[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 70 (Friday, April 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20298-20299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07426]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-SERO-CAHA; PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
a Sediment Management Framework, Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Recreational Area, Dare and Hyde Counties, North Carolina
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) for a Sediment Management Framework (framework) at
the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (the Seashore). The framework will
include certain sediment management activities implemented by the
Seashore and by local jurisdictions, state agencies, and other federal
agencies.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. The public
scoping comment period will conclude 30 days following the date this
Notice of Intent published in the Federal Register. All comments must
be postmarked or transmitted by this date. Public open houses will be
announced in local media and at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CAHASediment.
ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review online at
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CAHASediment and in the Office of the
Superintendent, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, North Carolina, 27954
(252-473-2111, telephone).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sabrina Henry, Environmental
Protection Specialist- Compliance, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo,
North Carolina, 27954 (252-423-1541, telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) (NEPA), the NPS is preparing
an EIS for sediment management, including the method, locations, and
frequency for sediment management actions that be may be permitted
through a special use permit, at the Seashore, for the next two
decades. The NPS invited the following agencies to participate as
cooperating agencies in this NEPA process: Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the US Army Corp of
Engineers Wilmington District (Regulatory and Planning Divisions), US
Coast Guard, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) (Ferry
and Highway Divisions), North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission,
Dare County, and Hyde County.
Background
Authorized in 1937 along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Cape
Hatteras is the nation's first national seashore. Consisting of more
than 30,000 acres distributed along approximately 67 miles of
shoreline, the Seashore is part of a dynamic barrier island system.
Nine villages, including Nags Head, Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon,
Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras, and Ocracoke, are located adjacent to or
within the Seashore. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is
jointly managed by the USFWS, is also located within the administrative
boundary of the Seashore, south of Oregon Inlet.
Natural accretion and erosion processes have been impacted at the
Seashore for decades due to anthropogenic activities (e.g., dune
building, dune planting, inlet dredging and maintenance of dunes) and
other changes (e.g., sea-level rise). Sediment management efforts have
been used at the Seashore to control erosion and stabilize sand dunes.
From the 1930s through the 1960s, active dune building, and
revegetation efforts occurred along the Seashore. Since the 1970s,
localized beach nourishment has been the primary method of combating
shoreline erosion, but has been restricted to Ocracoke Island, the
Buxton/Cape Hatteras area, and Rodanthe. In some places, segments of
beach are relatively stable, and natural processes maintain high dunes.
In other places, erosion results in ocean encroachment on the dunes and
results in the ocean washing over onto North Carolina Highway 12
[[Page 20299]]
(NC 12) and within adjacent communities.
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the EIS is to develop a streamlined framework for
implementing sediment management at the Seashore, including the method,
location, and frequency for sediment management actions that may be
permitted. We have received various requests and anticipate future
requests to issue special use permits for protecting roads, bridges,
electrical transmission facilities, and other public transportation
facilities; repairing island damages, including breaches that also
affect transportation; and restoring habitat through the placement of
dredged materials along eroded sections of barrier islands. A sediment
management framework is needed to assist the Seashore in addressing
these requests, while avoiding and minimizing impacts that may be
associated with such actions conducted by NPS and other agencies to
mitigate shoreline erosion. The framework is needed to limit impacts to
the Seashore and provide timely response for localized beach
nourishment efforts in the face of increased storm events and projected
sea-level rise. Similarly, sediment management strategies may be used
for specific habitat restoration projects.
Alternatives
The NPS will evaluate alternative approaches for sediment
management at the Seashore. The NPS is considering the following
alternatives.
Under Alternative A, the no-action alternative, the NPS would not
permit others to conduct sediment management activities at the Seashore
over the next two decades. No habitat restoration projects that include
the placement of sediment would occur. The NCDOT currently maintains an
easement through the Seashore for NC 12. The no-action alternative
would preclude NCDOT from maintaining NC 12 outside of its existing
easement, potentially resulting in the loss of the highway.
Under Alternative B, the proposed action, the NPS could permit
other agencies and municipalities to conduct, with conditions, sediment
management in the form of ocean- and sound side- beach nourishment,
filling island breaches, and dune restoration. This alternative would
also recognize that NPS and others may independently or in partnership
restore beach habitats or periodically protect specific facilities or
resources through sediment placement in areas that have been affected
by erosion. The proposed action includes the following elements:
Beach nourishment may be used to mitigate coastal erosion
at various sites along the Seashore, including ocean and sound-side
environments. Beach nourishment may occur at up to two locations per
year, using between 50-250 cubic yards of sediment per foot, placed via
dredge or sediment trucking. Sediment management permitted under the
proposed action would fall within the general parameters of past beach
nourishment projects.
The restoration of habitat may occur in locations such as
the southern end of Hatteras Island and Green Island in Oregon Inlet.
Restored habitat could benefit nesting shorebirds and sea turtles.
Habitat restoration projects would include the application of dredge
material and moving/manipulating sand at the site with heavy machinery.
Dredge material may come from the pipeline dredging operations or other
sources, provided the sediment is a close match to the sediment grain
size found at the proposed action site.
Dune reconstruction and enhancement, as well as moving or
regrading sediment to protect existing access and public facilities,
may occur. Actions that promote natural dune building processes, such
as beach grass planting and sand fencing, are included in the proposed
action and may be carried out
Emergency breach fill may occur under the proposed action.
When inlets, overwash areas, or damaged roadways are caused by wave,
water, and wind action during storm events, they may be closed due to
roadway reconstruction activities. These projects may include trucking,
staging, and pumping sediment in from other locations.
The NPS will not select an alternative for implementation until
after the final EIS is completed. The NPS will analyze the impacts of
the alternatives on littoral processes and barrier island morphology,
benthic organisms and essential fish habitat, sea turtles, shorebirds,
and structures and infrastructure. Additional alternatives may be
considered during the process of preparing an EIS.
Public Comment
How to Provide Comments--During the scoping period, project
information will be available on the project's website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CAHASediment. Public open houses will be conducted
to provide an opportunity for the public to share their comments and
learn more about activities at the Seashore. Details regarding the
exact times and locations of these meetings will be announced on the
project website and through local and regional media. The meetings will
also be announced through email notification, press release, and social
media to individuals and organizations.
If you wish to comment on the purpose, need, preliminary
alternatives, additional alternatives, or on any other issues
associated with development of the framework and EIS, you may submit
your comments by any one of several methods. The preferred method for
commenting is online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CAHASediment. You
may mail or hand deliver comments to the Superintendent, Cape Hatteras
National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, North Carolina,
27954. Written comments will also be accepted at the public open
houses. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or by any method
other than those specified above. Bulk comments in any format (hard
copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.
Public Availability of Comments--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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Robert A. Vogel,
Regional Director, Interior Region 2, South Atlantic-Gulf.
[FR Doc. 2020-07426 Filed 4-9-20; 8:45 am]
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