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<br />Federal Register/Vol. 69, No. 13/Wednesday, January 21, 2004/Notices
<br />
<br />2943
<br />
<br />will incorporate public concerns in the
<br />analysis of impacts associated with the
<br />proposed action and associated project
<br />alternatives. The draft environmental
<br />assessment will be made available for a
<br />minimum 30-day public review period,
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<br />document. After scoping, it may be
<br />determined that an environmental
<br />impact statement is required. If so, a
<br />Notice of Intent will be published in the
<br />Federal Register. The final NEP A
<br />document (e.g., environmental
<br />assessment or environmental impact
<br />statement) will address the comments
<br />we receive during public review and
<br />will be furnished to all who commented
<br />on the draft environmental document,
<br />and made available to anyone who
<br />requests a copy. This notice is provided
<br />pursuant to regulations for
<br />implementing the National
<br />Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (40
<br />CFR 1506.6).
<br />A new proposal to designate critical
<br />habitat for the southwestern willow
<br />flycatcher may be substantially different
<br />from the previously designated critical
<br />habitat (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
<br />1997a, 1997b). The process to designate
<br />critical habitat will include at least the
<br />following elements: (1) Compilation and
<br />analysis of all new biological
<br />information on the species; (2) review
<br />and update of the administrative record;
<br />(3) review of the overall approach to the
<br />conservation of the southwestern
<br />willow flycatcher by Federal, State,
<br />local, or Tribal agencies in the bird's
<br />current range and other areas where the
<br />species historically occurred; (4) review
<br />of available information that pertains to
<br />the habitat requirements of this species,
<br />including material received during the
<br />public comment period from this notice
<br />and comments on the listing and
<br />previous designation; (5) review of
<br />actions identified in the Southwestern
<br />Willow Flycatcher Recovery Plan (U.S.
<br />Fish and Wildlife Service 2002); (6)
<br />development of a precise definition of
<br />the primary constituent elements,
<br />including a discussion of the specific
<br />biological and physical features
<br />essential to the survival of the
<br />southwestern willow flycatcher; (7)
<br />maps of critical habitat within river
<br />reaches; (8) analysis of the potential
<br />economic and other relevant impacts of
<br />designating critical habitat; and (9)
<br />analysis of the potential consequences
<br />of the preferred alternatives through
<br />NEP A.
<br />
<br />References Cited
<br />
<br />A complete list of all references cited
<br />in this notice is available, upon request,
<br />from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
<br />
<br />Arizona Ecological Services Field Office
<br />(see ADDRESSES section).
<br />Authority: The authority for this action is
<br />the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
<br />U.S.c. 1531 et seq.).
<br />Dated: January 14,2004.
<br />Craig Manson,
<br />Assistant SecretaI)' for Fish and Wildlife and
<br />Parks.
<br />[FR Doc. 04-1298 Filed 1-20-04; 8:45 am}
<br />BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
<br />
<br />DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
<br />
<br />Bureau of Land Management
<br />
<br />[AZ-91o-G777-26-241 AJ
<br />
<br />State of Arizona Resource Advisory
<br />Council Meeting
<br />
<br />AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
<br />Interior.
<br />
<br />ACTION: Arizona Resource Advisory
<br />Council meeting notice.
<br />
<br />SUMMARY: This notice announces a
<br />meeting and tour of the Arizona
<br />Resource Advisory Council (RAe).
<br />
<br />The business meeting will be held on
<br />February 18, 2004, at the BLM Yuma
<br />Field Office, 2555 East Gila Ridge Road,
<br />Yuma, Arizona. It will begin at 9 a.m.
<br />and conclude at 4 p.m. The agenda
<br />items to be covered include: Review of
<br />the December 4, 2003 meeting minutes;
<br />8LM State Director's Update on
<br />Statewide Issues; Presentations on BLM
<br />Land Tenure and Acquisition Program,
<br />Cultural Resources Program and the
<br />Wild Horse and Burro Foundation; RAC
<br />discussion and comments on the BLM
<br />Draft Grazing Environmental Impact
<br />Statement and Proposed Grazing
<br />Regulation changes; RAC Questions on
<br />Written Reports from BLM Field Office
<br />Managers; Field Office Rangeland
<br />Resource Team Proposals; Reports by
<br />the Standards and Guidelines,
<br />Recreation, Off-Highway Vehicle Use,
<br />Public Relations, Land Use Planning
<br />and Tenure, and Wild Horse and Burro
<br />Working Groups; Reports from RAC
<br />members; and Discussion of future
<br />meetings, A public comment period will
<br />be provided at 11 a.m. on February 18,
<br />2004, for any interested persons who
<br />wish to address the Council.
<br />
<br />On February 19, 2004, the RAC will
<br />tour Sears Point, a significant cultural
<br />site with prehistoric and historic
<br />petroglyphs near Yuma, Arizona from 8
<br />a.m. until 12 p.m.
<br />
<br />FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
<br />Deborah Stevens, Bureau of Land
<br />Management, Arizona State Office, 222
<br />
<br />North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona
<br />85004-2203, (602) 417-9215.
<br />
<br />Michael Taylor,
<br />Acting Arizona State Director.
<br />[FR Doc. 04-1170 Filed 1-20-04; 8:45 ami
<br />All. LING cone L'\10_:\2-M
<br />
<br />DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
<br />
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />
<br />Reservoir Operations To Benefit
<br />Endangered Fishes in the Gunnison
<br />and Colorado Rivers, Aspinall Unit,
<br />Colorado River Storage Project,
<br />Colorado
<br />AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,
<br />Interior.
<br />ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a
<br />Draft Environmental Impact Statement
<br />and announcement of public scoping
<br />meetings.
<br />SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National
<br />Environmental Policy Act (NEP A) of
<br />1969, as amended, the Bureau of
<br />Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to
<br />prepare a draft environmental impact
<br />statement (EIS) to describe potential
<br />effects of operational changes for the
<br />Aspinall Unit that are related to
<br />compliance with the Endangered
<br />Species Act (ESA). Reclamation is the
<br />lead Federal agency for NEP A
<br />compliance for the proposed Federal
<br />action.
<br />OATES AND ADDRESSES: To receive input
<br />from interested agencies, organizations,
<br />and individuals, public scoping
<br />meetings will be held in Gunnison,
<br />Delta, and Grand Junction, Colorado.
<br />Scoping is an early and public process
<br />for determining the issues to be
<br />addressed and for identifying any
<br />significant issues and suggested
<br />alternatives related to the proposed
<br />Federal action. The scoping period will
<br />be open from January 21, 2004 to March
<br />15,2004. Public scoping meetings will
<br />be held at the following times and
<br />locations:
<br />. February 24, 2004-6:30 to 9 p.m"
<br />Gunnison County Multipurpose
<br />Building (Fairgrounds), 275 South
<br />Spruce Street, Gunnison, Colorado.
<br />. February 25, 2004-6:30 to 9 p.m.,
<br />Delta Middle School Auditorium, 822
<br />Grand Avenue, Delta, Colorado.
<br />. February 26, 2004-6:30 to 9 p.m.,
<br />Mesa State College, Liff Auditorium,
<br />12th and Elm Street, Grand Junction,
<br />Colorado.
<br />Reclamation also invites written
<br />comments during the scoping period.
<br />Written comments re ardin the sco e
<br />an conten 0 t e ra EI s ou e
<br />sent ouecuy to hd Warner, tlureau of
<br />
<br />002541
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