[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40812-40813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19294]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 144 / Wednesday, July 28, 1999 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
The 64-Acre Tract Intermodal Transit Center, Lake Tahoe Basin
Management Unit (LTBMU), Placer County, CA
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice, intent to prepare environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) to address issuing a permit to authorize construction
and operation of an Intermodal Transit Center on a portion of the tract
known as the ``64-Acres''. This site is located to the west of
California State Route 89 just south of Fanny Bridge over the Truckee
River, in Tahoe City, California.
ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the Draft EIS should be sent to
the responsible official, Forest Supervisor, attention: 64-Acre Tract
Intermodal Transit Center, LTBMU, 870 Emerald Bay Road, Suite 1, South
Lake Tahoe, California 96150.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct questions concerning the
proposed action to Joe Oden, Forest Planner, at (530) 573-2653 or at
the above address.
DECISION TO BE MADE: The decision to be made for this EIS is whether to
issue a Special Use Permit authorizing the construction and operation
of an Intermodal Transit Center on the 64-Acres Tract. If a permit is
issued, what conditions, requirements and mitigations should be
included to protect the environment?
PURPOSE AND NEED: The proposal's purpose is to provide an Intermodal
Transit Center in the Tahoe City area to support existing and future
transit operations. Traffic congestion has long been considered a
problem in the Tahoe Basin and numerous planning efforts have been
undertaken to reduce dependence on automobile travel and to enhance
transit as an effective alternative. One of the constraints to
effective transit in the Tahoe Basin is that there have been limited
facilities to support their operation and to provide safe transfer
points for transit riders, especially during periods of inclement
weather. This facility will transport visitors to the Lake of the Sky
Interpretive Center, also to be built on the 64-Acres tract.
PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES: The proposed action includes issuing
a permit authorizing the construction and operation of a transit center
and associated parking facilities to be located on the northwest
portion of the tract. Associated with the transit center would be
roadway system improvements and recreation trail alterations necessary
to accommodate the new facility. The proposed transit center would
provide parking for six buses at a time. The facility would also
provide an enclosed structure with a heated waiting area to serve 40
patrons. A parking area is to be provided with 130 spaces to support
the Intermodal Transit Center. Intermodal transportation includes
bicycling, roller blading and walking as well as bus, shuttle and taxi
transportation. The transit center and parking will support all of
these uses. This proposal is consistent with Forest Service multiple
use plans and it does not violate the section 4(f) of the Department of
Transportation Act. In addition to the proposed action and no action,
various parking and traffic circulation alternatives may be evaluated
in the EIS.
ISSUES: Traffic impacts, parking, and the need for a transit center on
this site are likely to be the main issues. Air quality, water quality,
visual, noise, recreation, and biological resources will also be
addressed.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tahoe City Community Plan and the TRPA
Regional Transportation Plan/Air Quality Plan both recognize the need
for a transit facility in the Tahoe City area to support existing and
potential transit operations. The tract has been identified in adopted
plans and policies as the location for the facility because of the
proximity of the site to Tahoe City and because the location provides
an effective transfer point for transit serving the north shore, west
shore and the Truckee River area including the town of Truckee.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) for this proposal was distributed
for public review and comment February 11, 1999. The EA was tiered to
the Lake of the Sky environmental Impact Statement. Other documents
that contributed to the preparation of the EA include the Tahoe City
Community Plan, the Sixty-four Acres Tract Multimodal Transportation
Center Study Final Report May, 1994, and the LTBMU Forest Plan. A
scoping meeting for the EA was held on May 1, 1998, in Tahoe City.
There were two noticed public hearings on the EA: Tahoe City on
February 24, 1999 and San Francisco on April 8, 1999. The project was
discussed at the North Tahoe Advisory Council meeting August 13, 1998.
Scoping meetings for the EIR/TRPA EIS were held July 14 (Tahoe City)
and July 15, 1999 (Incline Village Nevada). Scoping letters inviting
input on the EIS/EIS are being sent to all those who expressed an
interest in this project. Scoping input and public comments that were
received on the EA, as well as additional written comments and
suggestions postmarked by August 31, 1999 will be addressed in the EIS/
EIR. No additional scoping meetings are planned at this time.
Implementation of the management proposal would require several
permits or licenses from other agencies including the Tahoe Regional
Planning Agency, Placer County, and Caltrans. Compliance with the
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) is
required. Placer County is the lead for the EIR and TRPA will also take
action on the EIR/EIS in conformance with the Agency's Code of
Ordinances.
The decision will be made by Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Forest Supervisor, as the Forest Service is the lead agency under NEPA.
Placer County is the lead state agency under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The draft EIS is anticipated to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency and made available to the public for comment in
November 1999. The final EIS and Record of Decision is expected in
April 2000. The decision will be appealable under Forest Service
regulations found at 36 CFR part 217.
The comment period for the draft EIS will be at least 45 days from
the date the Environmental Protection Agency
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publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft EIS's must structure their participation in the environmental
review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to
the reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power
Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also environmental objections
that could be raised at the draft EIS stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final EIS may be waived or dismissed by
the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Circut,
1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338
(E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important
that those interested in this proposed action participate by the close
of the comment period so that substantive comments and objections are
made available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully
consider them and respond to them in the final EIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to
specific pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also
address the adequacy of the draft EIS or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Linda Massey,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 99-19294 Filed 7-27-99; 8:45 am]
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