[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 116 (Monday, June 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41292-41293]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-15194]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement--
Proposed Commercial Recreational and Residential Developments on 
Tellico Reservoir, Loudon County, TN

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (NEPA). TVA will 
prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to assess the impacts of a project for commercial 
recreation and residential development proposed by a private developer 
(LTR Properties, Inc.) in the area encompassing TVA property on the 
Tellico Reservoir in east Tennessee (Loudon County). The proposed 
project would encompass approximately 266.7 hectares (659 acres): 46.5 
hectares (115 acres) of TVA land, 85.8 hectares (212 acres) of land 
purchased by the developer from the Tellico Reservoir Development 
Agency (TRDA), and 132.3 hectares (327 acres) of private land. TVA must 
decide whether to make about 46.5 hectares (115 acres) of federal 
property on the Tellico Reservation available for LTR Properties, Inc., 
to use in constructing a residential resort and golf course community. 
Additionally, TVA must decide whether to approve the use of about 2.1 
hectares (5 acres) of TVA property, below the 249.93-meter (820-foot) 
elevation and lying between the former TRDA property and Tellico 
Reservoir, for a small golf course.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the environmental review must be 
received on or before July 26, 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: Richard L. Toennisson, NEPA 
Specialist, Environmental Policy and Planning, Tennessee Valley 
Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT 8C, Knoxville, Tennessee 
37902-1499; telephone: (865) 632-8517; or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TVA acquired the Tellico Reservation 
properties, consisting of about 15,271 hectares (37,337 acres), for the 
construction of Tellico Dam and Reservoir which were completed in 1978. 
Part of this property (4,513 hectares or 11,151 acres) was acquired for 
economic development purposes, and, in 1982, these acres were sold to 
Tellico Reservoir Development Agency (TRDA), which is a Tennessee state 
agency created for that purpose. TVA retains approximately 5,116 
hectares (12,643 acres) of Tellico Reservoir shoreline property for 
public use and/or use in TVA projects.
    During the past few years, TVA and TRDA have received several 
development proposals from the private

[[Page 41293]]

sector asking to use the TRDA property allocated for commercial 
recreation, together with TVA Tellico Reservation property including 
the subject 46.5-hectare (115-acre) tract. In 2000, TVA prepared a land 
use plan to allocate public land for varying uses: TVA Project 
Operations, Sensitive Resource Management, Natural Resource 
Conservation, Industrial/Commercial Development, Recreation, and 
Residential Access. Under the 2000 land use plan, 18.4 hectares (45.4 
acres) of the property requested from TVA for the development is 
allocated for recreation use and the remaining 27.1 hectares (69.6 
acres) is allocated for natural resource conservation. The total 46.5 
hectares (115 acres) is currently available to the public for informal 
recreational use but is currently accessible only from water or across 
private land.
    In May 2002, a private developer (LTR Properties, Inc.) requested 
that TVA make available 46.5 hectares (115 acres) of federal property 
on the Tellico Reservation for their use in constructing a residential 
resort and golf course development. This entire project would use the 
adjoining former TRDA property, private land, as well as the requested 
46.5 hectares (115 acres) of TVA land and would eventually include: 
approximately 1,200 residential units; a lodge complex; a small, 9-hole 
golf course; a larger, 18-hole golf course; a marina complex; a retail 
complex; and supporting recreational infrastructure. In addition to 
making a decision on whether to make the 46.5 hectares (115 acres) 
available, TVA must decide whether to approve the use of about 2.1 
hectares (5 acres) of TVA property for the small, 9-hole golf course.
    Because TVA has received a request which supports regional 
development goals and the original Tellico Project purposes of economic 
development, TVA has decided to evaluate the proposal. 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 fully developed at this time but, at a minimum, involve 
either no action or full or partial development of the 46.5 hectares 
(115 acres) including the use of the 2.1 hectares (5 acres) requested 
by LTR Properties, Inc.
    Based on the results of the previous public interaction for 
projects on the Tellico Reservation, 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 July 26, 2002.
    TVA will commence the preparation of an EA for the proposed project 
after considering public comments received from this scoping process. 
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 expects to hold a public meeting to provide more information 
and to receive comments on the proposal in July 2002. Time, location, 
and place will be announced in local newspapers and may be obtained by 
contacting the persons listed above.

    Dated: June 11, 2002.
Kathryn J. Jackson,
Executive Vice President, River System Operations and Environment.
[FR Doc. 02-15194 Filed 6-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P