First posted on November 3, 2006
The Bureau of Reclamation today announced it will begin to develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the implementation of a Long-Term Experimental Plan (LTEP) for operational activities at Glen Canyon Dam and other management actions on the Colorado River.
This EIS is in response to a settlement agreement in the 9th District Court by the plaintiffs: Center for Biological Diversity, Living Rivers, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, Glen Canyon Institute and the Arizona Wildlife Federation.
In that agreement, Reclamation committed to further NEPA and Endangered Species Act compliance activities, in concert with the Adaptive Management Program, which began in 1996 folowing the completion of the first EIS, which began in 1989.
The development of the present EIS continues the efforts of the Adaptive Management Program and created to protect the resources of Grand Canyon National Park below Glen Canyon Dam.
A component of that program has been the work of the Adaptive Management Working Group (AMWG) and the Technical Working Group (TWG) through adaptive management and scientific experimentation.
The AMWG provides the Secretary of the Interior with recommendations on the development and review of science-related work and changes to management practices.
Since its inception in 1996, the AMWG and the TWG have been working to develop long-term planning and monitoring through structured experimentation related to operations of the dam (flow) and other management actions (non-flow).
The EIS on the Long-Term Experimental Plan will rely on the extensive scientific studies that have been undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC).
The AMWG will inform Reclamation of options for a long-term experimental plan during the EIS process and will also have the opportunity to recommend other experiments related to the plan.
The public has the opportunity to provide oral and written comments to Reclamation on options and experiments until the last day of February 2007.
The AMWG will hold a public meeting December 5, 2006, in Phoenix, Ariz., at the Fiesta Inn at 2100 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, Arizona.
The Bureau of Reclamation will hold two public meetings:
January 4, 2007 at Phoenix, Arizona, Embassy Suites Phoenix Airport at 44th Street (Cholla room), 1515 North 44th Street. Meeting time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
January 5, 2007: Salt Lake City, Utah, Hilton Salt Lake City Center, (Salon 1), 255 South West Temple. Meeting time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
These meetings will provide an opportunity for public input on the Long-Term Experimental Plan. An agenda for the meeting, including projected times for the discussion of this action, has been posted on the Upper Colorado Region's web page at www.usbr.gov/uc. Click on the Adaptive Management Program listing for details.
The Department of Interior anticipates publishing a draft EIS in the spring of 2008.
THE COMMENT PERIOD ENDS FEBRUARY 28, 2007
Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation
Upper Colorado Region, Attention: UC-402
125 South State Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84138- 1147
Faxogram at 801-524-3858
E-mail at GCDExpPlan@uc.usbr.gov
Contact:
Mr. Dennis Kubly
Bureau of Reclamation
Phone: 801-524-3715
Faxogram: 801-524-3858
E-mail at GCDExpPlan@uc.usbr.gov
Website: http://www.usbr.gov/uc/rm/gcdltep/index.html
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Additional Information
http://www.livingrivers.org/archives/article.cfm?NewsID=753
