Federal Register: March 12, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 47)
DOCID: fr12mr09-35 FR Doc E9-5383
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN ID: RIN 0648-XN86
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr12mr09-35
ACTION: Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Notice of Decision to Expand Scope of the Environmental Impact Statement Analyzing Mitchell Act Funding and Operation of Columbia River Hatcheries
DATES: Written or electronic comments from all interested parties are encouraged and must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time April 13, 2009.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces its decision to expand the scope of the Mitchell Act Hatchery Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to include analysis of the environmental effects of hatchery programs in a way that will inform future NMFS decisions about Endangered Species Act compliance for all Columbia River hatchery programs. Our previous notice of intent to prepare an EIS on the funding and operation of Columbia River hatcheries under the Mitchell Act was published on September 3, 2004. We are opening a 30day comment period on our decision to expand the scope.
SUMMARY:
Mitchell Act Funding and Operation of Columbia River Hatcheries,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Background
On September 3, 2004 (69 FR 53892), NMFS announced its intent to prepare
[[Page 10725]]
an EIS pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and to conduct public scoping related to the
allocation and distribution of Mitchell Act funds for Columbia River
hatchery operations. A 90day public comment period to seek input on
the scope of the required NEPA analysis, including the range of
reasonable alternatives and the associated impacts on resources, was open from September 3, 2004, to December 2, 2004.
During the original scoping process, it became clear that the interrelationship between hatchery production funded under the Mitchell Act and other hatchery production in the Columbia River basin would need to be considered. Not all hatchery programs in the Columbia River basin are funded under the Mitchell Act; however, decisions about salmon and steelhead produced with Mitchell Act funds (e.g., the populations chosen for artificial production, the size of those production programs, location) are coordinated and interrelated with decisions about the remainder of natural and artificial production in the Columbia River basin (i.e., nonMitchell Actfunded production). Because of this interrelationship, NMFS determined that the EIS must assess artificial production throughout the entire basin, regardless of the hatchery funding source, in order to properly assess all environmental effects that occur in the basin related to hatchery production. Consequently, NMFS anticipates using information generated by this EIS to inform its determinations under Endangered Species Act (ESA) sections 4(d), 7, 10(a)(1)(A), and 10(a)(1)(B) for both Mitchell Act and nonMitchell Act hatchery programs. This EIS will not result in decisions on ESA compliance. Should hatchery managers propose to operate nonMitchell Actfunded facilities in a manner that is within the scope of the environmental review in this EIS, NMFS' future ESA determinations on those production programs may be informed by the analysis within this EIS. While the expanded scope will analyze non Mitchell Actfunded programs to inform ESA decisions, the Record of Decision for this EIS will not address decisions on ESA compliance. Further, NMFS believes that conducting a broad review of the environmental effects from all Columbia River basin hatchery programs will provide a comprehensive approach to analyzing cumulative effects within the basin as a result of Mitchell Act funding.
Request for Comments
NMFS solicits written comments from the public. We request that the
comments be as specific as possible with regard to our expansion of the
scope of the EIS to include informing NMFS' future ESA determinations
on nonMitchell Act programs. All comments and materials received,
including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative
record and may be released to the public. The environmental review of
this project will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 15001508), other applicable
Federal laws and regulations, and applicable policies and procedures.
This notice is being furnished in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.7 of NEPA
to obtain suggestions and information from other agencies and the
public on the scope of issues and alternatives to be addressed in the EIS.
Dated: March 6, 2009.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E95383 Filed 31109; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 351022S
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Contact Patty Dornbusch, NMFS Northwest Region, (503) 2305430.