[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 231 (Friday, November 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59782-59783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29787]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare A Joint Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/R) for the Hamilton Army 
Airfield Wetland Restoration Project To Include The Bel Marin Keys Unit 
V Property, Marin County, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District 
(Corps) in collaboration with the California Coastal Conservancy 
(Conservancy) and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development 
Commission (BCDC) are proposing to restore wetlands on the 1,610-acre 
Bel Marin Keys Unit V (BMKV) property as an expansion of the Hamilton 
Wetland Restoration Project at the Hamilton Army Air Field (HAAF). This 
SEIS/R will supplement the combined EIS/R, which was prepared for the 
Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project in 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and SEIS/R can be answered by: Eric Jolliffe, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, San Francisco District, 333 Market St., 7th floor, San 
Francisco, CA 94105, [email protected], (415) 977-8543. 
Information on the project can be found on the web at http://www.coastalconservancy.ca.gov/belmarin. Written comments can also be

[[Page 59783]]

submitted via email by sending the comments to: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Public Law 102-484 
section 2834, as amended by Public Law 104-106 section 2867, the 
Department of the Army and the California State Coastal Conservancy 
hereby give notice of intent to prepare a joint SEIS/R for Hamilton 
Army Airfield Wetland Restoration Project, Marin County, California to 
include the addition of the Bel Marin Keys Unit V property. The Corps 
is the lead agency for this project under the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA). The Conservancy is the lead agency for this project 
under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A joint SEIS/R 
will be prepared to comply with the requirements of NEPA and CEQA. An 
EIS/R for the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project was completed in 
December 1998. The Hamilton project is presently in final engineering 
design and is expected to commence in the summer of 2002. In 2001, The 
Conservancy purchased the BMKV property with the intent of including it 
as an expansion of the Hamilton project.

1. Proposed Action

    The 1,610-acre Bel Marin Keys Unit V (BMKV) property is located in 
unincorporated Marin County, southeast of the city of Novato. The 
project area historically supported subtidal bay, tidal wetland, and 
possibly freshwater marsh habitat but levees constructed during the 
early 20th century separated the area from the tidal influence of San 
Pablo Bay and drained the site. The area has remained in agricultural 
use for the last century and it currently supports hay production. The 
site has subsided to below sea level. Approximately 90 percent of the 
tidal wetlands that existed around the San Francisco Bay in 1800 have 
been destroyed by diking or filling for purposes of agriculture, 
development, or salt production.
    The proposed action is expected to include restoration of the 
majority of the BMKV parcel to wetlands through, at a minimum, site 
grading, and breaching of one or more of the existing levees separating 
the site from San Pablo Bay or other adjacent water bodies. The Corps 
and the Conservancy are currently developing the Conceptual Wetland 
Restoration Plan for the BMKV parcel that will identify the general 
details of the proposed action and potential alternatives for analysis 
in the SEIR/S.
    The goal of this project is to create a diverse array of wetland 
and wildlife habitats at the BMKV and HAAF sites that benefit 
endangered species as well as other migratory and resident species.

2. Project Alternatives

    As noted above, the Corps and the Conservancy are currently 
developing the Conceptual Wetland Restoration Plan for the BMKV parcel. 
The SEIS/R will include at a minimum the following alternatives:
     No Action Alternative--The BMKV parcel would remain in its 
present state without any active intervention to alter habitats. The 
parcel would not be added to the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project.
     Restoration of Wetlands Using Natural Sedimentation--
Wetlands would be restored on the BMKV parcel through the use of one or 
more breaches in the levees that separate the site from San Pablo Bay 
and possibly other adjacent water bodies. Wetland establishment would 
occur on the site through deposition of sedimentation due to flows 
through the breach or breaches.
     Restoration of Wetlands Using Dredge Material--Wetlands 
would be restored on the BMKV parcel through the use of one or more 
breaches in the levees that separate the site from San Pablo Bay and 
possibly other adjacent water bodies. Wetland establishment would occur 
through the deposition of dredged material on the site to raise the 
elevations above their current subtidal levels.
    Within the two general approaches to wetland restoration (natural 
sedimentation and dredged material), there are a number of other design 
considerations that the Corps and Conservancy are currently examining 
through the development of the Conceptual Plan. These considerations 
may be incorporated into the proposed action or alternatives to be 
evaluated in the SEIR/S. These include:
     Connection to Adjacent Water Bodies--The site could be 
connected to San Pablo Bay through breaches in the outboard levee at 
several different locations. In addition, the site could be connected 
to Novato Creek or Pacheco Pond either through breaches in the existing 
levees or culverts. The general location and design of connections will 
be identified in the Conceptual Plan.
     Protection and/or Relocation of Existing Infrastructure--
There is an existing Novato Sanitary District wastewater line that 
crosses the site leading to an outfall in San Pablo Bay. The line could 
require additional protection from settling that might occur as a 
result of the project or relocation, depending on the overall design of 
the project.
     Treated Wastewater Use--It may be possible to use treated 
wastewater from the Navato Sanitary District in a freshwater or 
brackish marsh on a portion of the site.
     Integration with Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project--
Part of the BMKV site is separated from the Hamilton (Airfield) Wetland 
Restoration Site by an existing levee. Connections between the 
restoration sites may be possible via breaches or culverts through this 
levee or via degradation or removal of the levee.
    This conceptual design process has included a public meeting in the 
project area and consultation with public agencies and stakeholders 
with an interest in the project. The conceptual design process will be 
completed in early 2002. The outcome of the process will be to identify 
a proposed action and identify alternatives for analysis in the SEIR/S. 
Input from the public scoping period and the public scoping meeting 
will be taken into consideration in the selection of the proposed 
action and alternatives for further analysis.

3. Scoping Process

    The Corps and Conservancy are seeking input from interested 
federal, state, and local agencies, Native American representatives, 
and other interested private organizations and parties through 
provision of this notice and holding of a scoping meeting. The scoping 
meeting will be held at the Marin Humane Society, 171 Bel Marin Keys 
Boulevard, Novato, CA on December 5, 2001 at 7:00 pm. The purpose of 
this meeting is to solicit input regarding the environmental issues of 
concern and the alternatives that should be discussed in the SEIS/R. 
The public comment period closes December 31, 2001.

4. Availability of SEIS/R

    The public will have an additional opportunity to comment on the 
proposed alternatives after the draft SEIS/R is released to the public 
in 2002.

Timothy S. O'Rourke,
Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 01-29787 Filed 11-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-19-M