[Federal Register: June 12, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 113)]
[Notices]
[Page 40333-40337]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jn02-116]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan and
Associated Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Reach National
Monument/Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan
and Associated Environmental Impact Statement for the Hanford Reach
National Monument/Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service), in cooperation with the Department of Energy (DOE)
and other cooperating agencies, is preparing a Comprehensive
Conservation Plan (CCP) and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
the Hanford Reach National Monument/Saddle Mountain National Wildlife
Refuge in Benton, Franklin, Adams, and Grant counties, Washington. The
Service is furnishing this notice in compliance with the Service's
National Wildlife Refuge planning policy and the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and implementing regulations for
the following purposes: (1) To advise other agencies, Tribal
governments, and the public of our intentions; (2) To obtain comments
and information on the issues and alternatives to be addressed in the
CCP and EIS; and (3) to describe additional opportunities for public
comment during the scoping phase for the CCP and EIS.
DATES: Public comments are requested within 90 days of the date of
publication in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Address comments and requests for more information to: Greg
Hughes, Project Leader, Hanford Reach National Monument, 3250 Port of
Benton Blvd., Richland, Washington 99352, Fax (509) 375-0196.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Hughes, Project Leader, at (509)
371-1801, Fax (509) 375-0196. Documents referenced herein can be viewed
during business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at the address above or
at the DOE Public Reading Room located in the Washington State
University Tri-Cities Library at 2770 University Drive, Richland,
Washington 99352.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hanford Reach National Monument
(Monument) was designated by Presidential Proclamation 7319 on June 9,
2000. The Monument encompasses approximately 195,000 acres, of which
approximately 166,000 acres are currently managed by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) as the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife
Refuge under its authority pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge
System Administration Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 668dd-ee), and through
agreements with the DOE. The entire Monument is superimposed over a
portion of the 375,040-acre DOE Hanford Site, in Richland, Washington.
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) administers
[[Page 40334]]
800 acres of the Monument through a permit with the DOE. The DOE
administers the remaining acreage and currently retains primary
ownership or control on all acreage. The Service-managed acreage within
the Monument area is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System under
permits and agreements with the DOE. By Federal law, all lands within
the National Wildlife Refuge System are to be managed in a manner
consistent with an approved CCP. The Service is the lead agency for
planning and management of the Monument and development of the CCP.
Service planning for Monument lands is subject to review and approval
by the DOE.
Management Units
The Monument is divided into six administrative units, briefly
described below. Of the total 195,000 acres within the Monument, 60,000
acres and 45 miles of the Columbia River are currently open to the
public.
Wahluke Unit (Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge)
Located on the east side of the Columbia River, the Wahluke Unit
extends from the river north to the Saddle Mountains, encompassing
57,000 acres of riparian and shrub-steppe habitats. Numerous species of
native plants are found here, including rare plants such as White
Bluffs bladderpod, Geyer's milkvetch, and desert dodder. Near the
center of the Wahluke Unit is Wahluke Lake (also known as the WB-10
ponds), formed by water returning to the river from nearby irrigated
lands. One of the most scenic parts of the unit is the White Bluffs
which form the eastern bank of the Columbia River, for about 20 miles,
north of the city of Richland, Washington, near the shared border of
Grant and Franklin counties. The Wahluke Unit also includes the White
Bluffs Landing, an historic river crossing for local Tribes, and site
of the first store and ferry in the Mid-Columbia region. Administered
by the Service, the Wahluke Unit is open to the public from two hours
before sunrise to two hours after sunset, year round. Current
recreational uses include hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife
observation, and photography.
Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve Unit (Saddle Mountain
National Wildlife Refuge)
This 77,000-acre unit on the southwest side of the Columbia River,
is located southwest of State Highway 240 between State Highways 24 and
225, encompassing Rattlesnake Mountain. Rattlesnake Mountain, at 3,600
feet, is the highest landmark in the area and has religious
significance for several local Tribes. This unit, as well as the other
Monument Units, originally served as a buffer zone for DOE's Hanford
Site operations. In 1967, it was set aside by the U.S. Atomic Energy
Commission to preserve native shrub-steppe vegetation. The unit has
been protected as a National Environmental Research Park since the
1970s. This area contains one of the largest remnants of native shrub-
steppe vegetation in Washington. A major wildfire in 2000 devastated
native plants, especially sagebrush. The unit is home to a large herd
of Rocky Mountain elk. The DOE retains administration of the
Rattlesnake Ridge and associated access road, while the Service manages
the remainder of this area. Public use in this unit is currently
limited to approved environmental education and research activities.
Saddle Mountain Unit (Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge)
Dense stands of sagebrush thrive on the 32,000-acre Saddle Mountain
Unit. Located in Grant County, north of the Columbia River, along
Highway 24, this unit serves as a wildlife preserve, providing home to
many protected bird species, including orioles, kingbirds, warblers,
and Brewer's blackbirds. Managed by the Service, since 1971, public use
in this unit is currently limited to approved environmental education
and research activities.
McGee Ranch/Riverlands Unit
This unit is located on the south side of the Columbia River which
forms its northern boundary, and is bordered on the east and south by
State Highway 24 to Cold Creek where the western boundary stair-steps
north back to the Columbia River. This unit encompasses 9,000 acres. It
includes a former pioneer ranch area and rare plants, such as Umtanum
buckwheat; which exists nowhere else in the world; Hoover's desert
parsley, and Kittitas larkspur. The unit provides a corridor of
protected land for wildlife between the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve Unit
and the U.S. Army's Yakima Training Center. This unit is managed by the
DOE. Public use is allowed in the area between the Midway Road and the
Columbia River only.
Vernita Bridge Unit
The WDFW administers approximately 800 acres of the Monument,
located along the Columbia River northwest of the Vernita bridge under
a DOE permit that predates the Monument designation. The entire unit is
open to day use, year round. The primary public use is fishing access.
River Corridor Unit
This unit includes 25,000 acres on the south and west banks of the
Columbia River, the Columbia River Islands, and Hanford Dune Field.
Sixteen islands exist in this unit, providing habitat for waterfowl,
shorebirds, small mammals, and mule deer. Columbia yellowcress, a rare
species, grows in the gravelly river shore. The River Corridor Unit is
managed by the DOE except for the surface waters of the Columbia River.
While access to Hanford Reach surface waters is open year round, the
southwest river shore from Vernita Bridge to River Mile 343, and all
islands between the Vernita Bridge and the Bonneville Power
transmission line crossing at River Mile 351 are closed to public
access.
Purposes of the Monument
The purpose for establishment of the Monument is defined in
Presidential Proclamation 7319 (2000). The Monument was established to
conserve a unique and biologically diverse landscape, encompassing an
array of scientific and historic objects. The six units described above
functioned historically as protective buffer zones surrounding the
Hanford Site. They encompass some of the most pristine shrub-steppe
habitat in the Columbia Basin. In addition to the sagebrush/grassland
communities, a host of forbes, grasses, wetland and riparian plants and
fragile microbiotic soil crusts have been preserved. Several sensitive
species and rare plants such as the White Bluffs bladderpod and Umtanum
desert buckwheat exist in the Monument. The Monument provides habitat
for a wide variety of wildlife, including mule deer, elk, beaver,
coyote, waterfowl and upland birds, and raptors as well as migratory
and non-migratory fish. In addition to species that reside on the
Monument year round, migrating salmon, birds, and hundreds of other
native plant and animal species rely on the Monument's natural
ecosystem. In addition to its natural and historic resources, the area
contains one of the most extensive, intact, American Indian occupation
and traditional use areas in the region. The diversity, density, and
preservation of these sites is unparalleled in the Pacific Northwest.
The Monument also contains historic structures and other remains from
more recent human activities, including homesteads from small towns
established along the riverbanks in the early 20th century.
[[Page 40335]]
Recent Land Use and Resource Planning at the Hanford Site
In 1999, the DOE prepared a 50-year Comprehensive Land Use Plan
(CLUP) and EIS, for the Hanford Site. The associated Record of Decision
(ROD) designated a preservation land use for the six units described
above. The ROD also designated these units to be managed as part of the
National Wildlife Refuge System by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In accordance with the CLUP, the Service, as a Cooperating Agency,
signed its own ROD (November, 1999) that expanded the Saddle Mountain
National Wildlife Refuge to include the Wahluke Slope. The ROD also
documented the Service's formal adoption of the National Park Service's
Hanford Reach Comprehensive River Conservation Study and Final EIS
(June, 1994), and DOE's Final Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan and
EIS.
The conclusions of previous planning and NEPA documents will be
fully considered in the Monument CCP, to the extent that they are
consistent with Proclamation 7319. Conflicts will be resolved in
accordance with direction of the Proclamation, which provides the
overruling purpose of the lands, subject to valid existing rights. As
stated in the Proclamation; ``Nothing in this proclamation shall be
deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or
appropriation; however, the national Monument shall be the dominant
reservation.'' Additional existing plans, agreements, legal
designations, and agency jurisdictions include:
1. DOE Biological Resources Management Plan; 2001;
2. DOE Hanford Cultural Resources Protection Plan; Draft, 2002;
3. National Park Service (NPS) Hanford Reach Comprehensive River
Conservation Study and Environmental Impact Statement; June, 1996;
4. Public Law 100-605 (November, 1988); the Hanford Reach Study
Act, as amended by Public Law 103-333, Section 404; Hanford Reach
Preservation;
5. USFWS Fitzner-Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve Preliminary
Draft CCP; initiated in 1999 under management agreement with the DOE.
When the Monument was designated, this planning effort stopped;
6. WDFW Rattlesnake Hills (Hanford) Elk Strategic Management Plan;
February, 2000;
7. Hanford Reach Fire Management Plan and Environmental Assessment;
July, 2000;
8. Hanford Reach Protection and Management Program Interim Action
Plan; April, 1999;
Other plans will be referenced/considered as the Service proceeds
with scoping and detailed planning.
Preliminary Issues, Concerns and Opportunities
The Hanford Reach Federal Advisory Committee (described under
separate heading) has held five meetings to organize and become
familiar with the Monument and management planning parameters. The
committee has identified the following preliminary planning issues as
follows:
1. Public Use and Access--What kinds of recreation opportunities
should be provided? Is existing access to the lands and waters adequate
and appropriate?
2. Resource Protection--How can the biologic, historic, cultural,
geologic and paleontologic resources be protected while providing for
invasive species control, fire management, vegetation restoration, and
public use activities?
3. Valid Existing Rights/Existing Activities--How can existing
activities such as power transmission lines, irrigation water canals,
and transportation corridors be managed for compatibility with proper
care for the Monument's natural and cultural resources?
4. White Bluffs Slumping--To what degree can the adverse natural
and cultural impacts from White Bluffs slumping be mitigated?
In this EIS, the Service will describe and evaluate a range of
reasonable alternatives, including a No Action alternative and several
proposed alternatives, and the anticipated impacts of each.
Overview of Planning Process
By Federal law, all lands within the National Wildlife Refuge
System (System) are to be managed in accordance with an approved CCP
(16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee). A CCP must describe the desired future
conditions of the refuge and provide long-range guidance and management
direction to accomplish the purposes of the refuge, contribute to the
mission of the System, and meet other relevant mandates. Additional
goals of the CCP process include: (1) Conducting refuge planning in
accordance with an ecosystem approach; (2) providing a forum for the
public to comment on the type, extent, and compatibility of wildlife-
dependent and other uses within the refuge area; (3) ensuring public
involvement in refuge management decisions by providing a process for
effective coordination, interaction, and cooperation with affected
parties; (4) utilizing the best available science and sound
professional judgement; and (5) ensuring that the six priority uses
(hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography,
environmental education, and interpretation) receive priority
consideration during CCP preparation. Some of the topics to be
addressed in the CCP include: Wildlife and habitat management, habitat
restoration, and public use.
During development of the CCP, we will comply with the provisions
of NEPA through concurrent preparation of an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) that will accompany the CCP. The draft EIS will contain
a No Action alternative, a proposed action alternative, and potentially
other alternatives. The alternatives will be used to define management
options and compare their effects. The potential environmental impacts
of each alternative will be analyzed in the draft EIS. Following
completion of the final CCP/EIS document, and the finalization of the
ROD, the product of the planning process will be a stand-alone CCP,
separate from the EIS.
As part of the CCP process, written compatibility determinations
will be prepared for all uses of the Monument. Uses to be considered
will include all recreational uses (including Monument facilities
associated with a recreational use or other general public use),
Monument management economic activities, and other uses of the Monument
by the public or other agencies. The Service will determine that a
proposed or existing wildlife-dependent use or any other use of the
Monument is compatible if the use will not materially interfere with or
detract from the fulfillment of the mission of the System or the
purpose of the Monument. Incompatible uses will not be permitted to
occur on the Monument.
Review of the CCP and EIS will be conducted in accordance with the
requirements of the National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Federal
regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), other appropriate
Federal laws and regulations, and Service policies and procedures for
compliance with those regulations.
The Monument CCP/EIS will provide guidance and management direction
for the Service for the next 15 years. Our CCP planning process can be
reviewed by visiting our website at http://pacific.fws.gov/planning/.
We will use this website to provide pertinent information about the
Monument and to keep the public informed about the status of the CCP/
EIS.
[[Page 40336]]
Agency and Public Involvement
The Monument is located in a highly complex planning environment
associated with a nuclear superfund site, Bonneville Power
Administration transmission grid, Bureau of Reclamation Columbia Basin
Irrigation project and associated infrastructure, the Energy Northwest
Nuclear Power Generating Station, nationally significant natural,
historic, and cultural resources, Tribal trust responsibilities, and
diverse public interest groups. The wide-range of potential issues to
consider in the CCP/EIS will require the Service and DOE to involve an
equally wide range of potentially affected interests in the planning
process. We intend to involve the public and other agencies in the
planning process through the following mechanisms.
Federal Planning Advisory Committee
The Service recognizes that the planning process is best conducted
by seeking the advice of Tribal, local and regional agencies, and
private sector entities associated with the Monument. The Secretary, of
the U.S. Department of the Interior, directed the Service to form a
Federal Advisory Committee to advise the Service and DOE on the
preparation of the CCP. The 13-member Hanford Reach National Monument
Federal Planning Advisory Committee (Committee) is chartered to ensure
that the CCP considers the land-use visions and perspectives of
affected stakeholders, within the framework of the Presidential
Proclamation 7319 and policy requirements of the Service and DOE.
Committee members represent a cross-section of stakeholders, including
state, city, county, tribal, education, scientific, conservation,
economic development, outdoor recreation, and ``public-at-large''
representation. The Service and DOE are committed to serious
consideration of all recommendations and advice from the Committee
throughout the planning process.
Committee meetings were held June 14 and 15, 2001; September 12 and
13, 2001; October 25, 2001; February 6, 2002; March 19, 2002; May 2,
2002; and May 29, 2002. The Committee is chartered for 2 years;
however, the charter can be renewed for another 2-year period to
complete the Monument CCP/EIS. Meetings are open to the public, and a
public comment period is provided during each meeting. Meeting minutes
are recorded and can be accessed at the Department of Energy's Public
Reading Room, Mail Stop H2-53, Richland, Washington, 99352. The general
electronic mail address is <doe.reading.room@pnl.gov.
Cooperating Agencies
Agencies with jurisdiction by law or special expertise on
environmental issues that should be addressed in the CCP/EIS will be
invited to participate in the planning process as a Cooperating Agency,
as defined by the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations
for implementing the NEPA, 40 CFR 1508.5. Cooperating Agencies will
participate in the scoping process to identify significant planning
issues and to help develop the EIS purpose and need statement. With
direction from the Service, they will also develop pertinent
information and prepare environmental analyses based on their expertise
and area of jurisdiction. Consistent with applicable Federal law and
policy, and our responsibilities as lead agency, we will fully consider
the data, environmental analyses, and action alternatives provided by
Cooperating Agencies.
Public Involvement
We will use news releases to the local and regional media and other
appropriate means to notify the public of opportunities to participate
in the planning process. Planning updates will be mailed out to
potentially affected interests and to those entities requesting to be
on the planning project mailing list. To add individuals or groups to
the mailing list, please submit a name and mailing address to the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service at 3250 Port of Benton Blvd., Richland,
Washington 99352, or call (509) 371-1801. Public scoping meetings and
workshops will be held at locations and times to be specified. The
public will also be provided the opportunity to submit verbal or
written comments at regularly scheduled meetings of the Monument
Federal Planning Advisory Committee. All Advisory Committee meetings
will be announced in the Federal Register and public workshops will be
announced through local media.
Involvement of Tribes
In recognition of the sovereign status of American Indian
Governments, the Service will establish and maintain government-to-
government relationships with American Indian Tribal governments while
developing the CCP/EIS. We will consider actions that may affect
American Indian cultural or religious interests. To the extent that
Indian Tribes have rights pursuant to the Treaties of 1855 (12 Stat.
951), or any other Federal law, those rights will be properly
recognized and addressed in the planning and decision-making process.
We will observe legislative mandates, agency policies supporting trust
responsibilities, and respect American Indian cultural values when
planning for the Monument's future. We will take appropriate
precautions to ensure that locations of protected sites remain
confidential.
Wilderness Review
We are required by Service policy to complete a wilderness review
of Service managed lands to determine if any lands are suitable for
inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The
wilderness review will be integrated into the CCP/EIS process including
identifying areas that meet the minimum wilderness criteria; evaluating
the wilderness suitability of alternatives; and documenting
recommendations. Wilderness designation requires Congressional
legislation. The last step if appropriate, would consist of forwarding
any suitable recommendations from the Director of the Service, through
the DOI Secretary and the President, to Congress in a Wilderness Study
Report. If lands where the DOE retains primary jurisdiction are found
suitable for wilderness designation, DOE concurrence would be required
prior to any recommendations being forwarded to Congress.
Wild and Scenic River Proposed Designation
In 1996, the DOI issued a Record of Decision recommending
``Recreational River'' designation, as defined by the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, for the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River
and a quarter-mile corridor on either side of the river. A final
designation requires Congressional legislation. Congress has not acted
upon this recommendation, and the river has been placed into indefinite
protection status. Following designation of the Monument, the DOI
Secretary transferred oversight responsibility for the Hanford Reach
interim protection from the National Park Service to the Fish and
Wildlife Service. Until Congress acts on the proposed designation, we
will continue to oversee the protection of the proposed ``Recreational
River'' in such a manner as to protect and enhance the values which
caused it to be recommended for inclusion in the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System, to the extent that our jurisdiction will allow.
Refuge Roads Program
In October 1998, Congress passed the Transportation Equity Act for
the 21st
[[Page 40337]]
Century, or TEA-21, which established the Refuge Roads Program. TEA-21
requires that all projects funded under the Refuge Roads Program be
consistent with agency management plans. The Monument CCP and EIS will
address transportation issues to determine current and future
transportation needs such as the maintenance or improvement of existing
roads, closure and revegetation of existing roads and the construction
of new roads, parking lots, comfort stations, signs, or pedestrian
trails. Construction of new roads and parking lots can not be funded by
the Refuge Roads Program. The plan will explain how the public is going
to access Service administered lands and waters within the Monument.
Conclusion
With the publication of this notice, the public is encouraged to
help identify potential issues, management actions and concerns;
significant problems or impacts; and opportunities or alternatives to
resolve them. The public scoping period will continue for 90 days from
the date of this notice, however, the Service will accept comments
throughout the planning process. The public may provide the Service
with written comments at either the mailing address or planning website
listed in this notice. Comments may also be provided at scheduled
meetings of the Hanford Reach National Monument Federal Advisory
Committee. The dates and location of Committee meetings will be
published in the Federal Register and announced through local media and
other appropriate means. All comments and written materials submitted
to the Committee will be documented and provided to the Service for
their consideration.
All comments received on environmental documents become part of the
official public record and may be released. Requests for such comments
will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, CEQ
and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6(f)), and other Service and DOE
policy and procedures. When requested, the Service generally will
provide comment letters with the authors' names and addresses. However,
the telephone number of the commenting individual will be withheld in
response to such requests to the extent permissible by law.
Additionally, public comment letters are not required to contain the
author's name, address, or other identifying information.
The environmental review of this project will be conducted in
accordance with the requirements of NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), NEPA implementing regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), other
appropriate Federal laws and regulations, the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act of 1997, and Service policies and procedures for
compliance with those regulations.
Dated: June 4, 2002.
William F. Shake,
Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 02-14694 Filed 6-11-02; 8:45 am]
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