HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.11.20 Email from FERC - Motion to Intervene of Office of General Counsel, USDA under P-619 on behalf of Forest Service, RE Bucks Creek Project license variances
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United States Department of Agriculture
Office of the General Counsel
Pacific Region San Francisco Office Telephone: 415-744-3011
630 Sansome St., Suite 1040 Facsimile: 415-744-3170
San Francisco, CA 94111-2218 Internet: joshua.rider@ogc.usda.gov
Via Electronic Filing February 10, 2020
Ms. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, D. C. 20426
Subject: NOTICE OF INTERVENTION
OF APPLICATION ACCEPTED FOR FILING AND SOLICITING COMMENTS,
MOTIONS TO INTERVENE, AND PROTESTS
Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 619-167
Pacific Gas and Electric Company and City of Santa Clara, Licensees
Dear Ms. Bose:
C.F.R. 385.214(a)(2)), the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (Forest Service),
notifies you of its intervention in regards to the temporary variance of required minimum stream flows
and reservoir elevation for the Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619-167.
The Project is operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company and City of Santa Clara (Licensees) and
located in Plumas County, California, on Bucks, Grizzly, and Milk Ranch creeks. Substantial lands
(1,539.5 acres) within the current FERC project boundary for the Project are National Forest System
(NFS) lands, administered by the Plumas National Forest (PNF). This project has the potential to affect
sensitive, threatened, and endangered species; heritage resources; water quality; and other resources on, or
influencing, NFS lands.
The Licensees previously provided the project description and this variance request to the PNF. The PNF
approved the proposed work on NFS lands, and the variances, contingent on defined resource protection
measures. The PNF approval letter (dated October 24, 2019) was included in the
description package, filed with the Commission on December 12, 2019 (eLibrary Accession Number:
20191212-5092).
The Forest Service wishes to become a party to this proceeding to ensure that the interests of the Forest
Service and the public in the protection and management of the Plumas National Forest, in accordance
with statutory authority, are adequately represented.
Please include the following persons on the official service list for any matter relating to these
proceedings:
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Amy Lind
Hydroelectric Coordinator
Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Public Services
c/o Tahoe National Forest
631 Coyote Street
Nevada City, CA 95959
amy.lind@usda.gov
Dawn Alvarez
Regional Hydropower Program Manager
Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Public Services
1323 Club Drive
Vallejo, CA 94592
dawn.alvarez@usda.gov
Joshua S. Rider
Office of the General Counsel, USDA
630 Sansome St., Suite 1040
San Francisco, CA 94111-2218
joshua.rider@ogc.usda.gov
Victor Engel
National Forest Systems, Washington Office
2150 Centre Ave, Building A, Suite 368
Ft. Collins, CO 80526
victor.engel@usda.gov
Patrick Redmond, Attorney
Natural Resources and Environment Division
Office of General Counsel
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave S.W. Room 3350-B
Washington, DC 2050-1400
patrick.redmond@ogc.usda.gov
Please contact Amy Lind (Pacific Southwest Region Hydroelectric Coordinator) at (530)-478-6298 or
amy.lind@usda.gov if you have questions concerning this filing.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Joshua S. Rider
JOSHUA S. RIDER
Attorney for the Forest Service
cc: Dawn Alvarez, Amy Lind
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Certificate of Service
I hereby certify that I will serve the foregoing document upon each person designated on the
official service list compiled by the Secretary in this proceeding.
Dated at Nevada City, California, this 10th day of February, 2020.
/s/ Amy J. Lind
Amy J. Lind, Hydroelectric Coordinator
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
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