Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 178 / Friday, September 12, 2008 / Notices 52967 

City is the local agency responsible for 

preparing an Environmental Impact 

Report in compliance with the 

California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA). 

DATES: The Corps and the City of 

Folsom will jointly conduct a public 

scoping meeting that will be held on 

Thursday, September 25, 2008 from 5 

p.m. to 7 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be 

held at the Folsom Public Library 

located at 411 Stafford Street, Folsom, 

CA. 

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 1, 2008. 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, 1325 J Street 

(Room 1480), Sacramento, CA 95814– 

2922. Parties interested in being added 

to the Corps’ electronic mail notification 

list for the proposed project can register 

at: http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/ 

regulatory/register.html. Please refer to 

Identification Number SPK–2007–02159 

in any correspondence. 

The South Folsom Property Owners 

Group consists of seven property 

owners. Each property owner would file 

an application for Department of the 

Army authorization under Section 404 

of the Clean Water Act. The City of 

Folsom has filed a permit application 

for the proposed project. Because these 

applications are interrelated, USACE is 

considering them in a comprehensive 

and combined manner. The joint 

purpose of these applications is to 

construct a large-scale, mixed-use, 

mixed-density master planned 

community and associated supporting 

infrastructure. To comply with the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), USACE has decided to prepare 

an EIS to assess the potential impacts to 

waters of the United States from these 

combined applications. 

The proposed Folsom South of 50 

Specific Plan project site lies within 

unincorporated Sacramento County, CA, 

immediately south of the City of 

Folsom’s existing city limits. The site is 

within the City of Folsom’s Sphere of 

Influence (SOI). It is located south of 

U.S. Highway 50, north of White Rock 

Road, east of Prairie City Road, and west 

of the El Dorado County line. 

Preliminary wetland delineations of 

the project site show that a total of 82.89 

acres of waters of the United States are 

present within the proposed project 

area, including 4.11 acres of vernal 

pools, 24.43 acres of seasonal wetland 

swales, 4.75 acres of seasonal wetlands, 

1.25 acre of freshwater marsh, 10.46 

acres of freshwater seeps, 7.72 acres of 

ponds, 17.80 acres of stream channels 

(relatively permanent waters), 10.43 

acres of ephemeral drainage channels 

(non relatively permanent waters), and 

1.93 acres of ditches. The City of Folsom 

has applied to fill approximately 21.28 

acres of these waters to construct the 

proposed project. These acreages do not 

include indirect impacts from the 

proposed action or impacts anticipated 

to result from off-site infrastructure that 

may be determined to be required to 

support the proposed project as part of 

the EIS process. 

The EIS/EIR will include alternatives 

to the Proposed Action that will meet 

both NEPA and CEQA requirements. 

The alternatives will also meet the 

requirements of CWA Section 404(b)(1) 

Guidelines. At this time it is expected 

that the joint EIS/EIR will evaluate the 

following on-site alternatives: (1) No 

Action Alternative; (2) Proposed Action; 

(3) Resource Impact Minimization 

Alternative; (4) Centralized 

Development Alternative; (5) Reduced 

Hillside Development Alternative; (6) 

No Build Alternative; and at least one 

off-site alternative. 

The Corps’ public involvement 

program includes several opportunities 

to provide verbal and written comments 

on the proposed Folsom South of 50 

Specific Plan 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. 

USACE would initiate formal 

consultation with the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (USFWS) under 

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 

for the proposed impacts to listed 

species. USACE would 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 joint lead agencies expect the 

Draft EIS/EIR to be made available to the 

public in the summer 2009. 

Dated: August 22, 2008. 

Thomas C. Chapman, 

Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer. 

[FR Doc. E8–21289 Filed 9–11–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–EH–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Notice of Public Hearings for the Naval 

Sea Systems Command Naval 

Undersea Warfare Center, Keyport 

Range Complex Extension Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Overseas Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

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

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 United States 

Code [U.S.C.] 4321); the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) 

Regulations for implementing the 

procedural provisions of NEPA (Title 40 

Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 

1500–1508); Department of the Navy 

Procedures for Implementing NEPA (32 

CFR 775); Executive Order (EO)12114, 

Environmental Effects Abroad of Major 

Federal Actions; and Department of 

Defense (DoD) regulations implementing 

EO 12114 (32 CFR Part 187), the 

Department of the Navy (Navy) has 

prepared and filed with the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency a 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Overseas Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS/OEIS) on September 3, 

2008. The National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS) is a Cooperating Agency 

for the EIS/OEIS. 

The EIS/OEIS evaluates the potential 

environmental impacts associated with 

current and proposed research, 

development, testing, and evaluation 

(RDT&E) and related activities 

scheduled and coordinated by Naval 

Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) 

Keyport at the Naval Sea Systems 

Command (NAVSEA) NUWC Keyport 

Range Complex in Washington State. 

The proposed action includes an 

extension of the operational areas of the 

NAVSEA NUWC Keyport Range 

Complex and small increases in the 

average annual number of tests and days 

of testing at two of the three range sites 

that comprise the Range Complex. A 

Notice of Intent for this Draft EIS/OEIS 

was published in the Federal Register 

on September 11, 2003 (68 FR 176). 


ebenthall on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
52968 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 178 / Friday, September 12, 2008 / Notices 

The Navy will conduct four public 

hearings to receive oral and written 

comments on the Draft EIS/OEIS. 

Federal agencies, state agencies, and 

local agencies and interested 

individuals are invited to be present or 

represented at the public hearings. This 

notice announces the dates and 

locations of the public hearings for this 

Draft EIS/OEIS. 

An open house session will precede 

the scheduled public hearing at each of 

the locations listed below and will 

allow individuals to review the 

information presented in the Draft EIS/ 

OEIS. Navy representatives will be 

available during the open house 

sessions to clarify information related to 

the Draft EIS/OEIS. 

DATES AND ADDRESSES: All meetings 

will start with an open house session 

from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. A presentation 

and formal public comment period will 

be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Public 

hearings will be held on the following 

dates and at the following locations: 

Wednesday, October 1, 2008, at the 

Naval Undersea Museum, 610 Dowell 

Street, Keyport; Thursday, October 2, 

2008, at North Mason Senior High 

School, 200 E. Campus Drive, Belfair; 

Monday, October 6, 2008, at Gray’s 

Harbor Fire District #8, 4 First Street N., 

Pacific Beach; and Tuesday, October 7, 

Quilcene Public Schools, Multi-Purpose 

Room, 294715 Hwy 101, Quilcene. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 

Northwest, Attention: Ms. Kimberly Kler 

(EIS/OEIS PM), 1101 Tautog Circle, 

Suite 203, Silverdale, WA 98315–1101; 

facsimile: 360–396–0857; or http:// 

www-keyport.kpt.nuwc.navy.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department of the Navy (Navy) proposes 

to extend the operational areas 

associated with the NAVSEA NUWC 

Keyport Range Complex in Washington 

State. The Keyport Range Complex is 

composed of three geographically 

distinct range sites: The Keyport Range 

Site, Dabob Bay Range Complex (DBRC) 

Site, and the Quinault Underwater 

Tracking Range (QUTR) Site. The 

proposed action would provide 

additional operating space at each of the 

three range sites and would also include 

small increases in the average annual 

number of tests and days of testing at 

the Keyport Range Site and the QUTR 

Site. Portions of the proposed extension 

associated with the QUTR Site fall 

outside the 12-nautical mile (nm) (22- 

kilometer [km]) Territorial Waters 

established by Presidential 

Proclamation 5928. Therefore, this Draft 

EIS/OEIS has also been prepared in 

accordance with Navy procedures 

implementing Executive Order 12114 

addressing components of the proposed 

action beyond U.S. Territorial Waters. 

The purpose of the proposed action is 

to enable NUWC Keyport to continue 

fulfilling its mission of providing test 

and evaluation services and expertise to 

support the Navy’s evolving manned 

and unmanned undersea vehicle 

program. NUWC Keyport has 

historically provided facilities and 

capabilities to support testing of 

torpedoes, other unmanned vehicles, 

submarine readiness, diver training, and 

similar activities that are critical to the 

success of undersea warfare. 

Technological advancements in the 

materials, instrumentation, guidance 

systems, and tactical capabilities of 

manned and unmanned vehicles 

continue to evolve in parallel with 

emerging national security priorities 

and threat assessments. In response, 

range capabilities and vehicle test 

protocols must also evolve in order to 

provide effective program support for 

such advancements. 

The proposed action to extend range 

operational areas is needed because the 

existing Range Complex is becoming 

increasingly incapable of satisfying the 

existing and evolving operational 

capabilities and test requirements of 

next-generation manned and unmanned 

vehicles. The Navy requires a range 

complex with assets that provide a 

broader diversity of sea state conditions, 

bottom type, deeper water, and 

increased room to maneuver and 

combine activities. Extending the Range 

Complex operating areas as proposed 

would enable the Navy to better support 

current and future vehicle test 

requirements in multiple marine 

environments. 

The proposed action would support 

current and evolving test requirements 

and range activities conducted at the 

NAVSEA NUWC Keyport Range 

Complex. The action also proposes 

increases in the average annual number 

of tests and days of testing at Keyport 

Range and QUTR Sites. As the three 

range sites within the NAVSEA NUWC 

Keyport Range Complex are 

geographically distinct, the set of 

alternatives for one range site is 

independent of the set of alternatives for 

another range site. One or more action 

alternatives have been identified for 

each range site (in addition to the NoAction Alternative): 

• Keyport Range Site: Keyport Range 

Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative)— 

extend range boundaries to the north, 

east, and south, increasing the size of 

the range from 1.5 square nautical miles 

(nm2) to 3.2 nm2 (5.2 square kilometers 

[km2] to 11.0 km2). The average annual 

days of use would increase from 55 to 

60 days. 

• DBRC Site: DBRC Alternative 1— 

extend the southern boundary of this 

range approximately 10 nm (19 km). 

DBRC Alternative 2 (Preferred 

Alternative)—extend the southern 

boundary approximately 10 nm (19 km), 

and the northern boundary to 1 nm (2 

km) south of the Hood Canal Bridge, 

increasing the size of the range from 

32.7 nm2 to 45.7 nm2 (112.1 km2 to 

156.7 km2). There would be no increase 

in average annual days of use under 

either DBRC alternative. 

• QUTR Site: QUTR Alternative 1— 

extend the range boundaries to coincide 

with the overlying special use airspace 

of W–237A plus locate an 8.4 nm2 (28.8 

km2) surf zone at Kalaloch. The total 

range area under QUTR Alternative 1 

would increase from approximately 48.3 

nm2 (165.5 km2) to approximately 

1,840.4 nm2 (6,312.4 km2). QUTR 

Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative)— 

extend the range boundaries the same as 

Alternative 1 but locate a 7.8 nm2 (26.6 

km2) surf zone at Pacific Beach instead 

of at Kalaloch. The total range area 

under QUTR Alternative 2 would be 

1,839.8 nm2 (6,310.2 km2). QUTR 

Alternative 3—extend the range 

boundaries the same as Alternative 1 

but locate a 22.6 nm2 (77.6 km2) surf 

zone at Ocean City instead of at 

Kalaloch. The total range area under 

QUTR Alternative 3 would be 1,854.6 

nm2 (6,361.2 km2). For all three QUTR 

alternatives, the average annual use for 

offshore activities would increase from 

14 days to 16 days and activities in the 

selected surf zone would occur an 

average of 30 days per year. 

The Navy considered a number of 

other alternatives that were potentially 

able to support the NUWC Keyport 

mission. These testing alternatives were 

initially screened and evaluated to 

determine their ability to meet the 

minimum operational selection criteria 

but were eliminated from consideration 

due to their inconsistency with the 

mission and strategic vision for NUWC 

Keyport and with the purpose and need 

for the Proposed Action. Three 

additional surf zone alternatives were 

initially considered but eliminated from 

consideration because they did not meet 

the screening criteria for the Proposed 

Action. Therefore, these alternatives 

were not carried forward for analysis in 

the EIS/OEIS. 

Section 1502.14(d) of the CEQ 

guidelines requires that the alternatives 

analysis in the EIS ‘‘include the 

alternative of no action.’’ In its NEPA’s 

Forty Most Asked Questions, CEQ 

identifies two distinct interpretations of 

‘‘no action.’’ The interpretation selected 


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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 178 / Friday, September 12, 2008 / Notices 52969 

by the action proponent depends on the 

nature of the proposal being evaluated. 

One interpretation of the No-Action 

alternative is that the proposed activity 

would not take place. This would mean 

that Navy would not conduct test or 

training activities in the Range 

Complex. This interpretation does not 

meet the purpose and need of the 

proposed action and would neither be 

reasonable nor practical. The other 

interpretation of the No-Action 

alternative is ‘‘no change from current 

management direction or level of 

management intensity.’’ This 

interpretation would meet the purpose 

and need of the proposed action and 

would allow the Navy to compare the 

potential impacts of the proposed action 

to the impacts of maintaining the status 

quo. With regard to this EIS/OEIS, the 

No-Action Alternative represents the 

regular and historic level of activity on 

the Range Complex. Thus, the NoAction Alternative serves as a baseline 

‘‘status quo’’ when studying levels of 

range use and activity. In the Draft EIS/ 

OEIS, the potential impacts of the 

current level of RDT&E and fleet activity 

on the NAVSEA NUWC Keyport Range 

Complex (defined by the No-Action 

Alternative) are compared to the 

potential impacts of activities proposed 

under the action alternatives. 

The Navy analyzed potential effects of 

its current and proposed activities on 

marine mammals, fish, sea turtles, 

marine flora and invertebrates, 

terrestrial wildlife, sediments and water 

quality, cultural resources, recreation, 

land and shoreline use, public health 

and safety, socioeconomics and 

environmental justice, and air quality. 

No significant adverse impacts are 

identified for any resource area in any 

geographic location within the NAVSEA 

NUWC Keyport Range Complex Study 

Area that cannot be mitigated, with the 

exception of exposure of marine 

mammals to underwater sound. The 

Navy has requested from NMFS a Letter 

of Authorization (LOA) in accordance 

with the Marine Mammal Protection Act 

to authorize the incidental take of 

marine mammals that may result from 

the implementation of the activities 

analyzed in the NAVSEA NUWC 

Keyport Range Complex Extension Draft 

EIS/OEIS. In compliance with the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries 

Conservation Management Act, the 

Navy is in consultation with NMFS 

regarding potential impacts to Essential 

Fish Habitat. In accordance with section 

7 of the Endangered Species Act, the 

Navy is consulting with NMFS and U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for 

potential impacts to federally listed 

species. The Navy is coordinating with 

the Washington Department of Ecology 

for a Coastal Consistency Determination 

under the Coastal Zone Management 

Act. Navy analysis has indicated that 

under the Clean Air Act requirements, 

no significant impacts would occur to 

the regional air quality and under the 

Clean Water Act there would be no 

significant impacts to water quality. 

National Historic Preservation Act 

analysis indicated that no significant 

impacts to cultural resources would 

occur if the proposed action or 

alternatives were implemented. 

Implementation of the No Action 

Alternative or any of the proposed 

action alternatives would not disturb, 

adversely affect, or result in any takes of 

bald eagles. None of the alternatives 

would result in a significant adverse 

effect on the population of a migratory 

bird species. 

The decision to be made by the 

Assistant Secretary of the Navy 

(Installations & Environment) is to 

determine which alternatives analyzed 

in the EIS/OEIS best meet the needs of 

the Navy given that all reasonably 

foreseeable environmental impacts have 

been considered. 

The Draft EIS/OEIS was distributed to 

Federal, State, and local agencies, 

elected officials, and other interested 

individuals and organizations on 

September 12, 2008. The public 

comment period will end on October 27, 

2008. Copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are 

available for public review at the 

following libraries: 

• Aberdeen Timberland Library, 121 E. 

Market St., Aberdeen, WA 

• Hoodsport Timberland Library, N. 40 

Schoolhouse Hill Road, Hoodsport, 

WA 

• Jefferson County Rural Library 

District, 620 Cedar Avenue, Port 

Hadlock, WA 

• Kitsap Regional Library, 1301 Sylvan 

Way, Bremerton, WA 

• North Mason Timberland Library, 

23801 NE State Rt. 3, Belfair, WA 

• Ocean Shores Public Library, 573 Pt. 

Brown Ave., NW., Ocean Shores, WA 

• Port Orchard Library, 87 Sidney St., 

Port Orchard, WA 

• Port Townsend Public Library, 1220 

Lawrence St., Port Townsend, WA 

• Poulsbo Branch Library, 700 NE 

Lincoln St., Poulsbo, WA 

• Quinault Indian Nation Tribal 

Library, P.O. Box 189, Taholah, WA 

• Skokomish Tribal Center, N 80 Tribal 

Center Road, Shelton, WA 

The NAVSEA NUWC Keyport Range 

Complex Extension Draft EIS/OEIS is 

also available for electronic public 

viewing at: http://wwwkeyport.kpt.nuwc.navy.mil. A paper 

copy of the Executive Summary or a 

single CD with the Draft EIS/OEIS will 

be made available upon written request 

by contacting Naval Facilities 

Engineering Command, Northwest, 

Attention: Mrs. Kimberly Kler (EIS/OEIS 

PM), 1101 Tautog Circle, Suite 203, 

Silverdale, WA 98315–1101; facsimile: 

360–396–0857. 

Federal, State, and local agencies and 

interested parties are invited to be 

present or represented at the public 

hearing. Written comments can also be 

submitted during the open house 

sessions preceding the public hearings. 

Oral statements will be heard and 

transcribed by a stenographer; however, 

to ensure the accuracy of the record, all 

statements should be submitted in 

writing. All statements, both oral and 

written, will become part of the public 

record on the Draft EIS/OEIS and will be 

responded to in the Final EIS/OEIS. 

Equal weight will be given to both oral 

and written statements. In the interest of 

available time, and to ensure all who 

wish to give an oral statement have the 

opportunity to do so, each speaker’s 

comments will be limited to three (3) 

minutes. If a long statement is to be 

presented, it should be summarized at 

the public hearing with the full text 

submitted either in writing at the 

hearing, or mailed or faxed to Naval 

Facilities Engineering Command, 

Northwest, Attention: Mrs. Kimberly 

Kler (EIS/OEIS PM), 1101 Tautog Circle, 

Suite 203, Silverdale, WA 98315–1101; 

facsimile: 360–396–0857. In addition, 

comments may be submitted on-line at 

http://www-keyport.kpt.nuwc.navy.mil 

during the comment period. All written 

comments must be postmarked by 

October 27, 2008 to ensure they become 

part of the official record. All comments 

will be addressed in the Final EIS/OEIS. 

Dated: September 3, 2008. 

T.M. Cruz, 

Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate 

General’s Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 

Liaison Officer. 

[FR Doc. E8–21343 Filed 9–11–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Notice of Public Hearings for the Navy 

Cherry Point Range Complex Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Overseas Environmental Impact 

Statement 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 


ebenthall on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES