Meetings: Delta Advisory Council,

[Federal Register: March 8, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 44)]

[Notices]

[Page 11038-11039]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr08mr99-100]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Bay-Delta Advisory Council Meeting; Bay-Delta Advisory Council's Ecosystem Roundtable Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meetings.

SUMMARY: The Bay-Delta Advisory Council (BDAC) will meet to discuss key issues in the southern San Joaquin Valley and to begin addressing key CALFED critical issues, focusing on the Water Management Strategy, Governance and Stage I actions. There will also be a farm and groundwater banking site tour that the public is invited to participate.

The Bay-Delta Advisory Council's (BDAC) Ecosystem Roundtable will meet on March 16, 1999, to discuss several issues including: the project selection process for the February 1999 proposal solicitation package, administrative costs, funding coordination, an implementation and tracking system update, and other issues. These meetings are open to the public. Interested persons may make oral statements to the BDAC and Ecosystem Roundtable or may file written statements for consideration.

DATES: The Bay-Delta Advisory Council will tour farms and groundwater banking sites on Wednesday, March 24, 1999. The tour will begin at 1:30 p.m from the Arvin-Edison Water District, 20401 Bear Mountain Boulevard, Arvin. BDAC will meet from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Thursday, March 25, 1999 at the Holiday Inn Select, 801 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield. The Bay-Delta Advisory Council's Ecosystem Roundtable meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The Bay-Delta Advisory Council will meet at the Holiday Inn Select, 801 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301. The Ecosystem Roundtable will meet at the Energy Commission Building, Hearing Room A, at 1516 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the Bay-Delta Advisory Council Meeting, Eugenia Laychak, CALFED Bay-Delta Program, at (916) 657-2666.

[[Page 11039]]

For the Ecosystem Roundtable, Wendy Halverson Martin, CALFED Bay-Delta Program, at (916) 657-2666. If reasonable accommodation is needed due to a disability, please contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Office at (916) 653-6952 or TDD (916) 653-6934 at least one week prior to the meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta system) is a critically important part of California's natural environment and economy. In recognition of the serious problems facing the region and the complex resource management decisions that must be made, the state of California and the Federal government are working together to stabilize, protect, restore, and enhance the Bay-Delta system. The State and Federal agencies with management and regulatory responsibilities in the Bay-Delta system are working together as CALFED to provide policy direction and oversight for the process.

One area of Bay-Delta management includes the establishment of a joint State-Federal process to develop long-term solutions to problems in the Bay-Delta system related to fish and wildlife, water supply reliability, natural disasters, and water quality. The intent is to develop a comprehensive and balanced plan which addresses all of the resource problems. This effort, the CALFED Bay-Delta Program (Program), is being carried out under the policy direction of CALFED. The Program is exploring and developing a long-term solution for a cooperative planning process that will determine the most appropriate strategy and actions necessary to improve water quality, restore health to the Bay- Delta ecosystem, provide for a variety of beneficial uses, and minimize Bay-Delta system vulnerability. A group of citizen advisors representing California's agricultural, environmental, urban, business, fishing, and other interests who have a stake in finding long-term solutions for the problems affecting the Bay-Delta system. This group, known as the Bay-Delta Advisory Council (BDAC), has been chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee (FACA). The BDAC provides advice to CALFED on the program mission, problems to be addressed, and objectives for the Program. BDAC provides a forum to help ensure public participation, and will review reports and other materials prepared by CALFED staff. BDAC has established a subcommittee called the Ecosystem Roundtable to provide input on annual workplans to implement ecosystem restoration projects and programs.

Minutes of the meeting will be maintained by the Program, Suite 1155, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, and will be available for public inspection during regular business hours, Monday through Friday within 30 days following the meeting.

Dated: March 1, 1999. Rick L. Gold, Acting Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.

[FR Doc. 99-5564Filed3-5-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-94-M