[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 17 (Friday, January 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3773-3774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1840]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement--
Proposed Commercial and Recreational Developments on the Muscle Shoals 
and Wilson Dam Reservations, Colbert and Lauderdale Counties, AL

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: This notice is provided in accordance with the Council on 
Environmental Quality's regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 to 1508), 
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its 
implementing regulations (36 CFR part 800), and TVA's procedures 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. TVA will prepare an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) on alternatives for commercial and recreational development 
requested by local governments in the jurisdictions surrounding TVA 
property in the Shoals area of northwestern Alabama (Colbert County, 
city of Florence, Lauderdale County, city of Muscle Shoals, city of 
Sheffield, and city of Tuscumbia). The local governments have requested 
that TVA make available 263 hectares (650 acres) of federal property on 
the Muscle Shoals Reservation and 6 ha (15 acres) of federal property 
on the Wilson Dam Reservation for their use in constructing a hotel, 
conference center, and golf course development. The project would be 
funded by the Retirement System of Alabama (RSA), a state agency, and 
the local governments.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the environmental review must be 
received on or before February 25, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Jon M. Loney, Manager, 
NEPA Administration, Environmental Policy and Planning, Tennessee 
Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 
37902-1499.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harold M. Draper, NEPA Specialist, 
Environmental Policy and Planning, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West 
Summit Hill Drive, WT 8C, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499; telephone 
(865) 632-6889 or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TVA acquired control of the Muscle Shoals 
and Wilson Dam reservation properties, consisting of about 1229 
hectares (3036 acres), from the U.S. War Department in 1933. During the 
past few years, TVA has received a variety of proposals for development 
and use of the two reservation properties by nonfederal entities. Local 
governments have been interested in promoting regional economic 
development and have provided TVA with several concepts for evaluation. 
In 1996, TVA prepared a land plan to identify portions of the two 
reservations that could be made available to non-federal entities for 
development. The land plan contemplated that TVA would reserve the 
majority of the property for the agency's own use, but would make 
available limited property for regional development. TVA subsequently 
made available a site for construction of a chamber of commerce 
headquarters for the region on the Wilson Dam Reservation, and a site 
for commercial development at the junction of two major streets on the 
Muscle Shoals Reservation.
    In 2001, responding to a local government request to invest in the 
Shoals region. RSA proposed to partially fund construction of a first 
class hotel, conference center, and 36-hole golf course, as part of an 
Alabama tourism development effort called the Robert Trent Jones Golf 
Trail. The hotel, conference center, and golf course would be 
constructed on TVA land. In addition, an existing city park, known as 
Florence Veterans Park and now used for a campground and for dispersed 
day uses, would be converted to a zoo, water theme park, marina, and 
other improvements. Under the terms of the easement to the City of 
Florence for the Florence Veterans Park, TVA approval also would be 
needed for the Veterans Park improvements. Finally, a ``river heritage 
trail'' would be developed on the north side of the Tennessee River. 
Because TVA has received a unified request from the local governments 
and the request supports regional development goals, TVA has decided to 
evaluate the Shoals proposal in more detail. Although detailed concept 
plans have not yet been presented to TVA, the agency is providing early 
notice of the proposal to facilitate the identification of issues to be 
addressed and the development of alternatives to be assessed in the 
environmental review. The alternatives to be analyzed have not been 
developed at this time, but at a minimum involve no action, full or 
partial development of the 665 acres specifically requested by the 
local governments, and other potential sites. The property proposed for 
the golf course is now available to the public for dispersed 
recreational use, including foot and bicycle trails and a picnic area. 
The property proposed for the hotel and

[[Page 3774]]

conference center is now open space on the north side of Wilson Dam.
    Based on the results of the previous public interaction for 
projects on the Muscle Shoals and Wilson Reservations, TVA anticipates 
that the EA or EIS will include discussion of the potential effects of 
alternatives on the following resources: visual resources, cultural 
resources, threatened and endangered species, terrestrial ecology, 
wetlands, recreation, water quality, aquatic ecology, and 
socioeconomics.
    TVA is interested in receiving additional comments on the issues to 
be addressed. Written comments on the scope of the environmental review 
should be received on or before February 25, 2002.
    TVA will begin by developing an EA for the proposed project. In the 
event that information gathered or analyses conducted in preparing this 
EA indicate that the proposal could have a significant impact on the 
environment, the agency will prepare an EIS. If TVA decides to prepare 
an EIS, the scoping process now underway for the EA will be used for 
the EIS and will not be repeated.
    TVA will hold public meetings to provide more information and to 
receive comments on the Shoals proposals the week of February 11, 2002. 
Times, locations, and places will be announced in local newspapers, and 
may be obtained by contacting the persons listed above.

    Dated: January 17, 2002.
Kathryn J. Jackson,
Executive Vice President, River System Operations & Environment.
[FR Doc. 02-1840 Filed 1-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P