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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 170 (Thursday, September 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 54452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22392]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Cordova Hills Project in Sacramento County, CA, Corps Permit 
Application Number SPK-2004-00116

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In 2008, the Cordova Hills Ownership Group (applicant) 
submitted a Department of the Army permit application for the proposed 
Cordova Hills project. On June 18, 2008, the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Sacramento District (Corps) determined that the proposed 
project may result in significant impacts to the environment, and that 
the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is 
necessary. A revised permit application was submitted by the applicant 
on March 15, 2011.
    The applicant proposes to implement a large-scale, mixed-use, 
mixed-density master planned community with an integrated university, 
neighborhood and regional commercial and residential uses and 
associated infrastructure. The proposed project consists of 
approximately: 1,000 acres of residential uses ranging from one 
dwelling unit per acre to 40 dwelling units per acres; 1,380,000 square 
feet of retail and commercial uses; 240 acres of private university 
campus; 635 acres of recreation areas, parks, natural avoided areas and 
open space corridors; 538 acres for on-site wetland and habitat 
avoidance, and; 18 miles of off-street/multi-use trails.
    The project site is approximately 2,688 acres and contains 89.106 
acres of waters of the United States. The proposed project would 
involve the discharge of fill material into approximately 39.630 acres 
of waters of the United States, including vernal pools, seasonal 
wetlands, seeps, intermittent drainages, and stock ponds. The proposed 
project may also have have indirect impacts on other waters of the U.S.

DATES: The Corps will conduct a public scoping meeting that will be 
held on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at Rancho Cordova City 
Hall, located at 2729 Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Gibson, (916) 557-5288, e-
mail: lisa.m.gibson2@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to submit 
written comments on the permit application on or before October 26, 
2011. Scoping comments should be submitted within the next 60 days, but 
may be submitted at any time prior to publication of the Draft EIS. To 
submit comments on this notice or for questions about the proposed 
action and the Draft EIS, please contact Lisa Gibson, 650 Capitol Mall, 
Suite 5-200, Sacramento, CA 95814-4708. Parties interested in being 
added to the Corps' electronic mail notification list for the proposed 
project can e-mail a request to spk-regulatory-info@usace.army.mil and 
indicate which list you would like your e-mail address to be added. 
Please refer to Identification Number SPK-2004-00116 in any 
correspondence.
    The proposed Cordova Hills Project site is located in 
unincorporated eastern Sacramento County. The site is bordered on the 
west by Grant Line Road, and on the north by Glory Lane. The proposed 
project site is north of Kiefer Road and west of the Carson Creek 
drainage, in portions of Sections 13, 14, 23 and 24, Township 8 North, 
Range 7 East, and Section 18, Township 8 North, Range 8 East, Mount 
Diablo Meridian.
    A wetland delineation of the project site, which has been approved 
by the Corps, indicates that a total of approximately 89 acres of 
waters of the United States are present within the proposed project 
area, including: 47.5 acres of vernal pools; 22.9 acres of seasonal 
wetlands; 0.01 acres of seeps; 16.9 acres of intermittent drainage; 
0.17 acres of Carson Creek, and; 1.5 acres of man-made stock ponds.
    The EIS will include alternatives to the Proposed Action that will 
meet NEPA requirements for a reasonable range of alternatives, and will 
also meet the requirements of CWA Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines. The 
alternatives to be evaluated within the EIS have not yet been 
developed, but will, at a minimum, include the No Action Alternative, 
the Proposed Project Alternative, additional on-site alternatives, and 
off-site alternatives.
    Sacramento County, as the lead agency responsible for compliance 
with the California Environmental Quality Act, is currently preparing a 
Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The DEIR is expected to be 
released in the fall of 2011.
    The Corps' public involvement program includes several 
opportunities to provide verbal and written comments on the proposed 
Cordova Hills Project through the EIS process. Affected federal, state, 
and local agencies, Native American tribes, and other interested 
private organizations and parties are invited to participate. 
Potentially significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS 
include loss of waters of the United States (including wetlands), and 
impacts related to cultural resources, biological resources, air 
quality, hydrology and water quality, noise, traffic, aesthetics, 
utilities and service systems, and socioeconomic effects.
    The Corps will initiate formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (USFWS) under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 
for impacts to listed species that may result from the proposed 
project. The Corps will also consult with the State Historic 
Preservation Office under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act for properties listed or potentially eligible for 
listing on the National Register of Historic Places, as appropriate.
    The Draft EIS is expected to be made available to the public in the 
summer of 2012.

    Dated: August 15, 2011.
William J. Leady,
Colonel, U.S. Army District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 2011-22392 Filed 8-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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