Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices 45683

Colorado 80231, telephone number

(303) 696–6644.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Michael A. Miller, Chief, Program

Services Office, Royalty Management

Program, Minerals Management Service,

P.O. Box 25165, MS 3060, Denver, CO

80225–0165, telephone number (303)

231–3413, fax number (303) 231–3362.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

location and dates of future meetings

will be published in the Federal

Register.

The meetings will be open to the

public without advanced registration.

Public attendance may be limited to the

space available.

Members of the public may make

statements during the meeting, to the

extent time permits, and file written

statements with the Committee for its

consideration.

Written statements should be

submitted to Mr. Michael A. Miller, at

the address listed above. Minutes of

Committee meetings will be available 10

days following each meeting for public

inspection and copying at the Royalty

Management Program, Building No. 85,

Denver Federal Center, Denver,

Colorado.

These meetings are being held by the

authority of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act, Pub. L. No. 92–463, 5

U.S.C. Appendix 1, and Office of

Management and Budget Circular No.

A–63, revised.

Dated: August 22, 1997.

Donald T. Sant,

Acting Associate Director for Royalty

Management.

[FR Doc. 97–22897 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement/Environmental Impact

Report on the CALFED Bay-Delta

Program, San Francisco Bay/

Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta,

California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,

Interior.

ACTION: Supplemental notice of intent to

prepare an environmental impact

statement/environmental impact report.

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

of the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation

(Reclamation) is issuing this

supplemental notice of intent (NOI).

The original NOI titled, ‘‘Programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report on the

CALFED Bay-Delta Program, San

Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin

River Delta, California’’ was published

in the Federal Register at 61 FR 10379,

Mar. 13, 1996. The NOI summarized the

CALFED Program, the Programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR),

and provided a list of scoping meeting

dates and locations.

This notice supplements the original

NOI to expand the scope of the

Programmatic EIS/EIR to include the

preparation of a Habitat Conservation

Plan (HCP) as defined under Section 10

of the Federal Endangered Species Act

(FESA) and satisfying the requirements

of the California Endangered Species

Act (CESA). The CALFED agencies

intend to prepare an HCP and the State

agencies intend to apply for an

incidental take permit, pursuant to

FESA and CESA. Both FESA and CESA

require permits for any activity which

could result in ‘‘take’’ of threatened and

endangered species. The HCP planning

process is intended to ensure that the

effects of the incidental take are

avoided, minimized, or mitigated to the

extent practicable. In addition, the

Federal agencies will consult with the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the

National Marine Fisheries Service

(Services) pursuant to Section 7 of

FESA. This consultation will be

coordinated with the HCP planning

process. NEPA requires that Federal

agencies assess the environmental

impacts of agency actions. A joint

programmatic EIS/EIR will be prepared

pursuant to NEPA and the California

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to

evaluate potential impacts associated

with the actions contained within an

HCP and subsequent issuance of an

incidental take permit.

Upon receipt of an application or

request for an incidental take permit,

the Services must evaluate whether to

issue an incidental take permit for the

Bay-Delta Program under section

10(a)(1)(B) of the FESA and the

California Department of Fish and Game

(DFG) must evaluate whether to

authorize take under CESA or the

Natural Community Conservation

Program Act (NCCPA). The

Programmatic EIS/EIR will include an

analysis of the HCP and Program

alternatives as part of the Bay-Delta

Program and the action of the Services’

issuance of an incidental take permit

and DFG’s approval of a management

authorization. If an HCP is approved

and an incidental take permit issued,

non-Federal members of CALFED would

receive assurances, pursuant to the

Department of the Interior’s No

Surprises Policy. The purpose of this

HCP is to provide comprehensive, longterm conservation of threatened and

endangered species such that the plan

participants can be assured that in the

event of unforeseen circumstances, no

additional land, funds, or restrictions on

covered program actions will be

required.

DATES: Written public comments on the

options for structuring an HCP and the

potential of granting assurances by way

of the HCP process should be sent to

CALFED by October 20, 1997.

Three CALFED status/HCP and NEPA

scoping meetings are scheduled to

solicit public input. Specific times and

locations of these meetings will be sent

to individuals, agencies, and

organizations on the CALFED mailing

list and will be published in local

newspapers prior to the meeting dates.

• September 16, 1997, Redding,

California.

• September 23, 1997, Sacramento,

California.

• October 2, 1997, Los Angeles,

California.

In addition, the CALFED Bay-Delta

Program will hold public meetings or

workshops to discuss the development

of the HCP and the Programmatic EIS/

EIR. These meetings will occur in

advance of the Program’s issuing a draft

Programmatic EIS/EIR for the CALFED

Bay-Delta Program.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

proposal to prepare an HCP for the

CALFED Bay-Delta Program should be

sent to Ms. Sharon Gross, CALFED BayDelta Program, 1416 Ninth Street, Suite

1155, Sacramento, California 95814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Sharon Gross at the above address or

call at the CALFED Bay-Delta Program

Office at (916) 657–2666.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

The Federal Ecosystem Directorate

(FED) and the Governor’s Water Policy

Council of the State of California

(Council), are jointly known as

CALFED. The CALFED Bay-Delta

Program is a joint effort among State and

Federal agencies with management and

regulatory responsibilities in the

Sacramento-San Joaquin River Bay-Delta

system of California. The Federal colead agencies include the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Bureau of

Reclamation, National Marine Fisheries

Service, and the National Resources

Conservation Service. The U.S. Forest

Service, Western Area Power

Administration, Bureau of Land
45684 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 167 / Thursday, August 28, 1997 / Notices

Management, and the U.S. Geological

Survey are participating as cooperating

Federal agencies. The State of California

Resources Agency is the lead agency

under CEQA. Responsible State agencies

include California Department of Fish

and Game, California Department of

Water Resources and the State Water

Resources Control Board. The mission

of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program is to

develop a long-term comprehensive

plan that will restore ecological health

and improve water management for

beneficial uses of the Bay-Delta system.

The Program addresses four primary

resource areas; ecosystem quality, water

quality, water supply reliability, and

system vulnerability.

B. Proposed Action

1. The CALFED agencies will develop

a HCP and certain nonfederal CALFED

agencies intend to apply for an

incidental take permit, pursuant to

section 10 of the FESA as part of the

CALFED Bay-Delta Program. The

CALFED agencies will seek incidental

take coverage and assurances (for the

nonfederal agencies) for state and

federally listed species, as well as

currently unlisted species should they

become listed in the future. In addition,

the Federal agencies will consult

pursuant to Section 7, and will

coordinate that process with the HCP

planning process. The level of

assurances provided will depend on the

specific actions covered by the HCP, the

level of detail provided in the HCP, and

on the unique circumstances of each

species; assurances must be consistent

with the requirements of the State and

Federal Endangered Species Acts and

other applicable laws.

2. The Programmatic EIS/EIR for the

CALFED Bay-Delta Program will

include an evaluation of the

environmental impacts associated with

the HCP and Program alternatives for

the purpose of the Services’ and DFG’s

determination on whether to issue an

incidental take permit.

3. The HCP will include, among other

things, an adaptive management plan

and monitoring requirements.

C. HCP Options

The CALFED agencies are considering

several options for the structure of an

HCP.

1. Standard HCP: Develop a

comprehensive HCP that would address

all reasonable and foreseeable activities

and associated impacts under

consideration for the program.

Assurances to appropriate entities

would be commensurate with the level

of specificity and detail provided in the

HCP.

2. Phased HCP with Conditioned

Permit: Develop an initial HCP for the

Bay-Delta Program which addresses all

known actions; supplemental HCPs (and

appropriate CEQA and NEPA

compliance) would be developed in the

future as unknown/undefined program

components became defined. Upon

determination by the Services that

issuance criteria have been met, an

incidental take permit for the whole

Bay-Delta Program would be issued; the

permit would be conditioned to become

effective in stages corresponding to

approval of supplemental HCPs.

Assurances to appropriate entities

would become effective in stages.

3. Phased HCP with Permit

Amendments: Develop an initial HCP

for the Bay-Delta Program which covers

all known actions; subsequent

supplemental HCPs (and appropriate

CEQA and NEPA compliance) would be

developed in the future as unknown/

undefined program components became

defined. An incidental take permit,

covering only those actions included in

the initial HCP, would be issued upon

approval of the initial HCP. Permit

amendments would be processed as

supplemental HCP’s were approved.

Assurances would be provided to

appropriate entities only for that portion

of the overall Program as covered by

each permit or amended permit.

D. Scope of Comments

1. The CALFED agencies are seeking

comments on the HCP options outlined

above and are seeking comments on

additional ideas for HCP options not

discussed above.

2. The CALFED agencies are seeking

comments on assurances provided in

conjunction with an HCP, pursuant to

the Department of the Interior’s No

Surprises Policy, which would be given

to non-Federal participants.

Note: If special assistance is required,

contact Ms. Pauline Nevins at least one week

prior to each public meeting to enable

CALFED to secure the needed services. If a

request cannot be honored, the requestor will

be notified. A telephone device for the

hearing impaired (TDD) is available from

TDD phones at 1–800–735–2929; from voice

phones at 1–800–735–2922.

Dated: August 22, 1997.

Roger Patterson,

Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.

[FR Doc. 97–22895 Filed 8–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–94–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation

and Enforcement

Notice of Proposed Information

Collection

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining

Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation

and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing

its intention to request approval for the

collection of information for the

permanent program performance

standards—surface mining activities at

30 CFR part 816.

DATES: Comments on the proposed

information collection must be received

by October 27, 1997, to be assured of

consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to

John A. Trelease, Office of Surface

Mining Reclamation and Enforcement,

1951 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 210–

SIB, Washington, DC 20240. Comments

may also be submitted electronically to

jtreleas@osmre.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request a copy of the information

collection request, explanatory

information and related form, contact

John A. Trelease, at (202) 208–2783.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office

of Management and Budget (OMB)

regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which

implementing provisions of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13), require that interested

members of the public and affected

agencies have an opportunity to

comment on information collection and

recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR

1320.8(d)). This notice identifies

information collections that OSM will

be submitting to OMB for extension.

These collections are contained in 30

CFR 816.

OSM has revised burden estimates,

where appropriate, to reflect current

reporting levels or adjustments based on

reestimates of burden or respondents.

OSM will request a 3-year term of

approval for this information collection

activity.

Comments are invited on: (1) The

need for the collection of information

for the performance of the functions of

the agency; (2) the accuracy of the

agency’s burden estimates; (3) ways to

enhance the quality, utility and clarity

of the information collection; and (4)

ways to minimize the information

collection burden on respondents, such