[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25687-25688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10216]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers;


Notice of Availability of Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Rio del Oro Specific Plan Project, in the 
City of Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Sacramento District published a 
notice in the Federal Register on December 8, 2006 (71 FR 71142-71143), 
informing the public of the availability of the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Rio del Oro Specific Plan Project. 
USACE, Sacramento District has prepared a Supplemental Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) in response to new information. 
It is now available for review and comment.
    The SDEIS provides new information and additional analyses related 
to utilities and service systems (specifically, water supply) and 
biological resources. Like the 2006 DEIS, the SDEIS analyzes the 
potential effects of implementing each of five alternative scenarios 
for a mixed-use development in the approximately 3,828-acre Rio del Oro 
Specific Plan area, in the City of Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County, 
CA. The alternatives considered in detail in the SDEIS are: (1) 
Proposed Project/Proposed Action (i.e., Proposed Project Alternative), 
the Applicants' Preferred Alternative; (2) High Density (Increased 
Densities Consistent with Sacramento Area Council of Governments 
Blueprint); (3) Impact Minimization; (4) No Federal Action (No Section 
404 of the Clean Water Act Permit); and (5) No Project/No Action (No 
development).

DATES: All written comments must be postmarked on or before July 6, 
2008. A public hearing will be held on May 22, 2008 at 6 p.m. at the 
Rancho Cordova City Hall, located at 2729 Prospect Park Drive, Suite 
220, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. Oral and written comments will be 
accepted at the public hearing. Written and oral comments will be given 
equal weight and all comments received or postmarked by the date of the 
hearing, or by the above date in the absence of a hearing, will be 
considered by the Corps in preparing the Final EIS. Comments received 
or postmarked after the date of the hearing, or after the above date in 
the absence of a hearing, will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted in writing to: Kathleen Dadey, 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, Regulatory Branch, 
1325 J Street, Room 1480, Sacramento, CA 95814-2922, or via e-mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Dadey at (916) 557-7253.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental effects of five 
alternatives were evaluated in detail in the 2006 DEIS. Under the 
Proposed Project/Proposed Action (Proposed Project Alternative), 
buildout of the project would occur in five phases over 25-30 years. 
The project provides for construction of approximately 11,601 
residential dwelling units in three residential land use 
classifications on 1,920 acres, along with commercial land uses, 
neighborhood parks, and other uses such as a landscape corridor and 
greenbelt, and several public schools. New utilities and communications 
infrastructure would be installed and new roadways and on- and off-site 
infrastructure improvements would be completed. The project designates 
a 507-acre wetland preserve area and two elderberry preserve areas on 
the site. The four alternatives to the Proposed Project/Proposed Action 
described in the 2006 DEIS are as follows:
    (1) The High Density Alternative embraces the concept of ``Smart 
Growth,'' consistent with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments 
Regional Blueprint. Under Smart Growth principles, areas planned for 
development are developed at higher densities. Although these higher 
densities may result in greater localized impacts on resources, the 
overall area of disturbance is reduced by concentrating development in 
particular locations.
    (2) The Impact Minimization Alternative would reconfigure project 
components to reduce impacts to waters of the United States, including 
wetlands and high-quality biological habitat.
    (3) The No Federal Action Alternative was designed to allow some 
development of the project site while avoiding the placement of dredged 
or fill material into waters of the United States.
    (4) The No Project/No Action Alternative would preclude development 
of the project; under this alternative, the majority of the project 
site would remain under the jurisdiction of the City of Rancho Cordova.
    After the 2006 DEIS was issued, USACE, Sacramento District 
determined that the water supply and biological resources portions of 
the DEIS should be supplemented, as described below.
    The SDEIS includes a revised water-supply analysis that describes 
the various sources of water for the project, including short-term 
sources for development of Phase 1 and long-term water supplies for all 
phases of development, and impacts associated with providing water to 
the project. The analysis addresses the following elements set forth in 
the case of Vineyard Area Citizens for Responsible Growth, Inc. v. City 
of Rancho Cordova, 40 Cal. 4th 412 (2007), which was decided after the 
2006 DEIS was released:
     Reasonable likelihood of the water sources proving 
available.
     Identification and quantification of water demand from 
project and cumulative development.
     Reasonable likelihood of identified water supply meeting 
the demands of project and cumulative development.
     Analysis of alternative sources of water and project 
contingencies (including curtailment) if water-supply sources are not 
reasonably likely.
     Impacts of water-supply infrastructure.
    The revised water-supply analysis in the SDEIS also includes 
consideration of potentially significant impacts that could result from 
constructing a new water conveyance pipeline and booster pump station, 
as well as potentially significant impacts that could occur from 
curtailment of development as a mitigation measure. These impacts were 
not discussed as part of the 2006 DEIS.
    The SDEIS also contains a revised biological resources section that 
incorporates information responding to comments raised during the DEIS 
public-review period to ensure that the analysis considers significant, 
relevant public comments. This section also contains new information 
related to additional biological resource studies that have been 
performed by the applicants since the DEIS was circulated, and some of 
the mitigation measures have been expanded or clarified. The expanded 
mitigation measures do not result in new significant impacts. The 
biological resources section also contains additional analysis of 
project consistency with the biological resources goals in the City of 
Rancho Cordova's general plan.
    USACE invites full public participation to promote open 
communication and better decision-making. All persons and organizations 
that have an interest in the Rio del Oro Specific Plan Project are 
urged to

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participate in the NEPA process. A public hearing will be held as 
described in the DATES section. This hearing will be announced in 
advance through notices, media news releases, and/or mailings.
    Copies of the SDEIS may be reviewed at the following locations: 1. 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District Web Site: http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/; 2. City of Rancho Cordova City Hall, 2729 
Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670; 3. City of Rancho 
Cordova Planning Department Web site: http://www.cityofranchocordova.org/Index.aspx?page=128.

    Dated: April 29, 2008.
Christine Altendorf,
Acting District Engineer.
 [FR Doc. E8-10216 Filed 5-6-08; 8:45 am]
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