[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 51 (Friday, March 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12599-12600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1287]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Placer Vineyards Project, Corps Permit Application Number 
199900737

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Placer Vineyards Specific Plan Property Group proposes to 
construct a mixed-use master planned community with residential, 
employment, commercial, open space, recreational and public/quasi-
public land uses. The Plan provides for 14,132 homes in a variety of 
housing types, styles, and densities. At full Plan build-out, projected 
to occur over a 20- to 30-year time period, Placer Vineyards will have 
a population of approximately 33,000 people, 42 acres of employment 
centers, 140 acres of retail commercial centers and approximately 930 
acres of new parks and open space. This project, as proposed, would 
result in impacts to approximately 102.7 acres of waters of the United 
States, including 8.5 acres of temporary impacts to water and wetlands.

DATES: Two scoping meetings will be held on March 28, 2007. The first 
meeting will be conducted from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the second will be 
conducted from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Placer County Community 
Development Resource Center, Planning Commission Hearing Room, 3091 
County Center Drive (corner of Bell Road and Richardson), Auburn, CA 
95603.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement can be answered by Tom 
Cavanaugh, (916) 557-5261, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicants have applied for a Department 
of the Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to 
construct a large-scale mixed-use development project. As part of the 
Section 404(b)(1) application process, the development of an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required. No project 
alternatives have been defined to date. The proposed project and the 
alternatives to its proposed size, design and location will be 
developed through the EIS process.
    Although wetland delineations have been conducted for each of the 
participating properties, some have not yet been verified. Based upon 
the best currently available information, approximately 156.1 acres of 
waters of the United States have been delineated within the 
participating properties. Of the 156.1 acres mapped on site, the 
applicants propose to result in impacts to approximately 61.3 acres of 
waters of the United States and to avoid approximately 60.1 acres of 
waters of the United States for construction of the project (not 
including infrastructure). For development of the infrastructure 
elements, the applicants propose to affect an estimated 41.4 acres of 
waters of the United States. Thus, the combined total proposed impacts 
to waters of the United States for all elements of this comprehensive 
permit application would affect 102.7 acres.
    The Placer Vineyards Plan Area is bounded on the north by Baseline 
Road, on the south by the Sacramento/Placer County line, on the west by 
the Sutter/Placer County line and Pleasant Grove Road, and on the east 
by Dry Creek and Walerga Road. East to west, the Specific Plan area 
spans approximately 6 miles. North to south, at its widest point, it 
spans approximately 2 miles.
    The Corps' public involvement program includes several 
opportunities to provide oral and written comments. Affected Federal, 
state, local agencies, Indian tribes and other interested private 
organizations and parties are invited to participate. Significant 
issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS include, loss of waters to 
the United States, including vernal pools and other wetlands; cultural 
resources; threatened and endangered species; surface water and 
groundwater; water quality; socio-economic effects, and aesthetics.
    The Corps will initiate formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service under 
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for two federally threatened 
and endangered species that may be affected by this project. In 
addition, the Corps will be consulting with the State Historic 
Preservation Officer under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act regarding potential impacts to sites

[[Page 12600]]

listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic 
Places.
    The estimated date when the EIS will be made available to the 
public is December 2008.

    Dated: March 7, 2007.
James A. Porter,
Lt. Col., Corps of Engineers, Deputy District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 07-1287 Filed 3-15-07; 8:45 am]
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