PUBLIC NOTICE
DRAFT FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
The Dalles and John Day Mitigation Program
CENWP-PME-E
Issue Date: March 16, 2020
Closing Date: April 24, 2020
Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Corps) is seeking public comment on the draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for The Dalles and John Day Mitigation Program Limited Reevaluation Report and Environmental Assessment (LRR/EA).
The Corps is evaluating changes to The Dalles and John Day Dams Mitigation Program, which produces and releases hatchery fall Chinook as mitigation for impacts to fisheries that resulted from the construction and operation of The Dalles and John Day dams. The goal of this study is to identify a least cost plan to mitigate these impacts in-place and in-kind, while minimizing effects to environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic resources. The study area encompasses the Mid-Columbia River basin from approximately river mile (RM) 148 to RM 397 and the lower Yakima River from RM 0 to RM 50.
In September 2019, the Corps submitted a draft LRR/EA, which evaluated three project alternatives and identified Alternative 3 as the “tentatively selected plan.” The draft FONSI documents the Corps’ determination that the tentatively selected plan would have no significant impact on the quality of the human environment and would not require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Assessment of the Need for an Environmental Impact Statement: While the Corps does not intend to prepare an EIS at this point, we will consider comments received during the draft FONSI comment period, after which we will reevaluate the effects of the project and determine whether further analysis through an EIS is warranted.
Environmental Document: The draft FONSI and the LRR/EA are available here: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16021coll7/id/13853
Please note that the comment period on the LRR/EA has already closed, and we are requesting comments only on the draft FONSI at this time.
Comment Submittal: Please submit written comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District by April 24, 2020. Written comments may be sent to Michelle.Guay@usace.army.mil or:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Attn: CENWP-PME-E / Michelle Guay
P.O. Box 2946
Portland, OR 97208-2946
All comments received will become part of the administrative record and are subject to public release under the Freedom of Information Act, including any personally identifiable information such as names, phone numbers, and addresses. The Corps will respond to public comments in the final LRR/EA.
In your comments, please include in the subject line: The Dalles and John Day Mitigation draft FONSI Comment and the date.