### 43575 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2012 / Notices

NOAA, Rm. 11230, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. Phone: 301–734–1156, Fax: 301– 713–1459, Email: Cynthia.Decker@noaa.gov.

Dated: July 18, 2012. Terry Bevels, Acting Chief Financial Officer/Acting Administrative Officer, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

[FR Doc. 2012–18034 Filed 7–24–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE**

**Office of the Secretary**

**Department of Defense Wage Committee; Notice of Closed Meetings** 

**AGENCY :**  Department of Defense (DoD).

**ACTION :**  Notice of closed meetings.

**SUMMARY :**  Pursuant to the provisions of section 10 of Public Law 92–463, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that closed meeting of the Department of Defense Wage
Committee will be held.

**DATES :**  Tuesday, September 4, 2012, at

10 a.m.

**ADDRESSES :**  4800 Mark Center Drive, Room 05K25, Alexandria, VA 22350–

1100.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Additional information concerning the meetings may be obtained by writing to the Chairman, Department of Defense Wage Committee, 4000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–4000.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Under the provisions of section 10(d) of Public Law 92–463, the Department of Defense has determined that the meetings meet the criteria to close meetings to the public because the matters to be
considered are related to internal rules and practices of the Department of Defense and the detailed wage data to be
considered were obtained from officials of private establishments with a guarantee that the data will be held in
confidence.

However, members of the public who may wish to do so are invited to submit material in writing to the chairman concerning matters believed to be deserving of the Committee’s attention.

Dated: July 19, 2012. Aaron Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 2012–18097 Filed 7–24–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE** 

**Office of the Secretary**

**Department of Defense Wage Committee; Notice of Closed Meetings** 

**AGENCY :**  Department of Defense (DoD).

**ACTION :**  Notice of closed meetings.

**SUMMARY :**  Pursuant to the provisions of section 10 of Public Law 92–463, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that closed meeting of the Department of Defense Wage
Committee will be held.

**DATES :**  Tuesday, September 18, 2012, at

10 a.m.

**ADDRESSES :**  4800 Mark Center Drive, Room 05K25, Alexandria, VA 22350–

1100.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Additional information concerning the meetings may be obtained by writing to the Chairman, Department of Defense Wage Committee, 4000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–4000.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Under the provisions of section 10(d) of Public Law 92–463, the Department of Defense has determined that the meetings meet the criteria to close meetings to the public because the matters to be
considered are related to internal rules and practices of the Department of Defense and the detailed wage data to be
considered were obtained from officials of private establishments with a guarantee that the data will be held in
confidence.

However, members of the public who may wish to do so are invited to submit material in writing to the chairman concerning matters believed to be deserving of the Committee’s attention.

Dated: July 19, 2012. Aaron Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 2012–18112 Filed 7–24–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 5001–06–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE**

**Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers** 

**Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/**  **Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Ballona Wetlands**  **Restoration Project at Ballona Creek Within the City and County of Los**  **Angeles, CA**

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

**ACTION :**  Notice of intent. **SUMMARY :**  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) intend to jointly prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/ EIR) for the proposed Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project. The proposed project is intended to return the daily ebb and flow of tidal waters, maintain freshwater circulation, and augment the physical and biological functions and services in the project area. Restoring
the wetland functions and services would allow native wetland vegetation to be reestablished, providing important habitat for a variety of wildlife species. As a restored site, the Ballona Wetlands would play an important role to provide seasonal habitat for migratory birds. A restored, optimally functioning wetland would also benefit the adjacent marine environment and enhance the quality of
tidal waters.

**DATES :**  Submit comments on or before September 10, 2012.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Dr. Daniel P. Swenson at (213) 452–

3414 ( daniel.p.swenson@usace.army.mil), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053–2325.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  The Corps intends to prepare a joint EIS/EIR to
assess the environmental effects associated with the proposed project. CDFG is the state lead agency for the EIR pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

1. Background. The 600-acre Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve is located in the western portion of the City of Los Angeles (partially within unincorporated Los Angeles County), south of Marina Del Rey and north of Playa Del Rey. The project site is situated approximately 1.5 miles west of Interstate 405 and approximately 1 ⁄ 4 - mile east of Santa Monica Bay. The project site is owned by the State of California, and is bisected by and includes a channelized span of Ballona Creek, a component feature of a federal flood risk management project.

2. Project Purpose and Need. A substantial portion of California’s
historic coastal wetlands have been lost.
Restoration of coastal wetlands is
needed in order to increase available nursery and foraging habitat for wildlife and to provide recreational and educational opportunities to the public. The Ballona Wetlands ecosystem is one of the last remaining major coastal wetlands in Los Angeles County. It is estimated that historically the wetlands ecosystem spanned more than 2,000


### 43576 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2012 / Notices

acres in the vicinity of the site. Development occurring over the last century greatly reduced the Ballona wetland area, now estimated at approximately 600 acres. In addition,
the wetland habitat and natural hydrological functions in the area have been substantially degraded. The project site provides habitat for a diversity ofplant and wildlife species, but most onsite habitat exhibits relatively low physical and biological functions and

services.

The proposed project is intended to return the daily ebb and flow of tidal waters, maintain freshwater circulation, and augment the physical and biological functions and services in the project area. Restoring the wetland functions
and services would allow native wetland vegetation to be reestablished, providing important habitat for a variety of wildlife species. As a restored site, the Ballona Wetlands would play an important role to provide seasonal habitat for migratory birds. A restored, optimally functioning wetland would also benefit the adjacent marine environment and enhance the quality of tidal waters. The proposed project would provide the community with a
valuable educational resource and access to a large wetland area.

The purpose of the project is to restore ecological functions of the site, in part, by enhancing tidal flow.

3. Proposed Action. CDFG is proposing a large-scale restoration of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve. The proposed project entails restoring, enhancing, and establishing native coastal wetland and upland habitats in the approximately 600-acre Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve. The reserve currently supports large expanses of previously filled and dredged coastal wetland and upland habitat that would be restored by increasing tidal flow throughout the project area, removing invasive species, and planting native vegetation.

The main components of the proposed project are:

• Habitat restoration of estuarine wetland and upland habitats connected to a realigned Ballona Creek.

• Removal of existing Ballona Creek levees and realignment of Ballona Creak to restore a more meandering channel.

• Construction of levees along the perimeter of the project area to allow restoration of tidally influenced wetlands in the project area while providing flood risk management for Culver Boulevard and surrounding developed areas.

• Installation of water controlstructures, including culverts with selfregulating tide gates or similar structures, to provide a full range of tides up to an elevation acceptable for flood risk management and storm drainage, while reducing the risk of damage from storm events.

• Maintenance of existing levels of flood risk management for areas surrounding the Ballona Wetlands site.

• Provision of erosion protection as an integral part of the restoration design.

• Modification of infrastructure and utilities as necessary to implement the restoration project.

• Improving public access by realigning existing trails, creating new trails, repairing existing fences, constructing overlook platforms, and providing other visitor-oriented
facilities.

• Long-term operations and management activities including inspections, repairs, clean-up, vegetation maintenance, and related

activities.

The proposed project requires a permit under section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act to conduct dredge and fill activities in waters of the United States and for work and (or) structures in or affecting navigable
waters of the United States associated with restoring wetlands and associated habitat within the project site. Dredge
and fill activities in waters of the United States are proposed to construct new levees, form new tidal channels, modify existing tidal channels, re-contour areas to enhance tidal flow, and to create elevations conducive to establishing wetland habitat. Preliminary
conservative estimates indicate the project would result in a balanced total of 1,782,000 cubic yards of excavation and 1,782,000 cubic yards of fill placement, not all of which would affect jurisdictional areas. Based on these preliminary estimates, the volumes and
areas of fill are estimated as follows: Permanent discharge of fill within 43.5
acres of non-wetland waters of the U.S. (435,000 cubic yards) and within 65
acres of wetland waters of the U.S. (600,000 cubic yards), as well as temporary discharge of fill within 3.5
acres of non-wetland waters of the U.S. (30,000 cubic yards) and within 0.3
acres of wetland waters of the U.S. (structural fill).

The project will also require a permit from the Corps to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, as the non-Federal sponsor of the Los Angeles County Drainage Area (LACDA) project, pursuant to 33 U.S.C. section 408 (408 permit). A section 408 permit is required to alter/modify a completed Corps project. The Ballona Creek levees were constructed by the Corps in the 1930s as part of LACDA. This project proposes to remove levees, construct a larger levee reach around the perimeter of the proposed side, reconfigure the existing concrete-lined Ballona Creek flood-control channel and realign the creek. A permit for modification/ alteration of this magnitude would require Corps Headquarters approval.

4. Alternatives Considered. The feasibility of several alternatives is being
considered and will be addressed in the
DEIS/EIR. The No Federal Action/No Project Alternative, as required by NEPA and CEQA, would maintain the status quo and would include no improvements or discharges of fill
material in waters of the United States or work or structures in or affecting navigable waters of the United States. Other alternatives that may be considered include restoring smaller portions of the 600-acre site, alternative designs that would provide differing amounts of various habitats types, and alternative designs for enhancing tidal flow. Additional alternatives may be developed during scoping and will also
be considered in the DEIS/EIR.

5. Scoping Process. a. Affected federal, state and local resource agencies, Native American groups and concerned interest groups/ individuals are encouraged to participate in the scoping process. Public participation is critical in defining the scope of analysis in the DEIS/EIR, identifying significant environmental issues in the DEIS/EIR, providing useful information such as published and unpublished data, and knowledge of relevant issues and recommending mitigation measures to offset potential impacts from proposed

actions.

b. Potential impacts associated with the proposed project will be fully evaluated. Potential significant issues to
be addressed in the DEIS/EIR include aesthetics, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, noise, public services, recreation, sea-level rise, traffic, flood control, and utilities. Additional issues may be identified during the scoping

process.

c. Individuals and agencies may offer
information or data relevant to the
environmental or socioeconomic impacts of the proposed project by submitting comments, suggestions, and requests to be placed on the mailing list for announcements to (see **FOR FURTHER**

**INFORMATION CONTACT** ) or the following
email address: Daniel.p.swenson@usace.army.mil.


### 43577 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2012 / Notices

d. The Corps anticipates formally consulting with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the National
Marine Fisheries Service under Section 305(b)(2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), and with the State Historic
Preservation Officer under Section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act. The CDFG, as the project proponent, will need to obtain a CWA section 401 water quality certification or waiver and a consistency certification
from the California Coastal Commission
in accordance with the Coastal Zone Management Act.

6. Scoping Meeting Date, Time, and Location. A public scoping meeting to receive input on the scope of the DEIS/ EIR will be conducted on August 16, 2012, from 4:00–7:00 p.m. at the Fiji Gateway entrance to the Ballona Wetlands (13720 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, across from Fisherman’s Village and Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors).

7. Availability of the DEIS/EIR. The DEIS/EIR is expected to be published and circulated in late 2012. A public hearing will be held after its publication
to field comments on the document.

David J. Castanon, Chief, Regulatory Division, Corps of Engineers.

[FR Doc. 2012–18166 Filed 7–24–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3720–58–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE**

**Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers** 

**Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed**  **Westbrook Project, Corps Permit Application Number SPK–2005–00938** 

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

**ACTION :**  Notice of intent.

**SUMMARY :**  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, (Corps) received a Department of the Army permit application from Westpark S.V. 400, LLC (Applicant) to fill approximately 9.6 acres of waters of the United States to construct the proposed Westbrook Project in Placer County, CA, in June 2011. The Corps, as the lead agency responsible for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), determined that the proposed project may result in significant impacts to the environment, and that the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required. The Applicant proposes to implementa moderate scale, mixed-use, mixeddensity master planned community. The Westbrook Project, as proposed, would include a mixture of land uses, including new residential neighborhoods, elementary school, parks and several neighborhood serving retail centers. The Westbrook Project would involve approximately 146 acres of low-density residential, 84 acres of medium-density residential, 28 acres of high-density residential and 43 acres of commercial land uses. Other proposed land uses include a 10-acre elementary school site, approximately 16 acres for three neighborhood parks, and approximately 37 acres of open space for the preservation of natural resources

areas.

The proposed project site is approximately 400 acres and contains approximately 13 acres of waters of the United States. The project, as proposed, would result in direct impacts to approximately 9.6 acres of waters of the United States. These acreages do not include indirect impacts from the proposed action or impacts anticipated
to result from offsite infrastructure that may be determined to be required as part of the project through the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

process.

**ADDRESSES :**  To submit comments on this notice or for questions about the proposed action and the Draft EIS, please contact James T. Robb, 1325 J Street, Room 1350, Sacramento, CA
95814. Please refer to Identification Number SPK–2005–00938 in any correspondence.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Mr. James T. Robb, (916) 557–7610, email:

DLL-CESPK-RD-EIS-Comments@usace. army.mil.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Interested parties are invited to submit written comments on the permit application on or before September 3, 2012. Scoping
comments should be submitted within the next 45 days, but may be submitted at any time prior to publication of the
Draft EIS.

The USACE will evaluate alternatives including the no action alternative, the proposed action alternative, and other
on-site and off-site alternatives. The proposed project and the alternatives to its proposed size, design, and location will be developed through the EIS

process.

The proposed project would result in direct impacts to approximately 9.6
acres of waters of the United States and would avoid approximately 2.9 acres of
these waters of the United States.
Waters of the U.S. on-site include two intermittent streams, seasonal wetlands, wetland swales, and vernal pools.

The proposed site for the Westbrook community is in unincorporated Placer County, CA, immediately west of the City of Roseville’s existing city limits. The proposed project site is approximately 6 miles west of Interstate 80 and State Route 65, 10 miles northeast of the City of Sacramento, 10 miles east of State Route 99, 5 miles west of downtown Roseville, and 4 miles east of the Sutter County line. The proposed project site is bordered on the west by Fiddyment Road and is approximately 1.2 miles north of Baseline Road. The property to the north was previously authorized for development under permit SPK–2002– 00666 (Westpark/Fiddyment Ranch) or
is under review in the case of Creekview (SPK–2006–00650). The property to the south, directly adjacent to Baseline Road, is currently under review (Sierra Vista Specific Plan, SPK–2006–01050 and Placer Vineyards, SPK–1999– 00737). The proposed project site was once a part of the Sierra Vista Specific Plan area, but the landowners at the time withdrew their application for a Section 404 permit and the area was dropped from analysis under the Sierra Vista EIS in 2008. A new permit application was received for the proposed Westbrook project on June 9,

2011.

The Corps’ public involvement program includes several opportunities to provide oral and written comments on the Westbrook project through the EIS drafting process. Affected federal, state, and 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 impacts to waters of the United States, including vernal pools and other wetlands; agricultural resources; cultural resources; threatened and endangered species; transportation; air quality; surface water and groundwater; hydrology and water quality; socioeconomic effects; and aesthetics.

The applicant reports that the project area supports suitable habitat for certain federally-listed branchiopods, including the threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp ( Branchinecta lynchi) and endangered Conservancy fairy shrimp ( Branchinecta

conservatio ) and vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi). The suitable habitat for branchiopods within the project area includes vernal pools and depressional seasonal wetlands (including depressional areas within wetland swales).

The Applicant reports that there are historic properties within the Westbrook