[Federal Register: November 10, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 217)]
[Notices]
[Page 63814-63815]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10no03-64]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Fish and Wildlife Service
Habitat Management, Preservation, and Restoration Plan for the
Suisun Marsh, Solano County, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation and Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact
statement/environmental impact report (PEIS/EIR) and hold public
scoping meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and Public Resources Code, Sections 21000-
21178.1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), the co-lead Federal agencies, and the California
Department of Fish and Game (DFG), the lead State agency, propose to
prepare a joint PEIS/EIR. The PEIS/EIR will develop and analyze a
regional plan that would outline the actions necessary in Suisun Marsh
to preserve and enhance managed seasonal wetlands, implement a
comprehensive levee protection/improvement program, and protect
ecosystem and drinking water quality, while restoring habitat for tidal
marsh-dependent sensitive species, consistent with the California Bay-
Delta Program's strategic goals and objectives.
DATES: Three public scoping meetings will be held:
[sbull] Tuesday, November 25, 2003, 12-3 p.m. in Fairfield, CA.
[sbull] Thursday, December 4, 2003, 6-8:30 p.m. in Benicia, CA.
[sbull] Wednesday, December 10, 2003, 6-8:30 p.m. in Fairfield, CA.
In addition to the scoping meetings, a Suisun Marsh Science
Workshop sponsored by the San Francisco Bay-Delta Science Consortium is
being planned for the latter part of January 2004. Details on this
workshop will be publicized when the schedule and location have been
determined.
Written comments on the scope of the proposed Suisun Marsh Plan or
issues to be addressed in the PEIS/EIR must be received on or before
February 9, 2004.
Persons needing reasonable accommodations in order to attend and
participate in the meetings must submit requests no later than 1 week
before the meeting (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further
details).
ADDRESSES: Scoping meetings will be held at:
[sbull] Fairfield, CA, (November 25) Solano County Mosquito
Abatement District, 2950 Industrial Court.
[sbull] Benicia, CA, Benicia Public Library, Dona Benicia Meeting
Room, 150 East L Street.
[sbull] Fairfield, CA, (December 10) Solano County Office of
Education, Pena Adobe Room, 5100 Business Center Drive.
Written comments on the scope of the proposed Suisun Marsh Plan or
issues to be addressed in the PEIS/EIR should be sent to the California
Department of Fish and Game, Attention: Ms. Laurie Briden, 4001 N.
Wilson Way, Stockton, California 95205. Written comments may also be
sent by facsimile to (209) 946-6355 or e-mailed to lbriden@delta.dfg.ca.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurie Briden with DFG at (209) 948-7347 or via e-mail at lbriden@delta.dfg.ca.gov, or Dan Buford with FWS at (916) 414-6600 or via e-mail at Daniel_Buford@fws.gov, or Lee
Laurence with Reclamation at (916) 978-5193 or via e-mail at llaurence@mp.usbr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Suisun Marsh is the largest contiguous
brackish water wetland in California. It is an important wetland on the
Pacific Flyway, providing food and habitat for migratory birds. This
intricate mosaic of tidal wetlands, diked seasonal wetlands, sloughs,
and upland grasslands comprises over 10 percent of the remaining
wetlands in California and is an important part of the San Francisco
Bay-Delta Estuary. The Suisun Marsh provides habitats for many species
of plants, fish, and wildlife, in addition to wintering and nesting
habitat for waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway. The Suisun Marsh is
located within the Bay-Delta estuary. As a result, its water quality
affects, and is affected by, California's two largest water supply
systems, the Federal Central Valley Project and the State Water
Project, and other upstream diversions. These factors have made the
Suisun Marsh one of the most highly regulated wildlife habitat areas in
California and, as such, the Marsh occupies a prominent place in the
Bay-Delta Program, a joint State-Federal planning group formed to
develop and implement a long-term comprehensive plan that will restore
ecological health and improve water management for beneficial uses of
the Bay-Delta.
California Bay-Delta Authority and member agency managers with
primary responsibility for actions in Suisun Marsh formed a Charter
Group to develop an implementation plan for Suisun Marsh that would
protect and enhance Pacific Flyway and existing wildlife values,
endangered species, and water quality. Because the Suisun Marsh
includes private lands, the Suisun Resource Conservation District
(SRCD) also serves on the Charter Group to represent the interests of
private landowners. Other Charter Group members include DFG, FWS,
Reclamation, and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).
Other Bay-Delta Program participating agencies include the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers.
The proposed Suisun Marsh Plan would be developed to balance the
goals and objectives of the Bay-Delta Program, Suisun Marsh
Preservation Agreement, and other management and restoration programs
within the Suisun Marsh in a manner that is responsive to the concerns
of all stakeholders and is based upon voluntary participation by
private landowners. The proposed Suisun Marsh Plan would provide for
simultaneous protection and enhancement of: (1) Pacific Flyway and
existing wildlife values in managed wetlands, (2) endangered species
recovery, and (3) water quality.
The PEIS/EIR would address the design, implementation, and
maintenance of specific actions needed to achieve the Suisun Marsh
Plan. The Suisun Marsh is that portion of San Francisco Bay downstream
from the
[[Page 63815]]
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and upstream from the Central San
Francisco Bay. The Suisun Marsh falls into the Suisun Marshlands and
Bay Ecological Management Unit of the Bay-Delta Program's Suisun Marsh
and North San Francisco Bay Ecological Management Zone. The proposed
Suisun Marsh Plan would serve as the Bay-Delta Program's regional
implementation plan for the Suisun Marsh portion of the Suisun Marsh
Ecological Management Zone. The Plan would address Bay-Delta Program
implementation in the Suisun Marsh over the next 30 or more years with
an emphasis on Bay-Delta Program Stage 1, formally defined as the first
7 years of Bay-Delta Program implementation.
The PEIS/EIR is expected to analyze the beneficial and adverse
effects of implementing a Suisun Marsh Plan on environmental resources
including: water quality, fisheries, wildlife, vegetation, special-
status species, land use, land use development patterns, population,
housing, economics, and public services (fire protection, vector
control), cultural resources, air quality, noise, recreation, energy,
visual impacts, and socioeconomic condition. Analysis in the PEIS/EIR
would also determine if environmental justice issues are associated
with the Suisun Marsh Plan. An initial review for the presence of
Indian Trust Assets in Solano, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin Counties
indicates that there are no trust lands or other assets in those
counties held for federally recognized tribes. This review also
indicates that there are no Public Domain Allotments (lands held in
trust for individual Indians) near the vicinity of the Suisun Marsh
Plan. The environmental effects of certain specific projects would also
be analyzed at a site-specific level of detail in the PEIS/EIR, and
would constitute the final CEQA or NEPA document for those projects.
Specific projects proposed to be analyzed at the site-specific level
include an amendment to the Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement. The
Plan would also present strategies to resolve permitting issues related
to past and ongoing maintenance and management activities, and identify
strategies to resolve other interagency conflicts related to the
management of the Suisun Marsh. Specific alternatives to the proposed
Suisun Marsh Plan have not been identified at this time and will be
developed following scoping.
DFG is publishing a Notice of Preparation in accordance with CEQA.
Persons needing reasonable accommodations in order to attend and
participate in the public meetings should contact Dan Buford at (916)
414-6600 or TDD (800) 735-2922 as soon as possible. Information
regarding this proposed action is available in alternative formats upon
request.
It is Reclamation's practice to make comments in response to a
Notice of Intent, including names and home addresses of respondents,
available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we
withhold their home address from public disclosure, which we will honor
to the extent allowable by law. There may also be circumstances in
which we would withhold a respondent's identity from public disclosure,
as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or
address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your
comment. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses,
and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or
officials of organizations or businesses, available for public
disclosure in their entirety.
Dated: October 8, 2003.
Frank Michny,
Regional Environmental Manager, Mid-Pacific Region, Bureau of
Reclamation.
Dated: October 7, 2003.
Steve Thompson,
Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 03-27922 Filed 11-7-03; 8:45 am]