Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration, Olympic National Park, WA

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Elwha River Ecosystem

Restoration, Olympic National Park, WA

ACTION: Notice of Availability on the draft environmental impact

statement.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a draft

environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the restoration of the Elwha

River Ecosystem in Olympic National Park, Washington. This notice also

announces public meetings for the purpose of receiving comments on the

draft document.

DATES AND LOCATIONS: There will be a 60-day public review period for

comment on this document. Comments on the DEIS should be received no

later than December 23, 1994. Public meetings will be held in Port

Angeles, Washington on Monday, November 14, 1994, from 1:30-4:00 p.m.

and 5:30-9:00 p.m. at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. 4th

Street; and in Seattle, Washington on Tuesday, November 15, 1994, from

5:30-9:00 p.m. at The Mountaineer's Building, Rhododendron Room, 300

3rd Ave. West.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DEIS should be submitted to: Sarah Bransom,

National Park Service, TWE, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225-0287.

Public reading copies of the DEIS will be available for review at

the following locations:

Office of Public Affairs, National Park Service, Department of the

Interior, 18th & C Streets NW., Washington, DC 20240, Telephone: 202-

208-6843.

Pacific Northwest Regional Office, National Park Service, Regional

Office Library, Rm. 650, 909 First Ave., Seattle, WA 98104-1060,

Telephone: 206-220-4070.

Olympic National Park, National Park Service, 600 E. Park Ave., Port

Angeles, WA 98362, Telephone: 206-452-4501.

North Olympic Library System, Port Angeles Branch, 207 S. Lincoln St.,

Port Angeles, WA, Telephone: 206-452-9253.

Government Documents, Seattle Public Library, 1000 4th Ave., Seattle,

WA 98104-1193, Telephone 206-386-4686.

Government Publications, Suzzallo Library, University of Washington,

Seattle, WA 98195, Telephone: 206-543-1937.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Winter, Elwha River Restoration

Coordinator, Olympic National Park, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA

98362, Telephone: 206-452-0302. A limited number of copies of the DEIS

are available on request.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft Environmental Impact Statement,

Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration, Olympic National Park, Washington

describes and analyzes a proposed action and four alternatives for

restoration of the Elwha River ecosystem and its native anadromous fish

runs. Under the DEIS's proposed action, the Secretary of the Interior

would remove both the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams to accomplish the

above restoration objectives. The other alternatives are no action--

continuing to operate the dams without anadromous fish mitigation; dam

retention--operating the dams with the addition of mitigation; remove

only Elwha Dam; and remove only Glines Canyon Dam.

This document and analysis have resulted from the passage of Public

Law 102-495, the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of

1992. The DEIS has been completed by the National Park Service in

cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of

Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Lower Elwha S'Klallam

Tribe. Impacts are analyzed on the following topics: sediment,

anadromous fish, marine resources, vegetation, wildlife, threatened and

endangered species, cultural resources, recreation, socioeconomics, dam

safety, flooding, and hazardous materials.

Dated: October 14, 1994.

Willie R. Taylor,

Acting Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.

[FR Doc. 94-27356; Filed 11-3-94; 8:45 am]

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