Finding of No Significant Impact and Floodplain Statement of Findings for Dworshak Wildlife Mitigation Project

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration

Finding of No Significant Impact and Floodplain Statement of

Findings for Dworshak Wildlife Mitigation Project

agency: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy

(DOE).

action: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Floodplain

Statement of Findings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

summary: This notice announces environmental findings on BPA's proposal

to implement the Wildlife Mitigation Agreement for Dworshak Dam

(Agreement) in order to mitigate for loss of wildlife habitat caused by

the development of Columbia River Basin hydroelectric projects,

particularly Dworshak Dam. The project involves wildlife conservation

on 24 420 hectares (ha; 60,000 acres) of land in the Craig Mountain

area of Idaho, and future acquisition of additional, unidentified lands

in the lower Clearwater River drainage of Idaho for wildlife

conservation purposes. BPA has prepared an environmental assessment

(DOE/EA-1066) evaluating the proposed project. Based on the analysis in

the EA, BPA has determined that the proposed action is not a major

Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human

environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental

impact statement (EIS) is not required and BPA is issuing this FONSI.

A finding is included that there is no practicable alternative to

locating the project within 100-year floodplains.

for further information contact: Thomas C. McKinney, Bonneville Power

Administration, PO Box 3621 (ECN), Portland, Oregon, 97208-3621, phone

number 503-230-4749, fax number 503-230-5699. For copies of the EA and

this FONSI, please call BPA's toll-free document request line: 800-622-

4520.

Public Availability: This FONSI will be distributed to all persons

and agencies known to be interested in or affected by the proposed

action or alternatives.

supplementary information: Implementation of the Agreement would

transfer fee-title ownership of 24 420 ha (60,000 acres) to the Idaho

Department of Fish and Game, and establish trust funds for the State of

Idaho and the Nez Perce Tribe to use for protection and enhancement of

wildlife and wildlife habitat in Idaho. Some of the trust fund assets

would be used to acquire additional properties and/or conservation

easements, and some would be used for management activities.

Alternatives to the proposed action include maintaining the status quo,

site-specific wildlife mitigation, and no action.

Potential impacts of the proposed action are: (1) Slow changes to

vegetation patterns on wildlife mitigation lands; (2) avoidance of

further loss or degradation of habitat on wildlife mitigation lands;

(3) increased populations of target wildlife species; (4) improved

surface water quality on wildlife mitigation lands; and (5) reduced

grazing, timber production, and farming on wildlife mitigation lands.

There are two main reasons why these impacts would not be significant.

First, most of the impacts would gradually result from natural

succession of vegetation patterns. Encouragement of desirable plant

species (especially native species), discouragement of exotic species,

and grazing control would eventually increase biological diversity on

wildlife mitigation lands. Also, land use changes would not be

significant because most would occur over a period of years, and

because the amount of lands removed from economic uses would be minor

in relation to other lands in the general area remaining available for

similar uses. No impacts are expected on cultural resources, air

quality, or unique environmental resources such as components of the

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System or the National Trails System.

Floodplain Statement of Findings: This is a Floodplain Statement of

Findings prepared in accordance with 10 CFR part 1022. BPA publishes a

Notice of Floodplain and Wetland Involvement in the Federal Register on

May 10, 1994, and incorporated a floodplain and wetland assessment into

the EA. The proposed action may involve activities in the 100-year

floodplains of the Clearwater, Salmon, and Snake Rivers and their

tributaries because the floodplains and their related surface waters

have high wildlife value. Any development (such as fencing) within the

floodplains would be to protect or enhance wildlife values, and is

therefore consistent with Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management.

The proposed action [[Page 28601]] would preserve wetlands and is

therefore consistent with Executive Order 11990, Protection of

Wetlands.

BPA will endeavor to allow 15 days of public review after

publication of this statement of findings before implementing the

proposed action.

Determination: Based on the information in the EA, as summarized

here, BPA determines that the proposed action is not a major Federal

action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment

within the meaning of NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. Therefore, an EIS

will not be prepared and BPA is issuing this FONSI.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on May 11, 1995.

Randall W. Hardy,

Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.

[FR Doc. 95-13439 Filed 5-31-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-M