Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Western Everglades Restoration Project, Hendry, Broward, Collier Counties, Florida, 48764-48765 [2016-17686]

Download as PDF 48764 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 143 / Tuesday, July 26, 2016 / Notices the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, one member nominated by the Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission, and no more than seven members nominated by the Secretary of the Army. All members are appointed to provide advice on behalf of the Government on the basis of their best judgment without representing any particular point of view and in a manner free from conflict of interest. Except for reimbursement of official Committeerelated travel and per diem, members serve without compensation. The DoD may establish subcommittees, task forces, or working groups to support the Committee. All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA and the Government in the Sunshine Act, will not work independently of the Committee, report all findings to the Committee for full deliberation and discussion, and have no authority to make decisions and recommendations, verbally or in writing, on behalf of the Committee. No subcommittee or any of its members can update or report, verbally or in writing, directly to the DoD or any Federal officers or employees. The Committee’s DFO, pursuant to DoD policy, must be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, and must be in attendance for the duration of each and every Committee or subcommittee meeting. The public or interested organizations may submit written statements to the Committee membership about the Committee’s mission and functions. Such statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned Committee meetings. All written statements must be submitted to the Committee’s DFO who will ensure the written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Dated: July 21, 2016. Aaron Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. 2016–17622 Filed 7–25–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Western Everglades Restoration Project, Hendry, Broward, Collier Counties, Florida Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD. AGENCY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:28 Jul 25, 2016 Jkt 238001 ACTION: Notice of intent. The Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is beginning preparation of a National Environmental Policy Act assessment for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP). The Everglades ecosystem, including Lake Okeechobee, encompasses a system of diverse wetland landscapes that are hydrologically and ecologically connected across more than 200 miles from north to south and across 18,000 square miles of southern Florida. In 2000, the U.S. Congress authorized the Federal government, in partnership with the State of Florida, to embark upon a multi-decade, multi-billion dollar Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) to further protect and restore the remaining Everglades ecosystem while providing for other water-related needs of the region. CERP involves modification of the existing network of drainage canals and levees that make up the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project. One of the next steps for implementation of CERP is to identify opportunities within the tributary areas of Water Conservation Area (WCA) 3A to restore natural areas within the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation and adjacent portions of Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) and the Miccosukee Indian Reservation. Encompassing approximately 440,000 acres located primarily in eastern Hendry County, WCA 3A tributary areas include the C–139, Feeder Canal and L– 28 Gap Basins as well as the C–139 Annex and L–28 Interceptor. These areas are collectively called the Western Basins as they are located along the western edge of the Everglades and were historic flow ways. Both water supply and water quality of storm water runoff are challenges facing the Western Basins. ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning and Policy Division, Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, FL 32232–0019. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Nasuti at 904–232–1368 or email at melissa.a.nasuti@ usace.army.mil. Additional information is also available at https://bit.ly/ WesternEverglades. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: a. Since 2000, much progress has been made. Construction has begun on the first generation of CERP project modifications already authorized by Congress. These include the Picayune Strand Restoration, the Indian River Lagoon South and Site 1 Impoundment SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Projects. Congressional authorization has been received for the second generation of CERP projects, including Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands—Phase 1, the Broward County Water Preserve Areas, the Caloosahatchee River (C–43) West Basin Storage Reservoir, and the C–111 Spreader Canal Western Project which are already under construction or are operational, and the Broward County Water Preserve Areas which is currently being designed. The Central Everglades Planning Project is currently awaiting congressional authorization. All of these CERP projects contribute significant ecological benefits to the system and the specific regional habitats in which they are located. The original CERP Project identified to restore and reconnect the western Everglades ecosystem was called the Big Cypress/ L–28 Interceptor Modification. The purpose of this project, as defined within the CERP, is to reestablish sheet flow from the West Feeder Canal across the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation and into BCNP, maintain flood protection on Seminole Tribal lands, and ensure that inflows to the North and West Feeder Canals meet applicable water quality standards. Project features considered under CERP include modification of levees and canals, water control structures, pumps, and stormwater treatment areas with a total storage capacity of 7,600 acre-feet located within and adjacent to the Miccosukee and Seminole Indian Reservations in Collier and Hendry Counties. This CERP component will serve as the starting point for the WERP and will be refined through the planning process. b. The objectives of the WERP are to improve the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of water needed to restore and reconnect the western Everglades ecosystem. c. A scoping letter will be used to invite comments from Federal, State, and local agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other interested private organizations and individuals. d. A scoping meeting will be held August 16th, 2016 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the John Boy Auditorium, 1200 South W.C. Owen Avenue, Clewiston, Florida 33440. e. All alternative plans will be reviewed under provisions of appropriate laws and regulations, including the Endangered Species Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Clean Water Act, and Farmland Protection Policy Act. f. The Draft Environmental Impact Assessment is expected to be available for public review in late 2017. E:\FR\FM\26JYN1.SGM 26JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 143 / Tuesday, July 26, 2016 / Notices Dated: July 12, 2016. Eric P. Summa, Chief, Planning and Policy Division. [FR Doc. 2016–17686 Filed 7–25–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3720–58–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy [Docket ID USN–2014–0018] Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request ACTION: Notice. The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance, the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act. DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by August 25, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Licari, 571–372–0493. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title, Associated Form and OMB Number: Application Processing and Summary Record; NAVCRUIT Form 1131/238; OMB Control Number 0703– 0029. Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired. Number of Respondents: 14,000. Responses per Respondent: 1. Annual Responses: 14,000. Average Burden per Response: 1 hour. Annual Burden Hours: 14,000. Needs and Uses: All persons interested in entering the U.S. Navy or U.S. Navy Reserve, in a commissioned status must provide various personal data in order for a Selection Board to determine their qualifications for naval service and for specific fields of endeavor which the applicant intends to pursue. This information is used to recruit and select applicants who are qualified for commission in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Navy Reserve. Affected Public: Individuals or households. Frequency: On occasion. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. OMB Desk Officer: Ms. Jasmeet Seehra. Comments and recommendations on the proposed information collection should be emailed to Ms. Jasmeet Seehra, DoD Desk Officer, at Oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Please identify the proposed information collection by DoD Desk Officer and the Docket ID number and title of the information collection. srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:28 Jul 25, 2016 Jkt 238001 You may also submit comments and recommendations, identified by Docket ID number and title, by the following method: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, Docket ID number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the Internet at https:// www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information. DOD Clearance Officer: Mr. Frederick Licari. Written requests for copies of the information collection proposal should be sent to Mr. Licari at WHS/ESD Directives Division, 4800 Mark Center Drive, East Tower, Suite 02G09, Alexandria, VA 22350–3100. Dated: July 21, 2016. Aaron Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. 2016–17644 Filed 7–25–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Notice of Public Hearing and Business Meeting: August 10 and September 14, 2016 Notice is hereby given that the Delaware River Basin Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at the Washington Crossing Historic Park Visitor Center, 1112 River Road, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. A business meeting will be held the following month, on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem, 437 Main Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The hearing and business meeting are open to the public. Public Hearing. The public hearing on August 10, 2016 will begin at 1:30 p.m. Hearing items will include draft dockets for the withdrawals, discharges and other water-related projects subject to the Commission’s review. The list of projects scheduled for hearing, including project descriptions, will be posted on the Commission’s Web site, www.drbc.net, in a long form of this notice at least ten days before the hearing date. Draft resolutions scheduled for hearing also will be PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 48765 posted at www.drbc.net ten or more days prior to the hearing. Written comments on matters scheduled for hearing on August 10 will be accepted through 5 p.m. on August 11. After the hearing on all scheduled matters has been completed, and as time allows, an opportunity for Open Public Comment will also be provided. The public is advised to check the Commission’s Web site periodically prior to the hearing date, as items scheduled for hearing may be postponed if additional time is deemed necessary to complete the Commission’s review, and items may be added up to ten days prior to the hearing date. In reviewing docket descriptions, the public is also asked to be aware that project details commonly change in the course of the Commission’s review, which is ongoing. Public Meeting. The public business meeting on September 14, 2016 will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will include: Adoption of the Minutes of the Commission’s June 15, 2016 business meeting, announcements of upcoming meetings and events, a report on hydrologic conditions, reports by the Executive Director and the Commission’s General Counsel, and consideration of any items for which a hearing has been completed or is not required. After all scheduled business has been completed and as time allows, the meeting will also include up to one hour of Open Public Comment. There will be no opportunity for additional public comment for the record at the September 14 business meeting on items for which a hearing was completed on August 10 or a previous date. Commission consideration on September 14 of items for which the public hearing is closed may result in approval of the item (by docket or resolution) as proposed, approval with changes, denial, or deferral. When the Commissioners defer an action, they may announce an additional period for written comment on the item, with or without an additional hearing date, or they may take additional time to consider the input they have already received without requesting further public input. Any deferred items will be considered for action at a public meeting of the Commission on a future date. Advance Sign-Up for Oral Comment. Individuals who wish to comment on the record during the public hearing on August 10 or to address the Commissioners informally during the Open Public Comment portion of the meeting on either August 10 or September 14 as time allows, are asked to sign up in advance by contacting Ms. E:\FR\FM\26JYN1.SGM 26JYN1

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[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48764-48765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17686]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Western Everglades Restoration Project, Hendry, Broward, Collier 
Counties, Florida

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps) is beginning preparation of a National Environmental Policy Act 
assessment for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP). The 
Everglades ecosystem, including Lake Okeechobee, encompasses a system 
of diverse wetland landscapes that are hydrologically and ecologically 
connected across more than 200 miles from north to south and across 
18,000 square miles of southern Florida. In 2000, the U.S. Congress 
authorized the Federal government, in partnership with the State of 
Florida, to embark upon a multi-decade, multi-billion dollar 
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) to further protect and 
restore the remaining Everglades ecosystem while providing for other 
water-related needs of the region. CERP involves modification of the 
existing network of drainage canals and levees that make up the Central 
and Southern Florida Flood Control Project. One of the next steps for 
implementation of CERP is to identify opportunities within the 
tributary areas of Water Conservation Area (WCA) 3A to restore natural 
areas within the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation and adjacent 
portions of Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) and the Miccosukee 
Indian Reservation. Encompassing approximately 440,000 acres located 
primarily in eastern Hendry County, WCA 3A tributary areas include the 
C-139, Feeder Canal and L-28 Gap Basins as well as the C-139 Annex and 
L-28 Interceptor. These areas are collectively called the Western 
Basins as they are located along the western edge of the Everglades and 
were historic flow ways. Both water supply and water quality of storm 
water runoff are challenges facing the Western Basins.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning and Policy Division, 
Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Nasuti at 904-232-1368 or 
email at melissa.a.nasuti@usace.army.mil. Additional information is 
also available at https://bit.ly/WesternEverglades.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    a. Since 2000, much progress has been made. Construction has begun 
on the first generation of CERP project modifications already 
authorized by Congress. These include the Picayune Strand Restoration, 
the Indian River Lagoon South and Site 1 Impoundment Projects. 
Congressional authorization has been received for the second generation 
of CERP projects, including Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands--Phase 1, the 
Broward County Water Preserve Areas, the Caloosahatchee River (C-43) 
West Basin Storage Reservoir, and the C-111 Spreader Canal Western 
Project which are already under construction or are operational, and 
the Broward County Water Preserve Areas which is currently being 
designed. The Central Everglades Planning Project is currently awaiting 
congressional authorization. All of these CERP projects contribute 
significant ecological benefits to the system and the specific regional 
habitats in which they are located. The original CERP Project 
identified to restore and reconnect the western Everglades ecosystem 
was called the Big Cypress/L-28 Interceptor Modification. The purpose 
of this project, as defined within the CERP, is to reestablish sheet 
flow from the West Feeder Canal across the Big Cypress Seminole Indian 
Reservation and into BCNP, maintain flood protection on Seminole Tribal 
lands, and ensure that inflows to the North and West Feeder Canals meet 
applicable water quality standards. Project features considered under 
CERP include modification of levees and canals, water control 
structures, pumps, and stormwater treatment areas with a total storage 
capacity of 7,600 acre-feet located within and adjacent to the 
Miccosukee and Seminole Indian Reservations in Collier and Hendry 
Counties. This CERP component will serve as the starting point for the 
WERP and will be refined through the planning process.
    b. The objectives of the WERP are to improve the quality, quantity, 
timing and distribution of water needed to restore and reconnect the 
western Everglades ecosystem.
    c. A scoping letter will be used to invite comments from Federal, 
State, and local agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other interested 
private organizations and individuals.
    d. A scoping meeting will be held August 16th, 2016 from 6:30 to 
9:00 p.m. at the John Boy Auditorium, 1200 South W.C. Owen Avenue, 
Clewiston, Florida 33440.
    e. All alternative plans will be reviewed under provisions of 
appropriate laws and regulations, including the Endangered Species Act, 
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Clean Water Act, and Farmland 
Protection Policy Act.
    f. The Draft Environmental Impact Assessment is expected to be 
available for public review in late 2017.


[[Page 48765]]


    Dated: July 12, 2016.
Eric P. Summa,
Chief, Planning and Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 2016-17686 Filed 7-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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