[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 190 (Friday, October 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50958-50959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23765]


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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 Puget Sound Nearshore Marine Habitat Restoration 
Project, WA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps), Seattle District, as lead Federal agency, will prepare a draft 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) evaluating a process 
based restoration project in the marine nearshore zone of Puget Sound, 
Washington to address the interruption and degradation of nearshore 
habitat resulting from the disturbance of habitat forming processes 
caused by various human influences. This environmental impact statement 
will be a combined Federal NEPA and Washington State Environmental 
Policy Act (SEPA) document. The lead agency for SEPA will be the 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. This is an opportunity for 
public comment; there will not be a separate SEPA process.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Mrs. Chemine Jackels, Environmental Resources Section, U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 3755, Seattle, WA 98124-3755.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the scoping 
process or preparation of the draft PEIS may be directed to: Chemine 
Jackels (206) 764-3646.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Proposed Action: The Corps of Engineers and the Washington 
Department of Fish and Wildlife propose to evaluate alternative process 
based habitat restoration actions in the nearshore zone of Puget Sound 
(defined as that portion of Puget Sound that extends waterward from the 
upland and backshore areas that directly influence conditions along the 
marine shoreline to the depth offshore where light penetration falls 
below a level that supports plant growth and in river deltas to the 
head of tide) which encompasses Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan, 
Snohomish, King, Pierce, Thurston, Mason, Kitsap, Jefferson, and 
Clallam counties, Washington. For preparation of this draft PEIS, the 
Corps, Seattle District is the lead Federal agency under NEPA (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Council on Environmental Quality's 
implementing guidelines (40 CFR 1500-1508). The Washington Department 
of Fish and Wildlife is the lead State agency under the Washington SEPA 
(Chapter 43.21C RCW) and the SEPA guidelines (Chapter 197-11 WAC).
    The Corps is authorized to study Puget Sound water uses under 
Section 209 of the River and Harbor Act of 1962 (Pub. L. 87-874). Corps 
of Engineers activities in ecosystem restoration will concentrate on 
restoring and performing scientific analysis of habitat forming 
processes (i.e., hydrology, sediment transport, nutrient delivery) in 
the marine nearshore zone of Puget Sound.
    The proposed action could potentially restore nearshore ecosystem 
habitat and processes by reconnecting isolated

[[Page 50959]]

habitat elements, increasing shoreform diversity, establishing areas of 
estuarine habitat, increasing floodplain habitat and connectivity, 
restoring small lagoons and estuaries, increasing the amount of 
submerged, emergent, and riparian vegetation, replenishing and 
protecting beach sediments, and improving tidal exchange. If the 
proposed action were approved, initial construction could begin in 
2014.
    2. Restoration Alternatives: Three programmatic restoration 
alternatives are currently being considered and evaluated in the 
environmental impact statement. The No Action alternative, as required 
by NEPA and SEPA, would include various agencies and groups continuing 
to implement small-scale restoration projects within existing 
frameworks without the implementation of this Corps of Engineers and 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife project. Continued 
implementation of restoration projects would focus on reconnecting 
isolated habitat elements, localized shoreline revegetation, 
restoration of estuary features and other discrete projects as real 
estate and funding allows. The second alternative is to pursue 
restoration of Puget Sound nearshore ecosystem processes using physical 
actions to remove or mitigate barriers to habitat forming processes 
and/or create habitats that have been lost as a result of those 
barriers. Under this alternative, plans may be formulated, including 
strategic restoration, which uses change analysis data comparing 
current and historic conditions as a means to identify candidate 
restoration sites based on criteria established by an interdisciplinary 
team, as well as stakeholders. The third alternative focuses on non-
structural means to restore nearshore processes in Puget Sound. This 
non-structural alternative would include actions such as education, 
regulation, and changes in land-use policy. These three alternatives 
are not final and may not be analyzed in the final EIS, as they may 
change and/or new alternatives may develop during the scoping and NEPA 
process.
    3. Scoping and Public Involvement: Public involvement will be 
sought during the study in accordance with NEPA and SEPA procedures. 
Public meetings will be held at the beginning of the NEPA process to 
scope the efforts that will be undertaken to prepare the draft PEIS. 
The objectives of the public meetings will be to clarify issues of 
major concern, identify information that might be needed to analyze and 
evaluate impacts, obtain public input on the range and acceptability of 
approaches and provide further definition of alternatives. This notice 
of intent formally commences the joint scoping process under NEPA and 
SEPA. As part of the scoping process, all affected Federal, state, and 
local agencies, Native American tribes, and interested private 
organizations, including environmental interest groups, are invited to 
comment on the scope of the draft PEIS. Comments are requested 
concerning project alternatives, mitigation measures, probable 
significant environmental impacts, and permits or other approvals that 
may be required. To date, the following impact areas have been 
identified and will be analyzed in depth in the draft PEIS: (1) Marine 
mammals, fish, and invertebrates and their habitat, (2) sediment 
supply, (3) wetlands and estuaries, (4) submerged, emergent, and 
riparian vegetation, (5) wildlife, (6) land use, (7) public safety, and 
(8) hydrologic connectivity. The environmental review process will be 
comprehensive and will integrate and satisfy the requirements of NEPA 
(Federal), SEPA (Washington State), and other relevant Federal, state, 
and local environmental laws. The public scoping period will commence 
on October 26, 2009 in conjunction with the first scoping meeting and 
will extend throughout the development of the joint NEPA/SEPA PEIS. 
Four scoping meetings will be held throughout the Puget Sound region 
from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The meeting dates and locations are as follows:
    October 26: Highline Community College, 2400 S. 240th St., Des 
Moines, WA 98198.
    October 28: The chapel at Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way, 
Port Townsend, WA 98368.
    November 3: Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Avenue SE., in the 
Woodland Creek Community Park, Lacey, WA 98503.
    November 10: Skagit Station, 105 E. Kincaid, Mount Vernon, WA 
98273.
    All Federal, State, and local agencies, Native American Tribes, 
other interested private organizations, and the general public are 
invited to participate. Public comments will be considered in 
development of the draft PEIS. The formal public comment period will 
extend until December 10, 2009.
    4. Other Environmental Review, Coordination, and Permit 
Requirements: Other environmental review, coordination, and permit 
requirements include preparation of a Clean Water Act, Section 
404(b)(1) evaluation by the Corps, and consultation among the Corps, 
State of Washington, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration per Section 7 of the Endangered 
Species Act. Coordination will be continued with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service to meet the requirements of the Fish and Wildlife 
Coordination Act and initiated with Washington Department of Ecology 
for Clean Water Act compliance, and with the Washington Department of 
Archaeology & Historic Preservation for compliance with Section 106 of 
the National Historic Preservation Act.
    5. Availability of the Draft PEIS: The draft PEIS is scheduled for 
release during the summer of 2012 and the final PEIS is scheduled for 
release during the winter of 2012.

Anthony O. Wright,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. E9-23765 Filed 10-1-09; 8:45 am]
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