[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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