Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Request for Public Comments Concerning Proposed Construction and Operation of Tactical Infrastructure for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Border Patrol San Diego Sector, 54277-54278 [E7-18830]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 184 / Monday, September 24, 2007 / Notices
review. At that time, a Notice of
Availability (NOA) will be published in
the Federal Register, the Brownsville
Herald (Brownsville, Texas), and The
Monitor (McAllen, Texas). The NOA
will announce the availability of the
draft EIS, how to obtain a copy, and the
dates, times, and places of any
associated public informational
meetings.
Dated: September 19, 2007.
Eugene H. Schied,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Finance.
[FR Doc. E7–18829 Filed 9–21–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–14–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Bureau of Customs and Border
Protection
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and Request for Public Comments
Concerning Proposed Construction
and Operation of Tactical
Infrastructure for the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, Office of
Border Patrol San Diego Sector
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and
Request for Public Comments.
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (NEPA), U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to identify and assess
the potential impacts associated with a
proposal to construct and operate
approximately four miles of tactical
infrastructure and supporting patrol
roads along the U.S./Mexico
international border south of and
adjacent to Otay Mountain Wilderness
area in San Diego County, California
(the Proposed Action). The purpose of
the Proposed Action is to further CBP’s
ability to gain effective control of the
border by denying pedestrian and other
access in this high priority section of the
Office of Border Patrol’s (OBP’s) San
Diego Sector. CBP is the decisionmaking agency for this Proposed Action.
Notice is hereby given that the public
scoping process has been initiated to
prepare an EIS that will address the
impacts and alternatives of the Proposed
Action. The purpose of the scoping
process is to solicit public comment
regarding the range of issues, including
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:43 Sep 21, 2007
Jkt 211001
potential impacts and alternatives that
should be addressed in the EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Visit
https://www.BorderFenceNEPA.com or email:
information@BorderFenceNEPA.com.
Written requests for information may be
submitted to: Charles McGregor, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Engineering
Construction and Support Office, 819
Taylor St., Room 3A14, Fort Worth,
Texas 76102; Phone: (817) 886–1585;
and Fax: (817) 886–6404.
Background: An EIS is being prepared
in support of a proposal by OBP’s San
Diego Sector for controlling and
deterring the influx of illegal
immigration and contraband into the
United States. To assist Border Patrol
officers, OBP is proposing to install and
operate tactical infrastructure consisting
of pedestrian fence, vehicle barriers,
supporting patrol roads, lights, and
other infrastructure along approximately
four miles of the U.S./Mexico
international border within OBP’s San
Diego Sector.
In order to secure the nation’s
borders, CBP is developing and
deploying the most effective mix of
proven technology, infrastructure, and
increased personnel. In some locations,
fencing is a critical element of border
security. OBP has identified this area of
the border as a location where fence
would significantly contribute to CBP’s
priority mission homeland security. As
a part of this Proposed Action, two
segments of fence are proposed for
construction.
One segment is approximately 3.4
miles long and would start at the Puebla
Tree and end at boundary monument
250. The proposed segment would be
adjacent to and south of the Otay
Mountain Wilderness; would follow the
Pack Truck Trail; and would not
connect to any existing fence. The Otay
Mountain Wilderness is on public lands
administered by the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), U.S. Department of
the Interior in San Diego County,
California. The wilderness boundary is
at least 100 feet from the U.S./Mexico
border, and the proposed fence would
occur in this corridor between the U.S./
Mexico border and the wilderness
boundary. However, due to steep
topography, a portion of road or other
tactical infrastructure might encroach
into the wilderness area.
The second segment would be
approximately 0.6 miles long and would
connect with existing border fence west
of Tecate. This fence segment is an
extension of existing fence up Tecate
Peak and would pass through a riparian
area. This proposed fence segment
would be on privately owned land.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
54277
Potential alternatives for
environmental impacts analysis will
consider location, construction, and
operation of tactical infrastructure.
Potential alternatives must meet the
need to gain effective control of our
nation’s borders, as well as essential
technical, engineering, and economic
threshold requirements to ensure that
the Proposed Action is environmentally
sound, economically viable, and meets
all applicable laws and regulations.
The EIS will comply with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations in 40
CFR Parts 1500–1508, and Department
of Homeland Security (DHS)
Management Directive 5100.1
(Environmental Planning Program).
Consistent with 40 CFR 1508.28, the
EIS will analyze the site-specific
environmental impacts of the proposed
action which were broadly described in
two previous programmatic EISs
prepared by the former U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service
(which now falls under the
responsibility of CBP), Department of
Defense, and Joint Task Force 6 (JTF–6).
The Programmatic EIS for JTF–6
Activities Along the U.S./Mexico Border,
August 1994, and its supplementing
document, Supplemental Programmatic
EIS for INS and JTF–6 Activities, June
2001, were prepared to address the
cumulative effects of past and
reasonably foreseeable projects
undertaken by JTF–6 for numerous law
enforcement agencies within the four
southwestern states (California, Arizona,
New Mexico, and Texas). These
documents can be obtained from the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort
Worth District, Engineering
Construction and Support Office Web
site, at https://ecso.swf.usace.army.mil/;
by sending an e-mail to
charles.mcgregor@swf02.
usace.army.mil; or by mailing a request
to: Charles McGregor, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Engineering Construction
and Support Office, 819 Taylor St.,
Room 3A14, Fort Worth, Texas 76102.
Public Participation: Pursuant to the
Council on Environmental Quality’s
regulations, CBP invites public
participation in the NEPA process. This
notice requests public participation in
the scoping process, establishes a public
comment period, and provides
information on how to participate.
Public scoping is an open process for
determining the scope of the EIS and
identifying significant issues related to
the proposed action. Anyone wishing to
provide comments, suggestions, or
relevant information on the Proposed
Action may do so as follows:
E:\FR\FM\24SEN1.SGM
24SEN1
54278
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 184 / Monday, September 24, 2007 / Notices
You may submit comments to CBP by
contacting the SBInet, Tactical
Infrastructure Program Office. To avoid
duplication, please use only one of the
following methods:
(a) Electronically through the Web site
at: https://www.BorderFenceNEPA.com;
(b) By e-mail to:
SDcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com;
(c) By mail to: San Diego Tactical
Infrastructure EIS, c/o e2M, 2751
Prosperity Avenue, Suite 200, Fairfax,
Virginia 22031; or
(d) By fax to: (757) 257–7643.
Comments and related material must
reach CBP by October 15, 2007. CBP
will consider all comments and material
received during the NOI comment
period. If you submit a comment, please
include your name and address, and
identify your comments as for the San
Diego Sector EIS. Comments received
after October 15, 2007 will receive
responses following the publication of
the draft EIS.
This scoping period is not the only
opportunity you will have to comment.
A draft EIS will be prepared, and prior
to the development of a final EIS, CBP
will release the draft EIS for public
review. At that time, a Notice of
Availability (NOA) will be published in
the Federal Register, the San Diego
Union Tribune, and the San Diego Daily
Transcript. The NOA will announce the
availability of the draft EIS, how to
obtain a copy, and the dates, times, and
places of any associated public
informational meetings.
Dated: September 19, 2007.
Eugene H. Schied,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Finance.
[FR Doc. E7–18830 Filed 9–21–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–14–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of
1990; Amendments to the John H.
Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources
System
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of distribution and
availability of replacement maps of
eight of the John H. Chafee Coastal
Barrier Resources System.
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), have
replaced maps of eight John H. Chafee
Coastal Barrier Resources System units
in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and
Texas, as directed by Congress. We are
using this notice to inform the public
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:43 Sep 21, 2007
Jkt 211001
about the distribution and availability of
the replacement maps.
DATES: The replacement map for Units
T07/T07P became effective on
December 1, 2003. The replacement
maps for Unit NC–07P became effective
on October 18, 2004. The replacement
map for Units P25/P25P became
effective on October 30, 2004. The
replacement maps for Units FL–95P,
FL–96, and GA–06P became effective on
October 16, 2006.
ADDRESSES: For information about how
to get copies of the maps or where to go
to view them, see SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Katie Niemi, Department of the Interior,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division
of Habitat and Resource Conservation,
(703) 358–2161.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In 1982, Congress passed the Coastal
Barrier Resources Act (Pub. L. 97–348)
to restrict Federal spending that has the
effect of encouraging development on
undeveloped coastal barriers along the
Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. In
the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of
1990 (Pub. L. 101–591), Congress
amended the 1982 Act to broaden the
definition of a coastal barrier, and
approved a series of maps entitled ‘‘John
H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources
System’’ dated October 24, 1990. These
maps identify and depict those coastal
barriers located on the coasts of the
Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Great
Lakes, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico
that are subject to the Federal funding
limitations outlined in the Act.
The Act also defines Service
responsibilities regarding the John H.
Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System
maps. We have official custody of these
maps and prepare and distribute copies.
In the Federal Register on June 6, 1991
(56 FR 26304), we published a notice of
the filing, distribution, and availability
of the maps entitled ‘‘John H. Chafee
Coastal Barrier Resources System’’ and
dated October 24, 1990. We have
announced all subsequent map
revisions in the Federal Register.
Revisions to the John H. Chafee Coastal
Barrier Resources System in Texas
Public Law 108–138, enacted on
December 1, 2003, replaced one of the
six maps relating to Matagorda
Peninsula Units T07/T0P in Matagorda
County, Texas, with a revised map
entitled ‘‘John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier
Resources System, Matagorda Peninsula
Unit T07/T07P’’ for that area. The
changes to the map ensure that the
PO 00000
Frm 00046
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
boundary of Unit T07 does not include
property within the Matagorda Dunes
Homesites Subdivision. A full
complement of infrastructure was
available to each lot within the
subdivision prior to 1982, therefore
meeting the Coastal Barrier Resources
Act definition of ‘‘developed’’ at the
time the subdivision was included
within Unit T07 in 1982. Under the new
map, 76 acres (23 fastland acres and 53
associated aquatic habitat acres) were
removed from Unit T07, and 3 acres of
associated aquatic habitat were added to
Unit T07. Additionally, 80 acres were
reclassified from Unit T07 to Unit T07P.
Revisions to the John H. Chafee Coastal
Barrier Resources System in North
Carolina
Public Law 108–339, enacted on
October 18, 2004, replaced the two
maps relating to Cape Fear Unit NC–07P
in New Hanover and Brunswick
Counties, North Carolina, with two
revised maps entitled ‘‘John H. Chafee
Coastal Barrier Resources System, Cape
Fear Unit NC–07P.’’ The changes to the
maps ensure that the boundary of Unit
NC–07P follows the exterior boundaries
of lands held for conservation or
recreation. Under the new maps, 273
acres (13 acres of fastland and 261 acres
of associated aquatic habitat) were
removed from Unit NC–07P, and 8,117
acres (2,714 acres of fastland and 5,403
acres of associated aquatic habitat) were
added to Unit NC–07P.
Revisions to the John H. Chafee Coastal
Barrier Resources System in Florida
Public Law 108–380, enacted on
October 30, 2004, replaced one of the
two maps relating to Cedar Keys Units
P25/P25P in Levy County, Florida, with
a revised map entitled ‘‘John H. Chafee
Coastal Barrier Resources System, Cedar
Keys Unit P25/P25P.’’ The changes to
the map clarify the boundaries of an
excluded area on Cedar Key so that the
Unit P25 boundary more precisely
follows geomorphic features. Under the
new map, 41 acres (32 fastland acres
and 9 associated aquatic habitat acres)
were removed from Unit P25, and 56
acres (1 acre of fastland and 55 acres of
associated aquatic habitat) were added
to Unit P25.
Public Law 109–355, enacted on
October 16, 2006, replaced the map
relating to Grayton Beach Unit FL–95P
and Draper Lake Unit FL–96 in Walton
County, Florida, with a revised map
entitled ‘‘John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier
Resources System, Grayton Beach Unit
FL–95P Draper Lake Unit FL–96.’’ The
changes to the map ensure that the
boundary of Unit FL–95P follows the
exterior boundaries of Grayton Beach
E:\FR\FM\24SEN1.SGM
24SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 184 (Monday, September 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54277-54278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18830]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and Request for Public Comments Concerning Proposed Construction
and Operation of Tactical Infrastructure for the U.S. Customs and
Border Protection, Office of Border Patrol San Diego Sector
AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
and Request for Public Comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (NEPA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to identify and
assess the potential impacts associated with a proposal to construct
and operate approximately four miles of tactical infrastructure and
supporting patrol roads along the U.S./Mexico international border
south of and adjacent to Otay Mountain Wilderness area in San Diego
County, California (the Proposed Action). The purpose of the Proposed
Action is to further CBP's ability to gain effective control of the
border by denying pedestrian and other access in this high priority
section of the Office of Border Patrol's (OBP's) San Diego Sector. CBP
is the decision-making agency for this Proposed Action.
Notice is hereby given that the public scoping process has been
initiated to prepare an EIS that will address the impacts and
alternatives of the Proposed Action. The purpose of the scoping process
is to solicit public comment regarding the range of issues, including
potential impacts and alternatives that should be addressed in the EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Visit https://www.BorderFenceNEPA.com
or e-mail: information@BorderFenceNEPA.com. Written requests for
information may be submitted to: Charles McGregor, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Engineering Construction and Support Office, 819 Taylor St.,
Room 3A14, Fort Worth, Texas 76102; Phone: (817) 886-1585; and Fax:
(817) 886-6404.
Background: An EIS is being prepared in support of a proposal by
OBP's San Diego Sector for controlling and deterring the influx of
illegal immigration and contraband into the United States. To assist
Border Patrol officers, OBP is proposing to install and operate
tactical infrastructure consisting of pedestrian fence, vehicle
barriers, supporting patrol roads, lights, and other infrastructure
along approximately four miles of the U.S./Mexico international border
within OBP's San Diego Sector.
In order to secure the nation's borders, CBP is developing and
deploying the most effective mix of proven technology, infrastructure,
and increased personnel. In some locations, fencing is a critical
element of border security. OBP has identified this area of the border
as a location where fence would significantly contribute to CBP's
priority mission homeland security. As a part of this Proposed Action,
two segments of fence are proposed for construction.
One segment is approximately 3.4 miles long and would start at the
Puebla Tree and end at boundary monument 250. The proposed segment
would be adjacent to and south of the Otay Mountain Wilderness; would
follow the Pack Truck Trail; and would not connect to any existing
fence. The Otay Mountain Wilderness is on public lands administered by
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of the Interior in
San Diego County, California. The wilderness boundary is at least 100
feet from the U.S./Mexico border, and the proposed fence would occur in
this corridor between the U.S./Mexico border and the wilderness
boundary. However, due to steep topography, a portion of road or other
tactical infrastructure might encroach into the wilderness area.
The second segment would be approximately 0.6 miles long and would
connect with existing border fence west of Tecate. This fence segment
is an extension of existing fence up Tecate Peak and would pass through
a riparian area. This proposed fence segment would be on privately
owned land.
Potential alternatives for environmental impacts analysis will
consider location, construction, and operation of tactical
infrastructure. Potential alternatives must meet the need to gain
effective control of our nation's borders, as well as essential
technical, engineering, and economic threshold requirements to ensure
that the Proposed Action is environmentally sound, economically viable,
and meets all applicable laws and regulations.
The EIS will comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations in 40 CFR
Parts 1500-1508, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Management
Directive 5100.1 (Environmental Planning Program).
Consistent with 40 CFR 1508.28, the EIS will analyze the site-
specific environmental impacts of the proposed action which were
broadly described in two previous programmatic EISs prepared by the
former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (which now falls
under the responsibility of CBP), Department of Defense, and Joint Task
Force 6 (JTF-6). The Programmatic EIS for JTF-6 Activities Along the
U.S./Mexico Border, August 1994, and its supplementing document,
Supplemental Programmatic EIS for INS and JTF-6 Activities, June 2001,
were prepared to address the cumulative effects of past and reasonably
foreseeable projects undertaken by JTF-6 for numerous law enforcement
agencies within the four southwestern states (California, Arizona, New
Mexico, and Texas). These documents can be obtained from the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, Engineering Construction and
Support Office Web site, at https://ecso.swf.usace.army.mil/; by
sending an e-mail to charles.mcgregor@swf02.usace.army.mil; or by
mailing a request to: Charles McGregor, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Engineering Construction and Support Office, 819 Taylor St., Room 3A14,
Fort Worth, Texas 76102.
Public Participation: Pursuant to the Council on Environmental
Quality's regulations, CBP invites public participation in the NEPA
process. This notice requests public participation in the scoping
process, establishes a public comment period, and provides information
on how to participate.
Public scoping is an open process for determining the scope of the
EIS and identifying significant issues related to the proposed action.
Anyone wishing to provide comments, suggestions, or relevant
information on the Proposed Action may do so as follows:
[[Page 54278]]
You may submit comments to CBP by contacting the SBInet, Tactical
Infrastructure Program Office. To avoid duplication, please use only
one of the following methods:
(a) Electronically through the Web site at: https://
www.BorderFenceNEPA.com;
(b) By e-mail to: SDcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com;
(c) By mail to: San Diego Tactical Infrastructure EIS, c/o e\2\M,
2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 200, Fairfax, Virginia 22031; or
(d) By fax to: (757) 257-7643.
Comments and related material must reach CBP by October 15, 2007.
CBP will consider all comments and material received during the NOI
comment period. If you submit a comment, please include your name and
address, and identify your comments as for the San Diego Sector EIS.
Comments received after October 15, 2007 will receive responses
following the publication of the draft EIS.
This scoping period is not the only opportunity you will have to
comment. A draft EIS will be prepared, and prior to the development of
a final EIS, CBP will release the draft EIS for public review. At that
time, a Notice of Availability (NOA) will be published in the Federal
Register, the San Diego Union Tribune, and the San Diego Daily
Transcript. The NOA will announce the availability of the draft EIS,
how to obtain a copy, and the dates, times, and places of any
associated public informational meetings.
Dated: September 19, 2007.
Eugene H. Schied,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Finance.
[FR Doc. E7-18830 Filed 9-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-14-P
