Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Folsom South of U.S. Highway 50 Specific Plan Project, in Sacramento County, CA, Corps Permit Application Number SPK-2007-02159, 52966-52967 [E8-21289]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 178 (Friday, September 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52966-52967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21289]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Folsom South of U.S. Highway 50 Specific Plan Project, in 
Sacramento County, CA, Corps Permit Application Number SPK-2007-02159

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The South Folsom Property Owners Group proposes to implement a 
large-scale, mixed-use, mixed-density master planned community with 
residential, commercial, office, public/quasi-public uses, open space, 
and parks. The proposed project consists of approximately 1,464 acres 
of residential development, 523 acres of mixed-use and commercial 
development, 109 acres of parks, and 1,053 acres of open space. The 
majority of the 1,053 acres of open space would be located in the 
western portion of the project site. This area includes Alder Creek, 
numerous cultural resources sites, and the highest concentration of oak 
woodland habitat within the project site.
    The proposed Folsom South of 50 Specific Plan includes development 
of up to 10,045 mixed-density residential homes and approximately 7.4 
million square feet of retail and office uses within an area south of 
Highway 50 that would be annexed to the City of Folsom. The proposed 
project would provide five elementary schools, one joint middle school/
high school, and a campus for the Sacramento County Day School. It is 
anticipated that construction would begin in 2010. The initiation and 
duration of construction would depend on market conditions and receipt 
of environmental permits and clearances; full build-out would likely be 
completed within 20 years from construction commencement.
    The project site is approximately 3,502 acres and contains 82.89 
acres of waters of the United States. The proposed project would 
directly affect approximately 21.28 acres of waters of the United 
States, including vernal pools and other wetlands. These acreages do 
not include indirect impacts from the proposed action or impacts 
anticipated to result from off-site infrastructure that may be 
determined to be required as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 
(USACE) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.
    The EIS will be prepared as a joint document with the City of 
Folsom. The

[[Page 52967]]

City is the local agency responsible for preparing an Environmental 
Impact Report in compliance with the California Environmental Quality 
Act (CEQA).

DATES: The Corps and the City of Folsom will jointly conduct a public 
scoping meeting that will be held on Thursday, September 25, 2008 from 
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at the Folsom Public 
Library located at 411 Stafford Street, Folsom, CA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Gibson, (916) 557-5288, e-
mail: lisa.m.gibson2@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to submit 
written comments on the permit application on or before October 1, 
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 Lisa Gibson, 1325 J Street 
(Room 1480), Sacramento, CA 95814-2922. Parties interested in being 
added to the Corps' electronic mail notification list for the proposed 
project can register at: https://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/
register.html. Please refer to Identification Number SPK-2007-02159 in 
any correspondence.
    The South Folsom Property Owners Group consists of seven property 
owners. Each property owner would file an application for Department of 
the Army authorization under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The 
City of Folsom has filed a permit application for the proposed project. 
Because these applications are interrelated, USACE is considering them 
in a comprehensive and combined manner. The joint purpose of these 
applications is to construct a large-scale, mixed-use, mixed-density 
master planned community and associated supporting infrastructure. To 
comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), USACE has 
decided to prepare an EIS to assess the potential impacts to waters of 
the United States from these combined applications.
    The proposed Folsom South of 50 Specific Plan project site lies 
within unincorporated Sacramento County, CA, immediately south of the 
City of Folsom's existing city limits. The site is within the City of 
Folsom's Sphere of Influence (SOI). It is located south of U.S. Highway 
50, north of White Rock Road, east of Prairie City Road, and west of 
the El Dorado County line.
    Preliminary wetland delineations of the project site show that a 
total of 82.89 acres of waters of the United States are present within 
the proposed project area, including 4.11 acres of vernal pools, 24.43 
acres of seasonal wetland swales, 4.75 acres of seasonal wetlands, 1.25 
acre of freshwater marsh, 10.46 acres of freshwater seeps, 7.72 acres 
of ponds, 17.80 acres of stream channels (relatively permanent waters), 
10.43 acres of ephemeral drainage channels (non relatively permanent 
waters), and 1.93 acres of ditches. The City of Folsom has applied to 
fill approximately 21.28 acres of these waters to construct the 
proposed project. These acreages do not include indirect impacts from 
the proposed action or impacts anticipated to result from off-site 
infrastructure that may be determined to be required to support the 
proposed project as part of the EIS process.
    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 on-
site alternatives: (1) No Action Alternative; (2) Proposed Action; (3) 
Resource Impact Minimization Alternative; (4) Centralized Development 
Alternative; (5) Reduced Hillside Development Alternative; (6) No Build 
Alternative; and at least one off-site alternative.
    The Corps' public involvement program includes several 
opportunities to provide verbal and written comments on the proposed 
Folsom South of 50 Specific Plan project through the EIS process. 
Affected federal, state, and local agencies, Native American tribes, 
and other interested private organizations and parties are invited to 
participate. Potentially significant issues to be analyzed in depth in 
the EIS include loss of waters of the United States (including 
wetlands), and impacts related to cultural resources, biological 
resources, air quality, hydrology and water quality, noise, traffic, 
aesthetics, utilities and service systems, and socioeconomic effects.
    USACE would initiate formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (USFWS) under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 
for the proposed impacts to listed species. USACE would also consult 
with the State Historic Preservation Office under Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act for properties listed or potentially 
eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, as 
appropriate.
    The joint lead agencies expect the Draft EIS/EIR to be made 
available to the public in the summer 2009.

    Dated: August 22, 2008.
Thomas C. Chapman,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. E8-21289 Filed 9-11-08; 8:45 am]
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