49984 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 165 / Monday, August 25, 2008 / Notices 

District. Attn: Recreation Fee Program, 

57600 McKenzie Hwy, McKenzie 

Bridge, OR 97413 or at http:// 

www.fs.fed.us/r6/willamette/recreation/ 

rea-feechange/. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Federal Recreation Lands Enhancement 

Act (Title VII, Pub. L. 108–447) directed 

the Secretary of Agriculture to publish 

a six month advance notice in the 

Federal Register whenever new 

recreation fee areas are established. 

Once public involvement is complete, 

new fee proposals will he reviewed by 

the Pacific Northwest Recreation 

Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC). 

The RRAC will discuss and forward 

their recommendation to the Regional 

Forester who makes the final decision 

on behalf of the Secretary of 

Agriculture. Information about the 

Pacific Northwest Recreation Resource 

Advisory Committee, RRAC meeting 

dates and location can be found on the 

Region 6 (Oregon/Washington) Forest 

Service Web site at: http:// 

www.fs.fed.us/r6/passespermits/ 

rrac.shtml. A tentative meeting is 

scheduled for the end of October of 

2008. 

Date: August 14, 2008. 

Dallas Emch, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. E8–19458 Filed 8–22–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

North Forest Acres Levee/Road Project 

City of Seward, AK 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Finding of No Significant 

Impact. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969; the Council on 

Environmental Quality regulations (40 

CFR part 1500); and the regulations of 

the Natural Resources Conservation 

Service (7 CFR part 650); the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, gives notice 

of a Finding of No Significant Impact 

based on the Environmental Assessment 

and its Supplemental for the North 

Forest Acres Road/Levee Project. 

DATES: The agency must receive 

comments on or before September 26, 

2008. 

ADDRESSES: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, 800 West 

Evergreen, Suite 100, Palmer, Alaska 

99645–6539. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phil 

Naegele, 907–761–7758. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A limited 

number of copies of the Environmental 

Assessment and the Supplemental 

Environmental Assessment are available 

to fill single copy requests at the above 

address. Copies of the environmental 

documents are also available for review 

at the above address. 

Dated: August 15, 2008. 

Robert N. Jones, 

Alaska State Conservationist, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service. 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

The National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires Federal 

agencies to examine the environmental 

impacts of all Federal actions affecting 

the quality of the human environment. 

I have determined, based upon the 

evaluation of impacts in the 

Environmental Assessment (EA) 

prepared in 2003 and the Supplemental 

Environmental Assessment (SEA) 

prepared in 2007, that there would be 

no significant individual or cumulative 

impacts on the quality of the human 

environment as a result of implementing 

the North Forest Acres Levee/Road 

Project in Seward, Alaska. The EA and 

SEA are attached hereto and made a part 

hereof. Based on the documented 

findings, I have determined that an 

Environmental Impact Statement is not 

required. 

The city of Seward, Alaska, has 

experienced flood damage from the 

Resurrection River and Japanese Creek 

several times in the past. Damages from 

the 1995 flood alone totaled 9.8 million 

dollars. A multi-agency task force 

recommended five complementary 

actions to minimize the risk of future 

damage. Three of these actions (a levee 

on Japanese Creek, dredging at the 

mouth of the Resurrection River and 

widening of the highway bridges) have 

been completed. The North Forest 

Levee/Road Project, along with 

widening of the railroad bridges are the 

final components of the flood control 

strategy. Congress has authorized 

funding for this project in the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 

budget. 

An Environmental Assessment was 

completed for this project in 2003. 

Based on the findings of the EA a 

preferred alternative was selected (West 

2b and East 3) as the best viable option 

of the eight considered, including the 

no-action. This decision was based on 

an analysis of the environmental 

impacts for each alternative, public 

comment, and State and Federal agency 

comments. A Finding of No Significant 

Impact (FONSI) was issued based on the 

preferred alternative and published in 

the Federal Register (69 FR 2110–2111). 

The Seward City Council and the 

residents of the effected areas raised 

objections to the FONSI and the 

preferred alternative. The objections 

were based primarily on the close 

proximity of the dyke and road to the 

residential subdivision. A decision was 

made to rescind the original FONSI and 

prepare a Supplemental Environmental 

Analysis to address these concerns. 

The SEA assessed the impacts of an 

additional alignment further to the 

north of the original alternatives 

addressed in the EA. This alternative 

had the support of the City and the 

nearby residents. This alternative also 

had greater adverse impacts (than the 

original routes) on the floodplain, 

wetlands, and Japanese Creek. Based on 

comments received from State and 

Federal agencies it was clear that the 

northerly route would require a more indepth study and in all probability 

would create the need for the 

preparation of an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) with no guarantee of 

support for the City’s preferred 

alternative. For the purpose of 

furthering the project, the Seward City 

Council has dropped their objections to 

the preferred alternative identified in 

the 2003 EA. 

The current preferred alternative is 

the same as the preferred alternative 

identified in the 2003 EA with a slight 

modification. The eastern half of the 

alignment has been moved slightly 

further south so as to further reduce any 

impacts to those wetlands. The western 

half of the route remains as identified in 

the 2003 preferred alternative. This 

alternative minimizes impact to the 

wetlands, minimizes encroachment on 

the floodplain, and results in no 

significant rise of floodwaters in 

Resurrection River. There are no stream 

crossings of Japanese Creek and no 

culverts or flood gates to operate and 

maintain. 

Based on the information presented in 

the attached North Forest Levee/Road 

Project EA and SEA, I find that the 

proposed action is not a major Federal 

action significantly affecting the quality 

of the human environment. Therefore, 

an EIS is not required. 

Dated: August 15, 2008. 

Robert Jones, 

Alaska State Conservationist, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–19597 Filed 8–22–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 


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