[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 19 (Friday, January 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5649-5650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2036]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Army Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the Sacramento River Bank Protection 
Project Phase II Supplemental Authority providing for implementation of 
up to 80,000 linear feet of additional bank protection in the 
Sacramento River Flood Control Project area, Butte, Colusa, Contra 
Costa, Glenn, Placer, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and 
Yuba Counties, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The action being taken is the preparation of a joint 
environmental impact statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) 
for the Sacramento River Bank Protection Project (SRBPP) Phase II 
Supplemental Authority. The SRBPP Phase II Supplemental Authority will 
result in the implementation of an additional 80,000 linear feet of 
bank protection in the Sacramento River Flood Control Project area, as 
authorized by the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007. The 
SRBPP Phase II Supplemental Authority is located in the Sacramento 
River Flood Control Project (SRFCP) area, consisting of the Sacramento 
River and its Tributaries, CA.

DATES: A series of public scoping meetings will be held as follows:
    1. Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 6 to 8 p.m. at Colusa Fairgrounds, 
Atwood Hall (1303 10th Street, Colusa).
    2. Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 6 to 8 p.m. at Jean Harvie 
Community and Senior Center (14273 River Road, Walnut Grove).
    3. Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 4 to 6 p.m. at Library Galleria (828 
``I'' Street, Sacramento).
    4. Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chico Masonic 
Family Center (110 West East Avenue, Chico).
    Send written comments by March 16, 2009 to the address below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning this project may 
be submitted to Mr. Matthew Davis, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Sacramento District, Attn: CESPK-PD-R, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, CA 
95814-2922. Requests to be placed on the mailing list should also be 
sent to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and EIS/EIR should be addressed to Matthew Davis at (916) 557-6708, by 
e-mail [email protected], by fax (916) 557-7856, or by 
mail to (see ADDRESSES).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento 
District (Corps) is the federal lead agency for compliance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Proposed Action. The 
Central Valley Flood Protection Board of the State of California 
(CVFPB) is the state lead agency for compliance with the California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Proposed Action.
    1. Proposed Action. Section 3031 of the Water Resources Development 
Act (WRDA) of 2007 authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its 
local sponsors to construct an additional 80,000 linear feet of bank 
protection in the SRBPP area. The Corps and the CVFPB are preparing an 
EIS/EIR to analyze the impacts of constructing an additional 80,000 
linear feet of bank protection in the SRBPP area in the form

[[Page 5650]]

of bank stabilization, employing primarily riprap, and levee setbacks 
where feasible.
    The planning area for the proposed actions is considered to be the 
entire Sacramento River Flood Control Project, and the Corps' current 
inventory of critical eroding sites will constitute a representative 
sample of the sites to eventually be treated. As streambank erosion is 
episodic and new critical sites can appear each year, the environmental 
analysis will be programmatic in nature allowing for future 
environmental impact analysis for specific projects, as needed.
    2. Alternatives. The EIS/EIR will address the No Action alternative 
and five action alternatives including four different types of bank 
protection alternatives and a levee setback alternative. The four types 
of bank protection alternatives differ from one another in the amount 
and extent of rock protection placed and the environmental features 
(e.g., vegetation and instream woody material) incorporated in the 
design.
    3. Scoping Process.
    a. A series of public scoping meetings will be held in February 
2009 to present information to the public and to receive comments from 
the public. These meetings are intended to initiate the process to 
involve concerned individuals, and local, State, and Federal agencies.
    b. Significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS/EIR 
include effects on river meander, hydraulics, wetlands and other waters 
of the U.S., vegetation and wildlife resources, special-status species, 
aesthetics, cultural resources, recreation, land use, fisheries, water 
quality, air quality, noise, transportation, visual resources, and 
socioeconomics; and cumulative effects of related projects in the study 
area.
    c. The Corps will consult with the State Historic Preservation 
Officer to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act and the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to 
comply with the Endangered Species Act. The Corps is also coordinating 
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to comply with the Fish and 
Wildlife Coordination Act.
    d. A 45-day public review period will be provided for individuals 
and agencies to review and comment on the draft EIS/EIR. All interested 
parties are encouraged to respond to this notice and provide a current 
address if they wish to be notified of the draft EIS/EIR circulation.
    4. Availability. The draft EIS/EIR is scheduled to be available for 
public review and comment in October 2010.

     Dated: January 22, 2009.
Thomas C. Chapman,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
 [FR Doc. E9-2036 Filed 1-29-09; 8:45 am]
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