Scoping Announcement Mailing
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Place SSCOP I NG AAN NOU NC EM ENT stamp here Environmental Impact Statement on a Long-Term Miscellaneous Purposes Contract for the Carlsbad Irrigation District Sara Rhoton New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission P.O. Box 25102 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-5102 Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) intend to prepare a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on the execution of a long-term contract, based upon the 1920 Sale of Water for Miscellaneous Purposes Act (long-term miscellaneous purposes contract) with the Carlsbad Irrigation District (CID), New Mexico, and the subsequent conversion and delivery of the full amount of irrigation water addressed in the contract and any related contracts (collectively referred to as a single contract). Reclamation is the lead Federal agency and the NMISC will serve as a joint lead agency for NEPA compliance for the proposed Federal action. In this brief document, you will learn more about the proposed project, alternatives identified to date, the EIS process, and how to get involved. To make it easy to participate, a comment form is attached to this announcement, which can be detached and mailed in with your comments. SSCOP I NG AAN NOU NC EM ENT Public Meeting Announcement The Bureau of Reclamation and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission will hold a public Environmental Impact Statement on a scoping meeting to solicit comments on the scope of the EIS. The meeting will be held in Carlsbad Long-Term Miscellaneous Purposes Contract for the on Thursday, February 12, 2004 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Best Western Stevens Inn, Room 4, 1829 South Canal Street, Carlsbad, NM. Following an open house at 7:00 p.m., a brief Carlsbad Irrigation District presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m, followed by an informal discussion of issues and concerns. The Proposed Project water allotted to CID lands leased by the NMISC or The proposed Federal action is the execution of a lease other available Carlsbad Project water. long-term miscellaneous purposes contract, which The Carlsbad Project is a Federal Reclamation would replace a current short-term contract. The project authorized to irrigate 25,055 acres. purpose of Reclamation’s proposed action is to allow Reclamation stores and delivers Carlsbad Project the NMISC to use Carlsbad Project water (Project water for the benefit of the CID. Carlsbad Project water) allotted to land located inside the boundaries of facilities on the Pecos River include Santa Rosa Dam the CID that NMISC owns or leases from other (owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of members of the CID, or other Project water, for Engineers), Sumner Dam, Brantley Dam, and Avalon release from facilities serving the Carlsbad Project. Dam. The NMISC plans to purchase land, and water “Other Project water” consists of water that is allotted rights appurtenant thereto, within the boundaries of to land on the CID assessment rolls that is available the CID. for lease under a Contingent Water Contract where: (1) Willing lessors temporarily forego irrigation of The long-term miscellaneous purposes contract their lands in an irrigation season (fallowed land would allow the NMISC to use water allotted for up to water) or (2) allotted water is not delivered to farms 6,000 acres, or other available Project water, for by October 31 of a given year (undelivered allotment purposes other than irrigation. These 6,000 acres, plus water). The long-term miscellaneous purposes 164 acres that the NMISC currently owns within the boundaries of the CID, would be fallowed under this contract would replace Reclamation’s 1999 short-term contract with the CID that allows the NMISC to use contract. Execution of this contract would not Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-5102 Mexico New Fe, Santa preclude future use of the water for irrigation purposes P.O. Box 25102 Box P.O. New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission Stream Interstate Mexico New Ms. Sara Rhoton Sara Ms. on lands owned by the NMISC. The Commissioner of The Proposed Alternatives Scoping Comment Sheet Reclamation has granted approval to negotiate and Reclamation and the NMISC have identified two execute a long-term miscellaneous purposes contract, alternatives associated with the proposed project. In the Environmental Impact Statement for pursuant to authority provided by the Sale of Water for Proposed Action Alternative, Reclamation would Long-Term Miscellaneous Purposes Contract Miscellaneous Purposes Act of 1920, whereby the execute a long-term miscellaneous purposes contract NMISC would be limited to using or leasing a with the CID, allowing the NMISC to use water from up maximum of 50,000 acre-feet of Project water per year. to 6,000 acres of land for miscellaneous purposes. In the No Action Alternative, Reclamation would not Name: execute a long-term miscellaneous purposes contract EIS Process Address: For several years, Reclamation and the NMISC have with the CID. Reclamation and the NMISC would worked together to address Pecos River water issues. continue to operate under the existing short-term City/State/Zip: Recently, the two agencies developed an approach for contract until it expires. Other reasonable alternatives to the environmental review of proposed Pecos River the Proposed Action identified in the scoping process Representing: Basin activities that involves two concurrent EISs: the that fulfill the purpose and need also will be considered. Miscellaneous Purposes Contract EIS (the subject of You are invited to send comments on additional pages or in a different format if desired. this announcement) and the Carlsbad Project Water Questions and Issues (Please Be Specific) Operations and Water Supply Conservation EIS. The Reclamation and the NMISC have identified the latter EIS is being developed to address Reclamation’s following questions and issues regarding the proposed Please comment on the issues identified on the previous pages. Carlsbad Project water operations and water acquisition project— program. The Miscellaneous Purposes Contract EIS will address the effects of entering into a long-term • How would a long-term contract affect flow in miscellaneous purposes contract and the subsequent the Pecos River and the NMISC’s ability to conversion and delivery of the full amount of irrigation comply with the Pecos River Compact and U.S. water addressed in the miscellaneous purposes contract. Supreme Court Amended Decree? Reclamation and the NMISC plan to coordinate the • Would the use of water for miscellaneous environmental analyses for both EIS processes. purposes affect the economy of Carlsbad and the Identification of significant environmental issues surrounding area? Are there other environmental, social, or economic issues that you believe should be addressed? related to the proposed action by Reclamation, the • Would any threatened, endangered, or rare plant NMISC, other agencies and the public is called scoping. or animal species be adversely affected? Alternatives to the proposed action also can be identi- • fied during scoping. The environmental analysis phase How would a long-term contract affect the of the EIS process will begin after scoping. The EIS integrity of the Carlsbad Irrigation District will present an analysis of the physical, biological, irrigation facilities as a National Historic social, and economic effects of the proposed project and Landmark? its reasonable alternatives. Any mitigation needed to • How would lands no longer used for irrigated reduce impacts will be identified. Reclamation will use agriculture be managed? What alternatives should the agencies consider in the analysis? the analysis disclosed in the EIS process to evaluate the • Would there be cumulative effects of the pro- proposed project and the alternatives, and ultimately to posed project with other current or planned issue a decision on whether to execute a long-term activities on the Pecos River? miscellaneous purposes contract. Reclamation and the NMISC encourage your par- These concerns, and others identified during ticipation in the EIS process. You may submit com- scoping, will be considered in the EIS. The EIS is ments at the public meeting or send comments using the expected to describe and disclose the effects of the form on the next page. After publication and distribu- Proposed Action on the following resources: vegetation, tion of the draft EIS, Reclamation and the NMISC will Comments will be most useful if received by March 12, 2004. wetlands, wildlife, threatened or endangered species and solicit public comments on the environmental impact species of concern, geology and soils, visual resources, Do you wish to remain on the mailing list to receive additional information on this project as it progresses? analysis. A final EIS will address all substantive public air quality, water resources, flood control, water quality, comments. historic structures, cultural resources and traditional Yes, I want to be on the mailing list. No, I do not want to be on the mailing list. cultural properties, land use, recreation, water use, the local economy, and environmental justice. Mailing Instructions: Remove this page from the first page along the dotted line. Please fold with the reverse side out, staple or tape, add a 37¢ stamp, and mail to Ms. Sara Rhoton, New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, P.O. Box 25102, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-5102; fax: (505) 476-0399; e-mail: [email protected]. Scoping Announcement Mailing Mr. Charles Calhoun Mr. Earl Yeahquo Mr. George Daingkau 129 Sugargate Lane Kiowa Business Committee Kiowa Tribe Lucedale, MS 39452 P.O. Box 369 Rt. 2, P.O. Box 74 Carnegie, OK 72015 Fort Cobb, OK 73038 Mr. Johnny Wauqua Mr. Jimmy Arterberry Mr. Tom Bohl Comanche Tribal B usiness Committee Comanche Nation Natural Resources Division P.O. Box 908 P.O. Box 908 P.O. Box 12548 Lawton, OK 73502 Lawton, OK 73502 Austin, TX 78711 Mr.