[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 199 (Friday, October 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63448-63449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-25989]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Sunridge Properties in the Sunridge Specific Plan Area, in 
Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County, CA, ID SPK-2009-00511

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) 
is issuing a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which analyzes 
programmatically the direct, indirect and cumulative effects associated 
with six residential development projects in

[[Page 63449]]

the Sunridge Specific Plan area in Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County, 
CA.
    The purpose of the EIS is to provide decision-makers and the public 
with information pertaining to the Proposed Action and alternatives, 
and 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 has been prepared as part of 
ongoing litigation concerning Department of the Army (DA) permits 
issued by the Corps between 2005 and 2007 for five of the projects and 
a pending DA permit decision for the sixth. A stay in the litigation is 
in place for the Corps to complete the EIS.
    The 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 DA permit.

DATES: Comments on the Final EIS must be submitted to the Corps by 
November 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 DA 
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 DA permit decision has not 
been rendered for the sixth project, Arista Del Sol.
    The EIS includes an evaluation of a reasonable range of 
alternatives, including 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.
    A Draft EIS was issued on July 2, 2010. The Draft EIS was noticed 
in the Federal Register on July 2, 2010 (Vol. 75, No. 127, page 38502) 
and a public notice was issued by the Corps, both soliciting public 
input. The Corps also held public meetings on July 27, 2010, regarding 
the EIS. During the public review period, the Corps received eleven 
letters with comments. The Final EIS includes responses to each of the 
comments received.
    Comments on the Final EIS must be submitted to the Corps by 
November 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 Final EIS 
may also be requested by contacting Michael Jewell. In addition to this 
notice, the Corps will issue a public notice advising interested 
parties of the availability of the Final EIS. Interested parties may 
register for Corps' public notices at: http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/organizations/cespk-co/regulatory/pnlist.html. All comments on the 
Final EIS will be addressed in the Record of Decision.

    Dated: October 5, 2010.
Michael S. Jewell,
Chief, Regulatory Division, Sacramento District, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers.
[FR Doc. 2010-25989 Filed 10-14-10; 8:45 am]
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