34740 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 136 / Friday, July 17, 2009 / Notices 

1http://www.nwcouncil.org/dropbox/YKFP_03- 

31-08%20Draft%20Master%20Plan.pdf. 

2http://www.nwppc.org/library/isrp/isrp2008- 

6.pdf. 

3Northwest Power and Conservation Council, 

Three-Step Review Process (Nov. 2006) http:// 

www.nwcouncil.org/Library/2006/2006-21.pdf. 

the formal record of the Commission 

proceeding on the project. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E9–16973 Filed 7–16–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Bonneville Power Administration 

Klickitat Hatchery Program 

AGENCY: Bonneville Power 

Administration (BPA), Department of 

Energy (DOE). 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

and a floodplain and wetland 

assessment. 

SUMMARY: BPA intends to prepare an EIS 

in accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on 

funding proposed changes to the 

existing salmon and steelhead hatchery 

program in the Klickitat subbasin in 

Klickitat and Yakima counties, 

Washington. As mitigation under the 

Pacific Northwest Electric Power 

Planning and Conservation Act, BPA 

proposes to upgrade and improve the 

Klickitat Hatchery, a Mitchell Act 

artificial production facility built and 

funded by the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration Fisheries 

(NOAA Fisheries), located seven miles 

east of Glenwood, Washington, at river 

mile 42 of the Klickitat River. The 

proposed changes would also involve 

construction, of a new Wahkiacus 

Hatchery and Acclimation Facility 

located at river mile 17 on the Klickitat 

River in Wahkiacus, Washington, and a 

steelhead acclimation facility at 

McCreedy Creek at river mile 70. With 

this Notice of Intent, BPA is initiating 

the public scoping process for the EIS. 

BPA is requesting comments about 

potential environmental impacts that it 

should consider as it prepares the EIS 

for the proposed changes to the 

program, as well as comments on 

alternatives that meet fish production 

objectives for the Klickitat Hatchery 

Program. Further details are provided in 

the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

below. 

In accordance with DOE regulations 

for compliance with floodplain and 

wetlands environmental review 

requirements, BPA will prepare a 

floodplain and wetlands assessment to 

avoid or minimize potential harm to or 

within any affected floodplains and 

wetlands. The assessment will be 

included in the EIS. 

DATES: Written scoping comments are 

due to the address below no later than 

August 18th, 2009. Comments may also 

be made at the EIS scoping meeting to 

be held on August 4th, 2009, from 6 

p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lyle Community 

Center. 

ADDRESSES: Send letters with comments 

and suggestions on the proposed scope 

of the Draft EIS, and requests to be 

placed on the project mailing list, to 

Bonneville Power Administration, 

Public Affairs Office—DKE–7, P.O. Box 

14428, Portland, OR 97293–4428, or by 

fax to 503 230–3285. You also may call 

BPA’s toll free comment line at 800 

622–4519 and leave a message (please 

include the name of this project); or 

submit comments online at http:// 

www.bpa.gov/comment. BPA will post 

all comment letters in their entirety on 

BPA’s Web site at http://www.bpa.gov/ 

comment. 

On Tuesday August 4th, 2009, an 

open-house scoping meeting will be 

held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lyle 

Community Center, Lyle, Washington. 

At this informal meeting, we will 

provide maps and other information 

about the project and have members of 

the project team available to answer 

questions and accept oral and written 

comments. You may stop by anytime 

during the open house. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rosy Mazaika, Environmental 

Coordinator, Bonneville Power 

Administration—KEC–4, P.O. Box 3621, 

Portland, Oregon 97208–3621; toll-free 

telephone 1–800–282–3713; direct 

telephone 503–230–5869; or e-mail 

rxmazaika@bpa.gov. You may also 

contact Patricia Smith, Project Manager, 

Bonneville Power Administration— 

KEWL–4, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, 

Oregon 97208–3621; toll-free telephone 

1–800–282–3713; direct telephone 503– 

230–7349; or e-mail prsmith@bpa.gov. 

Additional information can be found at 

BPA’s Web site: http:// 

www.efw.bpa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fisheries 

programs in the Klickitat River subbasin 

are co-managed by the Yakama Nation 

and the Washington Department of Fish 

and Wildlife (WDFW), and include the 

Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project 

(YKFP) funded by BPA. The YKFP uses 

state-of-the-art artificial propagation 

methods designed to re-establish, 

supplement, or increase natural 

production and harvest opportunities of 

anadromous salmonids while 

maintaining the long-term fitness of 

target species and minimizing ecological 

and genetic impacts on non-target 

species. The YKFP has been developed 

to: 

• Enhance existing stocks of 

anadromous fish in the Yakima and 

Klickitat river basins, while maintaining 

genetic and ecological resources; and 

• Apply the knowledge gained 

through supplementation throughout 

the Columbia River Basin. 

The YKFP also pursues the protection 

and restoration of habitat important to 

health and restoration of anadromous 

fish stocks. 

Under the YKFP, in 2008, the Yakama 

Nation revised the Klickitat River 

Anadromous Fisheries Master Plan 1 in 

response to comments from the 

Northwest Power and Conservation 

Council (NPCC) and its Independent 

Scientific Review Panel.2 Master plans 

are submitted as step one of the NPCC’s 

three-step process 3 for the review of 

artificial propagation project proposals 

for funding by the BPA. Included in the 

plan are details and the scientific basis 

for proposed production goals, facilities, 

monitoring and evaluation, and habitat 

improvements necessary to manage 

endemic spring Chinook and steelhead 

and hatchery coho and fall Chinook in 

the Klickitat subbasin. Because 

1. The facilities and habitat work are 

proposed to benefit more than one target 

species, 

2. Artificial production work will 

require BPA and NOAA Fisheries to 

coordinate efforts at the proposed 

various facilities, and 

3. Proposed changes to production 

practices for single species could affect 

other target species, 

the Yakama Nation developed the 

Klickitat Subbasin Anadromous Fishery 

Hatchery Plan (‘‘Master Plan’’) to 

address all species, as well as Pacific 

lamprey. 

According to the master plan 

prepared by the Yakama Nation and 

WDFW, the existing Klickitat Hatchery 

facilities, completed in 1954, need 

repair to meet current building codes 

and up-to-date artificial production 

guidelines. The Tribe operates the 

Klickitat Hatchery and NOAA Fisheries 

provides annual operation and 

maintenance funding using 

appropriations to the Mitchell Act 

program. Under the 2008 Columbia 

Basin Fish Accords Memorandum of 

Agreement between the three Treaty 

Tribes and Federal Columbia River 

Power System Action Agencies (The 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 136 / Friday, July 17, 2009 / Notices 34741 

4http://www.salmonrecovery.gov/ 

Biological_opinions/FCRPS/2008_biop/docs/3-tribeAA-MOA-Final.pdf. 

5http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-HarvestHatcheries/Hatcheries/Mitchell-Act-EIS.cfm. 

Accords) 4 the Yakama Nation will 

actively seek congressional 

appropriations during fiscal years 2010 

and 2011 for additional Mitchell Act 

funding for the new Wahkiacus facility. 

Under the Accords, BPA made funding 

available, pending satisfactory results 

from its environmental compliance 

efforts, to fund hatchery facility 

improvements to increase production in 

the Klickitat Basin as described in 

alternative one below. 

The master plan was developed in 

concert with salmonid production and 

harvest agreements pursuant to U.S. v. 

Oregon, which is the primary forum for 

decisions related to salmon and 

steelhead fisheries management for the 

Columbia River Basin. U.S. v. Oregon is 

landmark litigation over Indian treaty 

fishing rights. The Federal district court 

that initially decided the case has 

retained continuing jurisdiction to 

assure the development of harvest and 

production plans follow the court’s 

decisions. Through the on-going U.S. v. 

Oregon process, the parties develop and 

update the Columbia River Fish 

Management Plan which addresses 

management of Chinook, coho, and 

steelhead in the Klickitat basin, 

including hatchery production at the 

Klickitat Hatchery. Current programs 

focus on harvest augmentation for coho 

and fall Chinook and on 

supplementation for spring Chinook and 

summer steelhead. 

The proposed Yakama NationKlickitat Hatchery Program EIS would 

respond to these master plan objectives. 

BPA, therefore, will prepare an EIS 

under NEPA to assist the agency as it 

decides whether to fund the proposed 

changes to the existing salmon and 

steelhead hatchery program in the 

Klickitat subbasin and, if a decision is 

made to fund the changes, which 

alternative to meet the master plan 

objectives should be chosen. 

Alternatives Proposed for 

Consideration. BPA will consider three 

action alternatives to meet master plan 

objectives for salmon and steelhead in 

the Klickitat Basin. One alternative, the 

Master Plan, would involve the fisheries 

managers increasing the production of 

Klickitat spring Chinook and steelhead 

at the existing Klickitat Hatchery and 

transferring artificial production of coho 

and fall Chinook to a new hatchery 

facility at Wahkiacus. This would free 

up water and space at the Klickitat 

Hatchery, ensuring optimal rearing 

densities for spring Chinook and 

summer steelhead at that facility. 

Transferring coho and fall Chinook 

production downstream would 

minimize the impact of these species on 

the spawning and rearing of wild spring 

Chinook and steelhead by reducing 

species interactions and competition for 

habitat in the 26.5-mile reach between 

Wahkiacus and Klickitat. A second 

alternative would evaluate meeting the 

same production objectives but at the 

Klickitat Hatchery alone. A third 

alternative would examine a phased 

approach to the proposed production 

changes, with a partial build-out at the 

Wahkiacus facility. The current 

Wahkiacus facility design provides for 

acclimation of up to 1,000,000 coho presmolts and rearing and release of up to 

2,000,000 fall Chinook. The partial 

build-out would consider a phased 

approach for accomplishing production 

objectives, with the associated phasing 

of the completion of project facilities. 

BPA will also consider a No-Action 

Alternative. Under the No-Action 

Alternative, production activities would 

continue as they do currently. Other 

alternatives may be identified through 

the scoping process. 

BPA will be the lead agency for 

preparation of the EIS. BPA will 

formally invite the Yakama Nation, 

WDFW, NOAA Fisheries, Klickitat 

County, and Washington Department of 

Ecology to be cooperating agencies for 

the proposed Yakama Nation-Klickitat 

Hatchery Program EIS. Other potential 

cooperating agencies may be identified 

as the proposed project proceeds 

through the NEPA process. BPA will 

also coordinate with NOAA Fisheries 

which is preparing a programmatic EIS 

on the Mitchell Act hatchery facilities it 

funds throughout the Columbia River 

Basin.5

Public Participation and 

Identification of Environmental Issues. 

The potential environmental issues 

identified for the project are anticipated 

to include land use, socioeconomic 

concerns, cultural resources, visual 

resources, sensitive plants and animals, 

fisheries, soil erosion, wetlands, 

floodplains, water quality, water 

quantity, wild and scenic rivers, and 

recreation resources. BPA has 

established a 45-day scoping period 

during which tribes, affected 

landowners, concerned citizens, special 

interest groups, local governments, 

Federal agencies, and any other 

interested parties are invited to 

comment on the scope of the proposed 

EIS. Scoping will help BPA ensure that 

a full range of issues related to this 

proposal is addressed in the EIS, and 

also will identify significant or 

potentially significant impacts that may 

result from the proposed project. When 

completed, the Draft EIS will be 

circulated for review and comment, and 

BPA will hold at least one public 

meeting to hear comments. The Draft 

EIS is expected to be published in fall 

2010. BPA will consider and respond to 

comments received on the Draft EIS in 

the Final EIS. The Final EIS is expected 

to be published in spring 2011. BPA’s 

decision will be documented in a 

Record of Decision that will follow the 

Final EIS. 

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on July 10, 

2009. 

Stephen J. Wright, 

Administrator and Chief Executive Officer. 

[FR Doc. E9–17034 Filed 7–16–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No.: 2660–024] 

Domtar Maine Corporation; Notice of 

Intent To Prepare an Environmental 

Assessment and Notice of Scoping 

Meetings and Site Visit and Soliciting 

Scoping Comments 

July 10, 2009. 

Take notice that the following 

hydroelectric application has been filed 

with the Commission and is available 

for public inspection. 

a. Type of Application: New License. 

b. Project No.: 2660–024. 

c. Date Filed: March 19, 2009. 

d. Applicant: Domtar Maine 

Corporation. 

e. Name of Project: Forest City Project. 

f. Location: On Forest City Stream, a 

tributary of the St. Croix River in 

Washington and Aroostock Counties, 

Maine and Canada. 

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power 

Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)–825(r). 

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Scott Beal, 

Domtar Maine Corporation, 144 Main 

Street, Baileyville, Maine 04694 (207) 

427–4004. 

i. FERC Contact: John Costello, (202) 

502–6119 or john.costello@ferc.gov. 

j. Deadline for filing scoping 

comments: September 11, 2009. 

All documents (original and eight 

copies) should be filed with: Kimberly 

D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission, 888 First 

Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. 

The Commission’s Rules of Practice 

and Procedure require all intervenors 

filing documents with the Commission 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES