[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77896-77897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31307]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[5284-TT02-371]


Notice of Availability: Tamiami Trail Modifications: Next Steps 
Project, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Everglades National 
Park, Florida

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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    The Notice of Intent (NOI) for this project referred to it as a 
``Feasibility Study and Report'' based on language in the authorizing 
legislation. This new appellation was a result of public scoping and 
internal National Park Service discussions.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and National Park Service (NPS) policy in Director's 
Order Number 2 (Park Planning) and Director's Order Number 12 
(Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-
making), the NPS announces the availability of a Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Highway 41) 
Modifications: Next Steps Project for Everglades National Park, 
Florida.
    The 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 111-008, dated March 
11, 2009) directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to 
construct modifications to Tamiami Trail (U.S. Highway 41) that were 
approved in the 2008 Limited Reevaluation Report and Environmental 
Assessment. The 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act also directed the NPS 
to ``immediately evaluate the feasibility of additional bridge length, 
beyond that to be constructed pursuant to the Modified Water Deliveries 
to Everglades National Park Project (16 U.S.C. 410r-8), including a 
continuous bridge, or additional bridges or some combination thereof, 
for the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Highway 41) to restore more natural water 
flow to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay and for the purpose of 
restoring habitat within the Park and the ecological connectivity 
between the Park and the Water Conservation Areas.''

DATES: The NPS will execute a Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 
30 days following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of 
the Notice of Availability of the FEIS.

ADDRESSES: The document will be available for public review online at 
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ever. A limited number of compact discs 
(CDs) and hard copies are available at Park headquarters. You may 
request a hard copy or CD by contacting Everglades National Park, Attn: 
Bruce Boler, 950 N. Krome Avenue, Homestead, FL 33030-6733; telephone 
305-224-4234.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public scoping was initiated in the summer 
of 2009. A newsletter was distributed on May 31, 2009, and a public 
meeting was held on June 2, 2009, to keep the public informed and 
involved throughout the planning process. As the lead agency, the NPS 
conducted several inter-agency/Tribal meetings and one workshop to 
develop project objectives, identify alternatives, evaluate the 
benefits of alternatives, and identify a preferred alternative. The 
draft document was revised as a result of public and agency feedback 
received during the public comment period. The FEIS provides historical 
information, existing conditions, alternatives for infrastructure 
modifications, and related impacts of the alternatives. The FEIS 
describes six alternatives for consideration, including a no-action 
alternative that provides for the continuation of the current Tamiami 
Trail infrastructure configuration. The five action alternatives 
present a range of infrastructure modification opportunities. The 
environmental impacts of each alternative, including the no-action 
alternative, are systematically analyzed in the document.
    The six analyzed alternatives (with corresponding identifiers as 
they appear in the document) are as follows:
     No-Action Alternative: The No-Action Alternative consists 
of a 1-mile eastern bridge and elevation of the remaining roadway to 
allow for 8.5 feet stages in the L-29 Canal. This alternative continues 
the status quo.
     Alternative 1: 2.2 miles of bridges and remaining roadway 
elevated: Alternative 1 would involve creating conveyance openings 
through Tamiami Trail by removing 2.2 miles of the existing highway and 
embankment. Four bridges would be constructed in the openings to 
replace the removed section of road and maintain vehicle traffic across 
the openings. This alternative would create 2.2 miles of ecological 
connectivity and better distribute flows in the western area of the 11-
mile project corridor.
     Alternative 2a: 3.3 miles of bridges and remaining roadway 
elevated: Alternative 2a would involve creating conveyance openings 
through Tamiami Trail by removing 3.3 miles of the existing highway and 
embankment. Six bridges would be constructed in the openings to replace 
the removed section of road and maintain vehicle traffic across the 
openings. This alternative would create 3.3 miles of ecological 
connectivity and moderately reduce the adverse effects of high velocity 
discharges associated with the existing culverts.
     Alternative 4: 1.0 miles of bridging and remaining roadway 
elevated: Alternative 4 would involve creating conveyance openings 
through Tamiami Trail by removing 1.0 mile of the existing highway and 
embankment where the bridging is proposed. Two bridges would be 
constructed in the opening to replace the removed section of road and 
maintain vehicle traffic. This alternative would increase ecological 
connectivity by 1.0 mile.
     Alternative 5: 1.5 miles of bridging and remaining roadway 
elevated: Alternative 5 would involve creating conveyance openings 
through Tamiami Trail by removing 1.5 miles of the existing highway and 
embankment. Three bridges would be constructed in the opening to 
replace the removed section of road and maintain vehicle traffic. This 
alternative would increase ecological connectivity by 1.5 miles.
     Alternative 6e: 5.5 miles of bridging and remaining 
roadway elevated. Alternative 6e is the maximum bridging option and 
involves creating conveyance openings through Tamiami Trail by removing 
5.5 miles of the existing highway and embankment. Four bridges would be 
constructed in the opening to replace the removed section of road and 
maintain vehicle traffic. Bridge down-ramp (access ramps) options were 
also developed for Alternative 6e to maintain access to two commercial 
airboat facilities: Everglades Safari Park and Coopertown. Option 4 
(Modified Parallel Down Ramp) was selected as the preferred option for 
Everglades Safari and Option 5 (Parallel Down Ramp with Existing 
Frontage Road) was selected as the preferred option for Coopertown. 
Alternative 6e would increase ecological connectivity by 5.5 miles, 
reduce flow velocities below the 0.10 feet per second (fps)

[[Page 77897]]

threshold that causes harm to marshes, and substantially restore the 
flow patterns associated with a healthy ridge and slough landscape in 
Northeast Shark River Slough.
     Common to all action alternatives: The remaining highway 
embankments along stretches of the road that are not bridged would be 
reconstructed to raise the crown elevation to 12.3 feet, the minimum 
required based on the design high water of 9.7 feet and the roadway 
cross-section geometry.
    Preferred Alternative: Alternative 6e was determined to be the 
preferred alternative (and environmentally preferable alternative) by 
the NPS and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

    Authority: The authority for publishing this notice is 40 CFR 
1506.6.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Everglades National Park at 
the address and telephone number shown above.
    The responsible official for this Final EIS is the Regional 
Director, Southeast Region, NPS, 100 Alabama Street, SW., 1924 
Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: December 2, 2010.
Gordon Wissinger,
Deputy Regional Director, Chief of Staff, Southeast Region, National 
Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-31307 Filed 12-13-10; 8:45 am]
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