[Federal Register: April 18, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 73)]
[Notices]
[Page 20113-20114]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18ap05-47]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for Community Relocation, Newtok, AK
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 Engineer District, Alaska, intends to prepare a
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to evaluate
the feasibility of erosion protection measures for the community of
Newtok, Alaska. Newtok, population 284 (2000 census), is a coastal
community situated on the west bank of the Newtok River, just north of
the Ninglick River and approximately 9 miles northwest of Nelson
island, The Ninglick River connects the Bering Sea with the Baird
Inlet, located farther upstream from Newtok. The village is located 94
miles
[[Page 20114]]
northwest of Bethel, in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region of Western
Alaska. The north, east, and south boundaries of the community are
contiguous with the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge.
The Newtok community is approximately 735 feet to the south of the
encroaching Ninglick River, which is eroding toward the village at an
average rate of 64 feet per year. Thermal degradation of the riverbank
is causing shoreline sloughing.
A typical soil profile has deep-frozen silts layered with peat at
the surface. Permafrost continuously underlies a 2-foot active layer
(sometimes thicker when a greater layer of peat is present). The
shoreline is highly vulnerable to flooding, especially during spring
ice jams in the river or during severe westerly windstorms on the
Bering Sea.
The programmatic DEIS will determine whether Federal action is
warranted and will define alternative actions for Congressional
consideration. Site specific alternatives will be addressed in more
detail in a second tier of the EIS process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lizette Boyer (907) 753-2637, Alaska
District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Resources Section
(CEPOA-EN-CW-ER), P.O. Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506-0898. E-mail:
Lizette.P.Boyer@poa02.usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This study is authorized under section 203,
33 U.S.C. Tribal Partnership Program. The community of Newtok has
existed on the present town site since 1949 when they moved from Old
Kealavik, 3 miles away. The people of Newtok share a strong cultural
heritage with the Nelson Island communities; their ancestors have lived
on the Bering Sea coast for at least 2,000 years. Relative isolation
from outside influences has enabled the area to retain its traditions
and customs.
The programmatic DEIS will consider various erosion protection
alternatives, including relocation of the community and construction of
erosion protection structures in Newtok to prevent land and property
losses. The feasibility of extensive bank protection will be analyzed
and compared with relocation alternatives. Relocation would mean the
abandonment of the Newtok community town site near the river.
Relocation alternatives include moving the people of Newtok to a larger
hub community such as Bethel where they would be incorporated into the
fabric of that community; moving the population to a smaller, closer
community such as one of the three existing communities on Neslon
Island (Toksook, Nightmure or Tununak), which would involve developing
additional or shared infrastructure in those locations, or constructing
a new town at a site on the north end of Nelson Island called
Takikchak. The community is intent on relocating to Takikchak. The
Newtok Native Corporation owns the Takikchak townsite. A portion of the
land was conveyed to the Newtok Native Corporation from the Yukon Delta
Fish and Wildlife Refuge in 2003 in accordance with Pub. L. 108-129.
The Nelson Island area is within their traditional subsistence
corridors.
Issues: The programmatic DEIS will consider the need of Newtok to
preserve its community identity and the potential impacts of the
alternatives on the cultural resources and infrastructure of the
community. In addition, the programmatic DEIS will address the
importance of maintaining the community's traditional subsistence
lifestyles, while providing modern infrastructure and housing. Issues
associated with relocation to an existing community include property
and business losses, impacts of social/cultural changes, and impacts on
the infrastructure capacity of the receiving location. Issues
associated with relocation and construction of a new townsite include
engineering constructability criteria and environmental suitability.
Constructability criteria include geologic stability, availability of
fill material, and potable water sources. Environmental issues include
effects to endangered species and wildlife habitat, and justifiable and
practicable mitigation measures. Other resources and concerns will be
identified through scoping, public involvement, and interagency
coordination.
Scoping. A copy of this notice and additional public information
will be sent to interested parties to initiate scoping. All parties are
invited to participate in the scoping process by identifying any
additional concerns, issues, studies, and alternatives that should be
considered. A scoping meeting will be held in Newtok, Alaska, in summer
2005 at a place and time to be announced. The programmatic DEIS is
scheduled for releast in 2007.
Guy R. McConnell,
Chief, Environmental Resources Section.
[FR Doc. 05-7607 Filed 4-15-05; 8:45 am]