[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 127 (Friday, July 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38502-38504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16138]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers

[ID SPK-2009-00511]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Sunridge Properties in the Sunridge Specific Plan Area, in 
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: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, (Corps) 
has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze 
programmatically the direct, indirect and cumulative effects associated 
with six residential development projects in the Sunridge Specific Plan 
area in Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County, CA.
    The purpose of the Draft EIS is to provide decision-makers and the 
public with information pertaining to the Proposed Action and 
alternatives, and to disclose environmental impacts and identify 
mitigation measures to reduce impacts. The Proposed Action is the 
construction of the six projects (collectively, the ``Sunridge 
Properties'') which would require the filling of approximately 29.7 
acres of waters of the United States, including wetlands. The EIS is 
being prepared as part of ongoing litigation concerning Department of 
the Army permits issued

[[Page 38503]]

by the Corps between 2005 and 2007 for five of the projects and a 
pending permit decision for the sixth. A stay in the litigation is in 
place while the Corps reevaluates the impacts of the projects through 
preparation of the EIS.
    The Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Corps' 
regulations for NEPA implementation at 33 Code of Federal Regulations 
parts 230 and 325 Appendix B. The Corps is the lead Federal agency 
responsible for complying with NEPA and information contained in the 
EIS serves as the basis for decisions regarding issuance of a 
Department of the Army permits.

DATES: Comments on the Draft EIS must be submitted to the Corps by 
August 15, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Michael Jewell, Chief of the 
Regulatory Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, 
1325 J Street, Room 1480, Sacramento, CA 95814-2922. You may also e-
mail your comments to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Jewell, (916) 557-6605, e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Sunridge Specific Plan area is a master-
planned area consisting of nine residential and commercial developments 
located in eastern Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County, CA. The Specific 
Plan, which was originally approved by the County of Sacramento in 
2002, is part of a larger planning effort in the City of Rancho Cordova 
called the Sunrise-Douglas Community Plan. Three of the nine projects 
in the Sunridge Specific Plan area have been built. The Proposed Action 
is the construction of the remaining six projects in the Specific Plan 
area. Collectively, these six projects are referred to as the Sunridge 
Properties. The overall purpose of the action is to construct a large 
residential development, including supporting infrastructure, in 
southeastern Sacramento County, California.
    Between 2005 and 2007, the Corps completed Environmental 
Assessments, made Findings of No Significant Impact, and issued permits 
for five of the six Sunridge Specific Plan Projects. The permitted 
projects are Anatolia IV, Sunridge Village J, Grantline 208, Douglas 
Road 98, and Douglas Road 103. A permit decision has not been rendered 
for the sixth of the Sunridge Specific Plan Projects, Arista Del Sol.
    1. The Anatolia IV project received a DA permit (ID: SPK-1994-
00210) from Corps on October 2, 2006. It is located on a 24-acre site 
south of Douglas Road and adjacent to the west side of Jaeger Road. The 
project involves filling approximately 1.4 acres of waters of the U.S., 
including wetlands, to construct 134 houses, roadways, and other 
infrastructure. As compensation for the loss of waters, the permittee 
purchased 1.4 acres of vernal pool creation credits at the Laguna 
Terrace Mitigation Bank, and purchased 2.7 credits of preservation 
credits from the Anatolia Preserve to satisfy U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (USFWS) requirements, and 2.7 credits at Gill Ranch to satisfy 
Corps requirements. No on-site preserve area is proposed. The permittee 
for this project is the Sunridge, LLC.
    2. The Sunridge Village J project received a DA permit (ID: SPK-
2001-00230) from Corps on October 24, 2006. It is located on an 81.3-
acre site in the southwest corner of the intersection formed by Douglas 
Road and Jaeger Road. The project involves filling approximately 3.0 
acres of waters of the U.S., including wetlands, to construct 369 
houses, roadways, and other infrastructure. No on-site preserve area is 
proposed. As compensation for the loss of waters, the permittee paid 
for the creation of 3.4 acres of vernal pools and the preservation of 
functioning wetland habitat. The Corps' required mitigation action has 
been completed. The USFWS Biological Opinion concluded that the project 
would adversely affect approximately 2.49 acres of vernal pool habitat, 
1.88 acres directly and 0.36 acres indirectly. As mitigation the USFWS 
identified preserving 9.96 acres at Bryte Ranch Conservation Bank and 
creating 2.10 acres of vernal pool and seasonal wetland habitat. The 
permittee for this project is Cresleigh Homes.
    3. The Grantline 208 project received a DA permit (ID: SPK-1994-
00365) on October 25, 2006. It is located on a 211-acre site in the 
southeast corner of the intersection formed by Douglas Road and Grant 
Line Road. As part of the project, approximately 5.7 acres of waters of 
the U.S., including wetlands, would be filled to construct 855 houses, 
roadways, and other infrastructure. The permittee proposes to preserve 
68.1 acres of wetlands within its property. Compensatory mitigation 
identified in the DA permit is the restoration and/or creation of 6.2 
acres of vernal pool habitat off-site. This action has not been taken, 
but it is expected to occur within the Gill Ranch Open Space Preserve, 
a 10,400-acre preserve in eastern Sacramento County. The USFWS 
Biological Opinion concluded that the project would adversely affect 
approximately 5.55 acres directly and 0.45 acres indirectly of vernal 
pool habitat. To mitigate for this loss, the USFWS instructed the 
permittee to preserve 11.55 acres of vernal pool habitat at either the 
Town Center Property or Anatolia Conservation Bank, and to create 6.0 
acres of vernal pool crustacean habitat. The permittee for this project 
is Grantline Investors, LLC.
    4. The Douglas Road 98 project received a DA permit (ID: SPK-2002-
00568) on May 31, 2006. It is located on a 105-acre site south of 
Douglas Road and adjacent to the west side of Grant Line Road. As part 
of the project, approximately 3.9 acres of waters of the U.S., 
including wetlands, would be filled to construct 693 houses, roadways, 
and other infrastructure. No on-site preserve area is proposed. To 
compensate for the loss of waters, 3.9 acres of wetland habitat would 
be constructed or created off-site. This action has not been taken; but 
is expected to occur within Gill Ranch Open Space Preserve, a 10,400-
acre preserve in eastern Sacramento County. The USFWS Biological 
Opinion concluded that the project would adversely affect 3.70 acres of 
vernal pool habitat. To mitigate for this loss, the permittee is 
required to preserve either 7.8 acres of vernal pool crustacean habitat 
at the Anatolia preserve or 15.6 acres at Borden Ranch, and create 3.91 
acres at the Silva Consolidated Conservation Bank. The permittee for 
this project is Woodside Homes.
    5. The Douglas Road 103 project received a DA permit (ID: SPK-1997-
00006) on June 18, 2007. It is located on a 106-acre site adjacent to 
the south side of Douglas Road and west of Grant Line Road. As part of 
the project, approximately 2.0 acres of waters of the U.S., including 
wetlands, would be filled to construct 301 houses, roadways, and other 
infrastructure. The permittee proposes to preserve 44 acres of wetlands 
on-site. Compensatory mitigation identified in the DA permit but not 
yet implemented includes restoring or creating 7.3 acres of vernal pool 
habitat and preserving 5.9 acres of vernal pool habitat off-site. 
Mitigation is expected to occur within Gill Ranch Open Space Preserve, 
a 10,400-acre preserve in eastern Sacramento County. In the Biological 
Opinion, the USFWS concluded that the project would directly affect 
1.97 and indirectly affect 2.91 acres of vernal pool crustacean 
habitat. To mitigate for this loss, the USFWS directed the permittee to 
restore 4.88 acres of vernal pool habitat. The permittee for this 
project is Douglas Grantline 103 Investors, LLC.
    6. The Arista del Sol project (ID: SPK-2004-00458) is located on a 
215-acre

[[Page 38504]]

site south of Douglas Road and adjacent to the west side of Grant Line 
Road. The applicant proposes to fill approximately 13.9 acres of waters 
of the U.S., including wetlands, to construct 906 houses, roadways, and 
other infrastructure. The permittee proposes to preserve 42 acres of 
wetlands on-site. According to the Biological Opinion issued for the 
project, approximately 12 acres of wetland habitat would be created and 
22.5 acres of wetland habitat preservation would occur off-site. 
Mitigation is expected to occur within Gill Ranch Open Space Preserve, 
a 10,400-acre preserve in eastern Sacramento County. The applicant for 
this project is Pappas Investments.
    The Draft EIS includes an evaluation of a reasonable range of 
alternatives. The Draft EIS considers several on-site and off-site 
alternatives. Three alternatives were carried through for detailed 
analysis: (1) The no action alternative, (2) the proposed action (the 
applicants' preferred projects), and (3) a reduced footprint 
alternative. The no action alternative is limited to development in 
uplands, avoiding all waters of the United States. The reduced 
development footprint alternative involves less development with fewer 
impacts to waters of the United States.
    Comments on the Draft EIS must be submitted to the Corps by August 
15, 2010. The public and affected Federal, State, and local agencies, 
Native American Tribes, and other organizations and parties are invited 
to comment. Electronic copies of the Draft EIS may be found on the 
Corps' Web site at http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/organizations/cespk-co/regulatory/EISs/EIS-index.html. A hard copy of the Draft EIS will be 
available for review at the Corps office during normal business hours. 
To view the hard copy, please contact Michael Jewell to schedule a time 
to visit the Corps office.
    The Corps will also hold two public meetings for the Draft EIS. The 
meetings will be held on July 27, 2010, with the first from 5 p.m. to 6 
p.m. and the second from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The location of the meetings 
is at the Rancho Cordova City Hall, 2729 Prospect Park Drive, American 
River Room--South, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. Interested parties can 
provide oral and written comments at these meetings.
    In addition to notices in the Federal Register, the Corps will 
issue public notices advising interested parties of the availability of 
the Draft EIS and Final EIS. Interested parties may register for the 
Corps' public notices at: http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/organizations/cespk-co/regulatory/pnlist.html.

    Dated: June 22, 2010.
Thomas C. Chapman,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 2010-16138 Filed 7-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P