[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7522-7523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-3082]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the Proposed Section 204 Habitat Restoration Project at Poplar 
Island in Talbot County, MD

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Baltimore District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is 
investigating the use of dredged material to restore Poplar Island. The 
project would restore Poplar Island to its approximate size in 1857, 
thereby adding approximately 1,000 acres of wildlife habitat in the 
Upper Chesapeake Bay. The project would use approximately 10 to 40 
million cubic yards of clean material, dredged primarily from the 
southern approach channels to Baltimore Harbor. The amount of material 
placed at the site would depend on the final design, including the 
island size and shape, and the relative proportions of upland and 
wetland habitat constructed on the island. Dredged material would be 
placed behind dikes at the site, then shaped and planted to create both 
intertidal wetland and upland wildlife habitat. The feasibility study 
is being conducted under the authority of Section 204 of the Water 
Resources Development Act of 1992. The potential non-Federal sponsor 
for the project is the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), a part of 
the Maryland Department of Transportation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed action and DEIS can be addressed to Ms. 
Stacey Brown, Project Manager, Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, ATTN: CENAB-PL-PC, P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-
1715, telephone (410) 962-3639.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

    1. The project will be constructed under Section 204 of the Water 
Resources Development Act of 1992, which allows Federal funding for the 
protection, restoration, and creation of aquatic and ecologically 
related [[Page 7523]] habitats, including wetlands, in connection with 
dredging for construction, operation, or maintenance of an authorized 
Federal navigation project.
    2. Poplar Island is located on the Eastern Shore of the upper 
Chesapeake Bay, about one mile northwest of Tilghman Island, in Talbot 
County, Maryland. The present complex consists of four small remnant 
islands with a combined area of approximately 5 acres. The island has 
steadily eroded over time; in 1857 the island covered an area of 
approximately 1,000 acres; the remaining small islands are in danger of 
completely eroding within the next few years.
    3. The project would restore Poplar Island to the approximate size 
and footprint of the island in 1857. The proposed project actions 
include the placement of approximately 10 to 40 million cubic yards of 
clean dredged material behind dikes at the site. The amount of material 
to be placed would depend partly on the relative proportions of upland 
and wetland habitat created. The material would be primarily dredged 
during maintenance of the southern approach channels to Baltimore 
Harbor. After placement, the material would be shaped and planted to 
create both intertidal wetland and upland wildlife habitat. Poplar 
Island has been identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the 
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and other natural Resources 
management agencies as a valuable nesting and nursery area for many 
species of wildlife, including bald eagles, osprey, heron, and egret.
    4. Expected project benefits include the creation of wetland and 
upland wildlife habitat, stabilization of the rapidly eroding island 
remnants, and beneficial use of dredged material from Federal 
navigation channel maintenance activities. A project pre-feasibility 
report (similar to a Corps of Enegineers Reconnaissance report) was 
completed by the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) in 1993.
    5. Various alternative designs and projects size will be considered 
including the ``no action'' alternative. Alternatives to be considered 
will include variations such as the size and location of the placement 
area; dike configuration and construction materials; site capacity; and 
the relative proportions and locations on the island of wetland and 
upland habitat.
    6. The Baltimore District is preparing a DEIS which will describe 
the impacts of the proposed projects on environmental and cultural 
resources in the study area and the overall public interest. The DEIS 
will also apply guidances issued by the Environmental Protection 
Agency, under authority of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1977 
(Pub. L. 95-217). Potential effects of the project on water quality, 
fish and wildlife resources, recreation, aesthetics, cultural, and 
other resources will be investigated.
    7. The public involvement program will include meetings and 
coordination with interested private individuals and organizations, as 
well as concerned Federal, state, and local agencies. A public notice 
requesting comments on the proposed project amd a coordination letter 
have been sent to appropriate agencies, organizations, and individuals. 
Additional public information will be provided through printed media, 
mailings, and radio or television announcements. Two scoping meetings, 
identical in format, will be held at 7:00 p.m. on 21 February 1995 at 
Tilghman Elementary School, Tilghman, Maryland, and on 23 February 
1995, at Beach Elementary School, in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Two 
meetings will be held to provide equal opportunities for residents on 
both the Eastern Shore and the west side of the Chesapeake Bay to take 
part in the public involvement program.
    8. In addition to the Corps and the Maryland Port Administration, 
current participants in the DEIS process include, but are not limited 
to, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Maryland Department of 
Natural Resources, Maryland Department of the Environment, and the 
Maryland Port Administration. The Baltimore District invites 
potentially affected Federal, state and local agencies, and other 
interested organizations and parties to participate in this study.

AVAILABILITY: The DEIS is tentatively scheduled to be available for 
public review in September of 1995.
Kenneth L. Denton,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-3082 Filed 2-7-95; 8:45 am]
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