[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 112 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36674-36675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14676]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for 
Proposed Authorization of an Ohio River Ecosystem Restoration Program

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

ACTION:  Notice.

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SUMMARY: This Notice of Intent is an amendment to the Department of the 
Army, Corps of Engineers, ``Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Ohio River Main Stem System 
Study,'' published in Federal Register, volume 63, number 203 page 
56165, on Wednesday, October 21, 1998.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, and resource agencies of states bordering the 
Ohio River, is currently evaluating various ecosystem restoration 
opportunities for the Ohio River corridor. The proposed action is being 
conducted under the authority of United States Senate, Committee on 
Public Works resolution dated May 16, 1955; and, United States House of 
Representatives. Committee on Public Works and Transportation 
resolution dated March 11, 1982.
    The Corps of Engineers will prepare and circulate a Decision 
Document and integrated Environmental Assessment which will announce an 
intention to prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), IF 
appropriate. Public review of this report is scheduled to begin in July 
2000. Interested parties are encouraged to send written comments or 
requests for information, regarding the proposed study process, to the 
point-of-contact below. All comments and information requests should be 
postmarked no later than 30 days after this Notice of Intent is 
published.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please address questions regarding 
this notice to Mr. Michael Q. Holley, PM-C, Louisville District, Corps 
of Engineers, P.O. Box 59, Louisville, Kentucky 40201-0059, Telephone: 
(502) 582-5152.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    a. Reference Federal Register, volume 63, number 203, dated 
Wednesday, October 21, 1998. Within that document, the Corps of 
Engineers gave notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Ohio River Main Stem System Study.
    This study is designed to capture foreseeable maintenance, 
rehabilitation and new construction needs for the navigation 
infrastructure of the Ohio River until the year 2060 and to investigate 
habitat restoration options along the main stem Ohio River. The study 
would also identify those actions which are economically justified and 
environmentally prudent.
    b. As part of the Ohio River Main Stem System Study, an 
environmental team, consisting of personnel from the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the natural resource agencies of six states, and the 
Corps of Engineers was formed. This team investigated opportunities and 
established general goals for ecosystem restoration projects. During 
the initial study process, resource officials of states bordering the 
Ohio River, identified over 250 site-specific environmental projects 
for further analysis. Because of the considerable interest, the Corps 
of Engineers, with support from state officials, initiated a study 
report for proposed authorization of a cost shared ecosystem 
restoration program for the Ohio River.
    c. The Corps of Engineers originally intended to study ecosystem 
restoration, within the entire Ohio River Main Stem System Study, as 
indicated in the Supplemental Information of Federal Register, volume 
63, number 203. However, an ecosystem restoration program does not 
relate directly to navigational improvements and can stand independent 
of those improvements. It was therefore determined that an ecosystem 
restoration program would be developed as a separate product of the 
Ohio River Main Stem System Study.
    d. The primary purpose of the proposed ecosystem restoration 
program is to restore and protect aquatic, wetland, floodplain and 
riparian habitats that would benefit from such a program for the Ohio 
River watershed. These goals would be accomplished by means of erosion 
control, island restoration, bottomland reforestation, creation of 
aquatic habitat, and other generally accepted environmental measures. 
As a secondary objective, the program would preserve the historic and 
cultural resources of the Ohio River through implementation of various 
low cost educational and recreational amenities that would not detract 
from

[[Page 36675]]

the environmental restoration goals of the program.
    e. The Corps of Engineers will prepare and circulate a Decision 
Document and integrated Environmental Assessment which will announce an 
intention to prepare a FONSI, if a FONSI is determined to be 
appropriate. Circulation of this document will assist the Corps in 
determining whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or a FONSI 
is the next appropriate step in the NEPA process prior to authorization 
of a cost shared ecosystem restoration program for the Ohio River.

Daniel E. Steiner,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 00-14676 Filed 6-8-00; 8:45 am]
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