[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 87 (Friday, May 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26478-26479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4241]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
to the Interim Operational Plan for Protection of the Cape Sable 
Seaside Sparrow, Everglades National Park, Miami-Dade County, FL, May 
2002

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In 1999, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Final 
Biological Opinion for the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades 
National Park Project (MWD Project), the C-111 Project, and the 
Experimental Water

[[Page 26479]]

Deliveries to Everglades National Park Project. FWS concluded that the 
operations, if continued, would likely jeopardize the continued 
existence of the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow and adversely 
modify its critical habitat. In response, the Corps implemented an 
Interim Structural and Operational Plan (ISOP) in March 2000, followed 
by the Interim Operating Plan (IOP) in July 2002. These operations were 
designed to protect the sparrow pending completion of construction of 
the MWD Project and the C-111 Project. Because of the urgency to 
implement IOP in time for the next sparrow breeding season, the IOP 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was completed prior to 
conclusion of modeling that supported the selected plan. Pursuant to a 
March 2006 order by the United States District Court for the Southern 
District of Florida, the Corps will be preparing a supplement to the 
IOP FEIS. The Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) will 
update the FEIS with the modeling for the selected alternative, which 
was completed in November 2002, as well as actual data collected since 
the May 2002 FEIS. In addition the SEIS will update its analysis of the 
default condition for the reservoirs.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning Division, 
Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Barbara Cintron at (904) 232-1692 
or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    a. The proposed action will be the previously selected Alternative 
7R that consists of water management operations of existing structural 
components of the Central & Southern Florida Project (C&SF Project) to 
avoid flooding the sparrow breeding habitats during the breeding season 
and to rehydrate breeding habitats during the annual wet season in 
order to prevent and reverse habitat degradation.
    b. Alternatives will be chosen from the array in the previous FEIS 
that involve spatial variations in conveying water through the C&SF 
Project to protect the sparrow.
    c. A scoping letter will be used to invite comments on alternatives 
and issues from Federal, State, and local agencies, affected Indian 
tribes, and other interested private organizations and individuals.
    d. The Draft SEIS will update the Corps' analysis of Alternative 7R 
with modeling that was completed in November 2002 for that alternative 
and compare it to the previous alternatives. In addition, modeling for 
marsh operations and variable flows at pump station S-356 based on 
seepage will be used to update the analysis of the default condition 
for the reservoirs constructed in the C-111 Basin. The previous model 
could not accommodate the analysis of variable flows at S-356 when the 
7R modeling was concluded in 2002. The analysis will also include 
actual hydrologic field data collected since 2002 and information on 
subsequent nesting success of endangered species, including the sparrow 
and the snail kite.
    e. The alternative plans will be reviewed under provisions of 
appropriate laws and regulations, including the Endangered Species Act, 
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Clean Water Act, and Farmland 
Protection Policy Act.
    f. A scoping meeting is not anticipated.
    g. The Draft SEIS is expected to be available for public review in 
the 3rd quarter of CY 2006.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-4241 Filed 5-4-06; 8:45 am]
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