[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 117 (Friday, June 18, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 34709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14802]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the Newhall Ranch Resource 
Management and Development Plan and Spineflower Conservation Plan, Los 
Angeles County, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District 
(Regulatory Division), in coordination with the California Department 
of Fish and Game (CDFG), has completed a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Newhall Ranch 
Resource Management and Development Plan and Spineflower Conservation 
Plan. The project proponent and landowner, The Newhall Land and Farming 
Company, requires a long-term Section 404 permit from the Corps of 
Engineers for permanent impacts to approximately 93.3 acres of waters 
of the United States, including, 20.5 acres of wetlands, for the 
construction of various facilities in waters of the United States 
associated with the development of a new community composed of a broad 
range of residential, mixed-use and nonresidential land uses in the 
12,000-acre project area located in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, 
California. The Corps considered all comments received in preparing the 
Final EIS/EIR, which is available for a 30-day review. The Final EIS/
EIR includes a draft general conformity determination (see Section 3.2, 
Section 4.7 and Appendix D.7), pursuant to Section 176(c) of the Clean 
Air Act. A general conformity determination is necessary because 
construction of the proposed project would require Federal action 
(i.e., issuance of a Corps permit for activities proposed in waters of 
the U.S.) and not all the Federal action's direct and indirect 
emissions would be below specified de minimis thresholds (40 CFR 
93.153(b)). Pursuant to the general conformity regulations (40 CFR part 
93 Subpart B), general conformity determinations do not have to be 
included in the EIS and can be separately noticed, but the draft 
general conformity determination for the Federal action associated with 
the proposed project is being included in the Final EIS/EIR in this 
case.
    The Final EIS/EIR, including the draft general conformity 
determination and a Draft 404(b)(1) alternatives analysis, is available 
for public review during the next 30 days at the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers Ventura Office, 2151 Alessandro Drive, Suite 110, Ventura, 
California; in addition, the Final EIS/EIR, including the draft general 
conformity determination, is available at the following libraries: 
County of Los Angeles Newhall Branch, Castaic Branch, Sylmar Branch, 
Valencia Branch; County of Ventura Fillmore Branch and H.P. Wright 
Library Branch. The Final EIS/EIR is available at the Corps' Web site: 
http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/NewhallRanch.htm (see links 
under Newhall Ranch) and it is also available via the CDFG's Web page: 
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regions/5/newhall/. Any comments received by the 
Corps on the Final EIS/EIR or the included draft general conformity 
determination during the next 30 days will be considered fully before 
the Corps makes a final general conformity determination and finalizes 
the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Federal action associated with the 
proposed project. The Corps will publish a notice of a final general 
conformity determination in the Federal Register within 30 days of 
rendering a final decision. The public can request from the Corps 
copies of the ROD, which includes responses to comments on the Final 
EIS/EIR, including any on the draft general conformity determination, 
following publication of a final general conformity determination and 
upon execution of the ROD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or comments concerning the 
Final EIS/EIR or the included draft general conformity determination 
should be directed within the next 30 days to Dr. Aaron O. Allen, 
Chief, North Coast Branch, Regulatory Division, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, 2151 Alessandro Drive, Suite 110, Ventura, California 93001, 
(805) 585-2148.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: None.

David J. Castanon,
Chief, Regulatory Division, Los Angeles District.
[FR Doc. 2010-14802 Filed 6-17-10; 8:45 am]
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