Los Banos, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation is holding an additional scoping meeting to solicit public input on issues and alternative development to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement EIS) for the Remanded Biological Opinions (BOs) on the Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP). The Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS and conduct public scoping meetings was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. The EIS will be developed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act NEPA).

The additional scoping meeting will be held in Los Banos on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, from 6-8 p.m., at the Los Banos Community Center, 645 7th Street, Los Banos, CA, 93635.

Four public scoping meetings have previously been held in Madera, Wednesday, April 25, 6-8 p.m.; Diamond Bar, Thursday, April 26, 6-8 p.m.; Sacramento, Wednesday, May 2, 2-4 p.m. and Marysville, Thursday, May 3, 6-8 p.m.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California remanded portions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) BOs to their respective agencies. This EIS responds to the District Court’s order that Reclamation analyze and disclose, in accordance with NEPA, the potential impacts of implementing the Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives developed pursuant to the remanded USFWS and NMFS BOs.

Reclamation is in the process of extending the public scoping comment period from May 29, to June 28, 2012. Written comments associated with the Notice of Intent and the scoping process should be mailed to Janice Piñero, Endangered Species Act Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, Bay-Delta Office, 801 I Street, Suite 140, Sacramento, CA 95814; faxed to 916-414-2439, or emailed to jpinero@usbr.gov. For further information, please contact Ms. Piñero at 916-414-2428 or email jpinero@usbr.gov.

Project updates are available on Reclamation’s Bay-Delta Office website at www.usbr.gov/mp/BayDeltaOffice.