6034 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices 

Joint Water Agency SRP and individual 

SAPs would serve as a multiple species 

Habitat Conservation Plan under 

Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Federal ESA.

The Service and the California 

Department of Fish and Game may issue 

take authorization permits for 

individual SAPs with conditions or 

modifications. The proposed SRP would 

consist of several key components 

including an implementation process 

and structure, preserve management 

guidelines, and a covered species list. A 

total of 80 species are proposed for 

coverage under the SRP. The proposed 

SRP would strive to anticipate and 

cover the effects on biological resources 

of all currently foreseeable actions of the 

participating water agencies over the 

next 75 years. The proposed SRP would 

address the following groups of 

foreseeable projects and covered 

actions: facilities operation and 

maintenance, planned or conceptual 

projects, and potential future projects. 

The proposed planning area 

encompasses approximately 8,600 acres 

(13.5 square miles) of land in northern, 

eastern, and southern San Diego County 

cumulatively owned by the 

participating water agencies. These 

lands are located in the unincorporated 

County area, and in the cities of Santee, 

El Cajon, La Mesa, and Chula Vista. In 

general, ownerships consist of land used 

directly for water production, 

collection, storage, treatment, and 

distribution as well as easements used 

primarily for water and wastewater 

distribution pipelines. These facilities 

consist of open water reservoirs, water 

tanks, water, reclaimed water, and 

wastewater treatment plants, pump 

stations, pipelines, and access roads. In 

addition, the agencies also have 

maintenance trails and roadways, 

maintenance yards, and sedimentation 

ponds. In some situations, watershed 

protection lands provide recreational 

facilities, including camp grounds, golf 

courses, boat docks and ramps, fishing 

piers, hiking trails, and interpretive 

signage. These lands are operated in 

cooperation with other agencies such as 

the County and City of San Diego. 

Components of the proposed 

conservation program are now under 

consideration by the Service and the 

Applicants. These components will 

likely include avoidance and 

minimization measures, monitoring, 

adaptive management, and mitigation 

measures consisting of preservation, 

restoration, and enhancement of habitat. 

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report 

The Applicants, the Service, and the 

California Department of Fish and Game 

have selected A.D. Hinshaw Associates 

to prepare the Draft EIS/EIR. The joint 

document will be prepared in 

compliance with NEPA and the 

California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA). Although A.D. Hinshaw 

Associates will prepare the EIS/EIR, the 

Service will be responsible for the scope 

and content of the document for NEPA 

purposes, and the Sweetwater Authority 

will be responsible for the scope and 

content of the EIR for CEQA purposes. 

The EIS/EIR will consider the 

proposed action (i.e., the issuance of a 

section 10(a)(1)(B) permit under the 

Federal ESA), and a reasonable range of 

alternatives. A detailed description of 

the proposed action and alternatives 

will be included in the EIS/EIR. It is 

anticipated that several alternatives will 

be developed, which may vary by the 

level of conservation, impacts caused by 

the proposed activities, permit area, 

covered species, or a combination of 

these factors. Additionally, a No Action 

alternative will be considered. Under 

the No Action alternative, the Service 

would not issue a section 10(a)(1)(B) 

permit. 

The EIS/EIR will also identify 

potentially significant impacts on 

biological resources, recreation, and 

other environmental issues that could 

occur directly or indirectly with 

implementation of the proposed action 

and alternatives. For all potentially 

significant impacts, the EIS/EIR will 

identify mitigation measures where 

feasible to reduce these impacts to a 

level below significance. 

Environmental review of the EIS/EIR 

will be conducted in accordance with 

the requirements of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.), its implementing 

regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508), other 

applicable regulations, and Service 

procedures for compliance with those 

regulations. This notice is being 

furnished in accordance with 40 CFR 

1501.7 of NEPA to obtain suggestions 

and information from other agencies 

and the public on the scope of issues 

and alternatives to be addressed in the 

EIS/EIR. The primary purpose of the 

scoping process is to identify important 

issues raised by the public, related to 

the proposed action. Written comments 

from interested parties are invited to 

ensure that the full range of issues 

related to the proposed action is 

identified. While written comments are 

encouraged, we will accept both written 

and oral comments at the public 

meeting. In addition, you may submit 

written comments by mail or facsimile 

transmission (see ADDRESSES). All 

comments received, including names 

and addresses, will become part of the 

official administrative record, and may 

be made available to the public.

Dated: January 31, 2005. 

Ken McDermond, 

Deputy Manager, California/Nevada 

Operations Office, Sacramento, California.

[FR Doc. 05–2141 Filed 2–3–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[MT–020–05–1610–DO–036E] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource 

Management Plan Revision and 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

Eastern Montana

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior, Montana, Miles City Field 

Office.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a 

Resource Management Plan Revision 

and Environmental Impact Statement 

for Eastern Montana, initiate public 

scoping and request comments on 

Planning Criteria. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701), as 

amended; the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321), as 

amended; and the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) 

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), 

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

will revise two Resource Management 

Plans (RMPs) by combining the Powder 

River and Big Dry RMPs (to be called 

the ‘‘Miles City Field Office RMP’’) and 

preparing an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) to evaluate the effects of 

land and mineral management options. 

The RMP and EIS are scheduled for 

completion by December 2007.

DATES: Written and electronic comments 

on the scope of the RMP, preliminary 

issues, and planning criteria may be 

submitted for 30 days from the date of 

this notice. Public scoping meetings will 

be held in Ashland, Baker, Broadus, 

Glendive, Jordan, Miles City, Terry, 

Billings and Sidney, Montana. Meeting 

locations and dates for each town will 

be announced through local news 

media, newsletters and the BLM public 

outreach Web site http://

www.mt.blm.gov/mcfo/.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

Web site: http://milescityrmp.com.

Mail: ‘‘Miles City RMP Comments’’, 

P.O. Box 219, Miles City, MT 59301–

0219. 

Fax: (918) 382–7582. 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices 6035

Hand-Deliver: Miles City Field Office, 

111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, 

Montana. 

Comments on issues and planning 

criteria may also be submitted to the 

BLM at any public scoping meeting. 

Documents pertinent to the Miles City 

Field Office RMP may be examined at 

the Miles City Field Office, 111 

Garryowen Road, Miles City, MT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Bloom, Project Manager, Bureau of 

Land Management, Miles City Field 

Office, 111 Garryowen Road, Miles City, 

MT, telephone (406) 233–2852. Web site 

questions may be directed to 

WebSiteAdmin@milescityrmp.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

approved RMP will replace the existing 

Big Dry and Powder River RMPs as the 

document guiding land and resource 

management decisions on BLMadministered lands and minerals in the 

planning area. The purpose of the 

public scoping process is to determine 

relevant issues that will influence the 

scope of the environmental analysis and 

alternatives. These issues also guide the 

planning process. The BLM will work 

collaboratively with interested parties to 

identify the management options that 

are best suited to local, regional, and 

national needs and concerns. Public 

land management within the planning 

area is currently guided by the Big Dry 

RMP and the Powder River RMP, 

completed in 1996 and 1985, 

respectively. 

The intent of the planning process is 

to analyze and update land and resource 

management objectives within the 

planning area. The planning area 

includes all of the BLM-administered 

surface (2,785,000 acres) and mineral 

(11,725,000 acres) estate managed by the 

Miles City Field Office in Carter, Custer, 

Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, 

McCone, Powder River, Prairie, 

Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, 

Treasure, Wibaux and portions of Big 

Horn and Valley counties. 

The public will assist the BLM in 

identifying the issues. Preliminary 

issues and management concerns have 

been identified by BLM personnel and 

other agencies, and in meetings with 

individuals and user groups. The RMP 

will consider resource options that are 

scientifically sound, legally defensible 

and sustainable. Examples of 

preliminary issues include the need to 

provide access to significant energy 

sources and communication sites, the 

continuation of grazing activities, 

maximizing use of public lands in 

species recovery and habitat 

conservation, and the need to provide 

adequate facilities for safe recreation 

and visitation on the public lands. 

Topics to be addressed in the RMP will 

include vegetation; forestry and timber; 

special status species; water quality and 

quantity; travel management; all special 

management area designations; 

livestock grazing; fluid mineral leasing, 

including for coal bed natural gas; solid 

minerals; recreational uses; right-of-way 

corridor planning and land 

authorizations; land tenure adjustment 

information and access needs; and 

Native American concerns. Management 

concerns include air quality, cultural 

resources, paleontological resources, 

social and economic concerns, 

environmental justice, and wildfire 

management. BLM will also consider 

compatibility with management plans 

for adjacent lands. 

BLM is also extending a call for coal 

resource information and any 

information regarding resources which 

may affect the leasing of Federal coal or 

be affected by the leasing of Federal 

coal. Resource information pertinent to 

any other BLM resource management 

activities is also requested. 

The RMP and EIS will be prepared by 

an interdisciplinary team with 

specialists for recreation, fisheries, 

biology, archeology, air quality, wildlife, 

realty, geology and mining, and range 

management. 

Please note that comments and 

information submitted regarding this 

RMP, including names, e-mail 

addresses, and street addresses of 

respondents, will be available for public 

review and disclosure at the above 

address. BLM will not accept 

anonymous comments. Individual 

respondents may request 

confidentiality. Individuals who wish to 

withhold their name or street address 

from public review or from disclosure 

under the Freedom of Information Act 

must state this prominently at the 

beginning of their written comments. 

Such requests will be honored to the 

extent allowed by law. All submissions 

from organizations and businesses, and 

from individuals identifying themselves 

as representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

available for public inspection in their 

entirety.

Dated: January 5, 2005. 

David McIlnay, 

Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 05–2111 Filed 2–3–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation 

Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive 

Management Work Group (AMWG), 

Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Adaptive Management 

Program (AMP) was implemented as a 

result of the Record of Decision on the 

Operation of Glen Canyon Dam Final 

Environmental Impact Statement to 

comply with consultation requirements 

of the Grand Canyon Protection Act 

(Pub. L. 102–575) of 1992. The AMP 

includes a federal advisory committee 

(AMWG), a technical work group 

(TWG), a monitoring and research 

center, and independent review panels. 

The AMWG makes recommendations to 

the Secretary of the Interior concerning 

Glen Canyon Dam operations and other 

management actions to protect resources 

downstream of Glen Canyon Dam 

consistent with the Grand Canyon 

Protection Act. The TWG is a 

subcommittee of the AMWG and 

provides technical advice and 

recommendations to the AMWG. 

Date and Location: The AMWG will 

conduct the following public meeting: 

Phoenix, Arizona—March 2–3, 2005.

The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and 

conclude at 5 p.m. on the first day and 

will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 3 

p.m. on the second day. The meeting 

will be held at the Arizona Department 

of Water Resources, 500 N. Third Street, 

Conference Rooms A&B, Phoenix, 

Arizona. 

Agenda: The purpose of the meeting 

will be to review the Fiscal Year 2004 

budget expenditures, the FY06 Draft 

Budget and Work Plan, updates on 

plans currently in development, and 

other monitoring and research reports. 

Other topics of discussion will include 

status of the Colorado River Basin Fund, 

Programmatic Agreement membership, 

basin hydrology, the Humpback Chub 

Comprehensive Plan, public outreach, 

environmental compliance progress on 

proposed actions, as well as other 

administrative and resource issues 

pertaining to the AMP. 

Time will be allowed for any 

individual or organization wishing to 

make formal oral comments (limited to 

5 minutes) at the meeting. To allow full 

consideration of information by the 

AMWG members, written notice must 

be provided to Dennis Kubly, Bureau of 

Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional 

Office, 125 South State Street, Room