[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 98 (Friday, May 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29217-29218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12511]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Mechanical and Artificial Creation and 
Maintenance of Emergent Sandbar Habitat in the Riverine Segments of the 
Upper Missouri River, Missouri River Basin, United States

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to file a 
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) for the 
Mechanical and Artificial Creation and Maintenance of Emergent Sandbar 
Habitat on the Riverine Segments of the Upper Missouri River with the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The FEIS is available for final 
public review. Details on the proposed action, location and areas of 
environmental concern addressed in the FPEIS are provided below under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: The review period will be open 30 days from the date of this 
notice. The Record of Decision is anticipated to be issued in August, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Department of the Army; 
Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PM-AC; ATTN: Emergent Sandbar 
Habitat Programmatic EIS; 1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 68102-4901, or 
e-mailed to: [email protected]. Comments must be 
postmarked, e-mailed, or otherwise submitted no later than June 13, 
2011. Copies of the FPEIS have been sent to all agencies and 
individuals who participated in the scoping process or public hearings 
and to those requesting copies. The FEIS is available online at: http://www.moriverrecovery.org/mrrp/MRRP_PUB_DEV.download_documentation_peis. To obtain a copy, please contact Ms. Cynthia Upah.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Cynthia Upah, Project Manager, by 
telephone: (402) 995-2672, by mail: 1616 Capitol Avenue, Omaha, NE 
68102-4901, or by e-mail: [email protected]. For inquires 
from the media, please contact the USACE Omaha District Public Affairs 
Officer (PAO), Ms. Monique Farmer by telephone: (402) 995-2416, by 
mail: 1616 Capitol Avenue, Omaha, NE 68102, or by e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Background. The Emergent Sandbar Habitat 
(ESH) program is being implemented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps) for the benefit of the interior population of the Interior 
least tern (least tern) and the northern Great Plains piping plover 
(piping plover). This implementation program resulted from a Biological 
Opinion (BiOp) issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 
which the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) called for the Corps 
to provide sufficient ESH acreage in order to meet biological metrics 
(fledge ratios) to avoid jeopardizing continued existence of the 
species, as defined by the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
    The FPEIS is needed to provide National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) coverage for the mechanical and artificial construction of ESH 
in the riverine segments of the Upper Missouri River, pursuant to the 
2003 BiOp Amendment RPA IV(b) 3, and to compare impacts among a range 
of alternatives. The goal is to inform the selection of a preferred 
alternative that allows for the creation and replacement of sufficient 
habitat to support tern and plover populations on the Missouri River in 
a safe, efficient and cost-effective manner that minimizes negative 
environmental consequences.
    Alternatives to the proposed project that are considered in the 
FPEIS include (1) no action, including existing program activities and 
no action; (2) and 6 action alternatives of various acreage creation. 
Environmental issues addressed in the FPEIS include hydrology, water 
quality, aggradation and degradation, biological resources, air 
quality, noise and recreation.
    After detailed consideration of the environmental and social 
impacts, and cumulative effects, of the Alternatives, the Corps has 
identified an Adaptive Management Implementation Process (AMIP) as the 
preferred alternative, and not one of the specific acreage 
alternatives. The key aspect of the AMIP is that, rather than selecting 
a specific acreage alternative and pursuing such construction, actions 
would be progressively implemented with the focus on monitoring a 
combination of biological and physical metrics (measurements). 
Implementation of progressively larger acreage amounts of habitat would 
continue until the desired biological response is attained and 
sustained.

[[Page 29218]]

    However, the exact number of acres needed to be constructed and 
maintained is uncertain at this time. Based on the analysis in the 
PEIS, the impacts of the larger alternatives (3, 2 and 1) are deemed to 
be moderate to high. The Corps has chosen a maximum construction 
ceiling of Alternative 3.5 (4,370 acres) at this time. Impacts of 
lesser alternatives (3.5, 4 and 5) are deemed to be moderate to low. 
This checkpoint of Alternative 3.5 is proposed because it represents a 
midrange of habitat available at a time when the birds were productive 
(biological metric), and it is anticipated that a positive, sustainable 
biological response will be met before fully implementing up to 
Alternative 3.5. If Alternative 3.5 is fully implemented and the birds 
are not meeting biological metrics, the Corps can consider continuing 
to higher acreage alternatives or look at other methodologies. 
Appropriate coordination and disclosure would be pursued if Alternative 
3.5 was exceeded (potential amended Record of Decision or additional 
NEPA).
    2. Document Availability. The Emergent Sandbar Habitat Programmatic 
EIS is available online at http://www.moriverrecovery.org/mrrp/MRRP_PUB_DEV.download_documentation_peis, or see the ADDRESSES section. 
For more information about the Emergent Sandbar Habitat program, please 
visit http://www.moriverrecovery.org under ``BiOp/Mit Efforts.''

    Dated: May 9, 2011.
Kayla Eckert Uptmor,
Chief Planning Branch, Omaha District.
[FR Doc. 2011-12511 Filed 5-19-11; 8:45 am]
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