26192 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 88 / Friday, May 5, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of Army; Corps of

Engineers

Intent To Prepare a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) for Wetland Restoration and/or

Creation in the Barataria Basin,

Louisiana, a Component of the

Louisiana Coastal Area, Louisiana—

Ecosystem Restoration, Barrier Island

Restoration, Marsh Creation, and River

Diversion, Barataria Basin Feasibility

Study

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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 (USACE),

New Orleans District (NOD) will

prepare a Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (DEIS) to determine the

feasibility of implementing wetland

restoration/creation in the Barataria

Basin, located in Lafourche Parish,

Louisiana. The proposed action is

strategically planned as an initial effort

for coastal restoration under the existing

authority for the Louisiana Coastal Area

(LCA), Louisiana—Ecosystem

Restoration Louisiana—Ecosystem

Restoration, Barrier Island Restoration,

Marsh Creation, and River Diversion,

Barataria Basin Feasibility Study.

The LCA Feasibility Study will

evaluate the coastal restoration

strategies described in the December

1998 document entitled ‘‘Coast 2050:

Toward a Sustainable Coastal

Louisiana’’. The LCA Feasibility Study

will evaluate the Coast 2050 Plan as a

whole and select strategies, such as the

proposed action, to be analyzed in

feasibility-level detail. The Coast 2050

Plan has been developed under

legislative mandate and is a result of

recognition by Federal, State, and local

agencies that a single plan is needed

that incorporates a clear vision for the

coast, builds on previous work,

integrates coastal management and

coastal restoration approaches, and

adopts a multiple-use approach to

restoration planning.

In general, the overall purpose of the

Coast 2050 Plan is to sustain a coastal

ecosystem that supports and protects

the environment, economy, and culture

of southern Louisiana, and contributes

greatly to the economy and well-being

of the nation. The purpose of the Coast

2050 strategies for the Barataria Basin is

to restore and/or protect the natural and

human environment to create a

sustainable ecosystem in the Barataria

Basin within the context of the Gulf of

Mexico ecosystem, including coastal

Louisiana. The purpose of the proposed

action, wetland restoration/creation

strategy R2–16 and R2–17 of the Coast

2050 Plan for the Barataria Basin, is to

restore and create wetlands in the

western Barataria Basin so as to protect

and sustain the ecological functions, the

natural distributary ridges, and the local

human infrastructure of the area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions regarding the DEIS may be

directed to Dr. William P. Klein, Jr.,

CEMVN–PM–RS, P.O. Box 60267, New

Orleans, Louisiana 70160–0267;

telephone (504) 862–2540 or fax (504)

862–2572. Questions regarding the

proposed action should be directed to

the study manager, Mr. Edmond J.

Russo, Jr., CEMVN–PM–CWPPRA, P.O.

Box 60267, New Orleans, Louisiana

70160–0267, telephone (504) 862–1496

or fax: (504) 862–2572.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Authority.

This study is authorized through

Resolutions of the U.S. House of

Representatives and Senate Committees

on Public Works, 19 October 1967 and

19 April 1967. Representatives and

Senate Committees on Public Works, 19

October 1967 and 19 April 1967.

2. Proposed Action

a. The proposed action is one of three

separate actions to be initially

considered under the LCA, Louisiana—

Ecosystem Restoration Louisiana—

Ecosystem Restoration, Barrier Island

Restoration, Marsh Creation, and River

Diversion, Barataria Basin Feasibility

Study. The USACE, NOD proposes to

investigate the feasibility of restoring

and/or creating wetlands in the

southwestern portion of the Barataria

Basin, Louisiana.

The purpose of the proposed action,

wetland restoration/creation strategies

R2–16 and R2–17 of the Coast 2050 Plan

for the Barataria Basin, is to restore and

create wetlands in the southwestern

portions of the Barataria Basin so as to

protect and sustain the ecological

functions, the natural distributary

ridges, and the local human

infrastructure of the area.

b. The study area is located within the

Barataria Basin of southeastern

Louisiana in Lafourche Parish. The

study area is bounded on the north by

the West Fork Bayou L’Ours, on the

west by Bayou Lafourche, on the south

by Louisiana State Highway 1, and on

the east by the Lafourche Parish and

Jefferson Parish boundary. The study

area is experiencing wetland loss at the

rate of approximately 11 square miles

per year.

Wetland loss within the Barataria

Basin is attributed to the combination of

natural erosional processes of sea-level

rise, subsidence, herbivory, and the

human activities of levee construction,

channelization, and development.

Freshwater and sediment input into the

Barataria Basin was virtually eliminated

by the flood protection levees

constructed along the Mississippi River

and the closure of Bayou Lafourche at

Donaldsonville. The only significant

source of fresh water in the basin is

rainfall. There is some freshwater input

into the basin by the siphons located at

Naomi and at West Pointe a la Hache

(each siphon has a maximum output of

about 2,000 cubic feet per second).

When Davis Pond becomes

operational in April 2001, it could

potentially divert up to 10,650 cubic

feet per second dependent upon the

salinity conditions in the basin.

However, it is predicted that the

sediment-laden waters will collect in

the ponding area about two miles from

the Davis Pond structure located at U.S.

Highway 90 and Lake Catouatche. Little,

if any, of this would likely directly

impact the proposed action area.

c. The Coast 2050 Plan serves as the

joint coastal restoration plan of the

Breaux Act Task Force and the State

Wetlands Authority. The Coast 2050

Plan was completed in December 1998

through a joint effort of the Louisiana

Coastal Wetlands Conservation and

Restoration Task Force and the

Louisiana Wetlands Conservation and

Restoration Authority. Coast 2050 is a

planning effort inspired by the severity

of the problems facing south Louisiana,

as well as an increased level of

confidence in our ability to understand

the ecosystem and to implement

effective restoration projects.

The Coast 2050 Plan combines

elements of all previous efforts, along

with new initiatives from private

citizens, local governments, State and

Federal agency personnel, and the

scientific community. For the first time,

as explicitly called for by the Coalition

to Restore Coastal Louisiana in 1997,

diverse groups have come together to

develop one shared vision for the coast

expressed in this overarching goal: To

sustain a coastal ecosystem that

supports and protects the environment,

economy and culture of southern

Louisiana, and that contributes greatly

to the economy and well-being of the

nation.

d. Need for the Study.—The Coast

2050 Reconnaissance Report

recommended that the study proceed to

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 88 / Friday, May 5, 2000 / Notices 26193

the feasibility phase, contingent upon

the execution of a Feasibility Cost

Sharing Agreement (FCSA) with a nonFederal Sponsor. An FCSA was

executed with the Louisiana Department

of Natural Resources (LADNR) on

February 18, 2000. The proposed action

focuses on wetland restoration/creation

in the Barataria Basin ecosystem due to

the very high rate of wetland loss,

estimated at about 11 square miles per

year, throughout the basin.

The proposed action also provides

additional advantages: (1) This

proposed action potentially provides a

low risk and quickly implementable

plan to address wetland loss in the

Barataria Basin; (2) the proposed action

study area is strategically placed and

could potentially yield benefits to other

coastal resources within the unique

Barataria Basin ecosystem, geologic

framework, and the human environment

infrastructure associated with

transportation, oil and gas extraction,

utilities, etc.; (3) the proposed action

could also provide additional benefits in

terms of protection of important

landscape structural features that

function as important hydrological

features within the Barataria Basin; and

(4) the proposed action could be

implemented independently of the

remaining Coast 2050 Plan strategies for

the Barataria Basin.

3. Study Alternatives

a. During the Coast 2050 public

meetings conducted in 1998, two marsh

creation strategies, Strategy R2–17—

Dedicated Dredging near Caminada Bay

and Strategy R2–16—Dedicated

Dredging Along Louisiana Highway 1,

were considered as viable ecosystem

restoration strategies. Hence, these

strategies will be developed into

alternatives for the proposed action.

Other alternatives that will be

considered include: The No Action

Alternative, filling, marsh replenishing,

terracing, and the beneficial use of

dredged material from maintenance

dredging of navigation channels. In

addition, alternatives developed during

the scoping process will also be

developed and considered.

b. Wetland restoration/creation design

features will be evaluated to ensure

compliance with current Federal and

State laws and regulations. Any adverse

effects of the alternative plans will be

identified and appropriate mitigation

measures will be included in the plans.

However, because the proposed action

is ecosystem restoration, it is not the

intent to generate alternative plans that

would require mitigation. An

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

will be prepared during the feasibility

phase because of the potential for

significant direct and indirect,

secondary, and cumulative impacts on

the human and natural environment.

4. Scoping Process

An intensive public involvement

program will be initiated and

maintained throughout the study to

solicit input from affected Federal,

State, and local agencies, Indian tribes,

and interested private organizations and

individuals. Scoping is a critical

component of the overall public

involvement program. 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 DEIS.

5. Public Scoping Meeting

The Corps of Engineers and the

LADNR invite NEPA input in writing or

in person concerning the scope of the

EIS, resources to be evaluated, and

alternatives to be considered.

Individuals, groups, agencies and other

interested parties can write comments to

the Corps of Engineers using Dr. Klein’s

mailing address shown above. In the

early summer of 2000, the Corps of

Engineers will hold at least one public

meeting in the study area to receive oral

and written comments on the proposed

action. Notices will be mailed to the

affected and interested public once the

date of the public scoping meeting has

been established. Comments received as

a result of the scoping meeting will be

compiled and analyzed; and a Scoping

Document, summarizing the results,

will be made available to all

participants.

6. Interagency Coordination

The Department of Interior, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, will provide a

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

Report. Coordination will be maintained

with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

and the National Marine Fisheries

Service regarding threatened and

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. We

will prepare a section 404(b)(1)

evaluation. 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.

Application will be made to the

Louisiana Department of Environmental

Quality for a Water Quality Certificate.

7. Availability of DEIS

It is anticipated that the Draft EIS will

be available for public review during the

spring of 2001. A 45-day review period

will be allowed so that all interested

agencies, groups, and individuals will

have an opportunity to comment on the

draft report and EIS. In addition, a

public meeting will be held during the

review period to receive comments and

address questions concerning the draft

EIS.

Dated: April 26, 2000.

Thomas F. Julich,

Colonel, U.S. Army District Engineer.

[FR Doc. 00–11296 Filed 5–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–84–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of

Engineers

Intent To Prepare a Supplement (SEIS)

to the 1992 Final Environmental Impact

Statement on Modified Water

Deliveries to Everglades National Park

(Mod Waters Project) to Address a

Change in Design of U.S. Highway 41

(Tamiami Trail) Originally Proposed

Modifications

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The congressionally

authorized Mod Waters project consists

of structural modifications and

additions to the existing C&SF Project

required for improvement of water

deliveries for ecosystem restoration in

Everglades National Park. The

authorized plan calls for only minor

modification of Tamiami Trail by

increasing the elevation of about 3,000

linear feet of the roadbed. The existing

culvert system was thought adequate to

pass the maximum desired volume of

water. Additional analysis indicates that

the existing culverts are not adequate to

do so. Therefore additional water

conveyance methods will be analyzed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box

4970, Jacksonville, FL 32232; Attn: Mr.

Elmar Kurzbach, 904–232–2325.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: