Notice2025-08689
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Operation and Maintenance of the Willamette Valley System
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Published
May 16, 2025
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentEngineers Corps
Abstract
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to address the directive in the 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to formally analyze an alternative that would cease hydropower operations at USACE owned and operated Willamette Valley Projects. The Willamette Valley System (WVS) must operate for its Congressionally authorized project purposes while complying with all applicable laws, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), to avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of listed species. The USACE will serve as the lead Federal agency for the SEIS.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 94 (Friday, May 16, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 94 (Friday, May 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21015-21016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08689]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Operation and Maintenance of the Willamette Valley
System
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District
(USACE) intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (SEIS) to address the directive in the 2024 Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA) to formally analyze an alternative that would
cease hydropower operations at USACE owned and operated Willamette
Valley Projects. The Willamette Valley System (WVS) must operate for
its Congressionally authorized project purposes while complying with
all applicable laws, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), to
avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of listed species. The USACE
will serve as the lead Federal agency for the SEIS.
DATES: The USACE invites Federal and State agencies, Native American
Tribes, local governments, interested parties, and the public to submit
comments on development of the scope of the SEIS by June 6, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send written scoping comments to U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Portland District, P.O. Box 2946, Attn: CENWP-PME-E,
Portland, OR 97208-2946. Email comments or requests to be added to the
mailing list to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4f382623232e222a3b3b2a612a263c0f3a3c2e2c2a612e3d223661222623"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6e190702020f030b1a1a0b400b071d2e1b1d0f0d0b400f1c031740030702">[email protected]</span></a>. All comments and
materials received, including names and addresses, will become part of
the administrative record and may be released to the public.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions regarding the SEIS, or
special accommodations for scoping process participation, please
contact Mr. Garrett Dorsey, Chief of Environmental Planning, (541) 525-
4417. For media inquiries, please contact USACE, Portland District, via
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5734323920277a27361722243634327936253a2e793a3e3b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1370767d64633e63725366607270763d72617e6a3d7e7a7f">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background. The WVS consists of 13 multipurpose dams and
reservoirs, riverbank protection projects in the Willamette River Basin
in Oregon, and hatchery programs to mitigate for effects of the project
on fish habitat. USACE
[[Page 21016]]
completed the most recent NEPA evaluation for the overall WVS
operations and maintenance in April 2025. The Record of Decision for
that effort was narrow, including only the necessary interim actions,
while the longer-term actions could be compared with an alternative
that would cease hydropower operations as directed by section 1326 of
the WRDA 2024. USACE will prepare the SEIS in accordance with NEPA (42
U.S.C. 4321) and USACE's NEPA regulations (33 CFR part 230). The USACE
received the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Biological
Opinion for the continued operations and maintenance of the WVS under
section 7 of the ESA in December 2024. The SEIS will also include
actions included in the 2024 NMFS Biological Opinion that were not
previously analyzed. ESA section 7 consultation with U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service is ongoing. Consultation under section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act is also ongoing. The USACE
anticipates making the draft SEIS available for public comment in Fall
of 2025.
The USACE invited the Tribes and Federal and State agencies that
participated as cooperating agencies for the previous WVS EIS to
participate as cooperators on the SEIS. Those Tribes and agencies
include: Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon,
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, Confederated
Tribes of Siletz Indians, Bonneville Power Administration, National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Water Resources Department,
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and Oregon Department of
Agriculture.
2. Alternatives. The SEIS will include and build off the
alternatives developed for the FEIS. USACE will add actions to address
the NMFS 2024 Biological Opinion and the Congressional directive in
WRDA 2024 to formally analyze an alternative that ceases hydropower
operations at the USACE's Willamette Valley dams. Comments received
during the scoping comment period will inform the development of
additional actions, the new ``no-hydropower alternative'', and how it
is analyzed.
3. Scoping Process/Public Involvement. The public scoping process
is to provide information to the public, narrow the scope of analysis
to significant environmental issues, solicit agency and public input on
alternatives and issues of concern, and ensure full and open
participation in scoping for the Draft SEIS. The USACE will hold public
scoping meetings during the scoping period. The specific dates, times,
and locations of the meetings will be published on the USACE's website
for this SEIS: <a href="https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/WVS-EIS">https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/WVS-EIS</a>. Documents and
other important information related to the SEIS will be available for
review on the USACE's SEIS website.
Jeffrey D. Hall,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Deputy Division Commander.
[FR Doc. 2025-08689 Filed 5-15-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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