[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 184 (Thursday, September 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57978-57979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23869]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-WSR-2010-N162; 80213-94210-0000; ABC Code: 7B]


Notice of Intent; Request for Comments on Adoption of the 
National Park Service's Wetland and Creek Restoration Final 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report, Big Lagoon, 
Muir Beach, Marin County, CA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), give notice 
of our intent to adopt the National Park Service's (NPS) existing final 
environmental impact statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) 
for the Wetland and Creek Restoration at Big Lagoon, Muir Beach, 
California (project). We are considering approving a grant application 
by the California State Coastal Conservancy (CSCC) to assist with 
implementing restoration activities that have been identified and 
reviewed under the NPS' existing final EIS/EIR for the project. Based 
on our independent evaluation, adoption of the EIS/EIR would meet 
Department of Interior (DOI) and Service National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) procedures and guidelines. In order to meet our NEPA 
requirements for approval of CSCC's grant application, we are 
recirculating the EIS/EIR for written public comment via this notice, 
in accordance with Service adoption requirements.

DATES: We must receive any written comments on or before October 20, 
2010.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Susan Detwiler, Chief, Wildlife 
and Sport Fish Restoration Program, Region 8--Pacific Southwest, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-1729, Sacramento, 
CA 95825. The EIS/EIR and other documents mentioned below are available 
at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?projectID=12126.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Justin Cutler, Grants Management 
Specialist, at the Sacramento address above; (916) 414-6457 (phone); e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are considering approving a grant 
application by CSCC to assist with implementing restoration activities 
that have been identified and reviewed under the NPS' existing final 
EIS/EIR for the project. We are recirculating the EIS/EIR for written 
public comment via this notice, in order to meet our National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 40 CFR 1506.6) requirements for 
approval of CSCC's grant application. Based on our independent 
evaluation, adoption of the EIS/EIR would meet Department of Interior 
(DOI) and Service NEPA procedures and guidelines. We encourage 
interested persons to review the EIS/EIR and submit written comments.

Availability of Documents

    The EIS/EIR and other documents mentioned below are available at 
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?projectID=12126. To the 
extent practicable, copies of the EIS/EIR and other relevant documents 
will be made available for public review in alternative formats. Please 
reach the point of contact mentioned above to request documents in 
alternative formats.

Location

    The 38-acre project site is located at the mouth of Redwood Creek, 
in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin County, California, 
approximate Longitude: -122.57 and Latitude: 37.86. The project area 
encompasses the Lower Redwood Creek riparian area and wetlands 
extending from just downstream of Highway 1 to the beach.

Background

    The NPS and the County of Marin (County) jointly prepared the 
following three documents to meet their Federal and State requirements:
     December 2007, Wetland and Creek Restoration at Big 
Lagoon, Muir Beach, Marin County, Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report, (EIS/EIR).
     March 2008, Amendment to the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report Wetland and Creek Restoration at 
Big Lagoon, Muir Beach (amendment).
     November 2008, Wetland and Creek Restoration at Big 
Lagoon, Muir Beach, Marin County Record of Decision, (ROD).
    The CSCC then partnered with the NPS and the County to assist in 
obtaining funding for restoration activities of the project. CSCC has 
submitted a grant application to the Service requesting funds under the 
National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant Program for habitat 
restoration activities. The specific purpose of CSCC's application is 
to restore Lower Redwood Creek to a self-sustaining

[[Page 57979]]

functional ecosystem that will create habitat for populations of 
special status species, reduce flooding, and provide a compatible 
visitor experience. Other aspects of the project, such as public access 
and bridge construction, will be funded through other sources.
    The EIS/EIR describes and evaluates four potential alternatives for 
improving and restoring the project area; No Action (Alternative 1), 
Creek Restoration (Alternative 2), Creek Restoration and Small Lagoon 
Restoration (Alternative 3), and Large Lagoon Restoration (Alternative 
4), with Alternative 2 being the preferred alternative. Details of 
these alternatives and their environmental effects are described in the 
EIS/EIR.
    The proposed Federal decision to approve and grant funds triggers 
the need for compliance with the NEPA. After an independent review, we 
find that the EIS/EIR and the ROD, adequately addresses appropriate 
alternatives and their environmental effects relative to the activities 
proposed to be funded by our grant. Based on an independent evaluation, 
the EIS/EIR would meet Department of Interior (DOI) and Service NEPA 
procedures and guidelines, and would be appropriate for adoption.

Public Review

    We provide this notice under regulations implementing NEPA and 
invite the public to review the final EIS/EIR during the 30-day public 
comment period (see DATES). Before including your address, phone 
number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Conclusion

    Based on the information summarized above, we intend to adopt the 
NPS's final EIS/EIR to fully comply with the regulations for 
implementing NEPA for the proposed Federal grant decision. After the 
close of the comment period, we anticipate the preparation and issuance 
of our Record of Decision to occur in the fall of 2010.

    Dated: August 31, 2010.
Alexandra Pitts,
Regional Director, Region 8.
[FR Doc. 2010-23869 Filed 9-22-10; 8:45 am]
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