[env-trinity] Wheel Gulch Rehabilitation Site Environmental document available for public review thorough March 17, 2011

Thu Feb 17 11:26:31 PST 2011

Dear Agency Reviewers and Interested Parties-

The Wheel Gulch Rehabilitation Site:  Trinity River Mile 75.8 to 76.4 Environmental Assessment/Initial Study (EA/IS) is available for review.  The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) of the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Land Management (federal co-lead agencies), the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board - state lead agency), and the Trinity County Resource Conservation District (TCRCD - state cooperating agency), are working together to inform the public about this proposed project.  The Project  EA/IS, which meets California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, is available for public review and comment through March 17, 2011.  In an effort to conserve resources, we have chosen to print few of these in hard copy.

The Wheel Gulch EA/IS (and the Master Environmental Impact Report - Programmatic environmental review document for TRRP proposed channel rehabilitation and sediment management actions), which explains and analyzes environmental impacts of the project, is available on the TRRP website: http://www.trrp.net/implementation/WheelGulchEA.htm or on Reclamation's Mid-Pacific website at:  http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_base.cfm?location=ncao .

The EA/IS may be reviewed in hard copy in Weaverville at: 1) the Trinity County library at 211 Main Street, 2) the TRRP office at 1313 S Main Street (by Top's Grocery), or 3) the TCRCD at Horseshoe square (on HWY 3).  In Redding the EA/IS may be reviewed at the Bureau of Land Management office at 355 Hemsted Lane.

The Wheel Gulch Rehabilitation Project is located on the mainstem Trinity River approximately 3 miles downstream of Junction City. The project will work to increase salmon and steelhead habitat downstream of Lewiston Dam, as described in the December 19, 2000, Record of Decision for the Trinity River Mainstem Fishery Restoration Environmental Impact Statement. The Project is planned to enhance aquatic habitat quality and complexity via construction of slow water refuge habitats, placement of structures (e.g., large woody debris), and introduction of gravel into the river's floodplain.

In 2009, the Regional Water Board acted as lead agency for a Master Environmental Impact Report (MEIR) and site specific Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Report (EA/EIR) (State Clearinghouse number 2008032110) for channel rehabilitation and sediment management activities for the remaining Phase 1 and Phase 2 sites in order to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Regional Water Board certified the environmental documents on August 25, 2009 (WDID No. 1A09062WNTR). Under California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15177, after a Master EIR has been prepared and certified, subsequent projects which the lead agency determines as being within the scope of the Master EIR will be subject to only limited environmental review.  The preparation of a new environmental document and new written findings will not be required if, based on a review of the initial study (IS) prepared for the subsequent project (e.g., the Wheel Gulch EA/IS), the lead agency determines, on the basis of written findings, that no additional significant environmental effect will result from the proposal, no new additional mitigation measures or alternatives may be required, and that the project is within the scope of the Master EIR.

The Wheel Gulch Rehabilitation Site EA/IS contains project specific information required to apply for enrollment under the General Permit R1-2010-0028 for Trinity River Channel Rehabilitation activities which the Regional Water Board will consider in making its determination and approval decision.

If you would like to receive a copy of the EA/IS on a cd, please contact Mr. Alex Cousins, TCRCD, at 623-6004, or Mr. Brandt Gutermuth, Bureau of Reclamation, at 623-1806.  A limited number of hard copies are also available.  Comments may be sent to:  Mr. Alex Cousins, Trinity County RCD, P.O. Box 1450, Weaverville, Ca 96093 or e-mail acousins at tcrcd.net<mailto:acousins at tcrcd.net> or Mr. Brandt Gutermuth, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300, Weaverville, CA  96093, or e-mail bgutermuth at mp.usbr.gov<mailto:bgutermuth at mp.usbr.gov>.

Best Regards-

Brandt Gutermuth
Environmental Specialist
Trinity River Restoration Program
PO Box 1300, 1313 S Main St
Weaverville, CA  96093
530.623.1806 (voice)
530.623.5944 (fax)
www.trrp.net<www.trrp.net%20>

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