Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Modification/Removal of the Canal Diversion Dam in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH, 36739-36740 [E9-17705]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 141 / Friday, July 24, 2009 / Notices
of the BLM decision making process.
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comments make them as specific as
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p.m., Monday through Friday, except
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request confidentiality. Before including
your address, phone number, e-mail
address, or other personal identifying
information in your comments, you
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you may ask us in your comments to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
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organizations and businesses, and from
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entirety.
David Rosenkrance,
BLM Challis Field Manager.
[FR Doc. E9–17677 Filed 7–23–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Modification/Removal of the Canal
Diversion Dam in Cuyahoga Valley
National Park, OH
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY: National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the
Modification/Removal of the Canal
Diversion Dam in Cuyahoga Valley
National Park, Ohio.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C)
of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)), the
National Park Service (NPS) is
announcing its intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the modification/removal of the
Canal Diversion Dam in Cuyahoga
Valley National Park, Ohio. The Canal
Diversion Dam on the Cuyahoga River is
owned by the Ohio Department of
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:55 Jul 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
Natural Resources (ODNR). The NPS
will be the lead Federal Agency for
preparation of the EIS, and ODNR and
the Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency (OEPA) will be cooperating
agencies. The Canal Diversion Dam
(alternatively known as the Brecksville
Dam, Station Road Dam, SR82 Dam, or
SUM–3253–1) on the Cuyahoga River is
183 feet long, nearly 8 feet high, and
feeds water into the Ohio and Erie Canal
that then drains north through
Cuyahoga Valley National Park and into
Cleveland Metropark’s Ohio and Erie
Canal Reservation. The watered portion
of the canal and its historic features are
a National Historic Landmark.
The OEPA has concluded that the
dam negatively impacts water quality
and interrupts aquatic communities by
restricting fish passage. The NPS has
concluded that maintaining water in the
canal is also critical because of the
important natural, cultural, and
educational values associated with the
watered portion of the canal.
Alternatives that seek to improve river
water quality and habitat values while
maintaining a watered canal segment
are being evaluated.
DATES: To determine the scope of issues
to be addressed in the EIS and to
identify significant issues related to the
modification/removal of the Canal
Diversion Dam, the NPS and
cooperating agencies will conduct a
public scoping meeting in the area of
Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Representatives of the NPS and the
cooperating agencies will be available to
discuss issues, resource concerns, and
the planning process at the public
meeting. When the public scoping
meeting has been scheduled, its
location, date, and time will be
published in local media and on the
NPS Web site listed below.
ADDRESSES: Information will be
available for public review and
comment, either in person or by written
request, at the headquarters for
Cuyahoga Valley National Park located
at 15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville,
Ohio 44141; telephone 216–524–1497.
Information will be available at the NPS
Planning, Environment and Public
Comment (PEPC) Web site at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/cuva. Information
will also be available from the OEPA,
2110 East Aurora Road, Twinsburg,
Ohio 44087.
To facilitate sound analysis of
environmental impacts, the NPS and
cooperating agencies are gathering
information necessary for the
preparation of the EIS. Suggestions on
environmental issues to be analyzed and
additional alternatives to consider are
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
36739
being sought from other Agencies,
Tribes, organizations, and the public.
Comments and participation in this
scoping process are invited and
encouraged. If you wish to comment on
the scoping materials or on any other
issues associated with the EIS, you may
submit your comments by any one of
several methods. You may submit your
comments online through the PEPC Web
site: Click on the link titled
‘‘Modification/removal of Canal
Diversion Dam on the Cuyahoga River at
Station Road/SR82.’’ You may also mail
comments to the OEPA at the address
given above. To aid in the scoping
process, comments should be received
within 45 days of the beginning of the
public comment period.
Interested Agencies and organizations
are also invited to arrange meetings to
provide input directly. Such meetings
can be arranged by contacting the OEPA
at the address and telephone above.
Before including your address,
telephone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information
in your comments, you should be aware
that your entire comment (including
your personal identifying information)
may be made publicly available at any
time. While you can ask us in your
comments to withhold your personal
identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information concerning the scope of the
EIS and to arrange Agency meetings,
requests should be directed to: William
J. Zawiski, Environmental Scientist,
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency,
2110 East Aurora Road, Twinsburg,
Ohio 44087; e-mail:
bill.zawiski@epa.state.oh.us; telephone
330–963–1134. Information can also be
obtained from the Project Contact, Meg
Plona, Biologist, Cuyahoga Valley
National Park, telephone 330–342–0764,
extension 2.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Cuyahoga River upstream of the dam
does not meet aquatic community goals
set forth in Ohio’s Water Quality
Standards. The Lower Cuyahoga River
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
report, as well as previous OEPA water
quality surveys, has indicated that a
cause of nonattainment of the standards
is the dam. The TMDL report
recommends that the Canal Diversion
Dam be modified or removed to restore
water quality in the Cuyahoga River
upstream of the structure. Public and
stakeholder scoping regarding
modification or removal of the dam was
initiated by the OEPA in August 2002,
and included public meetings August
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
36740
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 141 / Friday, July 24, 2009 / Notices
and November 2005. It was unclear
whether the proposed action would
involve NPS lands or adversely affect
NPS resources, or whether such effects
could be appropriately analyzed in
another NEPA document until more
information regarding possible
alternatives and impacts became
available. The NPS managers now
believe that an EIS is most appropriate
given the scope and complexity of the
proposed action, and the likelihood that
alternatives may impact park resources,
involve access to NPS lands, or utilize
NPS funds. All information generated
during the previous scoping process
will be retained for use in this EIS
process. Anyone who contributed
comments to the OEPA regarding the
dam removal need not resend their
comments.
A preliminary set of alternatives for
modification or removal of the Canal
Diversion Dam has been developed.
These include: (1) No Action—the dam
would remain on the river continuing to
adversely impact water quality of the
Cuyahoga River and provide water to
the Ohio and Erie Canal; (2) Total
Removal—the dam would be removed,
restoring a free-flowing river and water
would be provided to the Ohio and Erie
Canal to maintain its current watered
state; and (3) Partial Removal/
Modification—the dam would be altered
to allow for restoration of water quality
as well as eliminating existing
recreational boating hazard. Water
would be provided to the Ohio and Erie
Canal to maintain its current watered
state. A variety of background
documents have been completed and
are available for review in the NPS
PEPC Web site listed above.
Dated: December 5, 2008.
Ernest Quintana,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
Editorial Note: This document was
received in the Office of the Federal Register
on July 21, 2009.
[FR Doc. E9–17705 Filed 7–23–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MA–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
National Park Service
Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural
Items: U.S. Department of Defense,
Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla
District, Walla Walla, WA and Museum
of Anthropology, Washington State
University, Pullman, WA
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:55 Jul 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
Notice is here given in accordance
with the Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the intent
to repatriate cultural items in the
control of the U.S. Department of
Defense, Army Corps of Engineers,
Walla Walla District, Walla Walla, WA,
and in the physical custody of the
Museum of Anthropology, Washington
State University, Pullman, WA, that
meet the definition of ‘‘unassociated
funerary objects’’ under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
This notice is published as part of the
National Park Service’s administrative
responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25
U.S.C. 3003 (d)(3). The determinations
in this notice are the sole responsibility
of the museum, institution, or Federal
agency that has control of the
unassociated funerary objects. The
National Park Service is not responsible
for the determinations in this notice.
In July 1963, cultural items were
removed from the Marmes Rockshelter
(45FR50), Franklin County, WA, by
Washington State University under
contract with the National Park Service
and prior to the inundation of the
reservoir created by the construction of
the Lower Monumental Dam by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. The material
from the excavation is curated at
Washington State University. The
cultural items that were removed are
believed to have been placed with or
near the human remains from Burial 13.
As the human remains from Burial 13
are not in the control or possession of
a Federal agency or museum, the
cultural items are unassociated funerary
objects. The 176 unassociated funerary
objects are 44 faunal fragments, 12
basalt samples, 15 chert/
cryptocrystalline flakes, 2 shells, 9
organic materials (including plants), 1
stone sample, 6 pieces of basalt blocky
shatter, 6 pieces of chert/
cryptocrystalline blocky shatter, 2 chert/
cryptocrystalline flake shatter, 6 basalt
flake shatter, 2 obsidian flakes, 1
retouched basalt flake, 1 retouched
chert/cryptocrystalline flake, 53 basalt
flakes, 1 chert/cryptocrystalline core, 1
chert/cryptocrystalline flakes, 12 basalt
flakes, and 2 lots of shell remains.
The unassociated funerary objects are
determined to be associated with the
Late Cascade Phase (6500 to 4500 BP).
The archeological evidence found in the
Marmes Rockshelter (and in six nearby
archeological sites) supports a nearly
continuous occupation from the Late
Cascade Phase to the Harder Phase
(2500–500 BP), and provides the most
direct physical line of evidence
supporting a determination of cultural
affiliation between an earlier group and
a present-day Indian tribe. Geographical
PO 00000
Frm 00092
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
and anthropological lines of evidence
support the archeological. Oral tradition
evidence provided by tribal elders
indicates that a large Palus (Palouse)
village, inhabited by tribal ancestors
from time immemorial, was once
located near the Marmes Rockshelter.
According to tribal elders, these
ancestors were mobile, and traveled the
landscape to gather resources as well as
trade among each other.
Ethnographic documentation
indicates that the present-day location
of the Marmes Rockshelter in Franklin
County, WA, is within the territory
occupied historically by the Palus
(Palouse) Indians. During the historic
period, the Palouse people settled along
the Snake River, relied on fish, game
and root resources for subsistence,
shared their resource areas and
maintained extensive kinship
connections with other groups in the
area, and had limited political
integration until the adoption of the
horse (Walker 1998). These
characteristics are common to the
greater Plateau cultural communities
surrounding the Palouse territory
including the Nez Perce, Cayuse, Walla
Walla, Yakama, and Wanapum groups.
Moreover, the information provided
during consultation by representatives
of the Confederated Tribes of the
Colville Reservation, Washington;
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation, Oregon;
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the
Yakama Nation, Washington; Nez Perce
Tribe, Idaho; and the Wanapum Band, a
non-Federally recognized Indian group,
substantiate their cultural affiliation
with each other and with the earlier
group represented at the Marmes
Rockshelter. The descendants of these
Plateau communities of southeastern
Washington, now widely dispersed, are
members of the Confederated Tribes of
the Colville Reservation, Washington;
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation, Oregon;
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the
Yakama Nation, Washington; Nez Perce
Tribe, Idaho; and the Wanapum Band, a
non-Federally recognized Indian group.
Officials of the U.S. Department of
Defense, Army Corps of Engineers,
Walla Walla District have determined
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B),
the 176 unassociated funerary objects
described above are reasonably believed
to have been placed with or near
individual human remains at the time of
death or later as part of the death rite
or ceremony and are believed, by a
preponderance of the evidence, to have
been removed from a specific burial site
of a Native American individual.
Officials of the U.S. Department of
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 141 (Friday, July 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36739-36740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17705]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Modification/Removal of the Canal Diversion Dam in Cuyahoga Valley
National Park, OH
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
for the Modification/Removal of the Canal Diversion Dam in Cuyahoga
Valley National Park, Ohio.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)), the National Park Service
(NPS) is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the modification/removal of the Canal Diversion Dam
in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio. The Canal Diversion Dam on the
Cuyahoga River is owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
(ODNR). The NPS will be the lead Federal Agency for preparation of the
EIS, and ODNR and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) will
be cooperating agencies. The Canal Diversion Dam (alternatively known
as the Brecksville Dam, Station Road Dam, SR82 Dam, or SUM-3253-1) on
the Cuyahoga River is 183 feet long, nearly 8 feet high, and feeds
water into the Ohio and Erie Canal that then drains north through
Cuyahoga Valley National Park and into Cleveland Metropark's Ohio and
Erie Canal Reservation. The watered portion of the canal and its
historic features are a National Historic Landmark.
The OEPA has concluded that the dam negatively impacts water
quality and interrupts aquatic communities by restricting fish passage.
The NPS has concluded that maintaining water in the canal is also
critical because of the important natural, cultural, and educational
values associated with the watered portion of the canal. Alternatives
that seek to improve river water quality and habitat values while
maintaining a watered canal segment are being evaluated.
DATES: To determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS and
to identify significant issues related to the modification/removal of
the Canal Diversion Dam, the NPS and cooperating agencies will conduct
a public scoping meeting in the area of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Representatives of the NPS and the cooperating agencies will be
available to discuss issues, resource concerns, and the planning
process at the public meeting. When the public scoping meeting has been
scheduled, its location, date, and time will be published in local
media and on the NPS Web site listed below.
ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment,
either in person or by written request, at the headquarters for
Cuyahoga Valley National Park located at 15610 Vaughn Road,
Brecksville, Ohio 44141; telephone 216-524-1497. Information will be
available at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC)
Web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/cuva. Information will also be
available from the OEPA, 2110 East Aurora Road, Twinsburg, Ohio 44087.
To facilitate sound analysis of environmental impacts, the NPS and
cooperating agencies are gathering information necessary for the
preparation of the EIS. Suggestions on environmental issues to be
analyzed and additional alternatives to consider are being sought from
other Agencies, Tribes, organizations, and the public. Comments and
participation in this scoping process are invited and encouraged. If
you wish to comment on the scoping materials or on any other issues
associated with the EIS, you may submit your comments by any one of
several methods. You may submit your comments online through the PEPC
Web site: Click on the link titled ``Modification/removal of Canal
Diversion Dam on the Cuyahoga River at Station Road/SR82.'' You may
also mail comments to the OEPA at the address given above. To aid in
the scoping process, comments should be received within 45 days of the
beginning of the public comment period.
Interested Agencies and organizations are also invited to arrange
meetings to provide input directly. Such meetings can be arranged by
contacting the OEPA at the address and telephone above.
Before including your address, telephone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be
aware that your entire comment (including your personal identifying
information) may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comments to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning the scope
of the EIS and to arrange Agency meetings, requests should be directed
to: William J. Zawiski, Environmental Scientist, Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency, 2110 East Aurora Road, Twinsburg, Ohio 44087; e-
mail: bill.zawiski@epa.state.oh.us; telephone 330-963-1134. Information
can also be obtained from the Project Contact, Meg Plona, Biologist,
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, telephone 330-342-0764, extension 2.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Cuyahoga River upstream of the dam does
not meet aquatic community goals set forth in Ohio's Water Quality
Standards. The Lower Cuyahoga River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
report, as well as previous OEPA water quality surveys, has indicated
that a cause of nonattainment of the standards is the dam. The TMDL
report recommends that the Canal Diversion Dam be modified or removed
to restore water quality in the Cuyahoga River upstream of the
structure. Public and stakeholder scoping regarding modification or
removal of the dam was initiated by the OEPA in August 2002, and
included public meetings August
[[Page 36740]]
and November 2005. It was unclear whether the proposed action would
involve NPS lands or adversely affect NPS resources, or whether such
effects could be appropriately analyzed in another NEPA document until
more information regarding possible alternatives and impacts became
available. The NPS managers now believe that an EIS is most appropriate
given the scope and complexity of the proposed action, and the
likelihood that alternatives may impact park resources, involve access
to NPS lands, or utilize NPS funds. All information generated during
the previous scoping process will be retained for use in this EIS
process. Anyone who contributed comments to the OEPA regarding the dam
removal need not resend their comments.
A preliminary set of alternatives for modification or removal of
the Canal Diversion Dam has been developed. These include: (1) No
Action--the dam would remain on the river continuing to adversely
impact water quality of the Cuyahoga River and provide water to the
Ohio and Erie Canal; (2) Total Removal--the dam would be removed,
restoring a free-flowing river and water would be provided to the Ohio
and Erie Canal to maintain its current watered state; and (3) Partial
Removal/Modification--the dam would be altered to allow for restoration
of water quality as well as eliminating existing recreational boating
hazard. Water would be provided to the Ohio and Erie Canal to maintain
its current watered state. A variety of background documents have been
completed and are available for review in the NPS PEPC Web site listed
above.
Dated: December 5, 2008.
Ernest Quintana,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the
Federal Register on July 21, 2009.
[FR Doc. E9-17705 Filed 7-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MA-P
