[env-trinity] Lower Steiner Flat and Upper Junction City Channel Rehabilitation Sites: Environmental document Available!

Fri Feb 17 17:17:00 PST 2012

Dear Trinity River Enthusiasts, Agency Reviewers, and Interested Parties,

The Draft Environmental Document for the Lower Steiner Flat and Upper Junction City Channel Rehabilitation Sites, which together make up the Trinity River Restoration Program's Proposed Channel Rehabilitation Project for 2012, is available at:  http://www.trrp.net/?p=3734

Please submit your comments by March 20, 2012.

Best  Regards,

Brandt

Brandt Gutermuth
Environmental Scientist
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>

A more formal description is included below.
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Lower Steiner Flat and Upper Junction City Site
Draft Environmental Document Available for Public Review and Comment Through March 20, 2012

The Draft Environmental Assessment/Initial Study (EA/IS) for the Lower Steiner Flat (River Mile 90.2-91.3) and Upper Junction City (River Mile 79.8-80.4) Trinity River Channel Rehabilitation sites is now available for public review and comment.  The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP), with federal co-lead agencies, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and with the California State lead agency, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, is working together to inform the public about this proposed Trinity River restoration project. The Project EA/IS, which is required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), is available for public review and comment through March 20, 2012.

The Lower Steiner Flat site is located on the mainstem Trinity River three miles downstream from Douglas City. The Upper Junction City site is located in Junction City upstream of where Dutch Creek Road crosses the Trinity River. Together these sites comprise the Proposed Project which the TRRP plans to construct this year 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 Proposed Project is planned to enhance aquatic habitat quality and complexity via construction of slow water fish nursery habitats, reconnection of the floodplain with the river, and placement of in-river structures to react with flow and habitat features.

The Lower Steiner Flat and Upper Junction City EA/IS, and the Master Environmental Impact Report - the Programmatic Environmental Review document for TRRP proposed channel rehabilitation and sediment management actions, together explain and analyze environmental impacts of the project.  These documents are available on the TRRP website: http://www.trrp.net/  The Lower Steiner Flat and Upper Junction City EA/IS is available on the Bureau of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific website at:  http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=8963.  In Weaverville, the EA/IS may be reviewed at: 1.) the Trinity County Library at 211 Main Street; 2.) the TRRP office at 1313 S. Main Street (next to Top's Super Grocery); or 3.) the Trinity County Resource Conservation District at 1 Horseshoe Lane (off HWY 3). In Redding the EA/IS may be reviewed at the Bureau of Land Management office at 355 Hemsted Lane.

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 Lower Steiner Flat Upper Junction City 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 Lower Steiner Flat and Upper Junction City Sites 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, please contact Mr. Brandt Gutermuth, Bureau of Reclamation, at 623-1806. Comments may be sent to: Mr. Gutermuth, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300, Weaverville, CA  96093, or e-mail bgutermuth at usbr.gov<mailto:bgutermuth at usbr.gov>.

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