Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 113 / Monday, June 12, 2000 / Notices 36841

which have been restored to BLM

jurisdiction. (The decision record

describes these as restored lands). The

process used in developing the plan

amendment involved the publication of

an Environmental Assessment (EA)

(WY–020–EA9–126) in September 1999

to document the review of existing

planning decisions in the 1990 Cody

RMP. The purpose of that review was to

determine (1) Which of the decisions

would apply to the restored lands; (2)

whether any decisions would need to be

deferred because further analysis was

needed before RMP decisions could be

applied or made for any of the restored

lands; and (3) whether it would be

necessary to pursue new withdrawals to

protect specific resources on any of the

restored lands. By virtue of the former

Bureau of Reclamation withdrawals, the

lands have remained closed to surface

entry and (or) mining, prohibiting

activities such as desert land entry, the

transfer of public lands through sale or

exchange, and the staking and

development of mining claims for

locatable minerals. In addition, a

moratorium on leasing Federal minerals

on the restored lands was enacted by the

Wyoming BLM State Director, pending

completion of the planning review and

the establishment of multiple-use

management decisions for the restored

lands.

The planning review determined that

there was sufficient National

Environmental Policy Act analysis, as

documented in the 1990 Environmental

Impact Statement for the Cody RMP and

the September 1999 EA, to adopt

existing Cody RMP decisions for the

restored lands. The review further

established that, generally, the lands

will be opened to surface entry and (or)

mining through the publication of

‘‘opening orders’’ in the Federal

Register, but that new closures will be

pursued on about 651.83 acres to

provide for expansion of the Park

County Landfill and to protect public

safety, scenic resources, and

recreational opportunities. With the

publication of the decision record and

RMP amendment, the moratorium on

leasing Federal minerals on the restored

lands has been lifted.

The decision record also puts

applicable restored lands in the Rivers

and Historic Trails Special Recreation

Management Areas (SRMAs). Public

lands within these SRMAs will be

managed intensively for recreational

use. The remaining restored lands are

included within the Cody Planning Area

extensive recreation management area.

ORV Designations have been adopted,

as well, and are described under

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION in this

notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom

Hare, Assistant Field Manager, Bureau

of Land Management, Cody Field Office,

P.O. Box 518, Cody, Wyoming 82414–

0518, or call (307) 587–2216.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EA WY–

020–EA9–126 was available for a formal

30-day review and protest period during

September and October 1999. For 60

days ending on November 8, 1999, the

public also had an opportunity to

comment on potential Areas of Critical

Environmental Concern (ACEC). The

State of Wyoming participated in a 60-

day Governor’s consistency review

during the same period. Six comment

letters addressing 33 concerns were

received and were carefully considered

in developing the decision record. There

were no protests received, nor any

comments, on potential ACEC.

Comments received on the EA resulted

in a number of changes, additions, and

clarifications reflected in the decision

record and plan amendment.

The plan amendment includes the

following ORV Designations: Vehicle

use on the restored lands is limited to

designated roads and trails in the

following areas: (1) Essential and

recovery habitat for threatened or

endangered species, (2) areas with

fragile soils or with Class I or II visual

resource management ratings, and (3)

areas containing significant cultural or

paleontological resources. In the

remainder of the planning area, ORV

use on BLM-administered public land is

limited to existing roads and trails.

‘‘Existing’’ roads and trails are roads and

trails in existence as of the date the

decision record was signed (March 3,

2000) and any BLM-authorized roads

and trails constructed after that date.

Until activity planning specifically

addresses the use of over-the-snow

vehicles, they will be subject to the

same requirements and limitations as all

other vehicles.

Parties who are interested in, and who

wish to be involved in, future activity

planning and implementation of

management actions that may involve,

or affect, the resource values addressed

in the Cody RMP (including the RMP

amendment for the restored lands) are

requested to identify themselves. Please

contact the Cody Field Office and

request to be placed on a future contact

list for activity planning and

implementation activities concerning

the Cody RMP.

Dated: June 5, 2000.

Alan R. Pierson,

State Director.

[FR Doc. 00–14786 Filed 6–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Completion of an Environmental

Assessment on Exploration,

Development, and Production

Operations and Activities in the

Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Outer

Continental Shelf

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Completion of an environmental

assessment.

SUMMARY: The Minerals Management

Service (MMS) has completed an

environmental assessment (EA) on

exploration, development, and

production activities in the deepwater

areas (generally beyond 1,000 feet water

depth) of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM)

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The

MMS is mandated to manage the

development of OCS oil and natural gas

resources, while also ensuring safe

operations and protection of the human

and natural environment. To meet these

objectives, MMS has used the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

process as a planning tool to assist in

managing these activities and assure

appropriate environmental reviews. The

findings of the EA are summarized

below.

Based on the information and

analyses in the EA, MMS has

determined that a programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

on regional deepwater activities on the

Gulf of Mexico OCS is not required.

Most deepwater operations and

activities are substantially the same as

those associated with conventional

operations and activities on the

continental shelf. These deepwater

components and activities include

anchoring, mooring, stationkeeping,

most drilling and well completion

activities (the exceptions are discussed

below), well test and cleanup

operations, flaring/burning, facility

installation and production operations,

host facilities, pipeline installation and

operations, alternative transportation

options, operational emissions, routine

produced-water discharges, support

service activities, decommissioning, and

site clearance. Existing NEPA

documents, established project-specific

and programmatic NEPA review

36842 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 113 / Monday, June 12, 2000 / Notices

processes, and established mitigation

measures are fully sufficient to address

these deepwater components and

associated activities.

Specific deepwater operations and

activities that are substantially different

from those associated with conventional

operations and activities on the

continental shelf have been addressed

by requiring specific mitigation

measures, initiating a more in-depth EA,

and initiating an EIS.

Seafloor discharges from pre-riser and

riserless drilling operation, and the

discharge of synthetic-based drilling

fluids (SBF) and cuttings wetted with

SBF may pose potentially significant

localized impacts to chemosynthetic

communities. An appropriate mitigation

measure has been developed to avoid or

reduce the potential for significant

impacts from these factors. Deepwater

wells must be at least 1,000 ft away from

any potential high-density

chemosynthetic communities. Notice to

Lessees (NTL) 98–11 is being modified

to include this 1,000 ft buffer zone

around all deepwater well sites. As the

NTL goes through the formal review and

implementation process, this mitigation

is currently being applied on a site-bysite basis. Accidental spills of chemical

products and the subsea release of oil

are low-probability events. Extensive

mitigation measures for spill prevention

and response are currently required.

Deepwater seismic surveying

operations are essentially the same as

seismic surveying operations on the

continental shelf. Historically, the

potential impacts of noise associated

with seismic surveying have been

considered insignificant, and the EA

supports this view. As this position has

recently become controversial, the

potential impacts of geological and

geophysical (G&G) activities, including

seismic surveying operations, on the

GOM OCS are currently being analyzed

in detail in a separate EA. The decision

on the need to prepare an EIS on

seismic surveying operations is pending

completion of the G&G EA.

The use of floating production,

storage, and offloading (FPSO) systems

represents new and unusual technology

for the GOM OCS and may pose

potentially significant impacts to the

marine and coastal environments. The

need for an EIS was recognized early

during the preparation of this EA. A

Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS was

published in the Federal Register on

June 10, 1999.

Copies of the EA are available from

the Public Information Office (MS

5034), Minerals Management Service,

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201

Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans,

Louisiana 70123–2394 by asking for

publication MMS 2000–001. Copies of

the Technical Report (OCS Report MMS

2000–015) prepared in support of the

EA will also be available in mid-July

2000. Both the EA and the Technical

Report will eventually be available on

CD and will be placed on the MMS

website http://www.mms.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions

regarding the EA should be directed to

Ms. Deborah Cranswick, Leasing and

Environment, at (504) 736–2744.

Questions regarding deepwater

operations should be directed to Mr. Jim

Regg, Field Operations, at (504) 736–

2843. The mailing address is Minerals

Management Service, Gulf of Mexico

OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park

Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana

70123–2394.

Dated: June 6, 2000.

J. Hammond Eve,

Acting Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico OCS

Region.

[FR Doc. 00–14738 Filed 6–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[FES 00–20]

Woodbridge Irrigation District and City

of Lodi’s Lower Mokelumne River

Restoration Program, San Joaquin

County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the final

environmental impact report/

environmental impact statement (Final

EIR/EIS).

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and

the California Environmental Quality

Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation

(Reclamation), Woodbridge Irrigation

District (WID), and the City of Lodi have

prepared a joint final EIR/EIS for the

Lower Mokelumne River Restoration

Program (LMRRP). The LMRRP

encompasses an area located in northern

San Joaquin County along the lower

Mokelumne River between Camanche

Dam and the Mokelumne and Cosumnes

Rivers. The Proposed Project comprises

four elements: Improving fish passage at

Woodbridge Dam, upgrading the fish

screen at the WID diversion, placing

screens on unscreened or underscreened

riparian diversions on the Mokelumne

River between Camanche Dam and the

Cosumnes Rivers on a voluntary basis,

and restoring riparian vegetation along

the Mokelumne River. The final EIR/EIS

describes and presents the

environmental effects of the four

elements of the program. The first two

elements are addressed at a project level

in this final EIR/EIS, including five fish

passage alternatives and five optional

fish passage actions. The remaining two

elements are addressed at a

programmatic level. The preferred

alternative is to construct a new dam

and new fish-passage facilities, and

includes optional actions to improve

predator control below the dam, move

the WID diversion point to just

upstream of the dam, and construct a

downstream splash pool.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a

decision on the proposed action until

after Endangered Species Act (ESA)

compliance has been completed. After

ESA compliance has been completed,

Reclamation will complete a Record of

Decision (ROD). The ROD will state the

action that will be implemented and

will discuss all factors leading to the

decision.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the final EIR/EIS

may be requested from Mr. Anders

Christensen, Woodbridge Irrigation

District, 18777 N. Lower Sacramento

Road, Woodbridge, California 95258, or

Mr. Buford Holt, Bureau of Reclamation,

16349 Shasta Dam Boulevard, Shasta

Lake, California 96019.

See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

section for locations where copies of the

final EIR/EIS are available for public

inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Buford Holt, Bureau of Reclamation, at

(530) 275–1554; or Mr. Anders

Christensen, Woodbridge Irrigation

District, at (209) 369–6808.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

LMRRP was developed to implement

important elements from resource

management plans prepared by

CALFED, USFWS, and DFG. The goal of

the LMRRP is to substantially increase

fall-run chinook salmon and steelhead

populations, enhance critical and

limiting aquatic habitats, and restore

riparian ecosystem integrity and

diversity. In addition to a No-Project

Alternative, which involves the

continued operation of the existing

Woodbridge Dam and fish passage

facilities, four action alternatives are

examined, including: (1) Construct new

fish passage facilities on the existing

Woodbridge Dam; (2) construct a new

Woodbridge Dam with operable weir

gates and new fish passage facilities; (3)

construct a new Woodbridge Dam with

operable weir gates and new fish

passage facilities, and diversion pumps;