Draft Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement for Vista Grande Drainage Basin Improvement Project, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, California, 25707-25709 [2016-10172]
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asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 83 / Friday, April 29, 2016 / Notices
On an unknown date, human remains
representing, at minimum, one
individual were removed from the
Frank Bounds Farm Site (34Ma–0/50) in
Marshall County, OK. The human
remains, representing an adult of
indeterminate sex, were transferred to
the Museum sometime before 1995. The
date of the site associated with the
human remains is unknown. No known
individuals were identified. The 20
associated funerary objects consist of 15
pottery sherds and 5 stone tools.
In 1957, human remains representing,
at minimum, one individual were
removed from site 34Ml–11 in McClain
County, OK. The site was located near
a small drainage running northeast into
the South Canadian River. The human
remains were discovered by a road
survey conducted as part of a Federal
Highway Administration Project. The
human remains are highly fragmented
with many elements embedded in dirt.
The human remains represent a single
adult male. The human remains were
transferred to the Museum on an
unknown date. The date of the site
associated with the human remains is
unknown. No known individuals were
identified. The one associated funerary
object is a piece of groundstone.
On an unknown date, human remains
representing, at minimum, one
individual were removed from the
Danna Smith Site (34Ml–7) in McClain
County, OK. The human remains
included one bone fragment,
representing an adult of indeterminate
sex. The bone was transferred to the
Museum on an unknown date. The date
of the site associated with the human
remains is unknown. No known
individuals were identified. No
associated funerary objects are present.
On an unknown date, human remains
representing, at minimum, one
individual were removed from an
unknown location (34Pn0/5) in
Pontotoc County, OK. The single bone
fragment represented an adult of
indeterminate sex and was transferred
to the Museum on an unknown date.
The date of the site associated with the
human remains is unknown. This site is
mislabeled as ‘‘34Pn015.’’ No known
individuals were identified. No
associated funerary objects are present.
On February 23, 1963, human remains
representing, at minimum, one
individual were removed from the
Townsend Site (34Pn–54) in Pontotoc
County, OK. The human remains were
collected by Dick McWilliams as part of
a surface collection from the site, which
is located along an old bank of West
Buck Creek near Ada, OK. The human
remains represent one adult individual,
probably male. The human remains
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were transferred to the Museum on an
unknown date. The date of the site
associated with the remains is
unknown. No known individuals were
identified. No associated funerary
objects are present.
Determinations Made by the Sam Noble
Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
Officials of the Sam Noble Oklahoma
Museum of Natural History have
determined that:
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
are Native American based on a
combination of one or more of the
following: Osteological evidence,
collection history, association with
Native American artifacts, and
association with prehistoric
archeological sites.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
represent the physical remains of 15
individuals of Native American
ancestry.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A),
the 69 objects described in this notice
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.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a
relationship of shared group identity
cannot be reasonably traced between the
Native American human remains and
associated funerary objects and any
present-day Indian tribe.
• According to final judgments of the
Indian Claims Commission or the Court
of Federal Claims, the land from which
the Native American human remains
and associated funerary objects were
removed is the aboriginal land of the
Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, the
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians,
The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw
Nation of Oklahoma, and the Quapaw
Tribe of Indians.
• Treaties, Acts of Congress, or
Executive Orders, indicate that the land
from which the Native American human
remains and associated funerary objects
were removed is the aboriginal land of
the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, the
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians,
The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw
Nation of Oklahoma, and the Quapaw
Tribe of Indians.
• Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the
disposition of the human remains and
associated funerary objects may be to
the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, the
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians,
The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw
Nation of Oklahoma, and the Quapaw
Tribe of Indians.
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Additional Requestors and Disposition
Representatives of any Indian tribe or
Native Hawaiian organization not
identified in this notice that wish to
request transfer of control of these
human remains and associated funerary
objects should submit a written request
with information in support of the
request to Dr. Marc Levine, Assistant
Curator of Archaeology, Sam Noble
Oklahoma Museum of Natural History,
University of Oklahoma, 2401
Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK
73072–7029, telephone 405–325–1994,
email mlevine@ou.edu, by May 31,
2016. After that date, if no additional
requestors have come forward, transfer
of control of the human remains and
associated funerary objects to the Jena
Band of Choctaw Indians, the
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians,
The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw
Nation of Oklahoma, and the Quapaw
Tribe of Indians may proceed.
The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of
Natural History is responsible for
notifying the Chickasaw Nation,
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Jena
Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi
Band of Choctaw Indians, and Quapaw
Tribe of Indians that this notice has
been published.
Dated: April 7, 2016.
Melanie O’Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016–10069 Filed 4–28–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–PWR–PWRO–20344; PPPWGOGAP0
PPMPSAS1Z.YP0000]
Draft Environmental Impact Report and
Environmental Impact Statement for
Vista Grande Drainage Basin
Improvement Project, Golden Gate
National Recreation Area, San
Francisco and San Mateo Counties,
California
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Park Service
(NPS), in cooperation with the City of
Daly City (Daly City), has prepared a
joint Draft Environmental Impact Report
and Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIR/EIS) for the Vista Grande
Drainage Basin Project (Project). The
NPS is the lead agency for
environmental review under NEPA, and
Daly City is the lead agency for
environmental review under the
California Environmental Quality Act
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 83 / Friday, April 29, 2016 / Notices
(CEQA). Daly City is proposing the
Project to address storm-related flooding
in the Vista Grande Drainage Basin,
while providing the additional benefit
of augmenting the level of Lake Merced.
The Project would also improve
recreational access and reduce litter
transfer and deposition along the beach
below Fort Funston and maximize the
use of existing rights-of-way, easements,
and infrastructure to minimize
construction-related costs, habitat
disturbance, and disruption to
recreational users. Daly City is seeking
a Special Use Permit from the NPS for
construction activities proposed at Fort
Funston and update to an existing
easement to accommodate the proposed
structures within Fort Funston and to
clarify the rights and obligations of the
parties to the easement.
DATES: All comments must be
postmarked or transmitted not later than
60 days from the date of publication in
the Federal Register of the
Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) notice of filing and release of the
DEIR/EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Please contact Steve Ortega at the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Planning Division at (415) 561–4955 or
goga_planning@nps.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
process has been conducted pursuant to
the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the
regulations promulgated by the Council
on Environmental Quality (40 CFR part
1502.9). The purpose and need for the
Project is to alleviate flooding in the
Vista Grande Drainage Basin and Canal
and provide a sustainable source of
water for management of Lake Merced
water levels and quality, and to ensure
that the portion of the Project within
federally managed lands, if authorized,
is constructed, operated, and
maintained in a manner that is
consistent with the protection and
enhancement of resources, values, and
uses of lands and waters under federal
jurisdiction. This purpose and need is
driven by the following factors:
(1) The Vista Grande storm drain
system drains the northwestern portion
of Daly City and an unincorporated
portion of San Mateo County—areas
originally within the watershed of Lake
Merced. In the 1890s, the Vista Grande
Canal and Tunnel were built to divert
stormwater away from the lake to an
outlet at the Pacific Ocean, below what
is now Fort Funston. The existing Canal
and Tunnel do not have adequate
hydraulic capacity to convey storm
flows, and this periodically causes
backing up of Tunnel flows into the
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Jkt 238001
Canal, and flooding during peak storm
events in adjacent low-lying residential
areas and roads. Such flooding and
Canal overtopping events cause
property damage, bank erosion, traffic
nuisances, public safety issues, and may
have adverse impacts to Lake Merced
water quality.
(2) Urban development has
significantly reduced Lake Merced’s
original estimated watershed size. As
urban development advanced in the
area, surface runoff was diverted away
from Lake Merced. Consequently, the
southern portion of the original
watershed (Daly City), including what is
now the Vista Grande Drainage Basin,
and the eastern portion of the original
watershed (San Francisco) were
diverted from flowing into the Lake.
Operation of the Project would capture
a portion of the existing Basin
stormwater and authorized non-storm
runoff that is currently conveyed to the
Pacific Ocean and beneficially re-use
over the long-term it to augment water
levels in Lake Merced.
(3) The existing Daly City Ocean
Outlet structure juts out from the cliff
approximately 90 feet across the beach
below Fort Funston, impeding
recreational access, particularly during
high tides. The Project presents an
opportunity to improve public access
across the beach.
(4) The width of the existing Tunnel
easement is undetermined. Legal
easement issues associated with a
potential new tunnel alignment and
with proposed improvements at the
beach would be evaluated for
consistency with the goals of protection
and enhancement of resources, values,
and uses of lands and waters under
federal jurisdiction.
Accordingly, NPS’s objectives for the
Project include the following: (1) Avoid,
minimize, or mitigate environmental
impacts to Golden Gate National
Recreation Area (GGNRA) natural and
cultural resources; (2) during
construction, ensure the health and
safety of park visitors and staff,
maintain access to and through Fort
Funston, and minimize impacts to the
visitor experience; (3) permanently
improve public access along the beach;
and (4) minimize impacts on park assets
and sustain or restore all park assets
(e.g., facilities, features, grounds) to preconstruction or better conditions.
Range of Alternatives Considered: The
DEIR/EIS documents several
preliminary engineering and water
supply options considered and
dismissed from full analysis, and
describes and analyzes the following
four alternatives:
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No Project/No Action Alternative: No
physical component of the proposed
Project would be constructed and none
of the proposed operational changes to
stormwater routing or Lake Merced
water management would be made. The
NPS would not grant the Special Use
Permit or amend the existing easement,
and no construction could occur within
NPS-managed lands. Annual Canal
sediment removal activities would
continue, as well as as-needed
maintenance activities. Because Canal
and Tunnel capacity would not be
improved, occasional flooding of the
Canal and associated flooding of John
Muir Drive into Lake Merced and in
local neighborhoods would continue.
This alternative serves as the
environmental baseline from which
potential effects of the ‘‘action’’
alternatives were compared.
Proposed Project: The Project as
proposed by Daly City would consist of
the following: (1) Improvements within
the Vista Grande Basin storm drain
system upstream of the Vista Grande
Canal; (2) Partial replacement of the
existing Vista Grande Canal to
incorporate a gross solid screening
device, an approximately 2.6-acre
constructed treatment wetland, and
diversion and discharge structures to
route some stormwater (and authorized
non-stormwater) flows from the Vista
Grande Canal to Lake Merced and to
allow lake water to be used for summer
treatment wetland maintenance; (3)
Modification of the existing effluent
gravity pipeline so that it may be used
year round to convey treated effluent
from the nearby North San Mateo
County Sanitation District Wastewater
Treatment Plant to the existing outlet
and diffuser by gravity, and abandoning
the force main pipeline; (4)
Modification of the existing lake
overflow structure to include an
adjustable weir and siphon that allows
water from the lake to flow into the
Canal and Tunnel; (5) Replacement of
the existing Vista Grande Tunnel to
expand its hydraulic capacity and
extend its operating lifetime and
replacement of the Lake Merced Portal
to the Tunnel; and (6) Replacement of
the existing Ocean Outlet structure and
a portion of the existing 33-inch
submarine outfall pipeline that crosses
the beach at Fort Funston.
Tunnel Alignment Alternative: The
Tunnel Alignment Alternative would
include the construction of a
replacement tunnel south of the existing
Tunnel. The new tunnel would run
from a new east portal at the Canal to
a new or rehabilitated Ocean Outlet
structure at Fort Funston. The Tunnel
would run beneath the Olympic Club,
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Highway 35, and the GGNRA lands.
This alternative could be paired with
either the proposed Canal
improvements or the Canal
Configuration Alternative.
Canal Configuration Alternative: This
alternative would not construct the box
culvert replacing the first 1,500 feet of
the Canal; rather, the diversion structure
described for the proposed Project
would be relocated to the southern
(upstream) end of the Canal. The box
culvert under John Muir Drive also
would be relocated and would cross
under John Muir Drive close to the
southern end of Impound Lake. The
design of the diversion structure, box
culvert under John Muir Drive, and Lake
Merced Outlet would be approximately
the same as for the proposed Project, but
located at the upstream (southern) end
of the Canal. The diversion structure
would replace the first approximately
350 feet of the Canal, and the rest of the
Canal would be unchanged except as
needed for temporary construction
access to the Lake Merced Tunnel
Portal. Under the Canal Configuration
Alternative, only one wetland cell of
approximately 1.7 acres would be
constructed. This alternative could be
paired with either the proposed Tunnel
improvements or the Tunnel Alignment
Alternative.
Public Involvement: The Notice of
Intent (NOI) to prepare the DEIR/EIS
was published in the Federal Register
on May 8, 2013 (78 FR 26807). Daly City
also issued a joint NOI/Notice of
Preparation (NOP) to prepare the DEIR/
EIS on February 28, 2013. On March 4,
2013, the NPS sent an electronic mail
(email) message to 1,317 recipients,
inviting them to an open house
featuring the Vista Grande Drainage
Basin Improvements and other projects
within the GGNRA. The email message
provided a link to Daly City’s Vista
Grande Project Web site, where
interested parties could access the NOI/
NOP. The NPS held an open house on
March 19, 2013, at the General’s
Residence in Fort Mason. Several
projects and topics were covered at the
open house, including the Vista Grande
Project. Daly City staff and consultants
attended the open house and spoke with
attendees about the Project. On March
28, 2013, Daly City held a public
scoping meeting to educate members of
the public about the Project and to
solicit comments on the scope of the
DEIR/EIS. The scoping comment period
for the NOI published in the Federal
Register ended on June 7, 2013. A
scoping report summarizing the
outcomes of the scoping process,
including comments received, and
which includes copies of all comment
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18:31 Apr 28, 2016
Jkt 238001
letters received during the scoping
period, is included as Appendix B of the
DEIR/EIS. Comments from these
meetings and letters, as well from
additional stakeholder and agency
outreach meetings and subsequent
internal planning workshops, were used
to further refine the alternatives and
identify the key topics to be addressed
in the DEIR/EIS.
Copies of and/or internet links to the
DEIR/EIS will be circulated to
congressional delegations, state and
local elected officials, federal and state
agencies, tribes, organizations, local
businesses, and public libraries. Printed
copies (in limited quantity) and CDs
will be supplied in response to email,
phone, or mail requests. Printed copies
will be available at public libraries in
San Francisco and San Mateo County.
How to Comment: The public
comment period begins upon the lead
agencies’ issuance of public notice of
DEIR/EIS availability, including through
the NPS publication of this Notice of
Availability (NOA) for the DEIR/EIS in
the Federal Register. The public
comment period will end 60 days from
the date of the EPA’s publication in the
Federal Register of the notice of filing
and release of the DEIR/EIS; the NPS
will notify all entities on the project
mailing list, and public announcements
about the DEIR/EIS review period will
be posted on the project Web site
(https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Vista_
Grande) and distributed via local and
regional press media. Written comments
may be transmitted electronically
through the project Web site (noted
above). If preferred, comments may be
mailed to the General Superintendent,
GGNRA, Attn: Vista Grande Drainage
Basin Improvement Project DEIR/EIS,
Fort Mason, Building 201, San
Francisco, CA 94123.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, 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 comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Public comments received during the
comment period will be recorded and
categorized in order for the lead
agencies to prepare responses, which
then will be incorporated into the Final
EIR/EIS. Where responses to comments
require important changes to the EIR/
EIS, the body of the text may be revised.
Comments received on the cultural
resources section of the EIR/EIS will
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25709
also be considered during the separate,
but coordinated process of compliance
with § 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act.
Decision Process: All comments
received on the DEIR/EIS will be duly
considered in preparing the Final EIR/
EIS, which is expected to be prepared in
mid-2016 (availability will be
announced in the Federal Register, as
well as through regional and local press
media and park Web site postings). A
Record of Decision will be prepared not
sooner than 30 days after release of the
Final EIR/EIS. Because this is a
delegated EIS, the NPS official
responsible for approval of the project is
the Regional Director, Pacific West
Region. The official responsible for
project implementation is the
Superintendent, Golden Gate National
Recreation Area.
Dated: February 16, 2016.
Martha J. Lee,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2016–10172 Filed 4–28–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–FF–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NRNHL–20880;
PPWOCRADI0, PCU00RP14.R50000]
National Register of Historic Places;
Notification of Pending Nominations
and Related Actions
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Park Service is
soliciting comments on the significance
of properties nominated before April 9,
2016, for listing or related actions in the
National Register of Historic Places.
DATES: Comments should be submitted
by May 16, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent via
U.S. Postal Service to the National
Register of Historic Places, National
Park Service, 1849 C St. NW., MS 2280,
Washington, DC 20240; by all other
carriers, National Register of Historic
Places, National Park Service, 1201 Eye
St. NW., 8th Floor, Washington, DC
20005; or by fax, 202–371–6447.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
properties listed in this notice are being
considered for listing or related actions
in the National Register of Historic
Places. Nominations for their
consideration were received by the
National Park Service before April 9,
2016. Pursuant to section 60.13 of 36
CFR part 60, written comments are
being accepted concerning the
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 83 (Friday, April 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25707-25709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10172]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-PWR-PWRO-20344; PPPWGOGAP0 PPMPSAS1Z.YP0000]
Draft Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact
Statement for Vista Grande Drainage Basin Improvement Project, Golden
Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties,
California
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS), in cooperation with the City
of Daly City (Daly City), has prepared a joint Draft Environmental
Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR/EIS) for the
Vista Grande Drainage Basin Project (Project). The NPS is the lead
agency for environmental review under NEPA, and Daly City is the lead
agency for environmental review under the California Environmental
Quality Act
[[Page 25708]]
(CEQA). Daly City is proposing the Project to address storm-related
flooding in the Vista Grande Drainage Basin, while providing the
additional benefit of augmenting the level of Lake Merced. The Project
would also improve recreational access and reduce litter transfer and
deposition along the beach below Fort Funston and maximize the use of
existing rights-of-way, easements, and infrastructure to minimize
construction-related costs, habitat disturbance, and disruption to
recreational users. Daly City is seeking a Special Use Permit from the
NPS for construction activities proposed at Fort Funston and update to
an existing easement to accommodate the proposed structures within Fort
Funston and to clarify the rights and obligations of the parties to the
easement.
DATES: All comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later than 60
days from the date of publication in the Federal Register of the
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) notice of filing and release of
the DEIR/EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Steve Ortega at the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area Planning Division at (415) 561-
4955 or goga_planning@nps.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This process has been conducted pursuant to
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)
and the regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality
(40 CFR part 1502.9). The purpose and need for the Project is to
alleviate flooding in the Vista Grande Drainage Basin and Canal and
provide a sustainable source of water for management of Lake Merced
water levels and quality, and to ensure that the portion of the Project
within federally managed lands, if authorized, is constructed,
operated, and maintained in a manner that is consistent with the
protection and enhancement of resources, values, and uses of lands and
waters under federal jurisdiction. This purpose and need is driven by
the following factors:
(1) The Vista Grande storm drain system drains the northwestern
portion of Daly City and an unincorporated portion of San Mateo
County--areas originally within the watershed of Lake Merced. In the
1890s, the Vista Grande Canal and Tunnel were built to divert
stormwater away from the lake to an outlet at the Pacific Ocean, below
what is now Fort Funston. The existing Canal and Tunnel do not have
adequate hydraulic capacity to convey storm flows, and this
periodically causes backing up of Tunnel flows into the Canal, and
flooding during peak storm events in adjacent low-lying residential
areas and roads. Such flooding and Canal overtopping events cause
property damage, bank erosion, traffic nuisances, public safety issues,
and may have adverse impacts to Lake Merced water quality.
(2) Urban development has significantly reduced Lake Merced's
original estimated watershed size. As urban development advanced in the
area, surface runoff was diverted away from Lake Merced. Consequently,
the southern portion of the original watershed (Daly City), including
what is now the Vista Grande Drainage Basin, and the eastern portion of
the original watershed (San Francisco) were diverted from flowing into
the Lake. Operation of the Project would capture a portion of the
existing Basin stormwater and authorized non-storm runoff that is
currently conveyed to the Pacific Ocean and beneficially re-use over
the long-term it to augment water levels in Lake Merced.
(3) The existing Daly City Ocean Outlet structure juts out from the
cliff approximately 90 feet across the beach below Fort Funston,
impeding recreational access, particularly during high tides. The
Project presents an opportunity to improve public access across the
beach.
(4) The width of the existing Tunnel easement is undetermined.
Legal easement issues associated with a potential new tunnel alignment
and with proposed improvements at the beach would be evaluated for
consistency with the goals of protection and enhancement of resources,
values, and uses of lands and waters under federal jurisdiction.
Accordingly, NPS's objectives for the Project include the
following: (1) Avoid, minimize, or mitigate environmental impacts to
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) natural and cultural
resources; (2) during construction, ensure the health and safety of
park visitors and staff, maintain access to and through Fort Funston,
and minimize impacts to the visitor experience; (3) permanently improve
public access along the beach; and (4) minimize impacts on park assets
and sustain or restore all park assets (e.g., facilities, features,
grounds) to pre-construction or better conditions.
Range of Alternatives Considered: The DEIR/EIS documents several
preliminary engineering and water supply options considered and
dismissed from full analysis, and describes and analyzes the following
four alternatives:
No Project/No Action Alternative: No physical component of the
proposed Project would be constructed and none of the proposed
operational changes to stormwater routing or Lake Merced water
management would be made. The NPS would not grant the Special Use
Permit or amend the existing easement, and no construction could occur
within NPS-managed lands. Annual Canal sediment removal activities
would continue, as well as as-needed maintenance activities. Because
Canal and Tunnel capacity would not be improved, occasional flooding of
the Canal and associated flooding of John Muir Drive into Lake Merced
and in local neighborhoods would continue. This alternative serves as
the environmental baseline from which potential effects of the
``action'' alternatives were compared.
Proposed Project: The Project as proposed by Daly City would
consist of the following: (1) Improvements within the Vista Grande
Basin storm drain system upstream of the Vista Grande Canal; (2)
Partial replacement of the existing Vista Grande Canal to incorporate a
gross solid screening device, an approximately 2.6-acre constructed
treatment wetland, and diversion and discharge structures to route some
stormwater (and authorized non-stormwater) flows from the Vista Grande
Canal to Lake Merced and to allow lake water to be used for summer
treatment wetland maintenance; (3) Modification of the existing
effluent gravity pipeline so that it may be used year round to convey
treated effluent from the nearby North San Mateo County Sanitation
District Wastewater Treatment Plant to the existing outlet and diffuser
by gravity, and abandoning the force main pipeline; (4) Modification of
the existing lake overflow structure to include an adjustable weir and
siphon that allows water from the lake to flow into the Canal and
Tunnel; (5) Replacement of the existing Vista Grande Tunnel to expand
its hydraulic capacity and extend its operating lifetime and
replacement of the Lake Merced Portal to the Tunnel; and (6)
Replacement of the existing Ocean Outlet structure and a portion of the
existing 33-inch submarine outfall pipeline that crosses the beach at
Fort Funston.
Tunnel Alignment Alternative: The Tunnel Alignment Alternative
would include the construction of a replacement tunnel south of the
existing Tunnel. The new tunnel would run from a new east portal at the
Canal to a new or rehabilitated Ocean Outlet structure at Fort Funston.
The Tunnel would run beneath the Olympic Club,
[[Page 25709]]
Highway 35, and the GGNRA lands. This alternative could be paired with
either the proposed Canal improvements or the Canal Configuration
Alternative.
Canal Configuration Alternative: This alternative would not
construct the box culvert replacing the first 1,500 feet of the Canal;
rather, the diversion structure described for the proposed Project
would be relocated to the southern (upstream) end of the Canal. The box
culvert under John Muir Drive also would be relocated and would cross
under John Muir Drive close to the southern end of Impound Lake. The
design of the diversion structure, box culvert under John Muir Drive,
and Lake Merced Outlet would be approximately the same as for the
proposed Project, but located at the upstream (southern) end of the
Canal. The diversion structure would replace the first approximately
350 feet of the Canal, and the rest of the Canal would be unchanged
except as needed for temporary construction access to the Lake Merced
Tunnel Portal. Under the Canal Configuration Alternative, only one
wetland cell of approximately 1.7 acres would be constructed. This
alternative could be paired with either the proposed Tunnel
improvements or the Tunnel Alignment Alternative.
Public Involvement: The Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the DEIR/
EIS was published in the Federal Register on May 8, 2013 (78 FR 26807).
Daly City also issued a joint NOI/Notice of Preparation (NOP) to
prepare the DEIR/EIS on February 28, 2013. On March 4, 2013, the NPS
sent an electronic mail (email) message to 1,317 recipients, inviting
them to an open house featuring the Vista Grande Drainage Basin
Improvements and other projects within the GGNRA. The email message
provided a link to Daly City's Vista Grande Project Web site, where
interested parties could access the NOI/NOP. The NPS held an open house
on March 19, 2013, at the General's Residence in Fort Mason. Several
projects and topics were covered at the open house, including the Vista
Grande Project. Daly City staff and consultants attended the open house
and spoke with attendees about the Project. On March 28, 2013, Daly
City held a public scoping meeting to educate members of the public
about the Project and to solicit comments on the scope of the DEIR/EIS.
The scoping comment period for the NOI published in the Federal
Register ended on June 7, 2013. A scoping report summarizing the
outcomes of the scoping process, including comments received, and which
includes copies of all comment letters received during the scoping
period, is included as Appendix B of the DEIR/EIS. Comments from these
meetings and letters, as well from additional stakeholder and agency
outreach meetings and subsequent internal planning workshops, were used
to further refine the alternatives and identify the key topics to be
addressed in the DEIR/EIS.
Copies of and/or internet links to the DEIR/EIS will be circulated
to congressional delegations, state and local elected officials,
federal and state agencies, tribes, organizations, local businesses,
and public libraries. Printed copies (in limited quantity) and CDs will
be supplied in response to email, phone, or mail requests. Printed
copies will be available at public libraries in San Francisco and San
Mateo County.
How to Comment: The public comment period begins upon the lead
agencies' issuance of public notice of DEIR/EIS availability, including
through the NPS publication of this Notice of Availability (NOA) for
the DEIR/EIS in the Federal Register. The public comment period will
end 60 days from the date of the EPA's publication in the Federal
Register of the notice of filing and release of the DEIR/EIS; the NPS
will notify all entities on the project mailing list, and public
announcements about the DEIR/EIS review period will be posted on the
project Web site (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Vista_Grande) and
distributed via local and regional press media. Written comments may be
transmitted electronically through the project Web site (noted above).
If preferred, comments may be mailed to the General Superintendent,
GGNRA, Attn: Vista Grande Drainage Basin Improvement Project DEIR/EIS,
Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, CA 94123.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, 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 comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Public comments received during the comment period will be recorded
and categorized in order for the lead agencies to prepare responses,
which then will be incorporated into the Final EIR/EIS. Where responses
to comments require important changes to the EIR/EIS, the body of the
text may be revised. Comments received on the cultural resources
section of the EIR/EIS will also be considered during the separate, but
coordinated process of compliance with Sec. 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act.
Decision Process: All comments received on the DEIR/EIS will be
duly considered in preparing the Final EIR/EIS, which is expected to be
prepared in mid-2016 (availability will be announced in the Federal
Register, as well as through regional and local press media and park
Web site postings). A Record of Decision will be prepared not sooner
than 30 days after release of the Final EIR/EIS. Because this is a
delegated EIS, the NPS official responsible for approval of the project
is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region. The official responsible
for project implementation is the Superintendent, Golden Gate National
Recreation Area.
Dated: February 16, 2016.
Martha J. Lee,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-10172 Filed 4-28-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-FF-P
