Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed University of California Merced and University Community Project, Corps Permit Application Number 199900203, 19054-19055 [E8-7315]

Download as PDF pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES 19054 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 68 / Tuesday, April 8, 2008 / Notices Government Employees under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109. Committee members shall be appointed on an annual basis by the Secretary of Defense, and shall serve no more than three years on the Committee; the Secretary of Defense may authorize a Committee member to serve longer than three years on the Committee. Committee members shall serve without compensation, with the exception of travel and per diem for official travel. The Committee shall be authorized to establish subcommittees, as necessary and consistent with its mission, and these subcommittees or working groups shall operate under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976, and other appropriate federal regulations. Such subcommittees or workgroups shall not work independently of the chartered Committee, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Committee for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees or workgroups have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Committee nor can they report directly to the Department of Defense or any federal officers or employees who are not Committee members. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Committee shall meet at the call of the Committee’s Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the Committee’s chairperson. The Designated Federal Officer, pursuant to DoD policy, shall be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, and shall be appointed in accordance with established DoD policies and procedures. The Designated Federal Officer or duly appointed Alternate Designated Federal Officer shall attend all committee meetings and subcommittee meetings. Pursuant to 41 CFR 102–3.105(j) and 102–3.140, the public or interested organizations may submit written statements to the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services membership about the Committee’s mission and functions. Written statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned meetings of the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal Officer for the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, and this individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information for the Defense Department Advisory VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:09 Apr 07, 2008 Jkt 214001 Committee on Women in the Service’s Designated Federal Officer can be obtained from the GSA’s FACA Database—https://www.fido.gov/ facadatabase/public.asp. The Designated Federal Officer, pursuant to 41 CFR 102–3.150, will announce planned meetings of the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. The Designated Federal Officer, at that time, may provide additional guidance on the submission of written statements that are in response to the stated agenda for the planned meeting in question. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Jim Freeman, Deputy Committee Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703–601–6128. Dated: April 2, 2008. L.M. Bynum, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. E8–7316 Filed 4–7–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P (TRADOC), HQ Department of the Army, and the academic and business communities. For Further Information Contact: All communications regarding this committee should be addressed to Mr. Carlton Hardy, at Commander, Headquarters TRADOC, ATTN: ATTG–VN (Mr. Hardy), Fort Monroe, VA 23651–5000; e-mail: carlton.hardy@us.army.mil. Supplementary Information: Meeting of the advisory committee is open to the public. Because of limited meeting space, attendance will be limited to those persons who have notified the Advisory Committee Management Office in writing at least five days prior to the meeting of their intention to attend. Contact Mr. Hardy (carlton.hardy@us.army.mil) for meeting agenda and specific locations. Any member of the public may file a written statement with the committee before, during, or after the meeting. To the extent that time permits, the committee chairman may allow public presentations or oral statements at the meeting. Robert E. Seger, Senior Executive Service, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G–3/5/7. [FR Doc. E8–7320 Filed 4–7–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710–08–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Advisory Committee Meeting Notice Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers Department of the Army, DOD. Notice of meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463), announcement is made of the following meeting: Name of Committee: Army Education Advisory Committee. Date: April 23, 2008. Place: Crowne Plaza Williamsburg at Ft. Magruder, 6945 Pocahontas Trail, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Time: 0830–1700. Proposed Agenda: The meeting agenda includes a review of actions and recommendations from five subcommittees: Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Command and General Staff College Board of Visitors, Army War College Board of Visitors, Distance Learning/Training Technology Applications Subcommittee, and the Reserve Officer Training Corps Subcommittee. Committee members will also be briefed on new Department of the Army initiatives: the College of the American Soldier and the Army Civilian University. Purpose of the Meeting: To review recommendations submitted from the last meeting of each of the five subcommittees and forward approved recommendation to the Office of the Administrative Assistant, Secretary of the Army and the subcommittee decision maker. To provide for the continuous exchange of information and ideas for training and education between the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed University of California Merced and University Community Project, Corps Permit Application Number 199900203 Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD. ACTION: Notice of intent. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The University of California, Merced (University) and University Community Land Company (UCLC) LLC have submitted an application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) under the Clean Water Act Section 404 and River and Harbor Act Section 10 for a proposal to construct an approximately 810-acre campus and an associated University Community in Merced County. The Proposed Action is located in eastern Merced County, east of Lake Road and Yosemite Lake, approximately 2 miles northeast of the City of Merced, California. The Proposed Action consists of three major components: the 810-acre Campus; the 870-acre Community North; and the 1,245-acre Community South. The University controls the land that comprises the campus. University Community Land Company, LLC (UCLC), a not-for-profit corporation, owns the land that comprises Community North. LWH Farms, LLC E:\FR\FM\08APN1.SGM 08APN1 pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 68 / Tuesday, April 8, 2008 / Notices owns the land that comprises Community South. The University is currently preparing an amendment to its Long Range Development Plan to guide the development of the proposed campus. The proposed campus and Community North would consist of the following five districts: Academic Core; Gateway District; Student Neighborhoods; University Community Town Center; and University Community Neighborhoods. Community South would be developed in accordance with the previously adopted University Community Plan, which designates the Community South area for Multiple Use Urban Development and agricultural uses. The Campus and the northern portion of the University Community would affect 76.6 acres of the waters of the United States, including vernal pools and other wetlands. The primary federal involvement is the fill materials within waters of the United States, work and structures in affecting navigable waters of the United States, and potential impacts on the human environment from such activities. DATES: The Corps and the University will jointly conduct a public scoping meeting that will be held on Wednesday April 23, 2008. ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held in the California Room at UC Merced, located at 5200 N. Lake Road, Merced, CA 95340. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Nancy Haley, (916) 557–7731, e-mail: ucmerced@usace.army.mil. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments on the permit application on or before April 28, 2008. Scoping comments should be submitted within the next 60 days, but may be submitted at any time prior to publication of the Draft EIS. To submit comments on this notice or for questions about the proposed action and the Draft EIS, please contact Nancy Haley, 1325 J Street (Room 1480), Sacramento, CA 95814–2922. Parties interested in being added to the Corps’ electronic mail notification list for the University can register at: https:// www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/ register.html. Please refer to Identification Number 200601050 in any correspondence. The University and UCLC have submitted an application for a Department of the Army permit. Because the campus and Community North are immediately adjacent to each other, the land use planning of these two areas is closely integrated and the actions are connected. The overall VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:09 Apr 07, 2008 Jkt 214001 purpose of the Proposed Action is to establish a major research university in Merced County that would ultimately support 25,000 full-time equivalent students with an associated community needed to support the university. Projections by the California Department of Finance and the University indicated that a new campus is needed to accommodate near-term enrollment demand and an enrollment of 25,000 students in the long term. An adjacent community is needed to support the university by providing housing and other amenities. To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Corps is requiring the preparation of an EIS prior to rendering a final decision on the University and UCLC’s permit application. The Corps may ultimately make a determination to permit or deny the Proposed Action or permit or deny modified versions of the Proposed Action. The EIS will also provide the technical basis for the Corps to use in its preparation of its 404(b)(1) Guidelines compliance document as part of the Record of Decision (ROD). To comply with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the University will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the UC Merced and University Community project. The Corps and the University have agreed to jointly prepare an EIS/EIR for the Proposed Action in order to optimize efficiency and avoid duplication. The EIS/EIR will include alternatives to the Proposed Action that will meet both NEPA and CEQA requirements. The alternatives will also meet the requirements of CWA Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines. At this time it is expected that the joint EIS/EIR will evaluate the following alternatives: (1) No Action Alternative; (2) Proposed Action; (3) Yosemite Avenue Alternative (formerly referred to as Alternative 20); (4) Downtown Merced Alternative; (5) Bellevue Ranch Alternative (formerly referred to as Off-Site Alternative 2); (6) Previously Proposed Campus and Community; and (7) No Build Alternative. The Corps’ public involvement program includes several opportunities to provide oral and written comments. Affected federal, state, local agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested private organizations and parties are invited to participate. The EIS/EIR will address several potential environmental issues including: Impacts to waters of the United States, including vernal pools and other wetlands; aesthetics, agricultural resources; air quality, cultural resources; geology and soils; PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 19055 hazards and hazardous materials; hydrology and water quality; land use and planning; noise and vibration; navigation; public health and safety; public services and utilities; recreation; socioeconomics; traffic and transportation. Additional issues may be identified during the scoping process. The Corps has initiated formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for federally threatened and endangered species that may be affected by the Proposed Action. In addition, the Corps will consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act regarding potential impacts to sites listed, or eligible for listing, on the National Register for Historic Places. The joint lead agencies expect the Draft EIS/EIR to be made available to the public in August, 2008. A public hearing will be held during the public comment period for the Draft EIS/EIR. Dated: March 27, 2008. James A. Porter, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Deputy District Enginee. [FR Doc. E8–7315 Filed 4–7–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710–EH–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers Chief of Engineers Environmental Advisory Board Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers DoD. ACTION: Notice of open meeting. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463), announcement is made of the following committee meeting: Name of Committee: Chief of Engineers Environmental Advisory Board (EAB). Topic: The EAB will discuss national considerations related to ecosystem restoration through integrated water resources management with emphasis on communications and the implementation of the Environmental Operating Principles. Date of Meeting: April 30, 2008. Place: Red Lion Hotel, 1415 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA. Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Forty-five minutes will be set side for public comment. Members of the public who wish to speak are asked to register prior to the start of the meeting. E:\FR\FM\08APN1.SGM 08APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19054-19055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7315]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed University of California Merced and University Community 
Project, Corps Permit Application Number 199900203

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: The University of California, Merced (University) and 
University Community Land Company (UCLC) LLC have submitted an 
application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) under the Clean 
Water Act Section 404 and River and Harbor Act Section 10 for a 
proposal to construct an approximately 810-acre campus and an 
associated University Community in Merced County. The Proposed Action 
is located in eastern Merced County, east of Lake Road and Yosemite 
Lake, approximately 2 miles northeast of the City of Merced, 
California.
    The Proposed Action consists of three major components: the 810-
acre Campus; the 870-acre Community North; and the 1,245-acre Community 
South. The University controls the land that comprises the campus. 
University Community Land Company, LLC (UCLC), a not-for-profit 
corporation, owns the land that comprises Community North. LWH Farms, 
LLC

[[Page 19055]]

owns the land that comprises Community South. The University is 
currently preparing an amendment to its Long Range Development Plan to 
guide the development of the proposed campus. The proposed campus and 
Community North would consist of the following five districts: Academic 
Core; Gateway District; Student Neighborhoods; University Community 
Town Center; and University Community Neighborhoods. Community South 
would be developed in accordance with the previously adopted University 
Community Plan, which designates the Community South area for Multiple 
Use Urban Development and agricultural uses.
    The Campus and the northern portion of the University Community 
would affect 76.6 acres of the waters of the United States, including 
vernal pools and other wetlands. The primary federal involvement is the 
fill materials within waters of the United States, work and structures 
in affecting navigable waters of the United States, and potential 
impacts on the human environment from such activities.

DATES: The Corps and the University will jointly conduct a public 
scoping meeting that will be held on Wednesday April 23, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held in the California Room at 
UC Merced, located at 5200 N. Lake Road, Merced, CA 95340.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Nancy Haley, (916) 557-7731, e-
mail: ucmerced@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to submit 
written comments on the permit application on or before April 28, 2008. 
Scoping comments should be submitted within the next 60 days, but may 
be submitted at any time prior to publication of the Draft EIS. To 
submit comments on this notice or for questions about the proposed 
action and the Draft EIS, please contact Nancy Haley, 1325 J Street 
(Room 1480), Sacramento, CA 95814-2922. Parties interested in being 
added to the Corps' electronic mail notification list for the 
University can register at: https://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/
register.html. Please refer to Identification Number 200601050 in any 
correspondence.
    The University and UCLC have submitted an application for a 
Department of the Army permit. Because the campus and Community North 
are immediately adjacent to each other, the land use planning of these 
two areas is closely integrated and the actions are connected. The 
overall purpose of the Proposed Action is to establish a major research 
university in Merced County that would ultimately support 25,000 full-
time equivalent students with an associated community needed to support 
the university. Projections by the California Department of Finance and 
the University indicated that a new campus is needed to accommodate 
near-term enrollment demand and an enrollment of 25,000 students in the 
long term. An adjacent community is needed to support the university by 
providing housing and other amenities.
    To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
Corps is requiring the preparation of an EIS prior to rendering a final 
decision on the University and UCLC's permit application. The Corps may 
ultimately make a determination to permit or deny the Proposed Action 
or permit or deny modified versions of the Proposed Action. The EIS 
will also provide the technical basis for the Corps to use in its 
preparation of its 404(b)(1) Guidelines compliance document as part of 
the Record of Decision (ROD). To comply with the requirements of the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the University will 
prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the UC Merced and 
University Community project. The Corps and the University have agreed 
to jointly prepare an EIS/EIR for the Proposed Action in order to 
optimize efficiency and avoid duplication.
    The EIS/EIR will include alternatives to the Proposed Action that 
will meet both NEPA and CEQA requirements. The alternatives will also 
meet the requirements of CWA Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines. At this time 
it is expected that the joint EIS/EIR will evaluate the following 
alternatives: (1) No Action Alternative; (2) Proposed Action; (3) 
Yosemite Avenue Alternative (formerly referred to as Alternative 20); 
(4) Downtown Merced Alternative; (5) Bellevue Ranch Alternative 
(formerly referred to as Off-Site Alternative 2); (6) Previously 
Proposed Campus and Community; and (7) No Build Alternative.
    The Corps' public involvement program includes several 
opportunities to provide oral and written comments. Affected federal, 
state, local agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested private 
organizations and parties are invited to participate. The EIS/EIR will 
address several potential environmental issues including: Impacts to 
waters of the United States, including vernal pools and other wetlands; 
aesthetics, agricultural resources; air quality, cultural resources; 
geology and soils; hazards and hazardous materials; hydrology and water 
quality; land use and planning; noise and vibration; navigation; public 
health and safety; public services and utilities; recreation; 
socioeconomics; traffic and transportation. Additional issues may be 
identified during the scoping process.
    The Corps has initiated formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for 
federally threatened and endangered species that may be affected by the 
Proposed Action. In addition, the Corps will consult with the State 
Historic Preservation Officer under Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act regarding potential impacts to sites listed, 
or eligible for listing, on the National Register for Historic Places.
    The joint lead agencies expect the Draft EIS/EIR to be made 
available to the public in August, 2008. A public hearing will be held 
during the public comment period for the Draft EIS/EIR.

    Dated: March 27, 2008.
James A. Porter,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Deputy District Enginee.
 [FR Doc. E8-7315 Filed 4-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-EH-P

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