[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 165 (Tuesday, August 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 51257]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21792]



[[Page 51257]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Renourishment of the Brunswick County Beaches--Caswell Beach, 
Oak Island, and Holden Beach Portion, Brunswick County, NC

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: Recent storms, in addition to natural coastal processes, have 
seriously eroded the oceanbront beaches of the Caswell Beach, Oak 
Island, and Holden Beach communities, located adjacent to the Atlantic 
Ocean, in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The proposed project will 
renourish the beach and dunes for approximately 11.8 miles of Caswell 
Beach and Oak Island, and 7.1 miles of Holden Beach, using beach 
compatible sand from one or more offshore borrow sources. Benefits that 
will accrue from the proposed beach renourishment include the 
protection of developed property from future storm and erosion damages, 
and the maintenance and enhancement of the Brunswick County Beaches 
tourism industry.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) can be answered by: Mr. 
Jeff Richter; Environmental Resources Branch; U.S. Army Engineer 
District, Wilmington; Post Office Box 1890; Wilmington, NC 28402-1890; 
telephone (910) 251-4636.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Project alternatives being considered 
include other methods of storm damage reduction and property 
protection, different project designs, various sand borrow sites, and 
no action. Hydraulic pipeline dredges are to be used to dredge and pump 
sand from the selected offshore borrow site(s) to the beach. As the 
discharge site moves along the beach away from the dredge, bulldozers 
move the sand and shape the new beach.
    All private parties and Federal, State, and local agencies having 
an interest in the study are hereby notified of the intent to prepare a 
DEIS and are invited to comment at this time. Also, a scoping letter 
requesting input to the study was sent to all known interested parties 
on January 24, 2000. Based on comments received to date, a scoping 
meeting will not be needed. All comments received as a result of this 
notice of intent and the scoping letter will be considered in the 
preparation of the DEIS.
    Significant issues to be analyzed in the DEIS include: (1) Dredging 
of benthic resources; (2) impact on primary nursery areas, anadromous 
fish, threatened and endangered sea turtles and piping plovers, and 
marine mammals; and (3) impacts to intertidal invertebrates, nektonic 
and benthic species, and other marine species occurring near the 
subject beaches.
    The lead agency for this project is the U.S. Army Engineer 
District, Wilmington. Cooperating agency status has not been assigned 
to, nor requested by, any other agency.
    The DEIS is being prepared in accordance with the requirements of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and will 
address the relationship of the proposed action to all other applicable 
Federal and State Laws and Executive Orders.
    The DEIS is currently scheduled to be available in July 2004.

    Dated: August 8, 2003.
Charles R. Alexander, Jr.,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 03-21792 Filed 8-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CE-M