[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 47 (Thursday, March 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12569-12570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5728]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment for the Grand 
Bayou/Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) Freshwater Diversion Project, 
Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, Louisiana

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    The Service announces the availability of the draft EA for the 
Grand Bayou/GIWW Freshwater Diversion Project. A more detailed 
description of the project is outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section below. A Copy of the draft EA may be obtained by sending a 
written request to the Service's Louisiana Field Office (see 
ADDRESSES). Requests must be made in writing to be processed. This 
notice is provided pursuant to NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
    The Service specifically requests information, views, and opinions 
from the public via this Notice on the Federal action, including the 
identification of any other aspects of the human environment not 
already identified in the Service's EA.
    If you wish to comment, you may submit comments by any one of 
several methods. You may mail comments to the Service's Field Office 
(see ADDRESSES). You also may comment via the internet to 
``Ronald__P[email protected]''. Please submit comments over the internet as 
an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Please also include your name and return address in your 
internet message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the Service 
that we have received your internet message, contact us directly at the 
telephone numbers listed below (see FURTHER INFORMATION). Finally, you 
may hand deliver comments to the Service office listed below (see 
ADDRESSES). Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the administrative record. We will honor such 
requests to the extent allowable by law. There may also be 
circumstances in which we would withhold from the administrative record 
a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to 
withhold your name and address, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your comments. We will not, however, consider anonymous 
comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available 
for public inspection in their entirety.

DATES: Written comments on the draft EA should be sent to the Service's 
Field Office (see ADDRESSES) and should be received on or before April 
10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft EA may obtain a copy by 
writing to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 646 
Cajundome Boulevard, Suite 400, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506. Documents 
will also be available for public inspection by appointment (Attn: 
Ronald Paille) during normal business hours at the Service Field 
Office. Written data or comments concerning the draft EA should be 
submitted to the

[[Page 12570]]

Service Field Office. The data and comments must be submitted in 
writing to be adequately considered in the Service's decision-making 
process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ronald Paille, Senior Field 
Biologist, (see ADDRESSES above), telephone: 337/291-3117 or 337/291-
3100, facsimile: 337/291-3139.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Grand Bayou/GIWW Freshwater Diversion 
Project, was funded through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection 
and Restoration Act on the Fifth Priority Project List. The project 
purpose is to reduce loss of coastal wetlands within the project area 
through increased introduction of freshwater from the Gulf Intracoastal 
Waterway and by reducing canal-induced saltwater intrusion into the 
project area.
    The proposed project would benefit about 42,690 acres of coastal 
wetlands by the enlargement of Bayou L'Eau Bleu to increase freshwater 
inflow. The preferred alternative includes water control structures. 
They would be installed on the Cutoff Canal, just below its junction 
with Bayou Pointe au Chien, and on the Island Road Borrow Canal, just 
west of Bayou Pointe au Chien. These water control structures would be 
operated to reduce canal-induced saltwater intrusion into project area 
wetlands.

    Dated: March 2, 2000.
Judy L. Jones,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-5728 Filed 3-8-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-U