Bay-Delta Advisory Council Meeting

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Bay-Delta Advisory Council Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Bay-Delta Advisory Council (BDAC) will meet to discuss

several issues including: discussion of the proposed CALFED storage and

conveyance alternatives, discussion of independent peer review and

public participation process during the EIR comment period, and

discussion of the draft assurances and finance implementation plan.

Interested persons may make oral statements to the BDAC or may file

written statements for consideration.

DATES: The Bay-Delta Advisory Council meeting will be held from 9:30 am

to 5:00 pm on Thursday, January 29, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The Bay-Delta Advisory Council meeting will meet at the

Sacramento Convention Center, 1030 15th Street, Room 204, Sacramento,

California 95814, (916) 264-5291.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: Mary Selkirk, CALFED Bay-Delta

Program, at (916) 657-2666. If reasonable accommodation is needed due

to a disability, please contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Office

at (916) 653-6952 or TDD (916) 653-6934 at least one week prior to the

meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin

Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta system) is a critically important part of

California's natural environment and economy. In recognition of the

serious problems facing the region and the complex resource management

decisions that must be made, the state of California and the Federal

government are working together to stabilize, protect, restore, and

enhance the Bay-Delta system. The State and Federal agencies with

management and regulatory responsibilities in the Bay-Delta system are

working together as CALFED to provide policy direction and oversight

for the process.

One area of Bay-Delta management includes the establishment of a

joint State-Federal process to develop long-term solutions to problems

in the Bay-Delta system related to fish and wildlife, water supply

reliability, natural disasters, and water quality. The intent is to

develop a comprehensive and balanced plan which addresses all of the

resource problems. This effort, the CALFED Bay-Delta Program (Program),

is being carried out under the policy direction of CALFED. The CALFED

Bay-Delta Program is exploring and developing a long-term solution for

a cooperative planning process that will determine the most appropriate

strategy and actions necessary to improve water quality, restore health

to the Bay-Delta ecosystem, provide for a variety of beneficial uses,

and minimize Bay-Delta system vulnerability. A group of citizen

advisors representing California's agricultural, environmental, urban,

business, fishing, and other interests who have a stake in finding long

term solutions for the problems affecting the Bay-Delta system has been

chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) as the Bay-

Delta Advisory Council (BDAC) to advise CALFED on the program mission,

problems to be addressed, and objectives for the CALFED Bay-Delta

Program. BDAC provides a forum to help ensure public participation, and

will review reports and other materials prepared by CALFED staff.

Minutes of the meeting will be maintained by the CALFED Bay-Delta

Program, Suite 1155, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, and will

be available for public inspection during regular business hours,

Monday through Friday within 30 days following the meeting.

[[Page 1124]]

Dated: January 2, 1998.

Roger Patterson,

Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.

[FR Doc. 98-407 Filed 1-7-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-94-M