57260 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 185 / Friday, September 24, 2004 / Notices 

• Mitigation. Can negative 

environmental impacts of the action be 

reasonably mitigated, and what is the 

likelihood that mitigation measures will 

be successfully implemented? CEQ 

regulations (40 CFR 1508.20) indicate 

that mitigation to be considered in the 

scope of a NEPA document can include 

actions or decisions that avoid, 

minimize, reduce, rectify, or 

compensate for the adverse impacts 

identified. The EIS will consider the 

stewardship plan outlined in section 

VII. E. of the petition, which is designed 

to minimize inadvertent gene flow as 

well as to monitor and mitigate the 

potential development of glyphosateresistant weeds. The EIS will also 

consider other actions, e.g., deployment 

(release) strategies or management 

practices, including those that may be 

outside APHIS’ jurisdiction, that might 

mitigate any adverse impacts identified, 

so as to alert those who may be in a 

position to implement them.

Comments that provide information 

relevant to the scope identified above or 

that identify other potentially 

significant environmental issues or 

alternatives that should be examined in 

the context of the EIS process would be 

especially helpful. All comments that 

we received in response to the January 

2004 notice will be included as part of 

this scoping process; there is no need to 

resubmit those comments. We will fully 

consider all the comments received in 

response to the January 2004 notice and 

this current notice in developing a final 

scope of study and in preparing the 

draft EIS. When the draft EIS is 

completed, we will publish a notice in 

the Federal Register announcing its 

availability and inviting the public to 

comment on it. Following our 

consideration of the comments received, 

APHIS will prepare a final EIS; its 

availability will also be announced in 

the Federal Register along with a 30-day 

public comment period, after which the 

Record of Decision will be issued.

Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of 

September 2004. 

W. Ron DeHaven, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. E4–2372 Filed 9–23–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

Stemple Creek Watershed Project, 

Marin and Sonoma Counties, CA

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service.

ACTION: Notice of a Finding of No 

Significant Impact. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969, the Council on 

Environmental Quality regulations (40 

CFR Part 1500) and the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service 

regulations (7 CFR Part 650), the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, gives notice 

that an environmental impact statement 

is not being prepared for the Stemple 

Creek Watershed Project, Marin and 

Sonoma Counties, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Luana E. Kiger, Special Assistant to the 

State Conservationist, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, 430 G Street, 

Davis, California, 95616–4164, 

telephone (530) 792–5661.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

environmental assessment of this 

federally assisted action indicates that 

the modifications to the project will not 

cause significant local, regional, or 

national impacts on the environment. 

As a result of these findings, Charles W. 

Bell, State Conservationist, has 

determined that the preparation and 

review of an environmental impact 

statement are not needed for this action. 

The project purpose is watershed 

protection for water quality 

improvement. The planned project 

includes improved waste management 

systems on about 16 dairies, 

approximately 29 miles of riparian 

stream habitat restoration, and land 

treatment on about 11,000 acres of 

rangeland. The work will be installed 

through long-term contracts with 

individual land users. Participation by 

land users is voluntary. 

The Finding of No Significant Impact 

has been forwarded to the 

Environmental Protection Agency and 

to various Federal, State, and local 

agencies and interested parties. Basic 

data developed during the 

environmental assessment is on file and 

its review may be arranged by 

contacting Luana E. Kiger, Special 

Assistant to the State Conservationist. 

No administrative action on 

implementation of the proposal will be 

taken until 30 days after the date of this 

publication in the Federal Register.

(This activity is listed in the Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance under No. 

10.904, Watershed Protection and Flood 

Prevention, and is subject to the provisions 

of Executive Order 12372, which requires 

intergovernmental consultation with State 

and local officials)

Dated: September 13, 2004. 

Charles W. Bell, 

State Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 04–21421 Filed 9–23–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service 

Southern Montana Electric 

Cooperative, Inc.; Notice of Intent To 

Hold a Public Scoping Meeting and 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to hold a public 

scoping meeting and prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) intends to hold a public scoping 

meeting and prepare an environmental 

impact statement (EIS) in connection 

with possible impacts related to a 

project being proposed by Southern 

Montana Electric Cooperative, Inc. 

(SME), of Billings, Montana. The 

proposal consists of the construction 

and operation of a coal-fired electric 

generation facility, consisting of a single 

250 Megawatt (MW) unit, at a site near 

Great Falls, Montana.

DATES: RUS will conduct the public 

scoping meetings in an open-house 

format on October 13, 2004, from 3 p.m. 

to 7 p.m., at the Civic Center in Great 

Falls, Montana.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection 

Specialist, RUS, Engineering and 

Environmental Staff, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, 

Washington, DC 20250–1571, telephone: 

(202) 720–1414 or email: 

nurul.islam@usda.gov, or Tim R. 

Gregori, General Manager, Southern 

Montana Electric Cooperative, Inc., 3521 

Gabel Road, Suite 5, Billings, MT 59102, 

telephone: (406) 294–9527, or email: 

gregori@mcn.net.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SME 

proposes to construct and operate a 250 

MW coal-fired electric generation 

facility at one of two sites near Great 

Falls, Montana. The Salem Industrial 

site is located east of Highway 87 in the 

Great Falls Industrial Park. The Salem 

site is located near the intersection of 

Salem Road and the abandon