12598 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 51 / Friday, March 16, 2007 / Notices 

practicable alternative pursuant to the 

404(b)(1) Guidelines (40 CFR 230.12). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Questions or comments concerning the 

Final EIS/EIR should be directed to Ms. 

Susan A. Meyer, Senior Project 

Manager, Regulatory Branch, U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, 

P.O. Box 532711, 915 Wilshire 

Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90053–

2325, (808) 438–2137. Alternatively, 

comments can be submitted 

electronically to: 

susan.a.meyer@usace.army.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Paper 

copies of the Final EIS/EIR will be made 

available to the public for review at the 

following libraries: Norman F. 

Feldheym Central Library (San 

Bernardino, California), Hesperia 

Branch Library (Hesperia, California), 

and the Rancho Cucamonga Public 

Library (Rancho Cucamonga, 

California). A CD copy of the document 

may be obtained by contacting Ms. 

Meyer in writing at the address or email 

above. Interested parties are invited to 

provide their comments on the Final 

EIS/EIR, which will become a part of the 

official record and will be considered in 

the final decision. Written comments 

must be received on or before April 16, 

2007 and should be submitted to the 

contact listed above. A Record of 

Decision (ROD) will be issued by the 

Corps no earlier than 30 days after the 

Notice of Receipt for the Final EIS/EIR 

is published in the Federal Register. As 

a cooperating agency, the USFS intends 

to adopt the Final EIS/EIR and issue its 

own ROD in support of the issuance of 

a USFS special use permit. 

Dated: March 7, 2007. 

David J. Castanon, 

Chief, Regulatory Branch. 

[FR Doc. E7–4823 Filed 3–15–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–KF–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE DEFENSE 

Department of the Army; Corps of 

Engineers 

Intent To Prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Port Canaveral Navigation 

Improvements Section 203 Feasibility 

Study Located in Brevard County, FL 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers (Corps), Jacksonville District 

intends to prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 

for the Port Canaveral Improvements 

Section 203 Feasibility Study. The study 

is being conducted by the Canaveral 

Port Authority under authority granted 

by section 203 of Water Resources 

Development Act (WRDA) 1986. 

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Planning Division, 

Environmental Branch, P.O. 4970, 

Jacksonville, FL, 32232–0019. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Paul Stodola, by e-mail 

Paul.E.Stodola@saj02.usace.army.mil or 

by telephone at (904) 232–3271. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

a. Proposed Action. Canaveral Port 

Authority has elected to conduct a 

feasibility study of potential 

improvements under the authority 

granted by section 203 of WRDA 1986. 

Section 203 states (in part) that ‘‘A nonFederal interest may on its own 

undertake a feasibility study of a 

proposed harbor or inland harbor 

project and submit it to the Secretary of 

the Army.’’ Corps of Engineers guidance 

for implementation of Section 203 is 

contained in Engineering Regulation 

(ER) 1165–2–122, August 26, 1991. 

b. Objectives. The objectives of the 

Port Canaveral Navigation 

Improvements feasibility study are to 

prepare a Section 203 Study Report that 

fully complies with all Federal laws and 

regulations applicable to navigation 

project General Investigation feasibility 

studies, and to enable the Assistant 

Secretary of the Army to make 

appropriate recommendations to 

Congress regarding authorization of the 

Federal navigation improvements 

project for Port Canaveral. 

c. Study Purpose and Need for Action. 

The purpose of the study is to evaluate 

modification to the Federal project for 

improvements to the navigational 

channels, the west turning basin, and 

wideners at the port, all of which would 

result in an increase in the efficiency of 

cargo vessels and cruise ships using the 

port. The study will identify and 

evaluate alternatives that will (2) reduce 

future congestion at Port Canaveral; (2) 

accommodate anticipated future growth 

in vessel traffic; (3) improve the 

efficiency of operations for cruise ships 

and cargo vessels within the Port 

complex; (4) allow for use of the Port by 

larger, more efficient, cruise ships and 

cargo vessels; and (5) allow for 

development of additional terminals/ 

berths without encroaching on the West 

Turning Basin. 

The total Federal project includes, a 

41-foot-deep entrance channel and 

maintenance of the 44-foot-deep Navy 

Channel in the 41-foot channel reach; a 

40-foot deep and 400-foot-wide inner 

channel; depths of 35 and 39 feet in the 

middle turning basin; a channel 39 feet 

deep and 400 feet wide from the middle 

turning basin west, 1,800 feet, hence a 

channel 31 feet deep and 400 feet wide 

to the west turning basin also 31 feet 

deep; a channel 39 feet deep and 350 

feet wide from the middle turning basin 

and channel north to the end of Berth 

4; relocation of the perimeter dike about 

4,000 feet westward and extension of 

the harbor westward; a south entrance 

jetty 1,100 feet long and an entrance 

jetty 1,150 long; a barge dock 90 feet 

wide and 600 feet long west of the 

harbor dike; and a barge canal 12 feet by 

125 feet from the middle turning basin 

tot he Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. 

The without project condition is for 

continuation of the same channel 

depths and dimensions, with 

maintenance dredging as needed to 

maintain current authorized depths. 

Without proposed project improvements 

the port will continue to experience the 

following three major problems which 

greatly impact port operations, safety, 

and economic viability. 

1. The size of cruise ships calling at 

Port Canaveral is constrained by 

channel and turning basin dimensions. 

The potential for future cruise ship 

terminal expansion cannot be fully 

exploited under existing channel and 

turning basin dimensions and 

configurations. In addition, the 

increasingly larger cruise ships calling 

at Port Canaveral are beginning to 

encroach on the existing west turning 

basin. Also, passage of large cruise ships 

through the narrow ship channel causes 

surges at cargo piers, which result in 

cargo vessels having to stop loading and 

unloading activities while the cruise 

ships pass. 

2. The size of cargo vessels calling at 

Port Canaveral is constrained by 

existing channel dimensions and 

configuration. Larger, more efficient 

vessels could be used for bulk items 

such as aggregates and cement if 

channels were improved. 

3. Congestion at cargo berths reduces 

the effectiveness and efficiency of cargo 

vessels and landside facilities. Given the 

rapid growth in commodity movements 

at Port Canaveral, in the very near future 

a significant proportion of cargo vessels 

calling at Port Canaveral will have to 

wait offshore for a berth to become 

available. Some of these vessels will 

likely divert to an alternative port, and 

incur increased transportation costs, if 

channels are not improved. In addition, 

landside facilities will stand idle as 

vessels wait offshore for an available 

berth. 

d. Alternatives. The proposed 

alternative navigation improvements at 


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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 51 / Friday, March 16, 2007 / Notices 12599 

Port Canaveral include making no 

further improvements to the project (no 

action alternative), deepening ocean 

access and interior channels to 

accommodate larger vessels; deepening 

the turning circles in the west and 

middle turning basins to accommodate 

larger vessels; increasing the diameter of 

the west turning basin to accommodate 

new larger cruise ships; deepening the 

widener to accommodate larger cruise 

ships; and widening interior channels to 

accommodate larger cruise ships. 

e. Issues. The Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) will consider impacts 

on marine resources, protected species, 

water quality, fish and wildlife 

resources, cultural resources, essential 

fish habitat, socio-economics resources, 

coastal processes, aesthetics and 

recreation, and other impacts identified 

through scoping, public involvement, 

and agency coordination. 

f. Scoping Process. Based on early 

coordination, the local sponsor 

determined that an EIS was needed. 

Scoping meetings were held by the local 

sponsor with Federal agencies. 

Additional agency meetings will be held 

in the coming months. All parties are 

invited to participate in the scoping 

process by identifying any additional 

concerns on issues, studies needed, 

alternatives, procedures, and other 

matters related to the scoping process. 

At this time, there are no plans for a 

public scoping meeting. 

g. Public Involvement. We invite the 

participation of affected Federal, state 

and local agencies, affected Indian 

tribes, and other interested private 

organizations and parties. 

h. Coordination. The proposed action 

is being coordinated with the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service under Section 7 of 

the Endangered Species Act, with the 

FWS under the Fish and Wildlife 

Coordination Act, and with the State 

Historic Preservation Officer. 

i. Other Environmental Review and 

Consultation. The proposed action 

would involve evaluation for 

compliance with guidelines pursuant to 

Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act; 

application (to the State of Florida) for 

Water Quality Certification pursuant to 

Section 401 of the Clean Water Act; 

certification of state lands, easements, 

and rights of way; Essential Fish Habitat 

with National Marine Fisheries Service; 

and determination of Coastal Zone 

Management Act consistency. 

j. Agency Role. The non-Federal 

sponsor (Canaveral Port Authority) will 

provide extensive information and 

assistance on the resources to be 

impacted, mitigation measures, and 

alternatives. The corps will provide 

coordination of the EIS process. 

k. DEIS Preparation. It is estimated 

that the DEIS will be available to the 

public on or about January 2008. 

Dated: March 7, 2007. 

Stuart J. Appelbaum, 

Chief, Planning Division. 

[FR Doc. 07–1278 Filed 3–15–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–AJ–M 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army; Corps of 

Engineers 

Intent To Prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Proposed 

Placer Vineyards Project, Corps Permit 

Application Number 199900737 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The Placer Vineyards Specific 

Plan Property Group proposes to 

construct a mixed-use master planned 

community with residential, 

employment, commercial, open space, 

recreational and public/quasi-public 

land uses. The Plan provides for 14,132 

homes in a variety of housing types, 

styles, and densities. At full Plan buildout, projected to occur over a 20- to 30- 

year time period, Placer Vineyards will 

have a population of approximately 

33,000 people, 42 acres of employment 

centers, 140 acres of retail commercial 

centers and approximately 930 acres of 

new parks and open space. This project, 

as proposed, would result in impacts to 

approximately 102.7 acres of waters of 

the United States, including 8.5 acres of 

temporary impacts to water and 

wetlands. 

DATES: Two scoping meetings will be 

held on March 28, 2007. The first 

meeting will be conducted from 3 p.m. 

to 5 p.m., and the second will be 

conducted from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Placer County Community 

Development Resource Center, Planning 

Commission Hearing Room, 3091 

County Center Drive (corner of Bell 

Road and Richardson), Auburn, CA 

95603. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Questions about the proposed action 

and the Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement can be answered by Tom 

Cavanaugh, (916) 557–5261, e-mail: 

thomas.j.cavanaugh@usace.army.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

applicants have applied for a 

Department of the Army permit under 

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to 

construct a large-scale mixed-use 

development project. As part of the 

Section 404(b)(1) application process, 

the development of an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) is required. No 

project alternatives have been defined to 

date. The proposed project and the 

alternatives to its proposed size, design 

and location will be developed through 

the EIS process. 

Although wetland delineations have 

been conducted for each of the 

participating properties, some have not 

yet been verified. Based upon the best 

currently available information, 

approximately 156.1 acres of waters of 

the United States have been delineated 

within the participating properties. Of 

the 156.1 acres mapped on site, the 

applicants propose to result in impacts 

to approximately 61.3 acres of waters of 

the United States and to avoid 

approximately 60.1 acres of waters of 

the United States for construction of the 

project (not including infrastructure). 

For development of the infrastructure 

elements, the applicants propose to 

affect an estimated 41.4 acres of waters 

of the United States. Thus, the 

combined total proposed impacts to 

waters of the United States for all 

elements of this comprehensive permit 

application would affect 102.7 acres. 

The Placer Vineyards Plan Area is 

bounded on the north by Baseline Road, 

on the south by the Sacramento/Placer 

County line, on the west by the Sutter/ 

Placer County line and Pleasant Grove 

Road, and on the east by Dry Creek and 

Walerga Road. East to west, the Specific 

Plan area spans approximately 6 miles. 

North to south, at its widest point, it 

spans approximately 2 miles. 

The Corps’ public involvement 

program includes several opportunities 

to provide oral and written comments. 

Affected Federal, state, local agencies, 

Indian tribes and other interested 

private organizations and parties are 

invited to participate. Significant issues 

to be analyzed in depth in the EIS 

include, loss of waters to the United 

States, including vernal pools and other 

wetlands; cultural resources; threatened 

and endangered species; surface water 

and groundwater; water quality; socioeconomic effects, and aesthetics. 

The Corps will initiate formal 

consultation with the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service and the National 

Marine Fisheries Service under Section 

7 of the Endangered Species Act for two 

federally threatened and endangered 

species that may be affected by this 

project. In addition, the Corps will be 

consulting with the State Historic 

Preservation Officer under Section 106 

of the National Historic Preservation Act 

regarding potential impacts to sites 


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