[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2688-2690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00634]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

 [NPS-SER-EVER-14535; PX.P0078991D.00.1]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Acquisition of 
Florida Power and Light Company Land in the East Everglades Expansion 
Area, Everglades National Park, Florida

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service 
(NPS) announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (Draft EIS) for the Acquisition of Florida Power and Light 
Company Land in the East Everglades Expansion Area, Everglades National 
Park, Florida.

DATES: The NPS will accept comments on the Draft EIS from the public 
for a period of 60 days following publication of the Environmental 
Protection Agency's Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. We 
will announce the dates, times, and location for a public meeting to 
solicit comments on the Draft EIS through the NPS Planning, 
Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER; the Web site of Everglades National Park at 
www.nps.gov/ever; and media outlets.

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the Draft EIS will be available online 
at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER. A limited number of compact disks 
and printed copies will be also available at the Park headquarters, 
Everglades National Park, 40001 State Highway 9336, Homestead, Florida 
33034-6733.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brien Culhane, Everglades National 
Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034-6733 or by telephone 
at (305) 242-7717.

[[Page 2689]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS addresses options for NPS 
acquisition of existing Florida Power and Light (FPL) land located 
within the park, or sufficient interest in the property, to facilitate 
hydrologic and ecologic restoration of the park and Everglades 
ecosystem. This action is needed to support the mission of NPS and the 
park, because the East Everglades Expansion Area (EEEA), which includes 
the existing FPL parcel, has been identified as vital to long-term 
protection of the park for ecosystem restoration purposes. Also, the 
acquisition of the existing FPL parcel is needed to support the goals 
of restoring the Northeast Shark River Slough and to fulfill the 
purposes of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Public Law 
(Pub. L.) 101-229 (December 13, 1989), articulates that the Everglades 
is both nationally and internationally significant and sets forth 
specific goals and objectives for acquisition of properties in this 
area. Acquisition of land within the EEEA through an exchange of lands 
with FPL is also authorized by Public Law 111-11 (March 30, 2009).
    The Draft EIS describes five alternatives for acquiring land owned 
by FPL in the EEEA within the boundaries of the park, or sufficient 
interest in this property, as well as the affected environment and the 
environmental consequences of implementing these alternatives. The 
Draft EIS addresses both the potential impacts from the acquisition of 
FPL land in the park, as well as the indirect impacts that could result 
from the subsequent construction and operation of transmission lines 
that could be built by FPL either inside or outside the park as a 
result of the land acquisition alternative selected. The alternatives 
are described in detail in Chapter 2 of the Draft EIS, and Chapter 4 
details the key impacts of implementing the alternatives.
    The following describes each of the alternatives included in the 
Draft EIS:
    Alternative 1a--The NPS would not take action to acquire FPL 
property within the park. There would be no change in the status of FPL 
lands in the park. The impact analysis for this alternative assumes 
that FPL would not construct transmission lines on its existing land in 
the park or in any area outside the park. This alternative represents 
the environmental baseline. It assumes that the NPS would not be able 
to flow water on this property to achieve its long-term restoration 
objectives because it would not have acquired the right or interest to 
do so.
    Alternative 1b--The NPS would not take action to acquire FPL 
property within the park, the same as alternative 1a, but the impact 
analysis for this alternative assumes that FPL would construct 
transmission lines on its existing land in the park. Although it 
represents the same management decision as alternative 1a, the impact 
analysis for this alternative addresses the impacts of transmission 
line construction on the FPL property. Similar to alternative 1a, it 
also assumes that the NPS would not be able to flow water on this 
property to achieve its long-term restoration objectives.
    Alternative 2--The NPS would acquire the FPL corridor by purchase 
or through the exercise of eminent domain authority by the United 
States. This alternative would result in an increase of 320 acres of 
NPS-owned land within the authorized boundary of the park and would 
allow for flowage of water on this property. The transmission line 
construction scenario associated with the analysis of the impacts of 
alternative 2 assumes that FPL would likely acquire a replacement 
corridor east of the existing park boundary to meet its transmission 
needs and the lines would be built outside the park.
    Alternative 3--The NPS would acquire fee title to the FPL corridor 
through a fee-for-fee exchange for park property, as authorized by the 
exchange legislation (Pub. L. 111-11). NPS land conveyed to FPL would 
consist of 260 acres along 6.5 miles of the eastern boundary of the 
EEEA, and the boundary of the park would be adjusted upon completion of 
the exchange to remove the lands conveyed to FPL from the park. The NPS 
would also convey a 90-foot-wide perpetual nonnative vegetation 
management easement to FPL adjacent to the entire length of the 
exchange corridor. The fee-for-fee land exchange would be subject to 
terms and conditions that are to be agreed upon between the NPS and FPL 
and incorporated into a binding exchange agreement. FPL would be 
required to allow the United States the perpetual right, power and 
privilege to flood and submerge the property consistent with hydrologic 
restoration requirements. The transmission line construction scenario 
associated with the analysis of the impacts of this alternative assumes 
that FPL would build the transmission lines in the exchange corridor in 
accordance with the terms and conditions established in the fee for fee 
exchange agreement.
    Alternative 4--The NPS would acquire fee title to the FPL corridor 
through an exchange for an easement on NPS property. This is 
essentially the same as alternative 3, except that NPS would grant an 
easement (not fee title) to FPL on 260 acres of park land along 6.5 
miles of the eastern boundary of the EEEA for potential construction of 
transmission lines, in accordance with the terms and conditions 
developed for this ``easement for fee'' exchange. The NPS would retain 
ownership of the corridor, but would no longer have the unencumbered 
use of the exchange corridor. The NPS would also convey a 90-foot-wide 
perpetual nonnative vegetation management easement to FPL adjacent to 
the entire length of the exchange corridor. The easement for fee land 
exchange would also be subject to terms and conditions that are to be 
agreed upon between the NPS and FPL and incorporated into a binding 
exchange agreement. Similar to alternative 3, the FPL easement area 
would be subject to a perpetual flowage easement. The transmission line 
construction scenario associated with the analysis of the impacts of 
this alternative assumes that FPL would build the transmission lines in 
the exchange corridor in accordance with the terms and conditions 
established in the easement for fee exchange agreement.
    Alternative 5--The NPS would acquire a perpetual flowage easement 
on FPL's property within the EEEA through purchase, condemnation, or 
donation by FPL. FPL would retain ownership of its corridor in the park 
during the term of the easement and could seek to site transmission 
lines there. The flowage allowed under this easement would allow 
sufficient water flow over this area to support ecosystem restoration 
projects. There would be no change to the authorized boundary of the 
park, although the NPS would retain the current goal of acquiring this 
property over the long term. The construction scenario associated with 
the analysis of the impacts of this alternative would be the same as 
the one for alternative 1b (FPL construction of transmission lines on 
its existing land in the park), except that NPS would acquire a long-
term, perpetual flowage easement.
    If you wish to comment on the Draft EIS, you may submit your 
comments by any one of several methods. We encourage you to comment via 
the internet on the PEPC Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER. 
An electronic public comment form is provided on this Web site. You may 
also comment via mail to: Everglades National Park FPL Project Planning 
Team, National Park Service, M. Elmer (DSC-P), P.O. Box 25287, Denver, 
CO 80225-0287; or by hand delivery to Park headquarters, at 40001 State 
Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034-6733.

[[Page 2690]]

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware 
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.
    The responsible official for this Draft EIS is the Regional 
Director, NPS Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: January 8, 2014.

 Stan Austin,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-00634 Filed 1-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JD-P