Klamath Tribes Technical Assistance for the Development of an EIS Analysis of the Klamath Agreements for the Secretarial Determination Process | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant (Funding Opportunity Number FWS R8 YFWO SECDET 18; CFDA 15.608, Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance) supporting technical assistance from the Klamath Tribes to help develop and review environmental compliance materials tied to major decisions in the Klamath River Basin.

2) Which federal program is listed for this grant?

The notice lists CFDA 15.608, Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance.

3) What is the main purpose of the funded work?

The funded work supports preparation and review of environmental review documents and related materials needed for a major federal decision (the Secretarial Determination) concerning the Klamath River Hydroelectric Project. The work is aimed at strengthening the scientific and analytical basis for comparing alternatives and documenting impacts, including tribal cultural and social considerations.

4) What decision is this work intended to support?

The work supports the Secretary of the Interior's final decision known as the Secretarial Determination (SD). The SD hinges on whether removal of the lower four hydroelectric dams would advance restoration of salmonid fisheries in the Klamath Basin and whether dam removal is in the public interest.

5) What project is at the center of the decision-making described in the notice?

The Klamath River Hydroelectric Project owned by PacifiCorp. The notice explains that while PacifiCorp initially pursued hydropower relicensing through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the parties later reached an agreement in principle to consider removing the lower four hydroelectric dams.

6) What alternatives are being analyzed?

The SD process requires scientific evidence, including biological information and modeling, comparing two management alternatives: removal of the dams versus retention of the dams.

7) What is the analysis timeframe for comparing alternatives?

The notice describes a 50-year analysis window beginning in 2020.

8) What environmental compliance frameworks are involved?

The work is tied to compliance under both NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), being developed as a combined EIS/EIR (Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report).

9) What specific documents are being developed and reviewed?

The notice references review of deliverables produced for the EIS/EIR process, including review of the administrative draft EIS/EIR and review or input into responses to public and agency comments.

10) What is the role of the Klamath Tribes under this grant?

The Klamath Tribes provide technical assistance by reviewing and commenting on deliverables produced by the Bureau of Reclamation contractor drafting the NEPA/CEQA compliance documents. A central assignment is assisting with preparation of the ethnographic section pertaining to the Klamath Tribes to ensure tribal cultural, social, and ethnographic considerations are accurately represented and analyzed.

11) Who is drafting the environmental compliance documents?

The notice states that a contractor for the Bureau of Reclamation is responsible for drafting the NEPA/CEQA compliance documents (the EIS/EIR), and the Klamath Tribes support the process through review and comments on the contractor's deliverables.

12) What are the two main written contribution areas expected from the Klamath Tribes?

The notice identifies two main written contribution areas:

• Addressing the effects of facilities removal (and related actions) on Klamath Tribes cultural and social conditions.
• Assessing the adequacy of draft federal products describing those effects (a technical and substantive check of whether the analysis properly captures tribal concerns and uses appropriate information).

13) What kinds of cultural and social effects are expected to be addressed?

The notice indicates these effects can include impacts to cultural landscapes, traditional practices, access to significant places, community wellbeing, and related social dimensions tied to the river and its fisheries.

14) What does "assessing the adequacy of draft federal products" mean in this notice?

Based on the notice, it means the Klamath Tribes are expected to review draft federal analyses describing impacts to tribal cultural and social conditions and provide a substantive evaluation of whether the documents accurately represent tribal concerns, rely on appropriate information, and reasonably evaluate potential impacts and outcomes.

15) Does the grant include participation in public comment responses?

Yes. The notice states the Klamath Tribes will review or help shape responses to public and agency comments on the environmental compliance documents.

16) Is travel included as part of the project?

Yes. The notice includes travel as needed to participate in meetings related to reviewing documents, coordinating with the contractor, and supporting development of ethnographic content.

17) What is the award amount?

The total project cost is $25,000. The award ceiling is $25,000 and the award floor is also $25,000.

18) What types of costs can the $25,000 cover?

The notice states the funding covers salaries, travel, contractual services, and indirect costs.

19) Is there a cost-sharing or match requirement?

No. The notice explicitly states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

20) Is this an open, competitive grant opportunity?

No. This is a Notice of Intent stating that the agreement has already been awarded to the Klamath Tribes and that no other applications will be accepted.

21) What is the funding instrument and how is the opportunity categorized?

The notice describes the opportunity as discretionary, using a grant as the funding instrument.

22) What activity category is listed for this opportunity?

The activity category is listed as science and technology and other research and development, reflecting the evidence-based and analytical work supporting the Secretarial Determination and the EIS/EIR process.

23) Why is this work being undertaken in the broader basin context?

The notice frames the work within long-running conflicts in the Klamath River Basin involving limited water supplies, endangered or declining fisheries, and competing demands among tribes, farmers, fishermen, conservation groups, and multiple state and federal agencies. It also notes ongoing disputes and ecological pressures described as a recurring or "rotating" crisis affecting local communities.

24) Does the notice mention prior federal investment in the basin?

Yes. The notice states the federal government has invested more than $500 million in the basin since 2003 for irrigation support, fisheries and refuge work, and other resource management actions.

25) What timeline is described for the work and key documents?

The notice ties the timeline to the SD schedule. Work was to begin immediately, with preliminary and draft-stage efforts occurring ahead of the public release of the draft EIS/EIR expected in March 2011. The final EIS/EIR was expected for release in November 2011.