Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings for the Fishtrap Lake Road Project, Fishtrap Lake, Pike County, KY, 923-924 [06-101]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
• Engineers Corps
• Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 4 (Friday, January 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 923-924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-101]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Conduct Public Scoping Meetings for the Fishtrap Lake Road Project, 
Fishtrap Lake, Pike County, KY

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
Huntington District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD, will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS will evaluate potential 
direct, indirect and cumulative impacts to the natural, physical, and 
human environment resulting from construction of one or more roads 
proposed to serve recreational development and community access needs 
at the Fishtrap Lake Project near Millard, Pike County, KY.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning this 
proposed project to Peter K. Dodgion PD-R, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Huntington District, 502 Eighth Street, Huntington, WV 
25701-2070. Telephone: 304-399-5873. Electronic mail: 
peter.k.dodgion@usace.army.mil. Requests to be placed on the mailing 
list should also be sent to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain additional information about 
the proposed project, contact Beth A. Cade PD-F, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Huntington District, 502 Eighth Street, Huntington, WV 
25701-2070. Telephone: 304-399-5848. Electronic mail: 
beth.a.cade@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Public Participation:
    a. The Corps of Engineers will conduct public scoping workshops to 
gain input from interested agencies, organizations, and the general 
public concerning the content of the EIS, issues and impacts to be 
addressed in the EIS, and alternatives that should be analyzed. Three 
public scoping workshops are scheduled as follows:
    (1) January 23, 2006, from 6-8:30 p.m., Kimper Grade School, 8151 
State Highway 194, East Kimper, KY;
    (2) January 24, 2006, from 12-2:30 p.m., Pike County Courthouse, 
Fiscal Courtroom, 146 Main Street, Pikesville, KY; and,
    (3) January 24, 2006 from 6-8:30 p.m., Millard Grade School, 20 
Rocky Road, Pikesville, KY.
    b. The Corps invites full public participation to promote open 
communication and better decision-making. All persons and organizations 
that have an interest in the community access and recreation at and 
around Fishtrap Lake are urged to participate in this NEPA 
environmental analysis process. Assistance will be provided upon 
request to anyone having difficulty with learning how to participate.
    c. Public comments are welcomed anytime throughout the NEPA 
process. Formal opportunities for public participation include: (1) 
Public meetings to be held near the Fishtrap Lake Project; (2) Anytime 
during the NEPA process via mail, telephone, fax, or e-mail; (3) During 
Review and Comment on the Draft EIS--approximately Fall 2006; and, (4) 
Review of the Final EIS--approximately Spring 2007. Schedules and 
locations will be announced in local news media. Interested parties may 
also request to be included on the mailing list for public distribution 
of meeting announcements and documents. (See ADDRESSES).
    d. To ensure that all issues related to the proposed project are 
addressed, the Corps will conduct an open process to define the scope 
of the EIS. Recommendations from interested agencies, local and 
regional stakeholders and the general public are encouraged to provide 
input into regional recreational needs, community access, and other 
issues and concerns that should be considered in formulation and 
evaluation of project alternatives and documented in the EIS. Scoping 
for the EIS will continue to build upon the knowledge and information 
developed in the approximately 40 years the Corps of Engineer has 
managed the Fishtrap Lake Project.
    2. Background:
    a. The Fishtrap Lake Project (Project), which became operational in 
1969, includes a 2,631-acre impoundment of the Levisa Fork, a tributary 
of the Big Sandy River. The dam is located 103.3 miles above the mouth 
of the Levisa Fork. The Project consists of 15,786 acres in this rugged 
mountainous area of Southeastern Kentucky. In addition to flood 
control, Congressionally authorized project purposes include 
recreation, low-flow augmentation, and fish and wildlife conservation. 
About 12,000 acres are currently leased to the Kentucky Division of 
Fish and Wildlife for wildlife management.
    b. The proposed road at Fishtrap Lake was named in the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act of 2004 (Act). The Act also provided under the 
General

[[Page 924]]

Provisions for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that ``funds made 
available under this section may, at the request of a State, be 
transferred by the Secretary to another Federal agency to carry out a 
project funded under this section, such funds to be then administered 
by the procedures of the Federal agency to which such funds may be 
transferred''. Pursuant to this provision, FHWA transferred the funding 
to the Huntington District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to execute the 
project. FHWA will participate in the EIS development as a cooperating 
agency.
    c. An evaluation of current and reasonably foreseeable future 
recreation demands of the region that could be served by the Fishtrap 
Project will be conducted within this study. Pike County has long been 
interested in development of the recreation potential of the Project as 
a means to diversify the region's predominately coal extraction-based 
economy. Inundation to create Fishtrap Lake affected access of certain 
communities adjacent to the project. An array of acceptable recreation 
alternatives as well as community access needs will provide the basis 
for road alternatives.
    d. Alternatives to be considered will include the No Action 
alternative, or no road development; and alternatives formulated to 
address the results of the assessments of recreational needs and 
community access with input through internal and external scoping.

William E. Bulen,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer, Huntington.
[FR Doc. 06-101 Filed 1-5-06; 8:45 am]
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