Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement and Notice of Scoping Meetings for the Hood River Fisheries Restoration Project

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration

Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement,

Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement and Notice of Scoping

Meetings for the Hood River Fisheries Restoration Project

AGENCY: Boneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy

(DOE).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement

(EIS), and conduct scoping meetings and notice of floodplain and

wetlands involvement.

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SUMMARY: Today's notice announces BPA's intention to prepare an EIS on

actions to protect and improve anadromous salmonid populations in the

Hood River Basin. These actions are proposed to mitigate the losses of

fish and wildlife associated with the construction and operation of

Federal hydro-power facilities in the Columbia River Basin. These

actions are expected to protect and improve the status of native stocks

of salmonids in the Hood River and Columbia River Basin, establish a

viable spring chinook population in the Hood River Basin, and protect,

to the extent practicable, other aquatic and terrestrial resources in

the Hood River Basin, consistent with tribal treaty rights, Federal

environmental legislation, and the fish and wildlife management

objectives of the confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian

Reservation (Tribes), and the State of Oregon. In addition to

protecting and improving salmonid populations, these actions would also

provide a sustainable Indian and non-Indian harvest of salmon and

steelhead. The Tribes and the State of Oregon, Department of Fish and

Wildlife, will be cooperating agencies and will participate in the

development of the EIS. This action may involve floodplain and wetlands

located in Hood River County, Oregon.

In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain

and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR Part 1022), BPA

will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment and will perform this

proposed action in a manner so as to avoid or minimize potential harm

to or within the affected floodplain and wetlands. The assessment and a

floodplain statement of findings will be included in the EIS being

prepared for the proposed project in accordance with NEPA.

DATES: BPA has established a 45-day scoping period during which

affected landowners, concerned citizens, special interest groups, local

governments, and any other interested parties are invited to comment on

the scope of the proposed EIS. Scoping will help BPA ensure that a full

range of issues related to this proposal is addressed in the EIS, and

also will identify significant or potentially significant impacts that

may result from the proposed project. Written comments are due to the

address below no later than May 21, 1995.

Comments may also be made at an open house technical scoping

meeting for Federal, State and interested parties on April 11, 1995, at

the Bonneville Power Administration, 905 NE 11th, Room 106, Portland,

Oregon, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM; an open house public scoping meeting

on April 12, 1995, at the Yaucoma Buildings, 902 Wasco, Hood River,

Oregon, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm; and an open house scoping

[[Page 16866]] meeting on April 13, 1995, at the Warm Springs Community

Center, Social Hall, 2200 Hollywood Blvd., Warm Springs, Oregon, from

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Written information also will be available, and BPA

staff will answer questions and accept oral and written comments.

When completed, the Draft EIS will be circulated for review and

comment, and BPA will hold public comment meetings for the Draft EIS.

BPA will consider and respond to comments received on the Draft EIS in

the Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: BPA invites comments and suggestions on the proposed scope

of the Draft EIS. Send comment letters and requests to be placed on the

project mailing list to the Public Involvement and Information Manager,

Bonneville Power Administration-CKP, PO Box 12999, Portland, Oregon

97212. The phone number of the Public Involvement and Information

Office is 503-230-3478 in Portland; toll-free 1-800-622-4519 outside of

Portland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tom Morse-EWN, Bonneville Power Administration, PO Box 3621, Portland,

Oregon, 97208-3621, phone number 503-230-3694, fax number 503-230-4564.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Proposed Action

BPA proposes to initiate actions to protect, enhance, and mitigate

fish resources in the Hood River basin impacted by the construction and

operation of Columbia River hydroelectric projects as defined by

section 7.4L2 of the 1994 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife

Program in accordance with the Pacific Northwest Electric Power

Planning and Conservation Act of 1980.

Specific Goals of the Project Are

1. Re-establish a spring chinook population in the Hood River

Basin.

2. Improve native winter and summer steelhead populations in the

Hood River Basin.

3. Achieve goals 1 and 2 in a manner that protects and improves,

where practicable, habitat for other aquatic and terrestrial species in

the Hood River Basin.

4. Contribute to tribal and non-tribal fisheries, ocean fisheries,

and the Northwest Power Planning Council's interim goal of doubling

salmon runs.

Alternatives Proposed for Consideration

Most alternatives would use one or more of the following mitigation

techniques:

(1) A hatchery program (continued planting of hatchery reared fish

in a stream to provide harvest opportunities).

(2) A supplementation program (use of hatchery reared fish to

maintain or increase natural production of target species where it is

inadequate to meet management objectives, while protecting system

diversity and genetic character of all populations).

(3) Habitat improvement (alteration of existing habitat to improve

its ability to support fish).

Alternative #1: Re-establish, or re-build naturally sustaining

anadromous salmonid runs in the Hood River Basin via a combination of

hatchery (see #1 above), supplementation (see #2 above), and habitat

improvement actions (see #3 above) that can provide Indian and non-

Indian harvest of fish.

Alternative #2: Re-establish, or re-build and sustain populations

of anadromous salmonids in the Hood River Basin via a hatchery program

that can provide Indian and non-Indian harvest of fish.

Alternative #3: Re-establish, or re-build and sustain populations

of anadromous salmonids in the Hood River Basin via a supplementation

program that can provide Indian and non-Indian harvest of fish.

Alternative #4: Re-establish, or re-build and sustain populations

of anadormonous salmonids in the Hood River Basin via a program of

habitat improvements that can provide Indian and non-Indian harvest of

fish.

Alternative #5: No Action.

Identification of Environmental Issues

The following issues have been identified to be addressed in this

EIS:

1. Effectiveness of different fish management techniques.

A. Supplementation and hatchery protocols.

B. Use of out-of-basin stocks.

C. Wild versus hatchery stocks.

D. Disease prevention.

2. Effects on other species in Hood River Basin.

3. Effects on endangered species in Columbia and Hood River Basins.

4. Ability to measure program effects.

5. Indian cultural and treaty concerns.

Maps and further information are available from BPA at the address

above.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on March 27, 1995.

Sue Hickey,

Chief Operating Officer.

[FR Doc. 95-8110 Filed 3-31-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6540-01-P-M