[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69698-69699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28603]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Criteria for Developing
Refuge Water Management Plans
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The ``Criteria for Developing Refuge Water Management Plans''
(Refuge Criteria) are now available for public comment. The Refuge
Criteria provide a common methodology, or standard, for efficient use
of water by Federal Wildlife Refuges, State Wildlife Management Areas
and Resource Conservation Districts that receive water under provisions
of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA). They document
the process and format by which Refuge Water Management Plans (Plans)
should be prepared and submitted to Reclamation as part of the Refuge/
District Water Supply Contracts and Memoranda of Agreement. The Refuge
Criteria refer to Refuges, Wildlife Areas, and Resource Conservation
Districts as Refuges. Those Refuges that entered into water supply
contracts with Reclamation as a result of the CVPIA and subsequent
Department of the Interior administrative review processes are required
to prepare Plans using the Refuge Criteria.
DATES: Submit written comments by December 15, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Please mail comments to Ms. Christy Ritenour, Bureau of
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-410, Sacramento, California, 95825,
916-978-5281, or e-mail at [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To be placed on a mailing list for any
subsequent information or to obtain a copy of any water management
plans, please contact Ms. Ritenour at the e-mail address or telephone
number above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to the Central Valley Project
Improvement Act of 1992 and a 1995 Department of the Interior
administrative review process, the Interagency Coordinated Program for
Wetland and Water Use Planning (ICP) was formed. The ICP was comprised
of representatives from the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the
Grassland Resource Conservation District. The ICP developed the 1998
Task Force Report, which outlines past, present, and future wetland
planning and management issues and a methodology for Refuge Criteria.
To continue the work of the now disbanded ICP, an Interagency Refuge
Water Management Team (IRWMT) was formed composed of the same agencies
to continue working on wetland issues such as water delivery, including
additional work on wetland Refuge Criteria. The IRWMT used the 1998
Task Force Report and
[[Page 69699]]
Reclamation's 1999 Conservation and Efficiency Criteria as the
foundation for developing the water management planning requirements or
criteria included in these Refuge Criteria. The Refuge Criteria also
incorporated comments, ideas, and suggestions from Refuge/District
managers, biologists, water conservation specialists, engineers, the
CALFED Bay-Delta Program, and other Central Valley stakeholders. The
Refuge Criteria were last updated in 2004 and the proposed 2010 update
is currently under review. The Refuge Criteria apply to the following
areas: Kern National Wildlife Refuge, Merced National Wildlife Refuge,
Pixley National Wildlife Refuge, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, Los
Banos State Wildlife Area, Mendota State Wildlife Area, North Grassland
State Wildlife Area, Volta State Wildlife Area, Grassland Resource
Conservation District, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan
National Wildlife Refuge, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Sutter
National Wildlife Refuge, and Gray Lodge State Wildlife Area.
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: October 12, 2010.
Richard J. Woodley,
Regional Resources Manager, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2010-28603 Filed 11-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P