45470 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 151 / Tuesday, August 5, 2008 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–MB–2008–N0153; 80213–9410–

0000–7B] 

Federal Sport Fish Restoration; 

California Department of Fish and 

Game Fish Hatchery and Stocking 

Program 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a 

joint environmental impact statement/ 

environmental impact report (EIS/EIR); 

announcement of public scoping 

meetings. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (FWS), intend to serve 

as the lead agency, pursuant to the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, in the 

preparation of a joint EIS/EIR for the 

California Department of Fish and 

Game’s (CDFG) Fish Hatchery and 

Stocking Program (Program). Under the 

Sport Fish Restoration Act (SFRA), FWS 

currently proposes to fund actions 

associated with the operation of CDFG’s 

13 trout hatcheries (listed below) and 

the Mad River anadromous fish 

hatchery, including stocking from those 

14 hatcheries. The Federal action would 

not include funding CDFG’s private 

stocking permit program. The CDFG 

will serve as the lead agency under the 

California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA) analyzing the hatcheries’

operations funded by the SFRA, as well 

as CDFG’s entire fish hatchery program. 

This notice announces two public 

scoping meetings on our intended 

actions. 

DATES: Two public scoping meetings 

will be held to solicit public input on 

the alternatives, concerns, and issues to 

be addressed in the EIS/EIR. The 

meeting dates are: 

1. Monday, September 8, 2008, from 

4 to 6:30 p.m., Sacramento, California. 

2. Thursday, September 11, 2008, 

from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Carson, 

California. 

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meeting 

locations are: 

1. Sacramento—Tsakopoulos Library 

Galleria, Main Floor, 828 I Street, 

Sacramento, CA 95814. 

2. Carson—Carson Community 

Center, First Floor, Adult Activities 

Room, 3 Civic Plaza Drive, Carson, CA 

90745. 

Send comments on the scope of the 

EIS/EIR to Ms. Jill Wright, Fish and 

Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, 

Suite W–2606, Sacramento, CA 95825; 

via e-mail to dfghatcheryeir@dfg.ca.gov; 

or via fax to (916) 978–6155. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Jill Wright, (916) 978–6182. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FWS 

intends to serve as the lead agency in 

the preparation of a joint EIS/EIR for 

CDFG’s Program. Under the SFRA, FWS 

has the authority to approve grants and 

provide Federal funds to support 

actions associated with the Program. 

FWS currently proposes to fund the 13 

trout hatcheries (listed below) and the 

Mad River anadromous fish hatchery. 

The combined EIS/EIR document will 

provide NEPA compliance for the 

FWS’s discretionary action regarding 

the issuance of Federal funds under the 

SFRA to support these hatchery 

operations, including stocking, which 

provides freshwater angling 

opportunities and recreation throughout 

the State. The Federal action does not 

include funding CDFG’s private 

stocking permit program. 

The CDFG will serve as the lead 

agency under the California 

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 

analyzing the hatcheries’ operations 

funded by the SFRA, as well as its entire 

CDFG fish hatchery program. The 

purpose of CDFG’s Program is to 

implement the requirements of AB 7 

(2005), which requires certain 

production amounts of trout from CDFG 

hatcheries, as well as to comply with a 

court order regarding the adequacy of 

environmental review of CDFG’s 

continuing hatcheries program, which 

stocks various trout species, one species 

of char, and anadromous fish species in 

the inland waters of California. 

The CDFG has been rearing and 

stocking fish in the inland waters of 

California since the late 1800s, when the 

State of California enacted legislation to 

restore and preserve fish in State waters. 

This legislation called for the newly 

formed California State Fish and Game 

Commission, to establish ‘‘fish 

breederies’’ to stock and supply streams, 

lakes, and bays with both foreign and 

domestic fish. Since that time in the late 

1800s, the CDFG has continued that 

mandate by rearing and stocking both 

inland and anadromous species of fish 

reared at 21 hatcheries and planting 

bases located throughout the State. 

The CDFG is proposing to continue 

this objective of stocking hatcheryreared inland and anadromous fish for 

the recreational use of anglers, per the 

requirements of AB 7 and subject to the 

mandates of the court order, while 

balancing the interaction between 

hatchery-stocked fish and threatened 

and endangered species, and other 

environmental effects. Hatchery 

operations and stocking activities 

associated with the CDFG’s inland water 

hatchery program will be evaluated for 

their effects on the environment, 

including potential impacts to native 

species, such as native amphibians, 

which have recently experienced a 

decline within the State of California. 

The CDFG will also evaluate its 

issuance of stocking permits to private 

parties seeking to stock fish in 

California’s inland waters. However, 

activities associated with CDFG’s 

permitting of private stocking are not 

eligible for Federal funding under the 

SFRA and are not within the scope of 

the NEPA action. 

The CDFG currently operates 13 trout 

hatcheries and 8 anadromous fish 

hatcheries throughout the State, rearing 

5 trout species and 3 salmon species. 

The trout species include rainbow, 

brown, brook, cutthroat, and golden. 

The salmon species include Chinook, 

Coho, and Kokanee. Operations 

associated with 1 anadromous (Mad 

River) and all 13 trout hatcheries are 

eligible for SFRA grants from FWS. 

The trout hatcheries are: 

Mount Shasta (Siskiyou County), #3 

North Old Stage Road, Mt. Shasta, CA 

96067. 

Darrah Springs (Tehama County), 29661 

Wildcat Road, Paynes Creek, CA 

96075. 

Crystal Lake (Shasta County), 40158 

Baum Lake Road, Cassel, CA 96016. 

American River (Sacramento County), 

2001 Nimbus Road, Gold River, CA 

95670. 

Moccasin Creek (Tuolumne County), 

Highway 49 and 120, Moccasin, CA 

95347. 

Hot Creek (Mono County), 85 Old 

School Road, Mammoth Lakes, CA 

93546. 

Fish Springs (Inyo County), 215 Fish 

Springs Road, Big Pine, CA 93513. 

Mount Whitney (Inyo County), #1 

Golden Trout Circle, Independence, 

CA 93526. 

Black Rock Fish Hatchery (Inyo County) 

Annex of Mount Whitney Hatchery, 1 

East Black Rock Springs Road, 

Independence, CA 93526. 

San Joaquin (Fresno County), 17372 

Brook Trout Drive, Friant, CA 93626. 

Fillmore (Ventura County), 612 East 

Telegraph Road, Fillmore, CA 93016. 

Mojave (San Bernardino County), 12550 

Jacaranda Avenue, Victorville, CA 

92395. 

Kern River Planting Base (Kern County), 

14400 North Sierra Way, Kernville, 

CA 93238. 

Silverado Planting Base (Napa County), 

7329 Silverado Trail, Yountville, CA 

94599. 


dwashington3 on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 151 / Tuesday, August 5, 2008 / Notices 45471 

The anadromous fish hatcheries are: 

Iron Gate (Siskiyou County), 8638 

Lakeview Road, Hornbrook, CA 

96044. 

Mad River (Humboldt County), 1660 

Hatchery Road, Arcata, CA 95521. 

Trinity River (Trinity County), 1000 

Hatchery Drive, Lewiston, CA 96052. 

Feather River (Butte County), 5 Table 

Mountain Blvd., Oroville, CA 95965. 

Feather River Thermalito Annex (Butte 

County), 4700 Highway 99, Oroville, 

CA 95965. 

Warm Springs (Sonoma County), 3246 

Skaggs Springs Road, Geyserville, CA 

95441. 

Nimbus (Sacramento County), 2001 

Nimbus Rd., Ste. F, Gold River, CA 

95670. 

Mokelumne (San Joaquin County), 

25800 North McIntire Road, Clements, 

CA 95227. 

Merced River (Merced County), 4998 

Robinson Road, Snelling, CA 95369. 

Over the past 6 years, the CDFG has 

planted over 49 million combined 

salmon and trout in hundreds of 

locations, including some high 

mountain lakes, low elevation 

reservoirs, and various streams and 

creeks. It is anticipated that the 

production of trout species will increase 

as a result of the implementation of AB 

7. This increase in production will be 

achieved through options within the 

existing hatchery system and through 

the continued assistance of SFRA 

funding. If the SFRA funding is 

withdrawn, it may be necessary for 

CDFG to cut other activities to meet the 

AB 7 fish production goals. The CDFG 

has also issued approximately 80 

private stocking permits annually, with 

the majority being issued to individuals 

stocking rainbow, brook and brown 

trout; channel and bullhead catfish; 

large mouth bass; white and black 

crappie; bluegill; redear; mosquito-fish; 

white and green sturgeon; and triploid 

grass carp. 

Purpose and Need 

The EIS must explain the underlying 

purpose and need to which the Lead 

Agency is responding in proposing the 

action. The purpose of this FWS action 

is to provide Federal SFRA funds to 

CDFG to support actions associated with 

their fish hatchery and stocking program 

(the 13 trout hatcheries (listed above) 

and the Mad River anadromous fish 

hatchery) to provide sportfishing 

recreation in California. The funds are 

needed to support angler success within 

both urban and rural waterbodies. SFRA 

funds will not, however, be used to 

support private stocking permits. 

Alternatives 

Proposed Action Alternative 

Under the proposed action, FWS will 

continue to provide funding for CDFG’s 

13 hatcheries and the Mad River 

anadromous fish hatchery. 

No Action Alternative 

Under the No Action Alternative, the 

FWS would not approve SFRA grant 

funds to be used by CDFG to support 

actions associated with the operations of 

their fish hatcheries and fish stocking 

program. Because of the State statutory 

and public trust requirements related to 

the hatchery program, CDFG would 

attempt to continue to implement its 

State hatchery program, seeking other 

funding sources to replace the Federal 

funds. 

Other Alternatives 

In the EIS, FWS will consider a range 

of alternatives that could accomplish 

the proposed action’s purpose and need. 

FWS will be rigorously exploring and 

objectively evaluating a reasonable 

range of alternatives with the proposed 

action and no action alternatives, taking 

into account the feasibility of the 

alternatives, as well as the ability to 

address significant impacts on the 

human environment. 

Special Assistance for Public Scoping 

Meetings 

If special assistance is required at the 

scoping meetings, please contact Ms. Jill 

Wright, (916) 978–6182, or via e-mail at 

Jill_Wright@fws.gov. Please notify Ms. 

Wright as far in advance of the meetings 

as possible to enable the Service to 

secure the needed services. If a request 

cannot be honored, the requestor will be 

notified. 

Public Disclosure 

Before including your name, address, 

phone number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Dated: July 30, 2008. 

Tom McCabe, 

Acting Deputy Regional Director, California 

and Nevada Region, Sacramento, California. 

[FR Doc. E8–17910 Filed 8–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Indian Gaming 

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Tribal-State Compact 

Taking Effect. 

SUMMARY: Notice is given that the State 

of Oklahoma and the Quapaw Tribe of 

Oklahoma (O–GAH–PAH) Off-Track 

Wagering Compact is considered 

approved and is in effect. 

DATES: Effective Date: August 5, 2008. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Paula L. Hart, Acting Director, Office of 

Indian Gaming, Mailstop 3657—Main 

Interior Building, Washington, DC 

20240, (202) 219–4066. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 

Section 11 of the Indian Gaming 

Regulatory Act of 1988 (IGRA), Public 

Law 100–497, 25 U.S.C. 2710, the 

Secretary of the Interior shall publish in 

the Federal Register notice of approved 

Tribal-State compacts for the purpose of 

engaging in Class III gaming activities 

on Indian lands. Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 

2710(d)(8)(D), compacts that are 

approved or considered to have been 

approved are effective upon publication 

of a notice thereof in the Federal 

Register. No action was taken to 

approve or disapprove this Compact 

within forty-five (45) days of its 

submittal to the Secretary for approval; 

therefore, in accordance with 25 U.S.C. 

2710(d)(8)(C), this Compact is 

considered to have been approved by 

the Secretary, but only to the extent that 

it is consistent with the provisions of 

the IGRA. 

Dated: July 28, 2008. 

George T. Skibine, 

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy 

and Economic Development. 

[FR Doc. E8–17851 Filed 8–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–4N–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

30-Day Notice of Submission to the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB); Opportunity for Public 

Comment 

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, 

National Park Service. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 


dwashington3 on PRODPC61 with NOTICES