[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 112 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36674-36675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14676]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for
Proposed Authorization of an Ohio River Ecosystem Restoration Program
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This Notice of Intent is an amendment to the Department of the
Army, Corps of Engineers, ``Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the Ohio River Main Stem System
Study,'' published in Federal Register, volume 63, number 203 page
56165, on Wednesday, October 21, 1998.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, and resource agencies of states bordering the
Ohio River, is currently evaluating various ecosystem restoration
opportunities for the Ohio River corridor. The proposed action is being
conducted under the authority of United States Senate, Committee on
Public Works resolution dated May 16, 1955; and, United States House of
Representatives. Committee on Public Works and Transportation
resolution dated March 11, 1982.
The Corps of Engineers will prepare and circulate a Decision
Document and integrated Environmental Assessment which will announce an
intention to prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), IF
appropriate. Public review of this report is scheduled to begin in July
2000. Interested parties are encouraged to send written comments or
requests for information, regarding the proposed study process, to the
point-of-contact below. All comments and information requests should be
postmarked no later than 30 days after this Notice of Intent is
published.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please address questions regarding
this notice to Mr. Michael Q. Holley, PM-C, Louisville District, Corps
of Engineers, P.O. Box 59, Louisville, Kentucky 40201-0059, Telephone:
(502) 582-5152.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
a. Reference Federal Register, volume 63, number 203, dated
Wednesday, October 21, 1998. Within that document, the Corps of
Engineers gave notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement for the Ohio River Main Stem System Study.
This study is designed to capture foreseeable maintenance,
rehabilitation and new construction needs for the navigation
infrastructure of the Ohio River until the year 2060 and to investigate
habitat restoration options along the main stem Ohio River. The study
would also identify those actions which are economically justified and
environmentally prudent.
b. As part of the Ohio River Main Stem System Study, an
environmental team, consisting of personnel from the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the natural resource agencies of six states, and the
Corps of Engineers was formed. This team investigated opportunities and
established general goals for ecosystem restoration projects. During
the initial study process, resource officials of states bordering the
Ohio River, identified over 250 site-specific environmental projects
for further analysis. Because of the considerable interest, the Corps
of Engineers, with support from state officials, initiated a study
report for proposed authorization of a cost shared ecosystem
restoration program for the Ohio River.
c. The Corps of Engineers originally intended to study ecosystem
restoration, within the entire Ohio River Main Stem System Study, as
indicated in the Supplemental Information of Federal Register, volume
63, number 203. However, an ecosystem restoration program does not
relate directly to navigational improvements and can stand independent
of those improvements. It was therefore determined that an ecosystem
restoration program would be developed as a separate product of the
Ohio River Main Stem System Study.
d. The primary purpose of the proposed ecosystem restoration
program is to restore and protect aquatic, wetland, floodplain and
riparian habitats that would benefit from such a program for the Ohio
River watershed. These goals would be accomplished by means of erosion
control, island restoration, bottomland reforestation, creation of
aquatic habitat, and other generally accepted environmental measures.
As a secondary objective, the program would preserve the historic and
cultural resources of the Ohio River through implementation of various
low cost educational and recreational amenities that would not detract
from
[[Page 36675]]
the environmental restoration goals of the program.
e. The Corps of Engineers will prepare and circulate a Decision
Document and integrated Environmental Assessment which will announce an
intention to prepare a FONSI, if a FONSI is determined to be
appropriate. Circulation of this document will assist the Corps in
determining whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or a FONSI
is the next appropriate step in the NEPA process prior to authorization
of a cost shared ecosystem restoration program for the Ohio River.
Daniel E. Steiner,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 00-14676 Filed 6-8-00; 8:45 am]
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