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BPA proposes to purchase 149 acres near
Mirror Lake |
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January 21, 2012 |
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is
proposing to fund the purchase of approximately
149 acres along the Kootenai River in Boundary
County, Idaho for fish and wildlife habitat
protection. BPA is sending this letter to inform
nearby residents and other interested parties of
this proposed land purchase. Additional
information is available online at
www.efw.bpa.gov.
When the transaction is complete the Kootenai
Tribe of Idaho will own and manage the land. BPA
will receive a conservation easement to ensure
that the habitat is protected in perpetuity. The
Kootenai Tribe of Idaho will provide long-term
stewardship and develop a management plan to
guide the protection and enhancement of habitat
on the property. The public will have an
opportunity to comment on the management plan
before BPA approves it. The plan will prevent
activities that could damage fish and wildlife
habitats (such as open pit mining, grazing,
etc.) from occurring on this land. The purchase
is expected in the winter of 2012.
BPA proposes to fund the acquisition of this
property as part of ongoing efforts to mitigate
for wildlife habitat losses due to the
construction and inundation of Albeni Falls Dam.
The Kootenai River watershed supports local
populations of migratory waterfowl, neotropical
birds, raptors, elk, deer, and moose. The parcel
is located in an area significant to the
Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and evidence of
traditional use goes back thousands of years.
Purchasing this property will not impact
surround prime agricultural lands and farming
operations.
BPA has prepared a memo and environmental
checklist documenting that funding the property
purchase and conservation easement is
categorically excluded under the National
Environmental Policy Act, and that further
environmental review of this funding action is
therefore not required. This categorical
exclusion was approved on January 6, 2012 and
has been posted on BPA’s website at:
http://www.efw.bpa.gov/environmental_services/categoricalexclusions.aspx.
If you have any questions about this proposal or
would like additional information, please
contact Virgil Lee Watts, BPA, at (503)
230-4625, via e-mail at
vlwatts@bpa.gov,
or toll free at (800) 622-4519. Be sure to
reference the “Mirror Lake Purchase." |
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The area
enclosed in red is the land proposed for
the Mirror Lake purchase. |
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