[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 3171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1641]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the Southwest Florida Feasibility Study (SWFFS)

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps), intends to prepare an integrated Feasibility Report and DEIS 
for the Southwest Florida Feasibility Study. The study is a cooperative 
effort between the Corps and the South Florida Water Management 
District (SFWMD), which is also a cooperating agency for this DEIS. One 
of the recommendations of the final report of the Central & South 
Florida (C&SF) Comprehensive Review Study (Restudy) was the SWFFS. The 
SWFFS will develop a comprehensive regional plan for addressing water 
resource problems and opportunities in southwest Florida.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kremer, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Planning Division, Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, 
Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019, or by telephone at 904-232-3551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: a. Authorization: The C&SF Project was first 
authorized in 1948 to provide flood control, water control, water 
supply, and other services to an area that stretched from Orlando to 
Florida Bay. Section 309(l) of the Water Resources Development Act of 
1992 (Pub. L. 102-580) provided authorization for the Restudy. The 
Restudy concluded with an Integrated Feasibility Report and Final 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement in April 1999. Section 528 
of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-303) 
authorizes several ecosystem restoration activities recommended by the 
Restudy, including the SWFFS.
    b. Study Area: The SWFFS area covers approximately 4,300 square 
miles including all of Lee County, most of Collier and Hendry Counties, 
and portions of Charlotte, Glades, and Monroe Counties.
    c. Project Scope: The SWFFS will develop alternative plans and 
recommendations for structural, non-structural, and operational 
modifications and improvements in the region. The study will evaluate 
alternatives based on their ability to improve water deliveries to the 
estuaries, manage agricultural and urban water supplies, protect and 
conserve water resources, protect or restore fish and wildlife and 
their associated habitat, restore and manage wetland and associated 
upland ecosystems, sustain economic and natural resources, improve 
water quality, and other performance criteria being developed by the 
Project Delivery Team.
    d. Preliminary Alternatives: Like the Restudy, the Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) will evaluate the following structural and non-
structural water resource related features: surface water storage, re-
establishment of overland sheet flow, aquifer storage and recovery, 
stormwater treatment, wastewater treatment, water conservation 
programs, land acquisition, rehydration of wetlands, ecosystem needs, 
and operational changes to water management facilities.
    e. Issues: The EIS will address the following issues: restoration 
of estuarine, aquatic, wetland, and upland ecosystems; water flows; 
future agricultural, environmental, and urban water demand and supply; 
socio-economic resources; aquifer recharge; conversion of public 
conservation lands to water storage areas; water quality; impacts to 
the estuaries; flood protection; the impacts of land acquisition on the 
tax base; aesthetics and recreation; fish and wildlife resources, 
including protected species; cultural resources; and other impacts 
identified through scoping, public involvement, and interagency 
coordination.
    f. Scoping: In July 2000, the Corps and SFWMD conducted the first 
round of public meetings with stakeholders, agencies, and other members 
of the public to gather technical input and documentation identifying 
the water resources problems, needs, and opportunities of southwest 
Florida. The second round of public meetings occurred in October 2000, 
to clarify and refine the issues brought up in the first round of 
meetings, and discuss the draft Project Management Plan (PMP).
    A third round of meetings, scheduled to occur in February 2002, 
will provide an opportunity for public and agency input in response to 
this Notice. The meetings will discuss the feasibility phase of the 
study, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, 
and further gather public input. Other public meetings will be held 
over the course of the study; the exact location, dates, and times will 
be announced in public notices and local newspapers. We invite the 
participation of affected Federal, state and local agencies, affected 
Indian tribes, and other interested private organizations and parties.
    g. DEIS Preparation: The integrated Feasibility Report, including a 
DEIS, is currently scheduled for publication in June 2005.

    Dated: January 7, 2002.
James C. Duck,
Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 02-1641 Filed 1-22-02; 8:45 am]
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