[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-7978]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 4, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 

Little Paint Creek Watershed, Allamakee County, IA

AGENCY: Soil Conservation Service.

ACTION: Notice of finding of no significant impact.

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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 Soil Conservation Service Regulations (7 
CFR part 650); the Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, gives notice than an environmental impact statement is not 
being prepared for the Little Paint Creek Watershed, Allamakee County, 
Iowa.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeffrey R. Vonk, State Conservationist, Soil Conservation Service, 
Federal Building, 210 Walnut St., ste. 693, Des Moines, IA 50309.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental assessment of this 
federally assisted action indicates that the project will not cause 
significant local, regional, or national impacts on the environment. As 
a result of these findings, Jeffrey R. Vonk, State Conservationist, has 
determined that the preparation and review of an environmental impact 
statement are not needed for this project.
    The project purposes are to reduce floodwater damages and water 
quality impairments. The planned works of improvement include 12 single 
purpose floodwater detention structures, spring protection at one site, 
two livestock waste management systems, and land treatment practices on 
880 acres.
    The Notice of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been 
forwarded to the Environmental Protection Agency and to various 
Federal, State, and local agencies and interested parties. A limited 
number of copies of the FONSI are available to fill single copy 
requests at the above address. Basic data developed during the 
environmental assessment are on file and may be reviewed by contacting 
Jeffrey R. Vonk.
    No administrative action on implementation of the proposal will be 
taken until 30 days after the date of this publication in the Federal 
Register.
Leroy Brown,
Acting State Conservationist.

Introduction

    The Little Paint Creek Watershed is a federally assisted action 
authorized for planning under Public Law 83-566, the Watershed 
Protection and Flood Prevention Act. An environmental assessment was 
undertaken by the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in conjunction with 
the development of the watershed plan. This assessment was conducted in 
consultation with local, State and other Federal agencies as well as 
with interested organizations and individuals. Data developed during 
the assessment are available for public review at the following 
location: Soil Conservation Service, Federal Building, 210 Walnut St., 
ste. 693, Des Moines, Iowa 50309-2180.

Recommended Action

    Proposed is the installation of 880 acres of land treatment measure 
to be applied on farms for reduction of sheet, rill, and steambank 
erosion; storage and management of animal waste at 2 locations, 12 
single purpose floodwater detention structures and one spring 
protection.

Effects of Recommended Action

    The proposed plan will stabilize 800 acres of excessively eroding 
cropland, grassland and forestland, reduce flooding on a 160 acre 
floodplain, and protect one coldwater trout stream. Animal waste 
management facilities and application practices will prevent livestock 
wastes from two locations from entering the stream.
    The recommended actions will protect the watershed hydrologically 
by improving the soil cover condition and reducing overland flow 
velocities. Streamflow will be stabilized to the extent that peak flood 
flow rates will be greatly reduced.
    The proposed actions will have no effect on wetlands.
    An initial management summary of cultural resources as they relate 
to the planned components has been developed. The survey concludes that 
no significant adverse impacts will occur to cultural resources in the 
watershed should the plan be implemented. The SCS has consulted with 
the State Historic Preservation Office on the effects that planned 
measures will have on significant cultural resources. However, 
construction of manure storage units, floodwater detention structures 
and land treatment measures do have the potential for seriously 
disrupting individual sites. Therefore, caution shall be exercised in 
planning and installing such measures to avoid serious disruption of 
areas having potential as individual cultural sites.
    Significant cultural resources identified during implementation 
will be avoided or otherwise preserved in place to the fullest 
practical extent. If significant cultural resources cannot be avoided 
or preserved, pertinent information will be recovered before 
construction. If there is a significant cultural resources discovery 
during construction appropriate notice will be made by SCS to the State 
Historic Preservation Officer and the National Park Service. 
Consultation and coordination have been, and will continue to be, used 
to ensure the provisions of section 106 of Public Law 89-665 have been 
met and to include provisions of Public Law 89-523, as amended by 
Public Law 93-291. The SCS will take action as prescribed in SCS 
General Manual, section 420, part 401, to protect or recover any 
significant cultural resources discovered during construction.
    No threatened or endangered species in the watershed will be 
affected by the project.
    One of the primary objectives of the project is to improve water 
quality. Sediment input to Little Paint Creek will be decreased by 
16,070 tons or 72 percent. Land treatment practices will reduce loss of 
soil attached nutrients to the stream system, thereby reducing stream 
enrichment and conserving nutrients for plant production.
    Fish and wildlife habitats may be temporarily disturbed in some 
part of the 880 acres of cropland, grassland, and forestland during 
installation of land treatment practices, but they will be restored to 
at least their previous value within one growing season. The Little 
Paint Creek stream system will be more suitable for species sensitive 
to sediment concentrations. More suitable cover will be provided for 
upland wildlife by land treatment measures, such as pasture planting, 
tree planting, terraces, conservation tillage and timber stand 
improvement. The value of woodland habitat will increase with 
installation of project measures.
    No wilderness areas are in the watershed.
    Scenic values will be complemented with the diversity added to the 
dairy farm landscape by conservation land treatment measures. During 
installation of the proposed measures, scenic values will be 
temporarily decreased at specific locations in the watershed.
    No significant adverse environmental impacts will result from 
installations except for minor inconveniences to local residents during 
construction.

Alternatives

    The planned action is the most practical means of improving water 
quality for the stream, protecting the watershed, stabilizing the 
eroding lands, and controlling animal waste. Because no significant 
adverse environmental impacts will result from installation of the 
measures, no other alternatives, other than the no project one, were 
considered.

Consultation--Public Participation

    Formal agency consultation began with the initiation of the 
notification of the State Single Point of Contact for Federal 
Assistance in February 1989. The Governor and Iowa Division of Soil 
Conservation were also notified of the application for Federal 
assistance. Agencies were again notified when planning was authorized 
in August, 1990.
    Scoping meetings were held in January 1989, March 1992, and March 
1993, and interdisciplinary consultations were used in all cases. Three 
Federal agencies (SCS, Forest Service, and Fish & Wildlife Service) two 
State agencies (Department of Natural Resources and Division of soil 
Conservation), two county agencies, and several local groups were 
involved in part or all of the scoping and plannning processes.
    Specific consultation was conducted with the State Historic 
Preservation Officer concerning cultural resources in the watershed. 
Comments from the State Historic Preservation Officer were used in the 
development of this plan.
    The environmental assessment was transmitted to all participating 
and interested agencies, groups, and individuals for review and comment 
in December 1993. Public meetings were held throughout the planning 
process to keep all interested parties informed of the study progress 
and to obtain public input to the plan and environmental evaluation.
    Agency consultation and public participation to date have shown no 
unresolved conflicts with the implementation of the selected plan.

Conclusion

    The Environmental Assessment summarized above indicates that this 
Federal action will not cause significant local, regional, or national 
impacts on the environment. Therefore, based on the above findings, I 
have determined that an environmental impact statement for the Little 
Paint Creek Watershed Plan is not required.

    Dated: March 22, 1994.
Leroy Brown,
Acting State Conservationist.
[FR Doc. 94-7978 Filed 4-1-94; 8:45 am]
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