[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 101 (Thursday, May 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28638-28640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11251]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-NWRS-2021-N011; FXRS12610800000-212-FF08RSDC00]


Tijuana Estuary Tidal Restoration Program II, Phase I (TETRP II 
Phase I)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Tijuana Slough National 
Wildlife Refuge, along with the California Department of Parks and 
Recreation's Border Field State Park, propose to act in partnership to 
prepare a joint draft environmental impact statement/environmental 
impact report to evaluate the impacts on the human environment related 
to restoring coastal wetlands within the Tijuana River National 
Estuarine Research Reserve at the southwestern corner of San Diego 
County, California. We are providing this notice to open a public 
scoping period and announce our intent to

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conduct public scoping meetings in accordance with the requirements of 
the National Environmental Policy Act, and its implementing 
regulations.

DATES: To ensure consideration in our reviews, we are requesting 
submission of new information no later than July 12, 2021.
    The draft environmental impact statement/environmental impact 
report is scheduled for release in October 2021. The final 
environmental impact statement is scheduled for completion by March 
2022, with the record of decision expected to be issued in April 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments and materials by one of the 
following methods:
     U.S. Mail: Brian Collins, USFWS, San Diego NWR Complex, 
1080 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista, CA 91910.
     Email: [email protected]; please include ``TETRP 
NOI'' in the email subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Collins, Refuge Manager, at 
[email protected] or 760-431-9440 extension 273. Individuals who 
use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 
Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 
(Service) Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge and the California 
Department of Parks and Recreation's Border Field State Park propose to 
prepare a draft environmental impact statement/environmental impact 
report to evaluate the effects of restoring 80 to 85 acres (ac) of 
coastal wetlands within the Tijuana Estuary, north of Monument Road and 
south of the existing tidal inlet, in southwestern San Diego County. We 
are requesting comments concerning the scope of the analysis and 
identification of relevant information and studies.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The purpose of the Tijuana Estuary Tidal Restoration Program II, 
Phase I (TETRP II Phase I) project is to restore native coastal 
habitats and functions to a portion of the southern arm of the Tijuana 
Estuary consistent with the recommendations presented in the Tijuana 
Estuary--Friendship Marsh Restoration Feasibility Study prepared in 
2008. The need for the proposed action is to reverse ongoing 
degradation of coastal resources essential to the long-term survival of 
listed species, migratory birds, fish, and other aquatic resources, 
while also increasing the estuary's tidal prism to improve water 
quality and maintain continuous tidal exchange through the tidal inlet.

Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives

    Two action alternatives and the no action alternative will be 
evaluated in the draft environmental impact statement/environmental 
impact report. Both action alternatives would reconfigure a portion of 
the southern arm of the Tijuana Estuary to establish coastal wetlands 
supported by an extensive system of tidal channels intended to increase 
the estuary's tidal prism and enhance estuarine function within the 
system. The project site would be excavated to establish elevations 
with appropriate inundation frequencies to support specific coastal 
wetland habitat types. Suitable excavated material would be 
beneficially used to establish and/or reconfigure transitional areas 
located along the southern edge of the restoration area and/or the 
barrier dunes to the west, increasing resiliency to sea-level rise. 
Additionally, some of the excavated material may be suitable for 
nearshore disposal.
    Alternative 1 (Maximum Tidal Prism) is currently identified as the 
proposed action. This alternative, which would restore approximately 85 
ac of coastal habitat, would maximize deeper intertidal habitats, by 
expanding tidal channels and intertidal mudflat.
    Alternative 2 (Reduced Impact Alternative), which would restore 
approximately 80 ac of coastal habitat, has been designed to preserve 
existing native plant communities, including high salt marsh and 
transition zone throughout the project site. The primary tidal 
connection to Alternative 2 is the existing South Beach Slough, which 
would be deepened to increase tidal flows into the proposed restoration 
site.
    The primary differences between the two action alternatives include 
the amount of intertidal mudflat restored versus salt marsh habitat; 
the total acreage of restored versus preserved habitats; and the number 
of connections to existing tidal channels.
    Under the No Action Alternative, restoration of the estuary would 
not be implemented. No sediment or vegetation would be removed and no 
establishment of habitat for the enhancement of biological and 
hydrological functions within the project site would occur.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    Based on our initial evaluation of the proposed action and 
alternatives, the following impacts would be expected: Conversion of 
existing upland habitat to coastal wetlands; replacement of high salt 
marsh habitat with low salt marsh habitat; short-term disturbance to 
listed and sensitive avian species; temporary increases in dust and 
other air pollutants during construction; changes to the area's 
existing fluvial hydrology; temporary impacts to water quality during 
excavation; temporary and permanent changes to existing public access; 
and temporary increases in construction traffic on the roadways within 
the Tijuana River Valley.

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations

    The following permits and other authorizations are anticipated to 
be required:
     U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Clean Water Act (CWA) section 
404 Nationwide Permit 27 and others, if appropriate;
     San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board CWA section 
401 water quality certification;
     California Coastal Commission consistency determination in 
compliance with section 930.34 et seq. of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) federal consistency regulations for 
actions on Refuge lands and a coastal development permit for actions on 
Border Field State Park;
     Refuge special use permit to the California Department of 
Parks and Recreation for construction access and activities on Refuge 
lands;
     Consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Federal 
Endangered Species Act with the Service and National Marine Fisheries 
Service;
     Consultation with Tribes and the State Historic 
Preservation Officer pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act;
     Consultations with NOAA Fisheries for essential fish 
habitat under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act, and for marine mammals pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection 
Act.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    Processing of the environmental impact statement from the public 
scoping stage to the signing of the record of decision, is expected to 
take approximately 1 year. Subsequent actions will involve the 
processing of all required permits needed to implement restoration, 
which is not expected to occur until additional funding is identified 
for project implementation.

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Public Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the 45-day scoping process, which 
guides the development of the draft environmental impact statement/
environmental impact report. The scoping process is designed to elicit 
comments from the public, public agencies, Tribal governments, and 
other interested parties on the scope of the draft environmental impact 
statement. All interested parties are encouraged to provide written 
comments and to participate in upcoming public scoping meetings. The 
details about upcoming public scoping meetings will be posted on the 
Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge website at www.fws.gov/refuge/Tijuana_Slough/what_we_do/resource_management .html (click on ``TETRP 
II Phase I''). Requests to be contacted about scheduled scoping 
opportunities should be submitted via any of the contact methods 
provided under ADDRESSES or FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, above.

Request for Identification of Potential Alternatives, Information, and 
Analyses Relevant to the Proposed Action

    The Service requests comments concerning the scope of the analysis 
and identification of relevant information and studies. All interested 
parties are invited to provide input related to the identification of 
potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the 
Proposed Action in writing or during the public scoping meeting. All 
written comments should be submitted via any of the methods provided 
under ADDRESSES.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The Service is the lead agency for the environmental impact 
statement, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will participate as a 
cooperating agency. The California Department of Parks and Recreation 
will serve as the lead State agency for those components of the project 
that are under the jurisdiction of the State of California.

Decision Maker

    The Decision Maker is the Service's Regional Director for the 
Department of the Interior Region 8.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Regional Director, after considering the analysis and 
information provided in the final environmental impact statement, as 
well as the comments received throughout the review process, will 
select the alternative that best achieves the purpose and need for the 
intended action. The decision, which will be documented in the record 
of decision, will also consider the consistency of the action with 
agency policies, regulations, and applicable laws, and the contribution 
the action will make towards achieving the purposes for which the 
Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge was established, while also 
contributing to the mission and goals of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System.

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

    This document is published under the authority of the National 
Environmental Policy Act regulations pertaining to the publication of a 
notice of intent to issue an environmental impact statement (40 CFR 
1501.9(d)).

Martha Maciel,
Acting Regional Director, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2021-11251 Filed 5-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P