1778 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 8 / Monday, January 13, 1997 / Notices

State and Federal land management

agencies, local agencies and property

owners, including the California

Department of Fish and Game, U.S.

Bureau of Land Management, Inyo

National Forest, and the Los Angeles

Department of Water and Power. The

plan calls for restoration of wetland and

aquatic habitats throughout the Owens

River drainage. The plan describes tasks

that, when accomplished, should ensure

the survival of target species, and

thereby justify their removal from the

endangered and threatened species list. The draft Management Guidelines

Plan for rare species was completed to

provide management guidance to the

Department of Fish and Game. The

Management Guidance Plan is

supplemental to, but independent from,

the draft recovery plan. In essence, they

are separate documents.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments

on the draft recovery plan and

Management Guidelines Plan described

herein. All comments received by the

date specified above will be considered

prior to approval of the plan or

completion of a final Management

Guidelines Plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is section

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16

U.S.C. 1533(f).

Dated: January 3, 1997.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 97–721 Filed 1–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

Notice

Notice of Scoping Meeting on Intent to

Prepare Environmental Impact

Statement in Anticipation of Receiving

a Permit Application to Incidentally

Take Listed Species From the

Endangered San Marcos and Comal

Springs Ecosystems Under Section

10(a) of the Endangered Species Act,

by the Bexar Metropolitan Water

District and Possibly Others, Comal,

Bexar, and Hays Counties, Texas

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement and

announcement of scoping meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that the Fish and Wildlife Service

(Service) intends to gather information

necessary to prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) for an

anticipated incidental take permit

application, including a required

Habitat Conservation Plan, from the

Bexar Metropolitan Water District

(District) and possibly others. The

species proposed to be taken from the

San Marcos and Comal Springs

Ecosystems (Edwards Aquifer), include

the federally-listed San Marcos

gambusia (Gambusia georgei), fountain

darter (Etheostoma fonticola), and Texas

wild-rice (Zizania texana).

This notice is provided as required by

the Endangered Species Act (Act) of

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C.1531 et

seq.), (50 CFR 17.22) and National

Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR

1501.7) regulations. The Service is soliciting information

and comments on the scope of issues to

be addressed in the EIS. The National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

process is intended to help public

officials make decisions that are based

on understanding of environmental

consequences, and take actions that

protect, restore, and enhance the human

environment. NEPA scoping procedures

are intended to insure that information

on the proposed action, alternatives and

impacts are solicited from the public,

and that all information is available to

public officials and citizens before

planning decisions are made. Accurate

scientific analysis, expert agency

comments, and public scrutiny are

essential to implementing NEPA. NEPA

documents concentrate on the issues

that are significant to the action in

question. The Service invites the public

to submit information and comments

either at a meeting on 13 February 1997,

or in writing. The Service requests that

comments be as specific as possible.

Major environmental and species

concerns in this scoping process include

the direct, indirect, and cumulative

impacts that implementation of the

proposal could have on endangered and

threatened species, critical habitat, and

other environmental resources, and the

quality of the human environment.

Other relevant issues include effects of

aquifer and water withdrawal levels on

Comal and San Marcos spring flows,

effects of various aquifer water use

management options and alternative

water supply options on the

environments affected by those options,

and effects on the downstream

environment.

DATES: Written comments should be

received on or before 1 May 1997. A

public hearing for receipt of comments

will be held in San Antonio, Bexar

County, Texas, Thursday, 13 February

1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to Steve Helfert, Field

Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Ecological Services, 10711

Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas

78758–4460. The public hearing will be

held from 7 to 10 pm, at Dwight Middle

School, 2454 W. Southcross, San

Antonio, Texas 78211. For further

information on the scoping meeting

location contact Janie Valenzuela at

Bexar Metropolitan Water District, 2047

West Malone, San Antonio, Bexar

County, Texas 78225, (210) 345–6500.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alisa M. Shull, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, at the above address, telephone

(512) 490–0057, facsimile (512) 490–

0974.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Service proposes to prepare an EIS to

evaluate the impacts of alternatives

associated with issuing an incidental

take permit under section 10(a)1(B) of

the ESA. Several parties, including the

Bexar Metropolitan Water District, have

indicated an interest in pursuing

incidental take authorization.

Section 9 of the ESA prohibits the

taking of federally listed animal species,

unless authorized under the provisions

of section 7 or 10 of the ESA. The term

‘‘take’’ under the ESA includes actions

that may directly kill or injure listed

species, actions that significantly

disrupt normal behavioral patterns such

as feeding and breeding, and actions

that detrimentally modify habitat to the

extent that it harms individuals of the

species.

Section 10(a)(1)(B) allows the Fish

and Wildlife Service to permit taking of

listed species provided that taking is

incidental to an otherwise legal activity

and that it will not jeopardize a listed

species. A Habitat Conservation Plan

(HCP) must be submitted as part of the

incidental take permit application by

the applicant.

The San Marcos and Comal Springs

Ecosystems are dependent upon

adequate springflow from the San

Antonio Segment of the Edwards

Aquifer to support endangered species

and critical habitat, as well as several

species proposed for federal listing. The

Edwards Aquifer is the sole source of

drinking water for over 1.5 million

people in the San Antonio Metropolitan

Region. Given the growing water use,

anticipated for the San Antonio Region,

an overall management plan seems

necessary to assure the sustained

springflow in the two systems.

Decline of springflow in the two

systems will result in ‘‘take’’ of listed

species and in an appreciable reduction

of the value of critical habitat, and an

appreciable reduction in the likelihood

of survival and recovery of listed

species. The Service has estimated

minimum springflow for the two
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 8 / Monday, January 13, 1997 / Notices 1779

systems necessary to avoid any of these

conditions.

All parties who either directly

withdraw Edwards Aquifer water or

who reduce recharge to the aquifer,

contribute to diminished springflows.

Between late May and August 1996,

minimum necessary flows were not

sustained in either system, owing to

widespread drought conditions and the

level of a regional pumpage, particularly

during emergency conditions. In August

1996, a Federal Court found that an

emergency exists and ordered

implementation of emergency measures

in accord with the 1996 Emergency

Withdrawal Reduction Plan, prepared

by the court appointed Monitor.

Bexar Metropolitan Water District

(District) is the second largest water

purveyor in Bexar County, Texas and

largely dependent upon withdrawals

from the Edwards Aquifer.

The District proposes to adopt a

Habitat Conservation Plan consistent

with objectives of the approved San

Marcos and Comal Springs and

Associated Aquatic Ecosystems

(Revised) Recovery Plan for the spring

associated ecosystems, with the Federal

Court ruling, and with Sections 9 and 10

of the Endangered Species Act. The

District proposes to reduce its pumpage

from the Edwards Aquifer on a pro rata

basis to achieve compliance with the

Withdrawal Reduction Plan. The

District proposes to accomplish this

purpose by implementing one or more

measures, including but not limited to:

development of alternative water

resources (ground-water resources,

surface water resources, reuse of treated

effluents, etc.), landscape management

practices (XeriscapeTM, zoned irrigation,

designated watering days, etc.);

employment of water efficient devices;

adoption of policies encouraging

conservation; public education;

deployment of alternative technologies

in intensive water-using industries;

other appropriate and effective

measures; etc.

The District also proposes to include

a mechanism in its Habitat Conservation

Plan, for inclusion of other pumpers

(municipal, industrial, commercial, or

military) which, acting in concert with

the District, meet certain criteria (for

example, a target reduction rate in

Edwards Aquifer withdrawals) that

would be developed and included in the

Habitat Conservation Plan and

incidental take permit conditions.

In addition to considering impacts on

listed species and their habitat, the EIS

must include information on impacts

from the proposal and alternatives to the

proposal on other components of the

human environment. These other

components include such things as air

and water quality, cultural resources,

other fish and wildlife species, social

resources, and economic resources.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is

gathering information necessary for the

preparation of an EIS. Information such

as the following topics that would assist

the Service in assessing the impacts of

the issuance of an incidental take permit

under the provisions of an HCP is being

sought: the hydrogeology of the

Edwards Aquifer and the effects of

aquifer levels on springflows at Comal

and San Marcos Springs as they relate

to the habitat needs of federally listed

species; potential water conservation

measures and strategies to reduce the

withdrawal demands on the Edwards

Aquifer and their effects on springflows;

alternate water supplies and their

potential effect on reducing Edwards

Aquifer water withdrawals and

maintaining springflows; effects of

aquifer level management and

springflow changes on the quality of the

human environment; and, any other

issues or suggestions that would be

relevant toward the Fish and Wildlife

Service’s review and development of

alternatives.

Nancy M. Kaufman,

Regional Director, Region 2, Albuquerque,

New Mexico.

[FR Doc. 97–722 Filed 1–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

Bureau of Land Management

[(CA–067–7122–6606); CACA–35511]

Imperial Project, CA; Draft

Environmental Impact Statement;

Correction

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Amendment.

SUMMARY: In the Federal Register of

November 1, 1996 (Vol. 61, p. 56567), a

notice was published (FR Doc. 96–

27519). This amends that notice.

Because of expressed interest, the

comment period is extended an

additional 31 days until January 31,

1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Keith Shone (619) 337–4412, or Thomas

Zale (619) 337–4420.

Dated: December 31, 1996.

Patricia A. Weller,

Acting Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–649 Filed 1–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

[OR–130–1020–00; GP7–0058]

Notice of Meeting of the Eastern

Washington Resource Advisory

Council

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Spokane District.

ACTION: Meeting of the Eastern

Washington Resource Advisory Council;

February 14, 1997, in Spokane,

Washington.

SUMMARY: A meeting of the Eastern

Washington Resource Advisory Council

will be held on February 14, 1997. The

meeting will convene at 9:00 a.m., at the

Red Lion Inn, N. 322 Spokane Falls Ct.,

Spokane, Washington, 99201. The

meeting will adjourn at approximately

4:00 p.m. or upon completion of

business. At an appropriate time, the

meeting will recess for approximately

one hour for lunch. Public comments

will be heard from 10:00 a.m. until

10:30 a.m. If necessary to accommodate

all wishing to make public comments, a

time limit may be placed upon each

speaker. The purposes of the meeting

are to discuss the status of the Interior

Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management

Project and the status of Standards for

Rangeland Health and Livestock Grazing

Guidelines.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Hubbard, Bureau of Land

Management, Spokane District Office,

1103 N. Fancher Road, Spokane,

Washington, 99212–1275; or call 509–

536–1200.

Dated: January 7, 1997.

Joseph K. Buesing,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–723 Filed 1–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–33–P

[CA–350–1610–00]

Notice of Resource Advisory Council

Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Susanville Resource Advisory Council,

Susanville, California.

ACTION: Notice of Meeting.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management’s Susanville Resource

Advisory Council will hold a business

meeting Friday, February 14, 1997, at

the Bureau of Land Management’s Eagle

Lake Resource Area office, 2950

Riverside Drive, Susanville, California.

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. and ends

at 4 p.m. Public comments will be take

at 1 p.m. Depending on the number of

persons wishing to speak, a time limit

may be imposed. Items on the agenda

include an update on development of