Environmental Impact Statement-Multiple Reservoirs Land Management Plans, 11344-11346 [2016-04745]
Download as PDF
11344
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2016 / Notices
and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the
Ancient World,’’ imported from abroad
for temporary exhibition within the
United States, are of cultural
significance. The objects are imported
pursuant to loan agreements with the
foreign owners or custodians. I also
determine that the exhibition or display
of the exhibit objects at The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
New York, from on or about April 11,
2016, until on or about July 17, 2016,
and at possible additional exhibitions or
venues yet to be determined, is in the
national interest. I have ordered that
Public Notice of these Determinations
be published in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, including a list of
the imported objects to which this
notice pertains, contact the Office of
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in
the Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S.
Department of State (telephone: 202–
632–6471; email: section2459@
state.gov). The mailing address is U.S.
Department of State, L/PD, SA–5, Suite
5H03, Washington, DC 20522–0505.
Dated: February 25, 2016.
Mark Taplin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2016–04834 Filed 3–2–16; 8:45 am]
because the record does not support the
authority requested.
DATES: The exemption with respect to
the proposed construction by Lone Star
Railroad, Inc., will be effective on April
2, 2016; petitions to reconsider or
reopen must be filed by March 23, 2016.
ADDRESSES: An original and 10 copies of
all pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD
35874 must be filed with the Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20423–0001. In
addition, one copy of each filing in this
proceeding must be served on
petitioners’ representative: Thomas F.
McFarland, P.C., 208 South LaSalle
Street, Suite 1890, Chicago, IL 60604–
1112.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Allison Davis at (202) 245–0378.
Assistance for the hearing impaired is
available through the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
(800) 877–8339. Copies of written filings
will be available for viewing and selfcopying at the Board’s Public Docket
Room, Room 131, and will be posted to
the Board’s Web site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Additional information is contained in
the Board’s decision. Board decisions
and notices are available on our Web
site at WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
By the Board, Chairman Elliott, Vice
Chairman Miller, and Commissioner
Begeman.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[Docket No. FD 35874]
[FR Doc. 2016–04668 Filed 3–2–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
Lone Star Railroad, Inc. and Southern
Switching Company—Track
Construction and Operation
Exemption—in Howard County, Texas
Surface Transportation Board.
ACTION: Notice of construction and
operation exemption.
AGENCY:
The Board is granting an
exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502 from
the prior approval requirements of 49
U.S.C. 10901 for Lone Star Railroad,
Inc., to construct and operate a new line
of railroad in Howard County, Tex. The
Line would be used to provide rail
service to an industrial park near Big
Spring, Tex., via a connection with an
existing Union Pacific Railroad
Company mainline that extends
between Dallas and El Paso, Tex. This
exemption is subject to environmental
mitigation conditions.
The Board, however, is denying,
without prejudice, the petition for
exemption with respect to Southern
Switching Company’s proposed
operation of the newly constructed line
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:17 Mar 02, 2016
Jkt 238001
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Environmental Impact Statement—
Multiple Reservoirs Land Management
Plans
Tennessee Valley Authority.
Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) intends to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
addressing the impacts of alternative
plans for managing public lands on
eight TVA reservoirs in Alabama,
Kentucky and Tennessee: Chickamauga,
Fort Loudoun, Great Falls, Kentucky,
Nickajack, Normandy, Wheeler and
Wilson. TVA also proposes to use the
information included in these eight
reservoir land management plans
(RLMP) to revise its Comprehensive
Valleywide Land Plan. Public comment
is invited concerning the scope of the
EIS, including the appropriate uses for
TVA-managed public lands on these
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00172
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
reservoirs and environmental issues that
should be addressed as a part of this
EIS.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 4, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be sent to Matthew Higdon, Tennessee
Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill
Drive (WT11D), Knoxville, Tennessee
37902. Comments may also be emailed
to mshigdon@tva.gov or submitted on
the TVA Web site at: https://
www.tva.com/Environment/
Environmental-Stewardship/
Environmental-Reviews.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on the EIS process, contact
Matthew Higdon, NEPA Specialist, by
email at mshigdon@tva.gov, or by phone
at (865) 632–8051. For information
about the reservoir land plans, contact
Heather Montgomery by email at
hlmcgee@tva.gov or by phone at (256)
386–3803.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
notice is provided in accordance with
the Council on Environmental Quality’s
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 to 1508)
and TVA’s procedures for implementing
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), and Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act and its
implementing regulations (36 CFR part
800).
TVA is a corporate agency and
instrumentality of the United States,
established by an act of Congress in
1933, to foster the social and economic
welfare of the people of the Tennessee
Valley region and to promote the proper
use and conservation of the region’s
natural resources. Shortly after its
creation, TVA began a dam and
reservoir construction program that
required the purchase of approximately
1.3 million acres of land for the creation
of 46 reservoirs within the Tennessee
Valley region. Most of these lands are
located underneath the water of the
reservoir system or have since been sold
by TVA or transferred to other state or
federal agencies. Today, approximately
293,000 acres of land along TVA
reservoirs are managed by TVA for the
benefit of the public.
Reservoir Land Management Plans
TVA’s eight RLMPs will address
management of approximately 138,222
acres of TVA-managed public lands
surrounding the following reservoirs:
Chickamauga, Fort Loudon, Great Falls,
Nickajack and Normandy in Tennessee;
Wheeler and Wilson in Alabama; and
Kentucky in Tennessee and Kentucky.
In the EIS, TVA will consider the
potential environmental impacts of the
eight RLMPs and the allocation of
E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM
03MRN1
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2016 / Notices
reservoir parcels to one of seven land
use zones: Non-TVA Shoreland, Project
Operations, Sensitive Resource
Management, Natural Resource
Conservation, Industrial, Developed
Recreation and Shoreline Access. These
allocations will then be used to guide
the types of activities that will be
considered on each parcel of land.
Proposed allocations will take into
account past land use allocations,
current land uses, existing land rights
(easements, leases, etc.), public needs,
the presence of sensitive environmental
resources, and TVA policies. The
RLMPs and parcel allocations would
establish clear blueprints for future
management of the public land TVA
manages on these reservoirs.
TVA has developed a proposed RLMP
for each reservoir and made initial land
use zone allocations for each reservoir
parcel. These proposed RLMPs are the
result of TVA’s initial review of the
suitable uses of parcels at each reservoir
and will be considered as an Action
Alternative in the EIS. TVA invites the
public to review the proposed plans and
parcel allocations on the TVA Web site
during the scoping period and to submit
comments, questions or suggestions on
its proposal. Additional Action
Alternative(s) may be developed based
on public input submitted to TVA
during the scoping period. If multiple
Action Alternatives are considered, the
primary difference between alternatives
would be the amount of land allocated
to each of these zones. Typically, lands
currently committed to a specific use
would be allocated in the RLMP to that
current use; however, changes that
support TVA goals and objectives will
be considered. Committed lands include
those subject to existing long-term
easements, leases, licenses and
contracts; lands with outstanding land
rights; and lands that are necessary for
TVA project operations.
In the EIS, TVA will also consider a
No Action alternative, under which
TVA would continue to rely on previous
land planning designations or current
management of parcels. Of the eight
reservoirs, seven have land use plans
that were developed using different
methodology and land use categories.
Two reservoirs (Fort Loudoun and
Normandy) were planned using TVA’s
Forecast System in the 1960s or 1970s;
four reservoirs (Chickamauga, Kentucky,
Nickajack, and Wheeler) were planned
in the 1980s and 1990s under the
Multiple-Use Tract Allocation
Methodology. A land plan has never
been developed for Great Falls
Reservoir, and only a portion of Wilson
Reservoir has been planned previously.
TVA will apply the single-use allocation
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:17 Mar 02, 2016
Jkt 238001
methodology in developing new RLMPs
for the eight reservoirs. Once completed,
all TVA land plans will be based on the
same methodology, ensuring that future
management policies can be
consistently applied across the region,
as intended under TVA’s 2011 Natural
Resource Plan.
Comprehensive Valleywide Land Plan
In its Natural Resource Plan, TVA
established a Comprehensive
Valleywide Land Plan (CVLP) to guide
uses of the 293,000 acres of TVAmanaged property on 46 reservoirs. The
CVLP identifies target ranges for
different types of land use allocations
for the region. When establishing the
CVLP in 2011, TVA based these ranges
on parcel allocations from existing plans
as well as ‘‘rapid assessments,’’ which
were initial allocation designations of
reservoir parcels conducted in order to
establish an initial CVLP target range.
Since 2011, TVA has conducted more
thorough assessments of parcels on the
eight reservoirs and found in many
cases that the initial allocations do not
accurately reflect actual uses of parcels,
the presence of sensitive resources, or
existing land rights or restrictions for
parcels. Incorporating these corrections
into the proposed RLMPs would
necessitate minor revisions to the CVLP
target ranges. Therefore, as part of this
planning effort, TVA proposes to revise
the CVLP ranges accordingly to the zone
allocations proposed in the Action
Alternative(s). The proposed revisions
to the CVLP target ranges do not reflect
a change to any other decisions made by
TVA in its Natural Resource Plan. TVA
remains committed to implementing its
Natural Resource Plan and meeting the
goals and objectives of the CVLP.
In addition to the Natural Resource
Plan, this planning process is necessary
to comply with TVA’s Land Policy
(2006), which governs the planning,
retention and disposal of land under
TVA’s stewardship. The reservoir land
planning process provides a consistent
method of evaluating suitable uses of
TVA public land in a manner that
systematically incorporates information,
analyses, and input from the public,
stakeholders, partners and TVA
specialists, and protects significant
resources (including threatened and
endangered species, cultural resources,
wetlands, unique habitats, natural areas,
water quality and the visual character of
the reservoir). This planning effort is
also consistent with TVA’s Shoreline
Management Initiative (SMI). The EIS
will tier from the Final EIS for the SMI
(1998), which evaluated alternative
policies for managing residential
shoreline development on TVA
PO 00000
Frm 00173
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
11345
reservoirs. Residential shoreline
properties occur on the eight reservoirs,
and the proposed RLMPs will not affect
the policies for their management.
Scoping Process
Public scoping is integral to the
process for implementing NEPA and
ensures that issues are identified early
and properly studied; issues of little
significance do not consume substantial
time and effort; and analysis is thorough
and balanced. TVA’s NEPA procedures
require that the scoping process
commence soon after a decision has
been reached to prepare an EIS to
ensure an early and open process for
determining the scope and for
identifying the significant issues related
to a proposed action. TVA anticipates
that the major issues addressed in the
EIS include water quality, water supply,
aquatic and terrestrial ecology,
endangered and threatened species,
wetlands, prime farmlands, floodplains,
recreation, aesthetics including visual
resources, land use, historic and
archaeological resources and
socioeconomic resources.
TVA invites members of the public as
well as Federal, state, and local agencies
and Native American tribes to comment
on the scope of the EIS. Comments on
the scope should be submitted no later
than the date given under the DATES
section of this notice. Pursuant to the
regulations of the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation implementing
Section 106 of the NHPA, TVA also
solicits comments on the potential of
the proposed Plan to affect historic
properties. This notice also provides an
opportunity under Executive Orders
11990 and 11988 for early public review
of the potential for TVA’s Plan to affect
wetlands and floodplains, respectively.
Please note, any comments received,
including names and addresses, will
become part of the administrative record
and will be available for public
inspection.
After consideration of the public’s
input and analyzing the environmental
consequences of each alternative, TVA
will issue a draft EIS for public review
and comment. TVA will notify the
public of the draft EIS’ availability and
plans to hold public meetings during
the review period. TVA expects to
release the draft EIS and associated
RLMPs in late 2016 and the final EIS
and RLMPs in 2017. Once the NEPA
review is completed, the final RLMPs
and revised CVLP allocations will be
submitted to the TVA Board of Directors
for approval and adopted as guidelines
for management of TVA public land
consistent with the agency’s
E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM
03MRN1
11346
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2016 / Notices
responsibilities under the TVA Act of
1933.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Wilbourne (Skip) C. Markham,
Director, Environmental Permitting and
Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2016–04745 Filed 3–2–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Public Notice for Waiver for
Aeronautical Land-Use Assurance at
Fort Worth Spinks Airport, Fort Worth,
TX
Federal Aviation
Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent for Waiver of
Aeronautical Land-Use.
AGENCY:
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:17 Mar 02, 2016
Jkt 238001
Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on 15 January,
2016.
Ignacio Flores,
Manager, Airports Division, FAA, Southwest
Region.
[FR Doc. 2016–04737 Filed 3–2–16; 8:45 am]
The Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) is considering a
proposal to change a portion of the
airport from aeronautical use to
nonaeronautical use and to authorize
the conversion of the airport property.
The proposal consists of one parcel of
land containing a total of approximately
2.583.
The property was acquired using City
and FAA funds through the AIP
Program from 1983–1987. The land
comprising this parcel is outside the
forecasted need for aviation
development and, thus, is no longer
needed for indirect or direct
aeronautical use. The airport wishes to
develop this land for compatible
commercial, nonaeronautical use. The
income from the conversion of this
parcel will benefit the aviation
community by reinvestment in the
airport.
Approval does not constitute a
commitment by the FAA to financially
assist in the conversion of the subject
airport property nor a determination of
eligibility for grant-in-aid funding from
the FAA. The disposition of proceeds
from the conversion of the airport
property will be in accordance with
FAA’s Policy and Procedures
Concerning the Use of Airport Revenue,
published in the Federal Register on
February 16, 1999. In accordance with
Section 47107(h) of Title 49, United
States Code, this notice is required to be
published in the Federal Register 30
days before modifying the land-use
assurance that requires the property to
be used for an aeronautical purpose.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 4, 2016.
SUMMARY:
Send comments on this
document to Mr. Cameron Bryan,
Federal Aviation Administration, Acting
Manager, Texas Airports Development
Office, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort
Worth, TX 76177.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Bill Welstead, Aviation Director, City of
Fort Worth, 4201 N. Main St. Suite 200,
Fort Worth, TX 76106, telephone (817)
392–5400, or Mr. Anthony Mekhail,
Federal Aviation Administration, Texas
Airports Development Program
Manager, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort
Worth, TX 76177, telephone (817) 222–
5663, FAX (817) 222–5989. Documents
reflecting this FAA action may be
reviewed at the above locations.
ADDRESSES:
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Noise Compatibility Program Notice,
Lafayette Regional Airport, Lafayette,
Louisiana
Federal Aviation
Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) announces its
findings on the noise compatibility
program submitted by Lafayette Airport
Commission under the provisions of 49
U.S.C. (the Aviation Safety and Noise
Abatement Act, hereinafter referred to
as ‘‘the Act’’) and 14 CFR part 150.
These findings are made in recognition
of the description of Federal and
nonfederal responsibilities in Senate
Report No. 96–52 (1980). On April 4,
2012, the FAA determined that the
noise exposure maps submitted by
Lafayette Airport Commission under
Part 150 were in compliance with
applicable requirements. On November
23, 2015, the FAA approved the
Lafayette Regional Airport noise
compatibility program. Both of the
recommendations of the program were
approved.
SUMMARY:
The effective date of the FAA’s
approval of the Lafayette Regional
Airport noise compatibility program is
November 23, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
DOT/FAA Southwest Region, Tim
Tandy, Environmental Protection
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00174
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Specialist, ASW–640D, 10101 Hillwood
Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas 76177.
Telephone (817) 222–5644.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
notice announces that the FAA has
given its overall approval to the noise
compatibility program for Lafayette
Regional Airport, effective November
23, 2015.
Under section 47504 of the Act, an
airport operator who has previously
submitted a noise exposure map may
submit to the FAA a noise compatibility
program which sets forth the measures
taken or proposed by the airport
operator for the reduction of existing
non-compatible land uses and
prevention of additional non-compatible
land uses within the area covered by the
noise exposure maps. The Act requires
such programs to be developed in
consultation with interested and
affected parties including local
communities, government agencies,
airport users, and FAA personnel.
Each airport noise compatibility
program developed in accordance with
Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part
150 is a local program, not a Federal
program. The FAA does not substitute
its judgment for that of the airport
proprietor with respect to which
measures should be recommended for
action. The FAA’s approval or
disapproval of FAR Part 150 program
recommendations is measured
according to the standards expressed in
Part 150 and the Act and is limited to
the following determinations:
a. The noise compatibility program
was developed in accordance with the
provisions and procedures of FAR Part
150;
b. Program measures are reasonably
consistent with achieving the goals of
reducing existing non-compatible land
uses around the airport and preventing
the introduction of additional noncompatible land uses;
c. Program measures would not create
an undue burden on interstate or foreign
commerce, unjustly discriminate against
types or classes of aeronautical uses,
violate the terms of airport grant
agreements, or intrude into areas
preempted by the Federal Government;
and
d. Program measures relating to the
use of flight procedures can be
implemented within the period covered
by the program without derogating
safety, adversely affecting the efficient
use and management of the navigable
airspace and air traffic control systems,
or adversely affecting other powers and
responsibilities of the Administrator
prescribed by law.
Specific limitations with respect to
FAA’s approval of an airport noise
E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM
03MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 42 (Thursday, March 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11344-11346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04745]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Environmental Impact Statement--Multiple Reservoirs Land
Management Plans
AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) intends to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) addressing the impacts of
alternative plans for managing public lands on eight TVA reservoirs in
Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee: Chickamauga, Fort Loudoun, Great
Falls, Kentucky, Nickajack, Normandy, Wheeler and Wilson. TVA also
proposes to use the information included in these eight reservoir land
management plans (RLMP) to revise its Comprehensive Valleywide Land
Plan. Public comment is invited concerning the scope of the EIS,
including the appropriate uses for TVA-managed public lands on these
reservoirs and environmental issues that should be addressed as a part
of this EIS.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 4, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Matthew Higdon, Tennessee
Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive (WT11D), Knoxville,
Tennessee 37902. Comments may also be emailed to mshigdon@tva.gov or
submitted on the TVA Web site at: https://www.tva.com/Environment/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Reviews.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the EIS process,
contact Matthew Higdon, NEPA Specialist, by email at mshigdon@tva.gov,
or by phone at (865) 632-8051. For information about the reservoir land
plans, contact Heather Montgomery by email at hlmcgee@tva.gov or by
phone at (256) 386-3803.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is provided in accordance with
the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations (40 CFR parts 1500
to 1508) and TVA's procedures for implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulations (36 CFR part
800).
TVA is a corporate agency and instrumentality of the United States,
established by an act of Congress in 1933, to foster the social and
economic welfare of the people of the Tennessee Valley region and to
promote the proper use and conservation of the region's natural
resources. Shortly after its creation, TVA began a dam and reservoir
construction program that required the purchase of approximately 1.3
million acres of land for the creation of 46 reservoirs within the
Tennessee Valley region. Most of these lands are located underneath the
water of the reservoir system or have since been sold by TVA or
transferred to other state or federal agencies. Today, approximately
293,000 acres of land along TVA reservoirs are managed by TVA for the
benefit of the public.
Reservoir Land Management Plans
TVA's eight RLMPs will address management of approximately 138,222
acres of TVA-managed public lands surrounding the following reservoirs:
Chickamauga, Fort Loudon, Great Falls, Nickajack and Normandy in
Tennessee; Wheeler and Wilson in Alabama; and Kentucky in Tennessee and
Kentucky. In the EIS, TVA will consider the potential environmental
impacts of the eight RLMPs and the allocation of
[[Page 11345]]
reservoir parcels to one of seven land use zones: Non-TVA Shoreland,
Project Operations, Sensitive Resource Management, Natural Resource
Conservation, Industrial, Developed Recreation and Shoreline Access.
These allocations will then be used to guide the types of activities
that will be considered on each parcel of land. Proposed allocations
will take into account past land use allocations, current land uses,
existing land rights (easements, leases, etc.), public needs, the
presence of sensitive environmental resources, and TVA policies. The
RLMPs and parcel allocations would establish clear blueprints for
future management of the public land TVA manages on these reservoirs.
TVA has developed a proposed RLMP for each reservoir and made
initial land use zone allocations for each reservoir parcel. These
proposed RLMPs are the result of TVA's initial review of the suitable
uses of parcels at each reservoir and will be considered as an Action
Alternative in the EIS. TVA invites the public to review the proposed
plans and parcel allocations on the TVA Web site during the scoping
period and to submit comments, questions or suggestions on its
proposal. Additional Action Alternative(s) may be developed based on
public input submitted to TVA during the scoping period. If multiple
Action Alternatives are considered, the primary difference between
alternatives would be the amount of land allocated to each of these
zones. Typically, lands currently committed to a specific use would be
allocated in the RLMP to that current use; however, changes that
support TVA goals and objectives will be considered. Committed lands
include those subject to existing long-term easements, leases, licenses
and contracts; lands with outstanding land rights; and lands that are
necessary for TVA project operations.
In the EIS, TVA will also consider a No Action alternative, under
which TVA would continue to rely on previous land planning designations
or current management of parcels. Of the eight reservoirs, seven have
land use plans that were developed using different methodology and land
use categories. Two reservoirs (Fort Loudoun and Normandy) were planned
using TVA's Forecast System in the 1960s or 1970s; four reservoirs
(Chickamauga, Kentucky, Nickajack, and Wheeler) were planned in the
1980s and 1990s under the Multiple-Use Tract Allocation Methodology. A
land plan has never been developed for Great Falls Reservoir, and only
a portion of Wilson Reservoir has been planned previously. TVA will
apply the single-use allocation methodology in developing new RLMPs for
the eight reservoirs. Once completed, all TVA land plans will be based
on the same methodology, ensuring that future management policies can
be consistently applied across the region, as intended under TVA's 2011
Natural Resource Plan.
Comprehensive Valleywide Land Plan
In its Natural Resource Plan, TVA established a Comprehensive
Valleywide Land Plan (CVLP) to guide uses of the 293,000 acres of TVA-
managed property on 46 reservoirs. The CVLP identifies target ranges
for different types of land use allocations for the region. When
establishing the CVLP in 2011, TVA based these ranges on parcel
allocations from existing plans as well as ``rapid assessments,'' which
were initial allocation designations of reservoir parcels conducted in
order to establish an initial CVLP target range. Since 2011, TVA has
conducted more thorough assessments of parcels on the eight reservoirs
and found in many cases that the initial allocations do not accurately
reflect actual uses of parcels, the presence of sensitive resources, or
existing land rights or restrictions for parcels. Incorporating these
corrections into the proposed RLMPs would necessitate minor revisions
to the CVLP target ranges. Therefore, as part of this planning effort,
TVA proposes to revise the CVLP ranges accordingly to the zone
allocations proposed in the Action Alternative(s). The proposed
revisions to the CVLP target ranges do not reflect a change to any
other decisions made by TVA in its Natural Resource Plan. TVA remains
committed to implementing its Natural Resource Plan and meeting the
goals and objectives of the CVLP.
In addition to the Natural Resource Plan, this planning process is
necessary to comply with TVA's Land Policy (2006), which governs the
planning, retention and disposal of land under TVA's stewardship. The
reservoir land planning process provides a consistent method of
evaluating suitable uses of TVA public land in a manner that
systematically incorporates information, analyses, and input from the
public, stakeholders, partners and TVA specialists, and protects
significant resources (including threatened and endangered species,
cultural resources, wetlands, unique habitats, natural areas, water
quality and the visual character of the reservoir). This planning
effort is also consistent with TVA's Shoreline Management Initiative
(SMI). The EIS will tier from the Final EIS for the SMI (1998), which
evaluated alternative policies for managing residential shoreline
development on TVA reservoirs. Residential shoreline properties occur
on the eight reservoirs, and the proposed RLMPs will not affect the
policies for their management.
Scoping Process
Public scoping is integral to the process for implementing NEPA and
ensures that issues are identified early and properly studied; issues
of little significance do not consume substantial time and effort; and
analysis is thorough and balanced. TVA's NEPA procedures require that
the scoping process commence soon after a decision has been reached to
prepare an EIS to ensure an early and open process for determining the
scope and for identifying the significant issues related to a proposed
action. TVA anticipates that the major issues addressed in the EIS
include water quality, water supply, aquatic and terrestrial ecology,
endangered and threatened species, wetlands, prime farmlands,
floodplains, recreation, aesthetics including visual resources, land
use, historic and archaeological resources and socioeconomic resources.
TVA invites members of the public as well as Federal, state, and
local agencies and Native American tribes to comment on the scope of
the EIS. Comments on the scope should be submitted no later than the
date given under the DATES section of this notice. Pursuant to the
regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
implementing Section 106 of the NHPA, TVA also solicits comments on the
potential of the proposed Plan to affect historic properties. This
notice also provides an opportunity under Executive Orders 11990 and
11988 for early public review of the potential for TVA's Plan to affect
wetlands and floodplains, respectively. Please note, any comments
received, including names and addresses, will become part of the
administrative record and will be available for public inspection.
After consideration of the public's input and analyzing the
environmental consequences of each alternative, TVA will issue a draft
EIS for public review and comment. TVA will notify the public of the
draft EIS' availability and plans to hold public meetings during the
review period. TVA expects to release the draft EIS and associated
RLMPs in late 2016 and the final EIS and RLMPs in 2017. Once the NEPA
review is completed, the final RLMPs and revised CVLP allocations will
be submitted to the TVA Board of Directors for approval and adopted as
guidelines for management of TVA public land consistent with the
agency's
[[Page 11346]]
responsibilities under the TVA Act of 1933.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Wilbourne (Skip) C. Markham,
Director, Environmental Permitting and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2016-04745 Filed 3-2-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-01-P