Reclamation has issued a final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact on a proposal to acquire land to benefit the federally endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. The proposed acquisition is comprised of an estimated 73 acres of land along the San Pedro River, approximately 9 miles south of San Manuel in Pinal County, Arizona.

The proposed land acquisition is located just south of and adjacent to the 140-acre Spirit Hollow Preserve owned and managed by the Salt River Project. Under the proposed action, Reclamation would enter into a management agreement under which SRP would be responsible for managing the additional 73 acres as part of the Spirit Hollow Preserve.

The action is being carried out as partial fulfillment of the requirements included in a 1996 Biological Opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Reclamation's modifications to Theodore Roosevelt Dam for water conservation and flood control. Modifications to the dam increased the water conservation capacity of the reservoir, which adversely affected occupied willow flycatcher habitat.

The final EA and FONSI can be obtained by calling the Environmental Resource Management Division at (623) 773-6251, by e-mailing rkonst@lc.usbr.gov , or by downloading it from the Phoenix Area Office website at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/

Questions may be directed to John McGlothlen at (623) 773-6256.