[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 8, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26807-26808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10914]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-PWR-PWRO-12638; PPPWGOGAY0 PPMPSAS1Z.YP0000]
Vista Grande Drainage Basin Improvement Project, Fort Funston,
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco County, CA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15082, the National Park Service,
together with the City of Daly City, intends to prepare a joint
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report
(EIR) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed
Vista Grande Drainage Basin Improvement Project (Project). The EIS/EIR
will address proposed improvements to Daly City's infrastructure to
address storm-related flooding in the Vista Grande Watershed Drainage
Basin and the effects of coastal erosion. The National Park Service
(NPS) is the lead agency for the environmental review under NEPA. The
City of Daly City is the lead agency for the environmental review under
CEQA.
DATES: All written comments must be postmarked not later than June 7,
2013.
Background: The Vista Grande watershed area is located in the City
of Daly City and unincorporated Broadmoor Village, in northwestern San
Mateo County. This watershed is approximately 2.5 square miles in area
and is bordered by San Francisco County to the north, Colma Creek
watershed to the south and east, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. The
Vista Grande watershed is drained through the Vista Grande Canal and
Tunnel, which are located in the City and County of San Francisco,
adjacent to John Muir Drive and the southwestern shoreline of Lake
Merced. The Vista
[[Page 26808]]
Grande Tunnel is a sub-surface tunnel beneath Fort Funston, which is
owned and managed by NPS as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation
Area (GGNRA). The Vista Grande Tunnel connects the Vista Grande
watershed to an outfall located on the beach below the Fort Funston
bluffs, through which stormwater flows are discharged into the Pacific
Ocean.
The City of Daly City has proposed the Project to address storm-
related flooding in the Vista Grande Watershed Drainage Basin. The
existing Vista Grande Canal and Tunnel do not have adequate hydraulic
capacity to convey peak storm flows. As a result, during storm events,
flooding periodically occurs in adjacent low-lying residential areas
and along John Muir Drive. The Project would involve upgrades to the
Vista Grande watershed collection system upstream of the Vista Grande
Canal; partial replacement of the existing Vista Grande Canal to
incorporate a gross-solid screening device, a treatment wetland, and
diversion and discharge structures to route some stormwater (and
authorized non-storm water) flows from the Vista Grande Canal to Lake
Merced; replacement of the existing Vista Grande Tunnel to expand its
capacity; and replacement of the existing outfall structure at Fort
Funston.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Along with evaluating a No-Action
Alternative, the EIS/EIR will consider a range of alternatives,
including various combinations of facilities, such as alternative
tunnel alignments and capacities, storm water detention structures,
lake level scenarios, and groundwater recharge facilities. The Project
would increase the hydraulic capacity of the canal and tunnel and
extend its operating life. In addition, the Project would utilize
stormwater to restore the level of Lake Merced, which declined in the
late-1980s and early-1990s and has not fully recovered. Under the
Project, an adjustable-height weir would be used to control the lake
level and allow water to be diverted back into the Vista Grande Canal.
The existing outfall, a segment of the Vista Grande Tunnel, and the
force main segment are presently exposed to the surf and waves, which
have caused significant damage to the structure. The Project would
reconfigure these structures to provide protection from the surf and
waves. The existing Daly City outfall structure would be removed and
replaced with a low-profile outfall structure set into the existing
cliff face to reduce future erosion. The existing force main would also
be removed and replaced with a similar configuration set back into the
cliff face. The existing submarine outfall pipeline and diffuser would
be renovated to protect it from erosion and extend its operating life.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Ortega, Golden Gate NRA, Fort
Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, CA 94123; telephone (415) 561-2841
or email [email protected].
Public Scoping and Comment: Notice is hereby given that a public
scoping process and comment phase has been initiated for the EIS/EIR.
The purpose of the public scoping process is to elicit public comment
regarding the full spectrum of issues and concerns, a suitable range of
alternatives, the nature and extent of potential environmental impacts
or ecological benefits, and appropriate mitigation strategies that
should be addressed in preparing a draft EIS/EIR. Preliminary issues to
be addressed in the EIS/EIR include habitat for fish and wildlife,
ecosystem conditions and processes, effects on special status plant and
animal species, hydrology, flood hazards, traffic, air quality, visitor
access, and visitor experience. Public scoping meetings will be
scheduled in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Meeting dates,
times, and locations will be publicized through local and regional news
media, by email to the park mailing list (to be included on the Project
email list, please visit: http://ww.nps.gov/goga and click the ``Join
the Mailing List'' link), and via the Project Web site: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/Vista_Grande. This Project Web site will also
provide relevant information, including the Project description,
planning process updates, meeting notices, reports and documents, and
useful links associated with the Project.
All written comments should be mailed to the following address:
Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area; Attn: Vista
Grande Project; Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, CA 94123.
Before including your address, phone number, email 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.
Decision Process: At this time, it is anticipated that the draft
EIR/EIS will be distributed for public review in late 2013.
Availability of the document for review will be announced by the
publication of a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register,
through local and regional news media, via the Project Web site, and by
email to Project email recipients. Additional public meetings will be
held, and further opportunities for public comment will be provided,
after the draft EIS/EIR is distributed. Following due consideration of
all comments received on the draft EIS/EIR, preparation of the final
document is anticipated to be completed in 2014. Because this is a
delegated EIS, the official responsible for approval of the Project is
the Regional Director, Pacific West Region. Subsequently the official
responsible for implementation of the approved Project is the
Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Dated: March 15, 2013.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-10914 Filed 5-7-13; 8:45 am]
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