81_FR_73021 81 FR 72817 - Otay River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California; Draft Environmental Impact Statement

81 FR 72817 - Otay River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California; Draft Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 204 (October 21, 2016)

Page Range72817-72819
FR Document2016-25490

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed project to restore coastal wetlands at the south end of San Diego Bay. The Otay River Estuary Restoration Project (ORERP) is located within the South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge or NWR), in San Diego County, California. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is participating in the process as a cooperating agency. This notice advises the public that the draft EIS is available for public review and comment. The draft EIS, which we prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), describes the alternatives identified to restore two portions of the South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay NWR to coastal wetlands to benefit native fish, wildlife, and plant species.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 204 (Friday, October 21, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 204 (Friday, October 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72817-72819]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25490]



[[Page 72817]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-R-2016-N117; FF08RSDC00-167-F1611MD-FXRS12610800000]


Otay River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit 
of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California; Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability, request for public comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for a 
proposed project to restore coastal wetlands at the south end of San 
Diego Bay. The Otay River Estuary Restoration Project (ORERP) is 
located within the South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge or NWR), in San Diego County, 
California. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is participating in the 
process as a cooperating agency. This notice advises the public that 
the draft EIS is available for public review and comment. The draft 
EIS, which we prepared in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), describes the alternatives identified to 
restore two portions of the South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego 
Bay NWR to coastal wetlands to benefit native fish, wildlife, and plant 
species.

DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before 
December 5, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Document Availability: You may obtain copies of the 
documents in the following places:
     Internet: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/San_Diego_Bay/what_we_do/Resource_Management/Otay_Restoration.html.
     In Person:
    [cir] San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters, 
1080 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista, CA 91910; telephone: 619-476-
9150, extension 103.
    [cir] Chula Vista Public Library, Civic Center Branch, 365 F 
Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910; telephone: 619-691-5069.
    [cir] San Diego County Library, Imperial Beach Branch Library, 847 
Encina Avenue (temporary location), Imperial Beach, CA 91932; 
telephone: 619-424-6981.
    [cir] Chula Vista Public Library, South Chula Vista Branch, 389 
Orange Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91911; telephone: 619-585-5755.
    Submitting Comments: You may submit written comments by one of the 
following methods:
    Email: [email protected]. Include ``Otay Estuary EIS'' in the 
subject line of the message.
    Fax: Attn: Brian Collins, 619-476-9149.
    U.S. mail: Brian Collins, USFWS, San Diego National Wildlife Refuge 
Complex, P.O. Box 2358, Chula Vista, CA 91912.
    In-Person Drop-off: You may drop off comments at the San Diego 
National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters between 9 a.m. and 4 
p.m.; please call 619-476-9150, extension 103, for directions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Collins, Refuge Manager, San 
Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge at 619-575-2704, extension 302 
(telephone) or [email protected] (email); or Andy Yuen, Project 
Leader, 619-476-9150, extension 100 (telephone), or [email protected] 
(email). For any issues specific to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
please send comments by one of the methods described in ADDRESSES, as 
the agencies will coordinate comment review.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Project Location

    The proposed action site is located at the south end of San Diego 
Bay, San Diego County, California, within the South San Diego Bay Unit 
of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Restoration activities 
will occur at two separate locations within the Refuge: the Otay River 
Floodplain Site and the Pond 15 Site. Specifically, the approximately 
33.5-acre Otay River Floodplain Site is located west of Interstate 5 
(I-5) between Main Street to the north and Palm Avenue to the south in 
San Diego. The Pond 15 Site consists of an approximately 90.9-acre 
solar salt pond located in the northeast portion of the Refuge, to the 
northwest of the intersection of Bay Boulevard and Palomar Street in 
Chula Vista.
    The DEIS, which we prepared in accordance with the NEPA, describes 
and analyzes the alternatives identified for the Otay River Estuary 
Restoration Project. In addition to our publication of this notice, the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing a notice 
announcing the draft EIS, as required under section 309 of the Clean 
Air Act (CAA) (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.). The publication date of EPA's 
notice of availability is the start of the public comment period for 
the draft EIS. Under the CAA, EPA also must subsequently announce the 
final EIS via the Federal Register.

EPA's Role in the EIS Process

    The EPA is charged, under section 309 of the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401 et 
seq.), to review all Federal agencies' environmental impact statements 
(EISs) and to comment on the adequacy and the acceptability of the 
environmental impacts of proposed actions in the EISs.
    EPA also serves as the repository (EIS database) for EISs prepared 
by Federal agencies and provides notice of their availability in the 
Federal Register. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Database 
provides information about EISs prepared by Federal agencies, as well 
as EPA's comments concerning the EISs. All EISs are filed with EPA, 
which publishes a notice of availability on Fridays in the Federal 
Register.
    The notice of availability is the start of the public comment 
period for draft EISs, and the start of the 30-day ``wait period'' for 
final EISs, during which agencies are generally required to wait 30 
days before making a decision on a proposed action. For more 
information, see https://www.epa.gov/nepa. You may search for EPA 
comments on EISs, along with EISs themselves, at https://cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/action/eis/search.

Background

    In 2006, we completed a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and 
EIS/Record of Decision (ROD) to guide the management of the San Diego 
Bay NWR over a 15-year period (71 FR 64552, November 2, 2006). The 
wildlife and habitat management goal of the selected management 
alternative in the CCP for the South San Diego Bay Unit is to 
``Protect, manage, enhance, and restore . . . coastal wetlands . . . to 
benefit the native fish, wildlife, and plant species supported within 
the South San Diego Bay Unit.'' One of the strategies identified to 
meet this goal is to restore native habitats in the Otay River 
floodplain and the salt ponds. The proposed restoration project 
represents step-down restoration planning for the western portion of 
the Otay River floodplain and one of the salt ponds within the Refuge's 
solar salt pond complex. This site-specific EIS tiers from the 
programmatic EIS and ROD prepared for the CCP. Funding for the proposed 
restoration is being provided by the Poseidon Resources Carlsbad 
Desalination Project (Poseidon) to fulfill part of their mitigation 
requirement for the construction of a desalination plant in Carlsbad, 
California.

[[Page 72818]]

    On November 15, 2007, the California Coastal Commission 
(Commission) approved a coastal development permit (CDP No. E-06-013) 
for Poseidon's proposal to construct and operate a desalination 
facility in Carlsbad. As part of that approval, the Commission required 
Poseidon, through special condition 8, to submit for additional 
Commission review and approval a marine life mitigation plan (MLMP) to 
address the impacts to be caused by the facility's use of estuarine 
water and its entrainment of marine organisms. The MLMP was 
conditionally approved by the Commission on August 6, 2008 (CCC 2008). 
With the incorporation of the Commission's revisions, the MLMP was 
finalized on November 21, 2008. The MLMP requires that Poseidon submit 
a proposed mitigation site and preliminary restoration plan that 
achieves the following mitigation requirements:
     Create or substantially restore tidal wetland habitat, 
preferably in the San Diego Region,
     Provide at least 66.4 acres of mitigation at a maximum of 
two sites,
     The chosen site must be available and protected against 
future degradation, and
     Fish productivity must be at least 1,717.5 kg/year.
    On September 29, 2010, the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge 
Complex and Poseidon Resources entered into a memorandum of 
understanding (MOU) to establish a partnership to facilitate the 
restoration of property within the San Diego Bay Refuge, consistent 
with the CCP and Poseidon's Commission permit requirements.

Alternatives

    We analyzed three alternatives in the draft EIS:

Alternative A: No Action Alternative

    Under the No Action Alternative, the disturbed areas within the 
Otay River Floodplain Site would not be restored or enhanced to coastal 
wetlands to benefit native species, and the Pond 15 Site would not be 
restored to tidally influenced subtidal and intertidal habitat. Under 
this alternative, Pond 15 would remain part of an existing commercial 
solar salt operation, and periodic maintenance would continue to occur 
on the Otay River Floodplain Site in conjunction with ongoing 
management of the Refuge.

Alternative B: Intertidal Alternative (Proposed Action)

    The Intertidal Alternative, Alternative B, is the proposed action. 
The proposed action would involve lowering the elevation and contouring 
the Otay River Floodplain Site to create approximately 29.7 acres of 
tidally influenced habitat consisting of approximately 5.1 acres of 
intertidal mudflat, 24.6 acres of intertidal salt marsh habitat through 
altering elevations on the site, and 0.05 acres of upland transitional 
habitat. The proposed action would also involve raising the elevation 
and contouring the Pond 15 Site to create approximately 10.3 acres of 
subtidal channel, 18.5 acres of intertidal mudflat, 55.8 acres of 
intertidal salt marsh habitat, and 0.37 acres of upland transitional 
habitat. Both sites would be planted with a mix of native wetland 
vegetation that would mature into low marsh, mid marsh, and high marsh 
vegetative communities. The intertidal areas and the unvegetated 
mudflat would provide foraging habitat for adult and juvenile fish, 
which form the basis of the food chain that would benefit larger fish, 
birds, and other species on and off the site.
    Implementation of the proposed action would involve the excavation 
of approximately 320,000 cubic yards of material from the Otay River 
Site and the transport of 258,000 cubic yards of this material to the 
Pond 15 Site for use in creating tidal elevations that would support 
the desired intertidal habitats.
    The combination of the wetlands created at the Otay River 
Floodplain Site and Pond 15 Site under the proposed action would 
provide sufficient mitigation credit to meet the MLMP requirements.

Alternative C: Subtidal Alternative

    Alternative C, the Subtidal Alternative, would involve lowering the 
Otay River Floodplain Site to an elevation lower than that proposed 
under Alternative B (proposed action) to create a subtidal channel 
within the Otay River Floodplain Site. Under the Subtidal Alternative, 
the subtidal zone would be surrounded by mudflats and increasing 
elevation of salt marsh. Specifically, the Subtidal Alternative would 
involve lowering the elevation and contouring the Otay River Floodplain 
Site to create approximately 4.5 acres of subtidal channel, 
approximately 6.4 acres of intertidal mudflat, 18.5 acres of intertidal 
salt marsh mudflat, and 0.13 acres of upland transitional habitat. The 
Subtidal Alternative would also involve raising the elevation and 
contouring the Pond 15 Site to create tidally influenced habitat that 
would be similar to that proposed under Alternative B, or approximately 
10.2 acres of subtidal channel, 18.3 acres of intertidal mudflat, 54.6 
acres of intertidal salt marsh, and 0.64 of upland transitional 
habitat. Both sites would be planted with a mix of native wetland 
vegetation that would mature into low marsh, mid marsh, and high marsh 
vegetative communities. The subtidal areas would provide fish spawning 
and foraging habitat, and the unvegetated mudflat would provide 
foraging habitat for adult and juvenile fish during high tides. 
Combined, the subtidal and mudflat areas would provide habitat for the 
basis of the food chain that would benefit larger fish, birds, and 
other species on and off the site.
    Implementation of the Subtidal Alternative would involve the 
excavation of approximately 370,000 cubic yards of material from the 
Otay River Site and the transport of 312,000 cubic yards of this 
material to the Pond 15 Site for use in creating tidal elevations that 
would support the desired intertidal habitats.
    The combination of the wetlands created at the Otay River 
Floodplain Site and Pond 15 Site under the Subtidal Alternative would 
also provide sufficient mitigation credit to meet the MLMP 
requirements.

NEPA Compliance

    We are conducting environmental review in accordance with the 
requirements of NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its 
implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), other applicable 
regulations, and our procedures for compliance with those regulations. 
The draft EIS discusses the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of 
the alternatives on biological resources, cultural resources, air 
quality, water quality, traffic circulation, and other environmental 
resources. Measures to minimize adverse environmental effects are 
identified and discussed in the draft EIS.

Public Comments

    We request that you send comments only by one of the methods 
described in ADDRESSES. Written comments we receive become part of the 
public record associated with this action. Before including your 
address, phone number, email 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.
    We will hold one public meeting to solicit comments on the draft 
EIS. We will mail a separate announcement to

[[Page 72819]]

the public with the exact date, time, and location of the public 
meeting. We will also post the time, date, and location of the public 
meeting on our refuge Web site at: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/San_Diego_Bay. We will accept both oral and written comments at the 
public meeting.

Michael Fris,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-25490 Filed 10-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P



                                                                                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 204 / Friday, October 21, 2016 / Notices                                          72817

                                                    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR                              Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91911;                        the CAA, EPA also must subsequently
                                                                                                            telephone: 619–585–5755.                              announce the final EIS via the Federal
                                                    Fish and Wildlife Service                                  Submitting Comments: You may                       Register.
                                                    [FWS–R8–R–2016–N117; FF08RSDC00–                        submit written comments by one of the
                                                                                                                                                                  EPA’s Role in the EIS Process
                                                    167–F1611MD–FXRS12610800000]                            following methods:
                                                                                                               Email: Otay_EIS@fws.gov. Include                     The EPA is charged, under section
                                                    Otay River Estuary Restoration                          ‘‘Otay Estuary EIS’’ in the subject line of           309 of the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.),
                                                    Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of                    the message.                                          to review all Federal agencies’
                                                    the San Diego Bay National Wildlife                        Fax: Attn: Brian Collins, 619–476–                 environmental impact statements (EISs)
                                                    Refuge, California; Draft                               9149.                                                 and to comment on the adequacy and
                                                    Environmental Impact Statement                             U.S. mail: Brian Collins, USFWS, San               the acceptability of the environmental
                                                                                                            Diego National Wildlife Refuge                        impacts of proposed actions in the EISs.
                                                    AGENCY:   Fish and Wildlife Service,                    Complex, P.O. Box 2358, Chula Vista,
                                                    Interior.                                                                                                       EPA also serves as the repository (EIS
                                                                                                            CA 91912.                                             database) for EISs prepared by Federal
                                                    ACTION: Notice of availability, request                    In-Person Drop-off: You may drop off               agencies and provides notice of their
                                                    for public comment.                                     comments at the San Diego National                    availability in the Federal Register. The
                                                    SUMMARY:   We, the U.S. Fish and                        Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters                  Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
                                                    Wildlife Service (Service), announce the                between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.; please call                Database provides information about
                                                    availability of a draft environmental                   619–476–9150, extension 103, for                      EISs prepared by Federal agencies, as
                                                    impact statement (EIS) for a proposed                   directions.                                           well as EPA’s comments concerning the
                                                    project to restore coastal wetlands at the              FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                      EISs. All EISs are filed with EPA, which
                                                    south end of San Diego Bay. The Otay                    Brian Collins, Refuge Manager, San                    publishes a notice of availability on
                                                    River Estuary Restoration Project                       Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge at                 Fridays in the Federal Register.
                                                    (ORERP) is located within the South                     619–575–2704, extension 302                             The notice of availability is the start
                                                    San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego                     (telephone) or brian_collins@fws.gov                  of the public comment period for draft
                                                    Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge or                 (email); or Andy Yuen, Project Leader,                EISs, and the start of the 30-day ‘‘wait
                                                    NWR), in San Diego County, California.                  619–476–9150, extension 100                           period’’ for final EISs, during which
                                                    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is                     (telephone), or andy_yuen@fws.gov                     agencies are generally required to wait
                                                    participating in the process as a                       (email). For any issues specific to the               30 days before making a decision on a
                                                    cooperating agency. This notice advises                 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, please                  proposed action. For more information,
                                                    the public that the draft EIS is available              send comments by one of the methods                   see https://www.epa.gov/nepa. You may
                                                    for public review and comment. The                      described in ADDRESSES, as the agencies               search for EPA comments on EISs, along
                                                    draft EIS, which we prepared in                         will coordinate comment review.                       with EISs themselves, at https://
                                                    accordance with the National                            SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                            cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/
                                                    Environmental Policy Act of 1969                                                                              action/eis/search.
                                                    (NEPA), describes the alternatives                      Project Location
                                                                                                                                                                  Background
                                                    identified to restore two portions of the                 The proposed action site is located at
                                                    South San Diego Bay Unit of the San                     the south end of San Diego Bay, San                      In 2006, we completed a
                                                    Diego Bay NWR to coastal wetlands to                    Diego County, California, within the                  comprehensive conservation plan (CCP)
                                                    benefit native fish, wildlife, and plant                South San Diego Bay Unit of the San                   and EIS/Record of Decision (ROD) to
                                                    species.                                                Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.                   guide the management of the San Diego
                                                    DATES: We will accept comments                          Restoration activities will occur at two              Bay NWR over a 15-year period (71 FR
                                                    received or postmarked on or before                     separate locations within the Refuge: the             64552, November 2, 2006). The wildlife
                                                    December 5, 2016.                                       Otay River Floodplain Site and the Pond               and habitat management goal of the
                                                                                                            15 Site. Specifically, the approximately              selected management alternative in the
                                                    ADDRESSES: Document Availability: You
                                                                                                            33.5-acre Otay River Floodplain Site is               CCP for the South San Diego Bay Unit
                                                    may obtain copies of the documents in
                                                                                                            located west of Interstate 5 (I–5)                    is to ‘‘Protect, manage, enhance, and
                                                    the following places:
                                                      • Internet: https://www.fws.gov/                      between Main Street to the north and                  restore . . . coastal wetlands . . . to
                                                    refuge/San_Diego_Bay/what_we_do/                        Palm Avenue to the south in San Diego.                benefit the native fish, wildlife, and
                                                    Resource_Management/Otay_                               The Pond 15 Site consists of an                       plant species supported within the
                                                    Restoration.html.                                       approximately 90.9-acre solar salt pond               South San Diego Bay Unit.’’ One of the
                                                      • In Person:                                          located in the northeast portion of the               strategies identified to meet this goal is
                                                      Æ San Diego Bay National Wildlife                     Refuge, to the northwest of the                       to restore native habitats in the Otay
                                                    Refuge Complex Headquarters, 1080                       intersection of Bay Boulevard and                     River floodplain and the salt ponds. The
                                                    Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista,                     Palomar Street in Chula Vista.                        proposed restoration project represents
                                                    CA 91910; telephone: 619–476–9150,                        The DEIS, which we prepared in                      step-down restoration planning for the
                                                    extension 103.                                          accordance with the NEPA, describes                   western portion of the Otay River
                                                      Æ Chula Vista Public Library, Civic                   and analyzes the alternatives identified              floodplain and one of the salt ponds
                                                    Center Branch, 365 F Street, Chula                      for the Otay River Estuary Restoration                within the Refuge’s solar salt pond
                                                                                                            Project. In addition to our publication of            complex. This site-specific EIS tiers
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                    Vista, CA 91910; telephone: 619–691–
                                                    5069.                                                   this notice, the U.S. Environmental                   from the programmatic EIS and ROD
                                                      Æ San Diego County Library, Imperial                  Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing a               prepared for the CCP. Funding for the
                                                    Beach Branch Library, 847 Encina                        notice announcing the draft EIS, as                   proposed restoration is being provided
                                                    Avenue (temporary location), Imperial                   required under section 309 of the Clean               by the Poseidon Resources Carlsbad
                                                    Beach, CA 91932; telephone: 619–424–                    Air Act (CAA) (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.).               Desalination Project (Poseidon) to fulfill
                                                    6981.                                                   The publication date of EPA’s notice of               part of their mitigation requirement for
                                                      Æ Chula Vista Public Library, South                   availability is the start of the public               the construction of a desalination plant
                                                    Chula Vista Branch, 389 Orange                          comment period for the draft EIS. Under               in Carlsbad, California.


                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   19:06 Oct 20, 2016   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00048   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\21OCN1.SGM   21OCN1


                                                    72818                         Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 204 / Friday, October 21, 2016 / Notices

                                                       On November 15, 2007, the California                 elevation and contouring the Otay River               sites would be planted with a mix of
                                                    Coastal Commission (Commission)                         Floodplain Site to create approximately               native wetland vegetation that would
                                                    approved a coastal development permit                   29.7 acres of tidally influenced habitat              mature into low marsh, mid marsh, and
                                                    (CDP No. E–06–013) for Poseidon’s                       consisting of approximately 5.1 acres of              high marsh vegetative communities. The
                                                    proposal to construct and operate a                     intertidal mudflat, 24.6 acres of                     subtidal areas would provide fish
                                                    desalination facility in Carlsbad. As part              intertidal salt marsh habitat through                 spawning and foraging habitat, and the
                                                    of that approval, the Commission                        altering elevations on the site, and 0.05             unvegetated mudflat would provide
                                                    required Poseidon, through special                      acres of upland transitional habitat. The             foraging habitat for adult and juvenile
                                                    condition 8, to submit for additional                   proposed action would also involve                    fish during high tides. Combined, the
                                                    Commission review and approval a                        raising the elevation and contouring the              subtidal and mudflat areas would
                                                    marine life mitigation plan (MLMP) to                   Pond 15 Site to create approximately                  provide habitat for the basis of the food
                                                    address the impacts to be caused by the                 10.3 acres of subtidal channel, 18.5                  chain that would benefit larger fish,
                                                    facility’s use of estuarine water and its               acres of intertidal mudflat, 55.8 acres of            birds, and other species on and off the
                                                    entrainment of marine organisms. The                    intertidal salt marsh habitat, and 0.37               site.
                                                    MLMP was conditionally approved by                      acres of upland transitional habitat.                    Implementation of the Subtidal
                                                    the Commission on August 6, 2008 (CCC                   Both sites would be planted with a mix                Alternative would involve the
                                                    2008). With the incorporation of the                    of native wetland vegetation that would               excavation of approximately 370,000
                                                    Commission’s revisions, the MLMP was                    mature into low marsh, mid marsh, and                 cubic yards of material from the Otay
                                                    finalized on November 21, 2008. The                     high marsh vegetative communities. The                River Site and the transport of 312,000
                                                    MLMP requires that Poseidon submit a                    intertidal areas and the unvegetated                  cubic yards of this material to the Pond
                                                    proposed mitigation site and                            mudflat would provide foraging habitat                15 Site for use in creating tidal
                                                    preliminary restoration plan that                       for adult and juvenile fish, which form               elevations that would support the
                                                    achieves the following mitigation                       the basis of the food chain that would                desired intertidal habitats.
                                                    requirements:                                           benefit larger fish, birds, and other                    The combination of the wetlands
                                                       • Create or substantially restore tidal              species on and off the site.                          created at the Otay River Floodplain
                                                    wetland habitat, preferably in the San                     Implementation of the proposed                     Site and Pond 15 Site under the
                                                    Diego Region,                                           action would involve the excavation of                Subtidal Alternative would also provide
                                                       • Provide at least 66.4 acres of                     approximately 320,000 cubic yards of                  sufficient mitigation credit to meet the
                                                    mitigation at a maximum of two sites,                   material from the Otay River Site and                 MLMP requirements.
                                                       • The chosen site must be available                  the transport of 258,000 cubic yards of
                                                                                                                                                                  NEPA Compliance
                                                    and protected against future                            this material to the Pond 15 Site for use
                                                    degradation, and                                        in creating tidal elevations that would                 We are conducting environmental
                                                       • Fish productivity must be at least                 support the desired intertidal habitats.              review in accordance with the
                                                    1,717.5 kg/year.                                           The combination of the wetlands                    requirements of NEPA, as amended (42
                                                       On September 29, 2010, the San Diego                 created at the Otay River Floodplain                  U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its implementing
                                                    National Wildlife Refuge Complex and                    Site and Pond 15 Site under the                       regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508),
                                                    Poseidon Resources entered into a                       proposed action would provide                         other applicable regulations, and our
                                                    memorandum of understanding (MOU)                       sufficient mitigation credit to meet the              procedures for compliance with those
                                                    to establish a partnership to facilitate                MLMP requirements.                                    regulations. The draft EIS discusses the
                                                    the restoration of property within the                                                                        direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts
                                                                                                            Alternative C: Subtidal Alternative
                                                    San Diego Bay Refuge, consistent with                                                                         of the alternatives on biological
                                                    the CCP and Poseidon’s Commission                          Alternative C, the Subtidal                        resources, cultural resources, air quality,
                                                    permit requirements.                                    Alternative, would involve lowering the               water quality, traffic circulation, and
                                                                                                            Otay River Floodplain Site to an                      other environmental resources.
                                                    Alternatives                                            elevation lower than that proposed                    Measures to minimize adverse
                                                      We analyzed three alternatives in the                 under Alternative B (proposed action) to              environmental effects are identified and
                                                    draft EIS:                                              create a subtidal channel within the                  discussed in the draft EIS.
                                                                                                            Otay River Floodplain Site. Under the
                                                    Alternative A: No Action Alternative                    Subtidal Alternative, the subtidal zone               Public Comments
                                                      Under the No Action Alternative, the                  would be surrounded by mudflats and                     We request that you send comments
                                                    disturbed areas within the Otay River                   increasing elevation of salt marsh.                   only by one of the methods described in
                                                    Floodplain Site would not be restored or                Specifically, the Subtidal Alternative                ADDRESSES. Written comments we
                                                    enhanced to coastal wetlands to benefit                 would involve lowering the elevation                  receive become part of the public record
                                                    native species, and the Pond 15 Site                    and contouring the Otay River                         associated with this action. Before
                                                    would not be restored to tidally                        Floodplain Site to create approximately               including your address, phone number,
                                                    influenced subtidal and intertidal                      4.5 acres of subtidal channel,                        email address, or other personal
                                                    habitat. Under this alternative, Pond 15                approximately 6.4 acres of intertidal                 identifying information in your
                                                    would remain part of an existing                        mudflat, 18.5 acres of intertidal salt                comment, you should be aware that
                                                    commercial solar salt operation, and                    marsh mudflat, and 0.13 acres of upland               your entire comment, including your
                                                    periodic maintenance would continue                     transitional habitat. The Subtidal                    personal identifying information, may
                                                                                                            Alternative would also involve raising                be made publicly available at any time.
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                    to occur on the Otay River Floodplain
                                                    Site in conjunction with ongoing                        the elevation and contouring the Pond                 While you can ask us in your comment
                                                    management of the Refuge.                               15 Site to create tidally influenced                  to withhold your personal identifying
                                                                                                            habitat that would be similar to that                 information from public review, we
                                                    Alternative B: Intertidal Alternative                   proposed under Alternative B, or                      cannot guarantee that we will be able to
                                                    (Proposed Action)                                       approximately 10.2 acres of subtidal                  do so.
                                                      The Intertidal Alternative, Alternative               channel, 18.3 acres of intertidal mudflat,              We will hold one public meeting to
                                                    B, is the proposed action. The proposed                 54.6 acres of intertidal salt marsh, and              solicit comments on the draft EIS. We
                                                    action would involve lowering the                       0.64 of upland transitional habitat. Both             will mail a separate announcement to


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                                                                                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 204 / Friday, October 21, 2016 / Notices                                               72819

                                                    the public with the exact date, time, and               Mail Stop 989, Reston, VA 20192 (mail);               of information; (3) how to enhance the
                                                    location of the public meeting. We will                 703–648–7720 (phone); or                              quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
                                                    also post the time, date, and location of               escottsangine@usgs.gov (email). You                   information to be collected; and (4) how
                                                    the public meeting on our refuge Web                    may also find information about this                  to minimize the burden on the
                                                    site at: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/San_                 Information Collection Request (ICR) at               respondents, including the use of
                                                    Diego_Bay. We will accept both oral and                 www.reginfo.gov.                                      automated collection techniques or
                                                    written comments at the public meeting.                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                            other forms of information technology.
                                                    Michael Fris,                                                                                                   Please note that the comments
                                                                                                            I. Abstract                                           submitted in response to this notice are
                                                    Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest
                                                    Region.                                                    This collection is needed to provide               a matter of public record. Before
                                                                                                            data on mineral production for annual                 including your personal mailing
                                                    [FR Doc. 2016–25490 Filed 10–20–16; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                            reports published by commodity for use                address, phone number, email address,
                                                    BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
                                                                                                            by Government agencies, Congressional                 or other personally identifiable
                                                                                                            offices, educational institutions,                    information in your comment, you
                                                    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR                              research organizations, financial                     should be aware that your entire
                                                                                                            institutions, consulting firms, industry,             comment, including your personally
                                                    Geological Survey                                       academia, and the general public. This                identifiable information, may be made
                                                                                                            information will be published in the                  publicly available at any time. While
                                                    [GX16LR000F60100]                                       ‘‘Mineral Commodity Summaries,’’ the                  you can ask us in your comment to
                                                    Agency Information Collection                           first preliminary publication to furnish              withhold your personally identifiable
                                                    Activities: Request for Comments                        estimates covering the previous year’s                information from public view, we
                                                                                                            nonfuel mineral industry.                             cannot guarantee that it will be done.
                                                    AGENCY:   U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
                                                    Interior.                                               II. Data                                              Michael J. Magyar,
                                                    ACTION: Notice of a renewal of a                           OMB Control Number: 1028–0065.                     Associate Director, National Minerals
                                                                                                               Form Number: USGS Forms 9–4042–                    Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey.
                                                    currently approved information
                                                    collection (1028–0065) Production                       A and 9–4124–A.                                       [FR Doc. 2016–25549 Filed 10–20–16; 8:45 am]
                                                    Estimate.                                                  Title: Production Estimate, Two                    BILLING CODE 4338–11–P
                                                                                                            Forms: 9–4042–A and 9–4124–A.
                                                    SUMMARY:    We (the U.S. Geological                        Type of Request: Extension without
                                                    Survey) are asking the Office of                        change of a currently approved                        DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
                                                    Management and Budget (OMB) to                          collection.
                                                    approve the information collection (IC)                    Affected Public: Business or Other-                Bureau of Indian Affairs
                                                    described below. This collection                        For-Profit Institutions: U.S. nonfuel
                                                    consists of 2 forms. As required by the                 minerals producers.                                   Bureau of Land Management
                                                    Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of                           Respondent Obligation: None.
                                                    1995, and as part of our continuing                     Participation is voluntary.                           [LLNMF01000.L13150000.NB0000.16X]
                                                    efforts to reduce paperwork and                            Frequency of Collection: Annually.
                                                    respondent burden, we invite the                           Estimated Number of Annual                         Amended Notice of Intent To Amend
                                                    general public and other Federal                        Responses: 1,761.                                     the Resource Management Plan for the
                                                    agencies to take this opportunity to                       Estimated Time per Response: 15                    Farmington Field Office, New Mexico
                                                    comment on this IC. This collection is                  minutes.                                              and Prepare an Associated
                                                    scheduled to expire on October 31,                         Annual Burden Hours: 440 hours.                    Environmental Impact Statement
                                                    2016.                                                      Estimated Reporting and
                                                                                                            Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’                       AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs and
                                                    DATES: To ensure that your comments                                                                           Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
                                                                                                            Burden: There are no ‘‘non-hour cost’’
                                                    are considered, OMB must receive them                   burdens associated with this IC.                      ACTION: Notice.
                                                    on or before November 21, 2016.                            Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA
                                                    ADDRESSES: Please submit your written                   (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an            SUMMARY:   In compliance with the
                                                    comments on this IC directly to the                     agency may not conduct or sponsor a                   National Environmental Policy Act of
                                                    Office of Management and Budget,                        collection of information unless it                   1969, as amended (NEPA), and the
                                                    Office of Information and Regulatory                    displays a currently valid OMB control                Federal Land Policy and Management
                                                    Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the                number and current expiration date.                   Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA) (43
                                                    Department of the Interior, at OIRA_                                                                          U.S.C. 1711–1712), the Bureau of Land
                                                    SUBMISSION@omb.eop.gov (email); or                      III. Request for Comments                             Management (BLM) Farmington Field
                                                    (202) 395–5806 (fax). Please also                         On April 19, 2016, a 60-day Federal                 Office, Farmington, New Mexico is
                                                    forward a copy of your comments to the                  Register notice (81 FR 23004) was                     preparing a Resource Management Plan
                                                    Information Collection Clearance                        published announcing this information                 Amendment (RMPA) with an associated
                                                    Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201                  collection. Public comments were                      Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
                                                    Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 807, Reston,                   solicited for 60 days ending June 20,                 By this notice, the BLM is announcing
                                                    VA 20192 (mail); 703–648–7197 (fax); or                 2016. We did not receive any public                   the beginning of a scoping process to
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                    gs-info_collections@usgs.gov (email).                   comments in response to that notice. We               solicit public comments and to identify
                                                    Reference ‘‘Information Collection                      again invite comments as to: (1)                      issues specifically related to analysis of
                                                    1028–0065, Production Estimate’’ in all                 Whether the proposed collection of                    Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) managed
                                                    correspondence.                                         information is necessary for the agency               mineral leasing and associated activity
                                                    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        to perform its duties, including whether              decisions pursuant to 25 Code of
                                                    Elizabeth S. Sangine, National Minerals                 the information is useful; (2) the                    Federal Regulations (CFR) part 200 et
                                                    Information Center, U.S. Geological                     accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the              seq. as part of the EIS for the
                                                    Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,                     burden time to the proposed collection                Farmington RMPA.


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Document Created: 2018-02-13 16:36:24
Document Modified: 2018-02-13 16:36:24
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice of availability, request for public comment.
DatesWe will accept comments received or postmarked on or before December 5, 2016.
ContactBrian Collins, Refuge Manager, San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge at 619-575-2704, extension 302 (telephone) or [email protected] (email); or Andy Yuen, Project Leader, 619-476-9150, extension 100 (telephone), or [email protected] (email). For any issues specific to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
FR Citation81 FR 72817 

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