[Federal Register: April 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 68)]
[Notices]
[Page 18552-18554]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08ap04-41]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for the Near-Term Ecosystem Restoration Plan for the
Louisiana Coastal Area
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District (Corps)
intends to refocus and modify the Draft Programmatic Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (Draft PSEIS) for the Louisiana Coastal
Area--Louisiana Comprehensive Coastwide Ecosystem Restoration
Feasibility Study (LCA Comprehensive Study) and prepare a Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft PEIS) for a Near-
Term Ecosystem Restoration Plan for the Louisiana Coastal Area. This is
a modification of the notice of intent published in the Federal
Register (67 FR 169093). The intent of this notice is to describe the
rationale for revising the purpose and need for action, the scope of
the analysis, and intent to prepare a Draft PEIS for the Near-Term
Ecosystem Restoration Plan for the Louisiana Coastal Area.
On April 4, 2002, the Corps announced in the Federal Register (67
FR 169093) its intention to prepare a Draft PSEIS for the LCA
Comprehensive Study. The original proposed scope of the Draft PSEIS
analysis was threefold: (1) Supplement previous Louisiana coastal
restoration NEPA-compliance studies; (2) utilize the ``lessons
learned'' from previous Louisiana coastal wetlands restoration efforts;
and (3) determine the feasibility of developing the existing Coast 2050
restoration strategies into projects for the creation of a
comprehensive coastwide ecosystem restoration plan. Six public scoping
meetings regarding preparation of the Draft PSEIS and the feasibility
of comprehensive coastwide ecosystem restoration of coastal Louisiana
were held at various locations throughout Louisiana in late April 2002.
The scoping report was provided to scoping participants and published
on the Coast 2050 Web site (Coast2050.gov) in August 2002.
The President's FY05 Budget, released on February 2, 2004
(http:http://www.whithouse.gov/omb/budget/fyw005/corps.html), contained
specific language that refocuses and advances planning, scientific, and
restoration efforts that are already underway:
In 2004, the Corps will work to issue a draft report that
identifies the most critical ecological needs and proposes a near-
term program of highly cost-effective projects to address them. The
report will also highlight the key long-term scientific
uncertainties and engineering challenges facing the effort to
protect and restore the ecosystem, and propose demonstration
projects and studies to help answer these questions. The report will
focus on the specific coastal areas that require the most immediate
attention and on the best way to sequence the proposed work over the
next 10 or so years, as we learn what works best. In 2004, the Corps
will begin developing studies of potentially promising, long-term
ecosystem restoration concepts, with the objective of determining
whether they would provide a cost-effective way to create coastal
wetlands. An existing Federal-State Task Force established under
1990 legislation will increase its efforts to build and evaluate
highly cost-effective fresh-water and sediment diversion projects.
This coordinated approach to restoration combines a commitment to
address the highest priority needs with a search for innovative
solutions. It also ensures that the coastal Louisiana restoration
effort will, in the long-term, be able to adapt and evolve as
needed, based on the best available science.
[[Page 18553]]
The Corps believes these events and activities have influenced the
purpose and need for action and the scope of the analysis of the LCA
Comprehensive Study. Hence, the Corps proposes to prepare a Draft PEIS
for the Near-Term Ecosystem Restoration Plan for the Louisiana Coastal
Area.
DATES: Scoping meetings will be held in May 2004. Written scoping
comments will be accepted from the date of this notice until May 20,
2004.
ADDRESSES: Scoping comments regarding the Draft PEIS for the LCA Near-
Term Plan may be sent to Dr. William P. Klein, Jr., CEMVN-PM-RS, P.O.
Box 60267, New Orleans, LA 70160-0267. Comments may also be made via
facsimile (fax) at 504-862-1892. Comments will not be accepted if
submitted by e-mail or Internet.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Major Jason A. Kirk, Senior Project
Manager, CEMVN-PM-Coastal Restoration, P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, LA
70160-0267, telephone: 504-862-1222; fax: 504-862-1892; and e-mail:
Jason.A.Kirk. MAJ@mvn02. usace. army.mil, or Mr. Howard H. Gonzales,
Project Manager, CEMVN-PM-Coastal Restoration, P.O. Box 60267, New
Orleans, LA 70160-0267, telephone: 504-862-1672; fax 504-862-1892; and
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Scoping Process. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations implementing the NEPA process directs federal agencies that
have made a decision to prepare an environmental impact statement to
engage in a public scoping process. The scoping process is designed to
provide an early and open means of determining the scope of issues
(problems, needs, and opportunities) to be identified and addressed in
the draft environmental impact assessment, which in this case is a
Draft PEIS. Scoping is the process used to: (a) Identify the affected
public and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient PEIS
preparation process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will
be examined in detail in the PEIS; and (d) save time in the overall
process by helping to ensure that the draft statements adequately
address relevant issues. Scoping is a process, not an event or a
meeting. It continues throughout the planning for a PEIS and may
involve meetings, telephone conversations, and/or written comments.
(Council on Environmental Quality, Memorandum for General Counsel,
April 30, 1981).
2. Request for Scoping Comments. In May 2004, the Corps will
conduct scoping meetings. Notices will be mailed to the affected and
interested public once the dates and locations of the scoping meetings
have been established. The Corps invites scoping input in writing, or
in person, concerning the following scoping questions: Question
1: What are the critical natural and human ecological needs
that should be addressed in the PEIS? For example, critical natural and
human ecological needs may include: deltaic processes, sustainability,
hurricane and flood protection, protection of human infrastructure, and
others. Question 2: What are the significant resources that
should be considered in the PEIS for the LCA Near-Term Ecosystem
Restoration Plan? For example, significant resources may include: gulf
hypoxia, barrier islands, offshore sand resources, water quality, and
others.
The Corps also requests comments regarding the following nine LCA
Near-Term Plan Identification Criteria. (1) Prevents future land loss
where predicted to occur: one of the most fundamental measures of
ecosystem degradation in coastal Louisiana has been the conversion of
land (mostly emergent vegetated habitat) to open water. Thus, the
projection of the future condition of the ecosystem must be based upon
the determination of future patterns of land and water. Based on the
U.S. Geological Survey open file report 03-334 ``Historical and
Predicted Coastal Louisiana Land Changes: 1978-2050'', do proposed
projects prevent or reduce future land loss or restore areas of past
loss where scientists have documented these losses to occur. (2)
Sustainability--restores or mimics fundamentally impaired deltaic
process: this criterion refers primarily to projects or opportunities
to restore or mimic natural connections between the river and the
basins (or estuaries) and includes distributary flows, crevasses, and
over-bank flow. Activities that mechanically move sediment from river
to basins are also viewed as mimicking deltaic processes, especially if
nourished by a small diversion. (3) Sustainability--restores endangered
or critical ecological structure: this criterion refers to projects or
opportunities to restore or maintain geomorphic features that are
essential to maintaining the integrity of coastal ecosystems; includes
natural features such as barrier islands, distributary ridges,
cheniers, and beach and lake rims. (4) Engineering and design complete
and construction started within 10 years. (5) Protects vital local,
regional, and national community and socioeconomic resources: this
criterion would identify the local, regional, and national social,
economic, and cultural resources that are affected by the proposed
opportunities and/or projects. These existing resources include, but
are not limited to, noise, population, esthetics, housing, cultural,
leisure opportunities, community cohesion and growth, public facilities
and services, employment, business and industry, agriculture, and flood
protection. Effects include both beneficial and detrimental impacts to
human culture and their economic activities. (6) Public acceptability
based on scoping and public meeting comments. (7) Based upon sufficient
scientific and engineering understanding of processes. (8) Capitalizes
on existing structure, resources, etc.: this criterion would identify
the proposed project elements (i.e. freshwater diversions, sediment
delivery via pipeline, march creation, etc.) that capitalize on
existing infrastructure and resources to achieve the objective of the
element. Existing infrastructure may include, but is not limited to,
diversion structures that are in place but require modification and/or
improvements; diversion structures that are in place and operating but
potentially not at full capacity (e.g. Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion
Structure). Existing resources may include, but are not limited to,
sediment deposition areas that are adjacent to or near proposed march
creation elements or shoreline restoration elements; sediment-rich
waterways that may be tapped for influence in disconnected and degraded
coastal regions. (9) Construction does not preclude other options and/
or projects.
Scoping comments will be compiled, analyzed, and utilized in the
plan formulation process. A Scoping Report, summarizing the comments,
will be made available to all scoping participants and published on the
Louisiana Coastal Area Web site (LCA.gov). Scoping comments will be
accepted throughout the scoping comment period (see DATES).
3. Public Involvement. Scoping is a critical component of the
overall public involvement program. An intensive public involvement
program will continue throughout the study to solicit input from
affected Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and other
interested parties.
4. Interagency Coordination. The Department of Interior, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS), will provide a Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act Report. Coordination will be maintained with the USFWS
and the NOAA Fisheries regarding threatened and
[[Page 18554]]
endangered species under their respective jurisdictional
responsibilities. Coordination will be maintained with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service regarding prime and unique farmlands.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be consulted regarding the
``Swampbuster'' provisions of the Food Security Act. Coordination will
be maintained with the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation and
the State Historic Preservation Officer. The Louisiana Department of
Natural Resources will be consulted regarding consistency with the
Coastal Zone Management Act. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries will be contacted concerning potential impacts to Natural and
Scenic Streams.
5. Availability of Draft PEIS. It is anticipated that the Draft
PEIS will be available for public review during the summer of 2004. A
45-day review period will be provided so that all interested agencies,
groups and individuals will have an opportunity to comment on the Draft
PEIS. In addition, public meetings will be held during the review
period to receive comments and address questions concerning the Draft
PEIS.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Alternate Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-7967 Filed 4-7-04; 8:45 am]
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