The City and Borough of Sitka; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of ILP Pre-Filing Process and Scoping; Request for Comments on the PAD and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests

a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Licensing Process.

b. Project No.: 2818-025.

c. Dated Filed: March 26, 2024.

d. Submitted By: The City and Borough of Sitka.

e. Name of Project: Green Lake Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: On the Vodopad River, between Green Lake and Silver Bay, in the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska. The project does not occupy Federal land.

g. Filed Pursuant to:18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's regulations.

h. Applicant Contact: Kord Christianson, City and Borough of Sitka; 105 Jarvis Street, Sitka, Alaska 99835; kord.christianson@cityofsitka.org.; 907-747-1886.

i. FERC Contact: Jeffrey Ackley at Jeffrey.Ackley@FERC.gov.

j. Cooperating Agencies: Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such requests described in item o below. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ¶ 61,076 (2001).

k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, part 402; and National Marine Fisheries Service under section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.920. We are also initiating consultation with the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.

l. With this notice, we are designating the City and Borough of Sitka as the Commission's non-Federal representative for carrying out informal consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act, and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

m. The City and Borough of Sitka filed with the Commission a Pre-Application Document (PAD; including proposed process plan and schedule), pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.

n. A copy of the PAD is available for review on the Commission's website ( http://www.ferc.gov ), using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).

You may register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and Commission staff's Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study requests should be sent to the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and all communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits of the potential application must be filed with the Commission.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file all documents using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. For assistance, please contact FERC Online. In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Deputy Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Deputy Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on the first page: Green Lake Hydroelectric Project (P-2818-025).

All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate heading: “Comments on Pre-Application Document,” “Study Requests,” “Comments on Scoping Document 1,” “Request for Cooperating Agency Status,” or “Communications to and from Commission Staff.” Any individual or entity interested in submitting study requests, commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating status must do so by July 24, 2024.

p. The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202)502-6595, or at OPP@ferc.gov.

q. The Commission's scoping process will help determine the required level of analysis and satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the Commission prepares an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

Scoping Meetings

Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings for the project to receive input on the scope of the NEPA document. An evening meeting will focus on receiving input from the public and a daytime meeting will focus on concerns of resource agencies, Native American Tribes, and non-governmental organizations (NGO). We invite all interested agencies, Native American Tribes, NGOs, and the public to attend one or both meetings to assist us in identifying the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the NEPA document. The dates and times of the scoping meetings are listed below.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (AST).

Location: Harrigan Centennial Hall, 330 Harbor Dr., Sitka, AK 99835.

Phone: (907) 747-4090.

Evening Scoping Meeting

Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

Time: 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. (AST).

Location: Harrigan Centennial Hall, 330 Harbor Dr., Sitka, AK 99835.

Phone: (907) 747-4090.

Scoping Document 1 (SD1), which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in the environmental document, was mailed to the individuals and entities on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 will be available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov, using the “eLibrary” link. Follow the directions for accessing information in paragraph n. Based on all oral and written comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, identified through the scoping process.

Environmental Site Visit

The City and Borough of Sitka and Commission staff will hold an environmental site visit of the Green Lake Hydroelectric Project on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. AST. You must register in advance if you are interested in attending a site visit. Please contact Elizabeth Lack and Kord Christianson via email at lack@mcmillen.com, and kord.christianson@cityofsitka.org, on or before June 5, 2024, for site review access details, if you plan to attend.

Meeting Objectives

At the scoping meetings, Commission staff will: (1) initiate scoping of the issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions; (3) review and discuss existing information and identify preliminary information and study needs; (4) review and discuss the process plan and schedule for pre-filing activity that incorporates the time frames provided for in Part 5 of the Commission's regulations and, to the extent possible, maximizes coordination of Federal, State, and Tribal permitting and certification processes; and (5) discuss the potential of any Federal or State agency or Native American Tribe to act as a cooperating agency for development of an environmental document.

Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues and/or concerns. Please review the project's PAD in preparation for the scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are included in item n of this document.

Meeting Procedures

Commission staff are moderating the scoping meetings. The meetings are recorded by an independent stenographer and become part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals, NGOs, Indian Tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meeting and to assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the NEPA document.