31946 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 114 / Wednesday, June 13, 2001 / Notices

Dated: May 29, 2001.

H. Dale Hall,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 01–14860 Filed 6–12–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of the Final Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact for Federal Agency

Participation in the Virgin River

Resource Management and Recovery

Program

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Final

Environmental Assessment for Federal

agency participation in the Virgin River

Resource Management and Recovery

Program.

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that a Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI) and the Final Environmental

Assessment (EA) for Federal agency

participation in the Virgin River

Resource Management and Recovery

Program (Program) are available for

public review. The purpose of the

proposed Federal action described in

the EA is to formally declare intent of

the Fish and Wildlife Service, the

Bureau of Land Management, and the

National Park Service to participate in

the multiagency program designed to

implement recovery actions for two

endangered fish species, the woundfin

and the Virgin River chub, as well as

conservation actions for the Virgin

spinedace, a species being managed as

sensitive by the State of Utah and

subject of a conservation agreement. In

addition to implementing recovery

actions, the Program will facilitate

resolution of conflicts between

endangered species protection and

water development in the Virgin River

Basin in Utah. Other participants

include the State of Utah Department of

Natural Resources, the Washington

County Water Conservancy District, and

Grand Canyon Trust, a local nonprofit

environmental conservation group.

The EA addresses three alternatives:

(A) A no action alternative for which the

Federal agencies would not participate

in the Program but would continue to

administer and comply with the

Endangered Species Act (Act) as

previously done; (B) Federal agency

participation in the Program which

describes a process for administration

and compliance with the Act that

provides for full implementation of

recovery and conservation actions for

the protected fish species, as well as

providing a mechanism for section 7

compliance of the Act that reduces

conflict in the Utah portion of the Virgin

River basin; and (C) Federal agency

participation in a basinwide recovery

program that includes implementation

of the Program in Arizona and Nevada,

as well as Utah. Based on the Finding

of No Significant Impact, the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service has determined

that the proposed action is not a major

Federal action which would

significantly affect the quality of the

human environment within the meaning

of section 102(2)(c) of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

DATES: Copies of the Final EA and

FONSI will be mailed to affected

Government offices and interested

parties who specifically requested them.

Those interested persons not on the EA

mailing list may request a copy from the

Project Leader at the address below.

Written comments must be received on

or before July 13, 2001.

All comments received will become

part of the official public record.

Requests for such comments will be

handled in accordance with the

Freedom of Information Act and the

Council on Environmental Quality’s

National Environmental Policy Act

Regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). When

requested, comment letters with the

names and addresses of the individuals

who wrote the comments will generally

be provided in response to such

requests to the extent permissible by

law. Individual respondents may

request that we withhold their home

address from the record, which we will

honor to the extent allowable by law. If

you wish to withhold your name and/

or address, you must state this

prominently at the beginning of your

comments.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be addressed to the Field Supervisor,

Utah Ecological Services Field Office,

Lincoln Plaza, 145 East 1300 South

State Street, Suite 404, Salt Lake City,

Utah 84115. All comments and material

received will be available upon request

for public inspection, by appointment,

during normal business hours at the

above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Henry R. Maddux, Utah Field

Supervisor (see ADDRESSES above), or at

801–524–5001 extension 126.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The woundfin was listed as

endangered on October 13, 1970 (35 FR

16047). The Virgin River chub was

listed as endangered on August 24, 1989

(54 FR 35305). The Virgin River Fishes

Recovery Plan (VRFRP), which included

recovery of both woundfin and Virgin

River chub, was finalized in 1995.

Critical Habitat was designated for these

two species on January 26, 2000 (65 FR

4140). The Virgin spinedace was

proposed for listing as endangered on

May 18, 1994 (59 FR 25875). The Virgin

Spinedace Conservation Agreement and

Strategy (VSCAS) to eliminate or reduce

impacts threatening the continued

existence of Virgin spinedace was

finalized on April 11, 1995, and

subsequently, the proposal to list was

withdrawn on February 6, 1996 (61 FR

44010). All three of these fish species

are endemic to the Virgin River basin

through Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. The

southwestern willow flycatcher is a

neotropical migratory bird listed as

endangered on February 27, 1995 (60 FR

10693) that seasonally occupies sites

along the Virgin River and throughout

the desert southwest. In addition, the

Virgin River basin retains a diversity of

native desert animal and plant species,

many of which are declining due to

impacts from human development in

the area.

Despite Federal listing of two fish

species, implementation of recovery

actions in the Virgin River to benefit

endangered fish have been minimal due

to limited funding for recovery over the

past 25 years. Furthermore, conflicts

have arisen between water development

interests and those managing for

protection of native species that rely on

the river environment. Specifically,

contention between the local

environmental community and local

water developers over operations of the

Quail Creek Diversion in the Virgin

River near Hurricane, Utah, led to

discordant relations and threats of

litigation among the agencies and

organizations interested in water use.

To resolve this situation, the

interested entities agreed to develop the

Virgin River Resource Management and

Recovery Program that would provide a

mechanism to prioritize, fund, and

implement recovery actions while

allowing water development necessary

to meet human needs in the Utah

portion of the Virgin River basin. It is

anticipated that the Program will not

only provide recovery actions that are

necessary to offset impacts from

proposed development actions to the

native protected species, but further

lead to full recovery of the endangered

fish species and conservation of the

Virgin spinedace, as well as provide

benefits to the endangered southwestern

willow flycatcher.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 114 / Wednesday, June 13, 2001 / Notices 31947

The Program will encompass the

VRFRP and VSCAS so that actions

identified in these documents can be

funded, implemented, and evaluated for

effectiveness. In addition, the Program

will provide measures to offset

proposed Federal project impacts during

section 7 consultations in order to

prevent future conflict over water

development and minimize impacts of

Federal projects on protected aquatic

species. Goals and objectives of the

Program are based on recovery of the

endangered fish and conservation of

Virgin spinedace in an environment of

continuing water development.

Although some impacts to native

species are expected through future

water development projects, recovery

actions have been and will continue to

be implemented in advance of project

impacts such that the status of species

and/or its habitat is expected to improve

and remain greater than that necessary

to offset anticipated impacts. A

crediting system has been developed to

assess, measure, and track benefits and

impacts of projects and is designed to

maintain measured benefits at a higher

level than impacts so that the Program

is always moving toward recovery and

conservation of protected species.

Although participation is limited to

Utah portions of the Virgin River basin

at this time, it is expected that the

remaining portions of the Virgin River

basin in Arizona and Nevada will be

invited to participate in the Program in

future years, as it becomes better

established and demonstrates

effectiveness.

It is important to note that

participation in this Program does not

represent or guarantee legal authority

for any water development project. Such

projects must be evaluated individually

as they are proposed and continue to be

subject to all applicable Federal and

State laws, including the National

Environmental Policy Act and the

Endangered Species Act. This EA is not

intended to provide analysis for specific

project impacts but rather analyzes only

effects of Federal participation in the

Program.

Author

The primary author of this notice is

Yvette K. Converse, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 145 East 1300 South

State Street, Suite 404, Salt Lake City,

Utah 84115, 801–524–5001 extension

135.

Authority

The authorities for this action are the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16

U.S.C. 1532 et seq.).

Dated: May 30, 2001.

Duane K. McDermond,

Acting Regional Director, Denver, CO.

Finding of No Significant Impact—Federal

Participation in the Virgin River Resource

Management and Recovery Program

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as lead

agency, with the Bureau of Land

Management and National Park Service as

cooperating agencies, propose to participate

in the Virgin River Resource Management

and Recovery Program (Program). The

Program will be a multiagency program

designed to implement recovery actions for

two endangered fish species, the woundfin

and the Virgin River chub. It also will

implement conservation actions for the

Virgin spinedace, a species being managed as

sensitive by the State of Utah and subject of

a conservation agreement. In addition to

implementing recovery actions, the Program

will facilitate resolution of conflicts between

endangered species protection and water

development in the Virgin River Basin in

Utah by providing actions to improve the

status of these species so that proposed water

development will not jeopardize these

species existence or adversely modify their

critical habitat. Other Program participants

will be the State of Utah Department of

Natural Resources, the Washington County

Water Conservancy District, and Grand

Canyon Trust, a local nonprofit

environmental conservation group.

An Environmental Assessment was

prepared which addressed three alternatives:

(A) a no action alternative whereby the

Federal agencies would not participate in the

Program but would continue to administer

and comply with the Endangered Species Act

(Act) as previously done; (B) Federal agency

participation in the Program which describes

a process for administration and compliance

with the Act that provides for full

implementation of recovery and conservation

actions for the protected fish species, as well

as providing a mechanism for section 7

compliance of the Act that reduces conflict

in the Utah portion of the Virgin River basin;

and (C) Federal agency participation in a

basinwide recovery program that includes

implementation of the Program in Arizona

and Nevada, as well as Utah.

Alternative B, the Preferred Alternative,

will result in the most effective participation

by Department of the Interior agencies, State

and local agencies, and organizations to

coordinate, direct, and fund recovery actions

for imperiled aquatic fish species in the

Basin in Utah. It also will facilitate

implementation of the Virgin River Resource

Management and Recovery Program that was

developed by resource agencies in Utah.

Based on my review and evaluation of the

Environmental Assessment and supporting

documentation, I have determined that

Federal agency participation in the Virgin

River Resource and Management Program is

not a major Federal action which would

significantly affect the quality of the human

environment within the meaning of section

102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969. Accordingly, preparation

of an environmental impact statement is not

required.

Dated: May 30, 2001.

Duane K. McDermond,

Acting Regional Director.

References: Environmental Assessment dated

May 2000; Intra-Service Section 7

Consultation

[FR Doc. 01–14863 Filed 6–12–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO–930–1430–ET; COC–017768]

Public Land Order No. 7488; Extension

of Public Land Order No. 5979;

Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Public Land Order.

SUMMARY: This order extends Public

Land Order No. 5979 for an additional

20-year period. This extension is

necessary to continue the protection of

two Bureau of Land Management

administrative sites. The lands have

been and will remain open to mineral

leasing.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 3, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Doris E. Chelius, BLM Colorado State

Office, 2850 Youngfield Street,

Lakewood, Colorado 80215–7093, 303–

239–3706.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By virtue

of the authority vested in the Secretary

of the Interior by Section 204 of the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1714 (1994), it is

ordered as follows:

1. Public Land Order No. 5979, which

withdrew public lands to protect two

Bureau of Land Management

administrative sites, is hereby extended

for an additional 20-year period

following its date of expiration.

2. This withdrawal will expire 20

years from the effective date of this

order unless, as a result of a review

conducted prior to the expiration date

pursuant to Section 204(f) of the Federal

Land Policy and Management Act of

1976, 43 U.S.C. 1714(f) (1994), the

Secretary determines that the

withdrawal shall be extended.

Dated: May 29, 2001.

Gale A. Norton,

Secretary of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 01–14826 Filed 6–12–01; 8:45 am]

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