the Sierra planning area, managed by the Folsom Field Office. This notice announces the opening of the comment period. DATES: To assure that they will be considered, BLM must receive written comments on the Draft RMP/EIS within 90 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of Availability in the **Federal Register** . The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media news releases, and/or mailings. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods: • *E-mail: caformp@ca.blm.gov* . • *Fax:* 916-985-3259. • *Mail:* 63 Natoma Street, Folsom, CA 95630. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Barnes, 916-985-4474. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The planning area for the Sierra RMP is the Folsom Field Office's area of management responsibility. The planning area comprises the 15 counties of Yuba, Sutter, Colusa, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Merced. A total of 230,000 acres of public lands are administered by BLM in the planning area. In addition, approximately 300,000 acres of subsurface mineral estate are administered by the field office, which includes approximately 72,000 acres of nonfederal surface lands where BLM administers the subsurface mineral estate. The decisions promulgated in the RMP will only apply to the BLM-administered public lands and mineral estate within the planning area. The Sierra Draft RMP/EIS has been developed through a collaborative planning process and considers four alternatives. The primary issues addressed include: Recreation; protection of sensitive natural and cultural resources; livestock grazing; energy and mineral development; land tenure adjustments; and motorized vehicle area and route designations. The Draft RMP/EIS includes Wild and Scenic River suitability recommendations, as well as proposals for Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs). The preferred alternative includes two river segment recommendations: South Fork American River (8.8 miles—recreational) and North Fork and Main Mokelumne River (13.7 miles—wild, scenic, recreational). The preferred alternative also proposes the following ACECs: Pine Hill Preserve ACEC—3,236 acres (proposed); Cosumnes River Preserve ACEC—2,035 acres (proposed); Spivey Pond ACEC—54 acres (proposed); Deadman's Flat ACEC—796 acres (proposed); Dutch Flat/Indiana Hill ACEC/RNA—320 acres (proposed); Bagby Serpentine ACEC—5,775 (proposed); Red Hills ACEC—7,184 acres (existing), 2,824 acres (proposed addition); Ione Manzanita ACEC—122 acres (existing), 141 acres (proposed addition); and Limestone Salamander ACEC—1,728 acres (existing), 473 acres (proposed addition). One additional ACEC was considered but not included in the preferred alternative: Yuba Brownsville ACEC—198 acres. Use of public lands within these ACECs would vary, depending on the resources and/or values identified (see Chapter 2 of the Draft RMP/EIS), but would likely include limitations on motorized-vehicle use, mining, and other surface disturbing activities. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety. Copies of the Sierra Draft RMP/Draft EIS are available in the Folsom Field Office at the above address; at the BLM California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA; and online at *http://www.ca.blm.gov/folsom* . Dated: June 19, 2006. James Eicher, Field Manager. [FR Doc. E6-15306 Filed 9-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Grand Teton Transportation Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Grand Teton National Park, WY AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of the final environmental impact statement for the Grand Teton Transportation Plan, Grand Teton National Park. SUMMARY: Pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Grand Teton Transportation Plan, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. DATES: The National Park Service will execute a Record of Decision
(ROD)no sooner than 30 days following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of the Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement. ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public inspection online at *http://parkplanning.nps.gov* , in the office of the Superintendent, Mary Gibson Scott, Grand Teton National Park, PO Drawer 170, Moose, Wyoming 83012-0170,
(370)739-3410, and at the Teton County Public Library, Jackson, Wyoming. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Gibson Scott, Superintendent, Grand Teton National Park, PO Drawer 170, Moose, Wyoming 83012-0170,
(370)739-3410. Dated: July 11, 2006. Anthony J. Schetzsle, Acting Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service. [FR Doc. E6-14694 Filed 9-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312-CX-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Proposed Water Service Contract, El Dorado County Water Agency, El Dorado County, CA AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact statement/environmental report (EIS/EIR) and notice of scoping meetings. SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)of 1969 (as amended) and Section 21061 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and El Dorado County Water Agency (EDCWA) intend to prepare a joint EIS/EIR for a Municipal and Industrial (M&I) water service contract from the Central Valley Project (CVP), California. The proposed project consists of a long term water supply contract under which Reclamation would provide up to 15,000 acre-feet per annum
(AFA)to the EDCWA for diversion from Folsom Reservoir or for exchange upstream on the American River. The EDCWA proposes to sub-contract this water equally between El Dorado Irrigation District
(EID)and Georgetown Divide Public Utility District (GDPUD). EID proposes to take its supply from Folsom Reservoir. GDPUD proposes to take its supply upstream by way of a water exchange with Placer County Water Agency (PCWA). The GDPUD diversion facility is at the American River Pump Station which is currently under construction. DATES: Reclamation and EDCWA will host two public scoping meetings on the proposed project. The meeting dates are: • Tuesday, September 26, 2006, 6 to 8 p.m., Placerville, CA. • Wednesday, September 27, 2006, 6 to 8 p.m., Greenwood, CA. Any interested member of the public is invited to attend. An overview of the project will be presented and public comments received. Written comments should be mailed to James A. Roberts at the address below by October 11, 2006. ADDRESSES: The locations of the two meetings are: • Placerville—El Dorado Irrigation District, Harry J. Dunlop Customer Service Building, Board Room, 2890 Mosquito Road, Placerville. • Greenwood—Greenwood Community Center, 4411 Highway 193, Greenwood, CA 95635. Written comments on this notice or the scope of this EIS/EIR should reference the Bureau of Reclamation/EDCWA CVP Water Service Contract EIS/EIR and be sent to: James A. Roberts, Ph.D., El Dorado County Water Agency, 3932 Ponderosa Road, Suite 200, Shingle Springs, CA 95682. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Deason, Environmental Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, California 95630, telephone:
(16)989-7279 or James A. Roberts, Ph.D. at the above address, telephone:
(530)621-5392. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1990, Congress passed Public Law 101-514, which directed Reclamation to enter into a long-term CVP M&I water service contract with EDCWA. Section 206 (b)(1)(B) provides that Reclamation enter into an M&I water service contract with EDCWA for up to 15,000 AFA. The proposed action is the execution of a long term water service contract with EDCWA. EDCWA intends to apportion this new contract water to both EID and GDPUD based on these parties' individual water needs and timing requests. This will require separate contracts between EDCWA and both EID and GDPUD with Reclamation approval. At present, it is assumed that the new Federal water supply would be split equally between EID and GDPUD such that each purveyor would be provided up to 7,500 AFA. The EIS/EIR focuses on the potential environmental impacts resulting from the execution and implementation of the new CVP water service contract. The EIS/EIR will include evaluation of the *no project* alternative as well as alternative delivery quantities. At a project-level, it will address a comprehensive nag of in-stream potential effects resulting from this new 15,000 AFA withdrawal, including a detailed evaluation of the effects to the CVP and the State Water Project (SWP). This will involve assessments of water-related resources including: Fisheries, riparian species/habitats, water-related recreation, water-related cultural resources, and water quality. It will also address water supply impacts across the CVP/SWP, flood control at Folsom Reservoir, and potential effects to CVP hydropower generation and pumping impacts at the reservoir. Water-related analyses will be facilitated through the application and use of Reclamation's planning and operations model, CALSIM II, along with other environmental models that utilize CLASIM II output hydrology. At present, the lead agencies lack sufficient information to ascertain whether any of these impacts will be significant. No new infrastructure facilities are included with this proposed action. While the EIS/EIR will identify, to the extent known, possible future infrastructure projects that would be needed to fully utilize this contract water, many of these details are not currently known. Accordingly, a program-level assessment of known or potential facilities will be provided in the EIS/EIR. The EIS/EIR will assess potential impacts to any Indian Trust Assets
(ITAs)or any environmental justice issues. Input about concerns or issues related to ITAs is requested from potentially affected Indian groups and individuals, the public, and state and Federal agencies. This proposed action has been the subject of previous scoping meetings that were published in the **Federal Register** (58 FR 28034, May 12, 1993, and 63 FR 30512, June 4, 1998). However, because the proposed action and alternatives have been updated and more than eight years has passed since the last scoping meetings, additional scoping activities are being initiated at this time. Special Services If special assistance is required at the scoping meetings, please contract Donna Potter at 916-978-5103, TDD 916-978-5608, or via e-mail at *lpotter@mp.usbr.gov* . Please notify Ms. Potter as far in advance of the meetings as possible to enable Reclamation to secure the needed services. If a request cannot be honored, the requestor will be notified. A telephone device for the hearing impaired
(TDD)is available at 916-978-5608. Our practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home phone numbers, and email addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish to consider withholding this information you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale for withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be released. We will always make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. Michael Nepstad, Acting Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region. [FR Doc. 06-7705 Filed 9-14-06; 8:45 am]
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- Pub. L. 101-514
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