Scoping Meetings and Opportunity to Comment

Relating to the Radar Ridge Wind Energy Project

Involved Parties: Energy Northwest, Pacific County Public Utility District No. 2, Grays Harbor Public Utility District No. 1, Mason County Public Utility District No. 3, Clallam County Public Utility District No. 1 (collectively, the “Public Utilities”), Pacific County, Washington, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Department of Interior.

Project Name: Radar Ridge Wind Energy Project

Summary: The Public Utilities and USFWS advise interested parties of their intent to conduct public scoping meetings to gather information concerning the potential effects of the proposed Radar Ridge Wind Energy Project on the environment. The Public Utilities and USFWS are contemplating the development of an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, for listed marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus). Information obtained from these public scoping meetings will, among other things, assist the Public Utilities, USFWS, and other permitting agencies in assessing the appropriate scope of the environmental document to be prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to inform project permit decisions.

Dates and Addresses: The public scoping meetings will be held as follows:

(1) November 10, 2009, from 6 pm to 9 pm at Grays Harbor PUD, Nichols Building meeting room, located at 220 Myrtle Street, Hoquiam, WA.

(2) November 17, 2009, from 6 pm to 9 pm, at Naselle High School, located at 793 State Route 4, Naselle, WA; and

(3) November 18, 2009, from 6 pm to 9 pm at Raymond High School, located at 1016 Commercial Street, Raymond, WA.

Oral and/or written comments may be presented at the public meetings. Written comments should be submitted no later than December 3, 2009. Written comments should be directed to the parties listed in the COMMENTS section of this notice.

Comments: All comments concerning the proposed project should be addressed to: Liz Anderson, Grays Harbor PUD, P.O. Box 480, Aberdeen, WA 98520. Comments may be submitted by e-mail to the following address: landerson@ghpud.org. In the subject line of the e-mail, include the document identifier: Radar Ridge Wind Energy Project.

For Further Information Contact: Liz Anderson, Grays Harbor PUD, (360) 538-6232, or Jim Michaels, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (360) 753-7767.

Project Purpose and Description: The proposed project consists of installation and operation of up to 32 wind turbines that will generate up to approximately 82 megawatts of electrical power to serve the local region and help the Public Utilities meet state requirements for renewable energy generation. The project will connect to the Bonneville Power Administration system using nearby transmission lines.

The project site is located on Radar Ridge on the site of the former Air Force installation near the existing communications towers, approximately 3 miles north by northeast of the town of Naselle in portions of Sections 7, 8, 16, 17, 20, 21, and 22, Township 11 North, Range 9 West W.M., all within unincorporated Pacific County, Washington. The proposed project area encompasses approximately 3,359 acres of State-owned Trust Land, which has been leased from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), of which about 7% (approximately 240 acres) will be used for the project.

The Public Utilities are currently preparing environmental analyses and permit applications for submission to the USFWS and Pacific County. The scope of environmental studies currently includes special studies on potential project impacts related to the marbled murrelet and other species, any effects on critical areas such as wetlands and cultural resources, visual and noise analyses, and a consistency analysis of the proposed project and applicable WDNR and County land use plans and regulations. The studies will also describe alternatives, including conservation measures, that are under consideration to preserve future habitat restoration actions and avoid or other mitigate potential project impacts.

As a part of the current project permitting process, the Public Utilities and USFWS are contemplating the development of an ITP under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA for the potential mortality or injury of marbled murrelets resulting from operation of the project. Information obtained from this public scoping process will assist the Public Utilities and USFWS in, among other things, inviting the participation of interested agencies and persons in this process, identifying other environmental review requirements that can be integrated into this process, and assessing the scope of the environmental document to be prepared under NEPA to inform project permit decisions.

The Public Utilities intend to prepare a draft environmental assessment under the NEPA accompanied by a conservation plan whose purpose will be to minimize impacts and be consistent with short- and long-term recovery planning for the marbled murrelet and other species. WDNR and USFWS previously prepared an environmental impact statement and habitat conservation plan for State-owned Trust Land. In addition, WDNR prepared an environmental impact statement and habitat conservation plan that implements new regulations for forest practices under the state Forests and Fish law. The environmental analysis for the proposed project will supplement those existing environmental documents to provide project and site specific information and more recent scientific information.

Request for Comments: The primary purposes of this voluntary public scoping process are for the public to assist the Public Utilities and USFWS by identifying important issues and alternatives related to the applicant’s proposed action, and to assist the Public Utilities and USFWS in assessing the scope of the draft environmental assessment currently being prepared under NEPA for submittal to USFWS for its review. The scoping meetings will allocate time for presentations by the Public Utilities and USFWS, followed by informal questions and discussions. Written comments from interested parties are welcome to ensure that the full range of issues related to the proposed project are identified. All comments and materials received, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and may be released to the public. Comments and materials received will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at Grays Harbor PUD, 2720 Sumner Avenue, Aberdeen, Washington (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Reasonable Accommodation: Persons needing reasonable accommodations to attend and participate in the public meeting should contact Liz Anderson (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). To allow sufficient time to process requests, please call no later than November 6, 2009. Information regarding the applicant’s proposed action is available upon request.

Published November 4, 2009

Legal No. 383-09