[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 30394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4883]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Real Estate Supplement/Third Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (RES/SEIS) to the Final SEIS on Modified 
Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park, Tamiami Trail Feature, 
Miami-Dade County, FL, November 2005

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

ACTION:  Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In November 2005, the Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers (Corps) issued a Final 2nd Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Tamiami Trail feature of the Modified 
Water Deliveries (MWD) project to Everglades National Park in Miami-
Dade County, FL. That SEIS assumed that the National Park Service (NPS) 
would acquire the necessary real estate interests in seven privately-
owned parcels of land adjacent to the south side of Tamiami Trail to 
avoid flooding impacts after the Tamiami Trail project was constructed 
and ecosystem restoration water flows were directed south into 
Everglades National Park. It is now concluded that the NPS will be 
unable to complete the acquisition of real estate rights in time to 
meet the overall schedule of the MWD project. The Corps now proposes to 
take over responsibility for the acquisition and address the related 
impacts in a supplement to the previous SEIS.

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 selected plan described in the 
November 2005 Revised General Reevaluation Report/SEIS with the 
additional action of securing the necessary real estate rights to the 
privately owned properties along Tamiami Trail consisting of Florida 
Power and Light Co., Radio One Communications, Coopertown Airboard 
Rides, Gator Park, Everglades Safari Park, and Lincoln Financial Media 
(formerly Jefferson Pilot). The 1989 Everglades National Park 
Protection and Expansion Act (Pub. L. 101-229) provided authority for 
NPS to acquire all of these properties to be included in the boundary 
of the Everglades National Park (ENP) except for the Airboat 
Association of Florida. The Airboat Association of Florida was 
specifically excluded from the boundary of the ENP map at the time 
Public Law 101-229 was enacted. Therefore, the proposed action will 
also include securing the real estate rights from the Airboat 
Association necessary to convey water flows south into ENP.
    The NPS retains responsibility for reaching agreement with the 
Osceola Indian Village on flood protection measures for their 
facilities, and for providing NEPA coverage on that action.
    b. Alternatives to be considered separately for each property 
involves some combination of structural modifications, acquisition of 
an occasional/perpetual flowage easement, or fee simple title 
acquisition (buy out).
    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. A 
scoping meeting is not anticipated.
    d. A Public meeting will be held after release of the Draft RES/
SEIS; the exact location, date, and times will be announced in a public 
notice and local newspapers.
    e. DSEIS Preparation: The integrated RES, including a DSEIS, is 
expected to be available for public review in the third quarter of CY 
2006.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-4883 Filed 5-25-06; 8:45 am]
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