Dear Interested parties, Trinity River enthusiasts, Agency reviewers, and more -<div><br></div><div>The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP), with federal co-leads of the U.S Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and California Lead of the North Coast Region Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board), has just released our Environmental Assessment/Initial Study that analyzes the potential environmental impacts of implementation of the Proposed Douglas City and Lorenz Gulch Project in 2013 and/or 2014. The document is available at: <a href="http://www.trrp.net/?p=4153" target="_blank">http://www.trrp.net/?p=4153 </a>(several hard copies are also available at the TRRP office in Weaverville) for a 30 day comment period. Please mail or email (to <a href="mailto:bgutermuth@usbr.gov">bgutermuth@usbr.gov</a>) your comments to me by April 12, 2013.</div>
<div><br></div><div>The TRRP will host an open house at 6:30 pm on March 20th at the Douglas City school (in Douglas City, CA) to discuss proposed work at these two locations and to receive public input. Mark your calendars. I hope to see you there. </div>
<div><br></div><div>I include a full formal announcement of the document's release and the March 20th meeting below. Please call with any questions. </div><div><br></div><div>Best Regards,</div><div>Brandt</div><div>
<br></div><div><br></div>Brandt Gutermuth<br>Environmental Scientist<br>Trinity River Restoration Program<br>PO Box 1300, 1313 S. Main ST.<br>Weaverville CA 96093<br>530.623.1806 Voice<br><div><a href="http://www.trrp.net/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)">http://www.trrp.net/</a> </div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>FULL ANNOUNCEMENT:</div><div>____________________________________________________________________________________________</div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-right:31.35pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.25in">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Douglas City and Lorenz Gulch Project </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-right:31.35pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.25in"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Draft Environmental Document Available for 30 Day Review</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-right:31.35pt;text-align:center;text-indent:.25in"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Public Meeting March 20, 2013 at Douglas City School<br>
<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The
Draft Environmental Assessment/Initial Study (EA/IS) for the Douglas City (River
Mile 93.6 - 94.6) and Lorenz Gulch (River Mile 89.4 - 90.2) Trinity River
Channel Rehabilitation sites is now available. 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 National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA), is available for public review and comment through April 12, 2013. After
that time the lead agencies will make a final decision on the project to be
implemented. An open house will be held on Wednesday, March 20, at 6:30 pm at
the Douglas City School, to describe the Proposed Project and to receive public
input. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The
Douglas City site is located on the mainstem Trinity River in Douglas City surrounding
the Highway 299 Bridge. The Lorenz Gulch site is located approximately 2 miles
downstream of Douglas City on Steiner Flat Road just past the Steiner Flat
primitive campground. Together these sites comprise the Proposed Project which
the TRRP proposes to construct in 2013/2014 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, revegetation
with native plants, and placement of in-river structures to react with flow and
to create/maintain habitat.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The
Douglas City and Lorenz Gulch 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: </span><a href="http://www.trrp.net/"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">http://www.trrp.net/</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> The Douglas City and Lorenz Gulch EA/IS is
available on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific website at: </span><a href="http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=12570" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=12570</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">. 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 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. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">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 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 Douglas City and Lorenz 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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The
Douglas City and Lorenz Gulch 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. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If
you would like to receive a copy of the EA/IS, please contact Mr. Brandt
Gutermuth, Bureau of Reclamation, at <br>
623-1806. Comments may be sent to: Mr. Gutermuth, Trinity River Restoration
Program, P.O. Box 1300, Weaverville, CA
96093, or e-mail </span><a href="mailto:bgutermuth@usbr.gov"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">bgutermuth@usbr.gov</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">. </span></p>
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