South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, Phase 2, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve; Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report, 14667-14669 [2018-06941]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 66 / Thursday, April 5, 2018 / Notices
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 9 of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and our
implementing regulations in the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR
part 17 prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish or
wildlife species listed as endangered or
threatened. Take of listed fish or
wildlife is defined under the ESA as ‘‘to
harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot,
wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or
to attempt to engage in any such
conduct’’ (16 U.S.C. 1532(19)).
However, under limited circumstances,
we issue permits to authorize incidental
take—i.e., take that is incidental to, and
not the purpose of, the carrying out of
an otherwise lawful activity.
Regulations governing incidental take
permits for endangered and threatened
wildlife species are at 50 CFR 17.22 and
17.32, respectively. In addition to
meeting other criteria, the take
authorized by an incidental take permit
must not jeopardize the existence of
federally listed fish, wildlife, or plants.
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Applicant’s Proposal
Meritage Homes of Florida, Inc. (the
Applicant), is requesting an incidental
take permit (ITP) to take sand skink
(Neoseps reynoldsi) through the
permanent destruction of approximately
3.6 acres (ac) of occupied foraging and
sheltering habitat incidental to
construction of a residential
development in Orange County, Florida.
Included with the permit application is
a draft habitat conservation plan (HCP).
The 126.94-ac HCP project site is
located on parcel number 05–23–27–
0000–00–002, within sections 5 and 6,
Townships 23 South, Range 27 East in
Orange County. The project activities
also include the clearing, infrastructure
building, and landscaping associated
with residential construction. The sand
skink will likely be subjected to take in
the forms of injury, mortality, and/or
loss of habitat. The Applicant proposes
to mitigate for take of the species by
purchasing 7.2 mitigation credits within
the Sebring Scrub Conservation Bank or
another Service-approved sand skink
conservation bank.
Our Preliminary Determination
We have determined that the
Applicant’s proposed plan, including
the proposed mitigation and
minimization measures, would have
minor or negligible effects on the
covered species and the environment so
as to be ‘‘low effect’’ and qualify for
categorical exclusion under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42
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U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), as provided by 43
CFR 46.205 and 46.210. A low-effect
HCP is one involving (1) minor or
negligible effects on federally listed or
candidate species and their habitats,
and (2) minor or negligible effects on
other environmental values or
resources.
Next Steps
We will evaluate the HCP and
comments we receive to determine
whether the ITP application meets the
requirements of section 10(a) of the
ESA. We will also conduct an intraService consultation to evaluate take of
the sand skink in accordance with
section 7 of the ESA. We will use the
results of this consultation, in
combination with the above findings, in
our analysis of whether or not to issue
the ITP. If the requirements are met, we
will issue ITP number TE59063C–0 to
the Applicant.
Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the permit
application, HCP, or associated
documents, you may submit comments
by any one of the methods listed above
in ADDRESSES.
Public Availability of Comments
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.
Authority
We provide this notice under section
10 of the ESA and NEPA regulation 40
CFR 1506.6.
Jay B. Herrington,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office,
Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2018–06940 Filed 4–4–18; 8:45 am]
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14667
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–R–2017–N124;
FXRS282108E8PD0–178–F2013227943]
South Bay Salt Pond Restoration
Project, Phase 2, Eden Landing
Ecological Reserve; Draft
Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for public comments; announcement of
meeting.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, in coordination with
the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife and the California State Coastal
Conservancy, announce the availability
of a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report
(DEIS/EIR) for Phase 2 of the South Bay
Salt Pond Restoration Project at the
Eden Landing Ecological Reserve in
Alameda County, California. The DEIS/
EIR, which we prepared in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, describes and analyzes the
alternatives identified for Phase 2 of the
South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project.
DATES: We will accept comments
received or postmarked on or before
May 21, 2018. A public meeting will be
held on May 8, 2018, from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. (see ADDRESSES).
Persons needing reasonable
accommodations in order to attend and
participate in the public meeting should
contact Ariel Ambruster, by email at
aambrust@ccp.csus.edu or by phone at
510–528–5006, at least 1 week in
advance of the meeting to allow time to
process the request.
ADDRESSES:
Document Availability: You may
obtain copies of the document in the
following places:
• Internet: https://
www.southbayrestoration.org/planning/
phase2/.
• In-Person:
Æ San Francisco Bay National
Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters,
1 Marshlands Road, Fremont, CA 94555.
Æ The following libraries:
D California State University, East Bay
Library, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd.,
Hayward, CA 94542.
D Fremont Main Library, 2400
Stevenson Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538.
D Hayward Public Library, Central
Library, 835 C St., Hayward, CA 94541.
D Natural Resources Library, U.S.
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street
NW, Washington, DC 20240.
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 66 / Thursday, April 5, 2018 / Notices
D Union City Library, 34007
Alvarado-Niles Rd., Union City, CA
94587.
For how to view comments on the
draft EIS from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), or for
information on EPA’s role in the EIS
process, see EPA’s Role in the EIS
Process under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
Submitting Comments: You may
submit written comments by one of the
following methods:
• Electronically: Comments may be
submitted via email to
phase2comments@
southbayrestoration.org. Your
correspondence should make clear the
alternatives or issues to which your
comments pertain.
• By Hard Copy: Send written
comments to Brenda Buxton, Deputy
Program Manager, State Coastal
Conservancy, 1515 Clay St., 10th Floor,
Oakland, CA 94612.
• By Fax: You may also send written
comments by facsimile to 510–286–
0470.
To have your name added to our
mailing list, contact Ariel Ambruster
(see DATES).
Public Meeting: A public meeting will
be held on May 8, 2018, from 6 p.m. to
8 p.m., at the San Francisco Bay
National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Headquarters, Third Floor Auditorium
at 1 Marshlands Road, Fremont,
California 94555. Staff will be available
to take comments and answer questions
during this time. The details of the
public meeting will be posted on the
SBSP Restoration Project’s website at
(https://www.southbayrestoration.org/
events/). Meeting details will also be
emailed to the Project’s Stakeholder
Forum and to those interested parties
who request to be notified. Notification
requests can be made by contacting
Ariel Ambruster, the SBSP Restoration
Project’s public outreach coordinator
(see DATES).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brenda Buxton, Deputy Project
Manager, State Coastal Conservancy,
(510) 286–1015.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
coordination with the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife
(CDFW) and the California State Coastal
Conservancy, we, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of a Draft Environmental
Impact Statement/Environmental
Impact Report (DEIS/EIR) for Phase 2 of
the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration
Project (SBSP) at the Eden Landing
Ecological Reserve (Eden Landing) in
Alameda County, California. Phase 2
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activities would occur within 11 ponds
located between Old Alameda Creek
and Alameda Creek Flood Control
Channel. These ponds are organized by
their similarities and location within the
Phase 2 project area into three
subgroups: the Bay Ponds (E1, E2, E4,
and E7), the Inland Ponds (E5, E6, and
E6C), and the Southern Ponds (E1C,
E2C, E4C, and E5C). The DEIS/EIR,
which we prepared in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; NEPA),
describes and analyzes the alternatives
identified for Eden Landing Phase 2 of
the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration
Project. In addition to our publication of
this Federal Register notice, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is publishing its own Federal Register
notice announcing the draft EIS, as
required under section 309 of the Clean
Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.; CAA)
The publication date of EPA’s notice of
availability is the official start of the
public comment period for our draft
EIS. Under the CAA, EPA also must
subsequently announce the final EIS via
the Federal Register.
EPA’s Role in the EIS Process
The EPA is charged under section 309
of the CAA to review all Federal
agencies’ environmental impact
statements (EISs) and to comment on
the adequacy and the acceptability of
the environmental impacts of proposed
actions in the EISs.
EPA also serves as the repository (EIS
database) for EISs prepared by Federal
agencies and provides notice of their
availability in the Federal Register. The
Environmental Impact Statement
Database provides information about
EISs prepared by Federal agencies, as
well as EPA’s comments concerning the
EISs. All EISs are filed with EPA, which
publishes a notice of availability on
Fridays in the Federal Register.
The EPA notice of availability is the
start of the public comment period for
draft EISs, and the start of the 30-day
‘‘wait period’’ for final EISs, during
which agencies are generally required to
wait 30 days before making a decision
on a proposed action. For more
information, see https://www.epa.gov/
nepa. You may search for EPA
comments on EISs, along with EISs
themselves, at https://www.epa.gov/
nepa/how-obtain-copy-environmentalimpact-statement.
Background
In December 2007, the USFWS and
CDFW published a Final EIS/EIR for the
South Bay Salt Pond (SBSP) Restoration
Project (December 19, 2007; 72 FR
71937). The overall SBSP restoration
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area includes 15,100 acres, which the
USFWS and the CDFW acquired from
Cargill, Inc. in 2003. The lands acquired
from Cargill are divided into three pond
complexes: The Ravenswood Pond
complex, in San Mateo County,
managed by the USFWS; the Alviso
Pond complex, also managed by the
USFWS, which is mostly in Santa Clara
County, with five ponds in Alameda
County; and the Eden Landing Pond
complex, in Alameda County, which is
owned and managed by the CDFW. The
SBSP Restoration Project presented in
the Final EIS/EIR was both
programmatic, covering a 50-year
period, and project-level, addressing the
specific components and
implementation of Phase 1.
In January 2008, we signed a Record
of Decision selecting the Tidal Emphasis
Alternative (Alternative C) for
implementation. This alternative will
result in 90 percent of the USFWS’s and
CDFW’s ponds being restored to tidal
wetlands and 10 percent converted to
managed ponds. Under Phase 1 of
Alternative C, we restored ponds E8A,
E8X, E9, E12, and E13 at the Eden
Landing complex; A6, A8, A16, and A17
at the Alviso complex; and SF2 at the
Ravenswood complex. We also added
several trails, interpretive features, a
kayak launch, and other recreational
access points. Construction was
completed on the USFWS ponds in
2013 and on the CDFW ponds in 2016.
We now propose restoration or
enhancement of over 2,270 acres of
former salt ponds in the second phase
of the SBSP Restoration Project at Eden
Landing. In the DEIS/EIR, we provide
project level analysis of proposed
restoration or enhancement of portions
of Eden Landing, specifically at the Bay
Ponds (E1, E2, E4, and E7), the Inland
Ponds (E5, E6, E6C), and the Southern
Ponds (E1C, E2C, E4C, and E5C). These
ponds are illustrated on the SBSP
Restoration Project website at https://
www.southbayrestoration.org/planning/
phase2/.
Phase 2 of the SBSP Restoration
Project is intended to restore and
enhance tidal wetlands and managed
pond habitats in South San Francisco
Bay while simultaneously providing
flood risk management and wildlifeoriented public access and recreation. In
this Phase 2 document, we would
continue habitat restoration activities
and public access opportunities in the
CDFW pond complex, while
maintaining or improving current levels
of flood risk management in the
surrounding communities.
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Alternatives
We consider a range of alternatives
and their impacts in the DEIS/EIR,
including a No Action Alternative. The
range of alternatives include varying
approaches to restoring tidal marshes
(including number and location of
breaches, other levee modifications, and
beneficial reuse of dredged material),
habitat enhancements (islands,
transition zones, and channels),
modifications to existing levees and
berms to maintain or improve flood risk
management, and recreation and public
access components (trails, boardwalks,
and viewing platforms) which
correspond to the project objectives. The
alternatives are described below.
Alternative Eden A (No Action)
Under Alternative Eden A (the No
Action Alternative), no new activities
would be implemented as part of Phase
2. The ponds would continue to be
monitored and managed through the
activities described in the Adaptive
Management Plan (AMP) and in
accordance with current CDFW
practices. The high priority levees that
function as inland flood risk
management would continue to be
maintained as appropriate and with
consultation with the Alameda County
Flood Control and Water Conservation
District (ACFCWCD).
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Alternative Eden B
Alternative Eden B would breach and
lower levees to restore the ponds to tidal
marsh and thereby improve the
ecological function of the ponds. The
easternmost levees would be improved
to provide flood risk management to the
inland communities. The internal levees
along the J-ponds and other ACFCWCDowned channels would also be
improved, as needed. The tidal marsh
habitats would also be enhanced by
placing dredged material to raise pond
bottoms, using remnant levees as habitat
islands, constructing habitat transition
zones, excavating pilot channels to
enhance water circulation, and
increasing connectivity for anadromous
fish habitat. Root wads and logs would
be used to prevent erosion on the Bay
side of Pond E2. Water control
structures would be used during the
transition of the Southern Ponds into
tidal marsh. Implementation of this
alternative would increase wildlifeoriented public access and recreational
opportunities in the region. A piped
connection from the Alameda County
Water District’s nearby Aquifer
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Reclamation Program wells would be
added to deliver brackish groundwater
and water habitat transition zones in the
Inland and Southern Ponds. Finally, a
piped connection with the adjacent
Union Sanitary District (USD) would be
added to deliver treated wastewater
from that facility and deliver it onto the
habitat transition zone that would be
built in the Inland Ponds. This would
water the vegetation on that feature and
also add a salinity gradient to the marsh
that would form there.
Alternative Eden C
Alternative Eden C would retain the
Inland and Southern Ponds as managed
ponds, and the Bay Ponds would be
restored to tidal marsh. A mid-complex
levee would be constructed mostly by
improving existing internal levees along
the Inland Ponds, the J-Ponds, and Pond
E1C of the Southern Ponds. Several
water control structures would be
placed within the Inland and Southern
Ponds so that a variety of pond
characteristics could be modified as
necessary to support a range of ponddependent wildlife. This alternative
would implement many of the same
habitat enhancements as Alternative
Eden B, but in different locations. For
example, the habitat transition zone
would be built against the mid-complex
levee, and the excavated pilot channels
would also be in different places.
Similar recreational opportunities
would be created under this alternative,
but additional trails have been
proposed. These include a set of trails
along, and a bridge across, the Old
Alameda Creek. These trails would end
at the Alvarado Salt Works at a new
viewing platform. This alternative also
proposes to build a bridge to extend the
Bay Trail spine over the Alameda Creek
Flood Control Channel beyond the Eden
Landing Ecological Reserve boundary.
Alternative Eden D
Alternative Eden D would restore the
ponds to tidal marsh in a staged
approach. Similar to Alternative Eden C,
a mid-complex levee would be
constructed; however this levee would
be temporary. The first stage of this
alternative would restore the Bay Ponds
to tidal marsh and retain the Inland and
Southern Ponds as managed ponds
using the temporary mid-complex levee
and water control structures. These
water control structures would be
installed in the Inland and Southern
Ponds while they are managed ponds.
Once tidal marsh becomes established
in the Bay Ponds, the Inland and
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14669
Southern Ponds would likely be
restored to tidal marsh by removing the
water control structures and introducing
tidal flows to the Inland and Southern
Ponds. This end result would be much
like Alternative Eden C. However, if
ongoing wildlife monitoring conducted
under the AMP shows that the pondassociated wildlife species continue to
require pond habitat, the Inland Ponds
and Southern Ponds could be retained
in that managed pond configuration
indefinitely. The end result in that case
would be much like Alternative Eden C.
The proposed recreational features for
this alternative are identical to
Alternative Eden B, which includes
extending the Bay Trail spine through
southern Eden Landing on top of
improved internal levees and also
adding a viewing platform.
National Environmental Policy Review
Act Compliance
We are conducting environmental
review in accordance with the
requirements of NEPA, as amended (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its implementing
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508),
other applicable regulations, and our
procedures for compliance with those
regulations. The DEIS/EIR discusses the
direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts
of the alternatives on biological
resources, cultural resources, water
quality, and other environmental
resources. Measures to minimize
adverse environmental effects are
identified and discussed in the DEIS/
EIR.
Public Comments
We request that you send comments
only by one of the methods described in
ADDRESSES. If you submit a comment
that includes personal identifying
information, you may request at the top
of your document that we withhold this
information from public review.
However, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so.
In addition to providing written
comments, the public is encouraged to
attend a public meeting on (see DATES),
to solicit comments on the DEIS/EIR.
The location of the public meeting is
provided in the ADDRESSES section. We
will accept both oral and written
comments at the public meeting.
Jody Holzworth,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest
Region.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 66 (Thursday, April 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14667-14669]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06941]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-R-2017-N124; FXRS282108E8PD0-178-F2013227943]
South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, Phase 2, Eden Landing
Ecological Reserve; Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental
Impact Report
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments;
announcement of meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in coordination with
the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California State
Coastal Conservancy, announce the availability of a Draft Environmental
Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/EIR) for Phase 2 of
the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project at the Eden Landing
Ecological Reserve in Alameda County, California. The DEIS/EIR, which
we prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, describes and analyzes the alternatives identified for Phase 2 of
the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project.
DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before May
21, 2018. A public meeting will be held on May 8, 2018, from 6 p.m. to
8 p.m. (see ADDRESSES).
Persons needing reasonable accommodations in order to attend and
participate in the public meeting should contact Ariel Ambruster, by
email at [email protected] or by phone at 510-528-5006, at least 1
week in advance of the meeting to allow time to process the request.
ADDRESSES:
Document Availability: You may obtain copies of the document in the
following places:
Internet: https://www.southbayrestoration.org/planning/phase2/.
In-Person:
[cir] San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Headquarters, 1 Marshlands Road, Fremont, CA 94555.
[cir] The following libraries:
[ssquf] California State University, East Bay Library, 25800 Carlos
Bee Blvd., Hayward, CA 94542.
[ssquf] Fremont Main Library, 2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont, CA
94538.
[ssquf] Hayward Public Library, Central Library, 835 C St.,
Hayward, CA 94541.
[ssquf] Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the Interior,
1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.
[[Page 14668]]
[ssquf] Union City Library, 34007 Alvarado-Niles Rd., Union City,
CA 94587.
For how to view comments on the draft EIS from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), or for information on EPA's role in the EIS
process, see EPA's Role in the EIS Process under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
Submitting Comments: You may submit written comments by one of the
following methods:
Electronically: Comments may be submitted via email to
[email protected]. Your correspondence should make
clear the alternatives or issues to which your comments pertain.
By Hard Copy: Send written comments to Brenda Buxton,
Deputy Program Manager, State Coastal Conservancy, 1515 Clay St., 10th
Floor, Oakland, CA 94612.
By Fax: You may also send written comments by facsimile to
510-286-0470.
To have your name added to our mailing list, contact Ariel
Ambruster (see DATES).
Public Meeting: A public meeting will be held on May 8, 2018, from
6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Complex Headquarters, Third Floor Auditorium at 1 Marshlands Road,
Fremont, California 94555. Staff will be available to take comments and
answer questions during this time. The details of the public meeting
will be posted on the SBSP Restoration Project's website at (https://www.southbayrestoration.org/events/). Meeting details will also be
emailed to the Project's Stakeholder Forum and to those interested
parties who request to be notified. Notification requests can be made
by contacting Ariel Ambruster, the SBSP Restoration Project's public
outreach coordinator (see DATES).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Buxton, Deputy Project Manager,
State Coastal Conservancy, (510) 286-1015.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In coordination with the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the California State Coastal
Conservancy, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental
Impact Report (DEIS/EIR) for Phase 2 of the South Bay Salt Pond
Restoration Project (SBSP) at the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve (Eden
Landing) in Alameda County, California. Phase 2 activities would occur
within 11 ponds located between Old Alameda Creek and Alameda Creek
Flood Control Channel. These ponds are organized by their similarities
and location within the Phase 2 project area into three subgroups: the
Bay Ponds (E1, E2, E4, and E7), the Inland Ponds (E5, E6, and E6C), and
the Southern Ponds (E1C, E2C, E4C, and E5C). The DEIS/EIR, which we
prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; NEPA), describes and analyzes the
alternatives identified for Eden Landing Phase 2 of the South Bay Salt
Pond Restoration Project. In addition to our publication of this
Federal Register notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
publishing its own Federal Register notice announcing the draft EIS, as
required under section 309 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et
seq.; CAA) The publication date of EPA's notice of availability is the
official start of the public comment period for our draft EIS. Under
the CAA, EPA also must subsequently announce the final EIS via the
Federal Register.
EPA's Role in the EIS Process
The EPA is charged under section 309 of the CAA to review all
Federal agencies' environmental impact statements (EISs) and to comment
on the adequacy and the acceptability of the environmental impacts of
proposed actions in the EISs.
EPA also serves as the repository (EIS database) for EISs prepared
by Federal agencies and provides notice of their availability in the
Federal Register. The Environmental Impact Statement Database provides
information about EISs prepared by Federal agencies, as well as EPA's
comments concerning the EISs. All EISs are filed with EPA, which
publishes a notice of availability on Fridays in the Federal Register.
The EPA notice of availability is the start of the public comment
period for draft EISs, and the start of the 30-day ``wait period'' for
final EISs, during which agencies are generally required to wait 30
days before making a decision on a proposed action. For more
information, see https://www.epa.gov/nepa. You may search for EPA
comments on EISs, along with EISs themselves, at https://www.epa.gov/nepa/how-obtain-copy-environmental-impact-statement.
Background
In December 2007, the USFWS and CDFW published a Final EIS/EIR for
the South Bay Salt Pond (SBSP) Restoration Project (December 19, 2007;
72 FR 71937). The overall SBSP restoration area includes 15,100 acres,
which the USFWS and the CDFW acquired from Cargill, Inc. in 2003. The
lands acquired from Cargill are divided into three pond complexes: The
Ravenswood Pond complex, in San Mateo County, managed by the USFWS; the
Alviso Pond complex, also managed by the USFWS, which is mostly in
Santa Clara County, with five ponds in Alameda County; and the Eden
Landing Pond complex, in Alameda County, which is owned and managed by
the CDFW. The SBSP Restoration Project presented in the Final EIS/EIR
was both programmatic, covering a 50-year period, and project-level,
addressing the specific components and implementation of Phase 1.
In January 2008, we signed a Record of Decision selecting the Tidal
Emphasis Alternative (Alternative C) for implementation. This
alternative will result in 90 percent of the USFWS's and CDFW's ponds
being restored to tidal wetlands and 10 percent converted to managed
ponds. Under Phase 1 of Alternative C, we restored ponds E8A, E8X, E9,
E12, and E13 at the Eden Landing complex; A6, A8, A16, and A17 at the
Alviso complex; and SF2 at the Ravenswood complex. We also added
several trails, interpretive features, a kayak launch, and other
recreational access points. Construction was completed on the USFWS
ponds in 2013 and on the CDFW ponds in 2016.
We now propose restoration or enhancement of over 2,270 acres of
former salt ponds in the second phase of the SBSP Restoration Project
at Eden Landing. In the DEIS/EIR, we provide project level analysis of
proposed restoration or enhancement of portions of Eden Landing,
specifically at the Bay Ponds (E1, E2, E4, and E7), the Inland Ponds
(E5, E6, E6C), and the Southern Ponds (E1C, E2C, E4C, and E5C). These
ponds are illustrated on the SBSP Restoration Project website at https://www.southbayrestoration.org/planning/phase2/.
Phase 2 of the SBSP Restoration Project is intended to restore and
enhance tidal wetlands and managed pond habitats in South San Francisco
Bay while simultaneously providing flood risk management and wildlife-
oriented public access and recreation. In this Phase 2 document, we
would continue habitat restoration activities and public access
opportunities in the CDFW pond complex, while maintaining or improving
current levels of flood risk management in the surrounding communities.
[[Page 14669]]
Alternatives
We consider a range of alternatives and their impacts in the DEIS/
EIR, including a No Action Alternative. The range of alternatives
include varying approaches to restoring tidal marshes (including number
and location of breaches, other levee modifications, and beneficial
reuse of dredged material), habitat enhancements (islands, transition
zones, and channels), modifications to existing levees and berms to
maintain or improve flood risk management, and recreation and public
access components (trails, boardwalks, and viewing platforms) which
correspond to the project objectives. The alternatives are described
below.
Alternative Eden A (No Action)
Under Alternative Eden A (the No Action Alternative), no new
activities would be implemented as part of Phase 2. The ponds would
continue to be monitored and managed through the activities described
in the Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) and in accordance with current
CDFW practices. The high priority levees that function as inland flood
risk management would continue to be maintained as appropriate and with
consultation with the Alameda County Flood Control and Water
Conservation District (ACFCWCD).
Alternative Eden B
Alternative Eden B would breach and lower levees to restore the
ponds to tidal marsh and thereby improve the ecological function of the
ponds. The easternmost levees would be improved to provide flood risk
management to the inland communities. The internal levees along the J-
ponds and other ACFCWCD-owned channels would also be improved, as
needed. The tidal marsh habitats would also be enhanced by placing
dredged material to raise pond bottoms, using remnant levees as habitat
islands, constructing habitat transition zones, excavating pilot
channels to enhance water circulation, and increasing connectivity for
anadromous fish habitat. Root wads and logs would be used to prevent
erosion on the Bay side of Pond E2. Water control structures would be
used during the transition of the Southern Ponds into tidal marsh.
Implementation of this alternative would increase wildlife-oriented
public access and recreational opportunities in the region. A piped
connection from the Alameda County Water District's nearby Aquifer
Reclamation Program wells would be added to deliver brackish
groundwater and water habitat transition zones in the Inland and
Southern Ponds. Finally, a piped connection with the adjacent Union
Sanitary District (USD) would be added to deliver treated wastewater
from that facility and deliver it onto the habitat transition zone that
would be built in the Inland Ponds. This would water the vegetation on
that feature and also add a salinity gradient to the marsh that would
form there.
Alternative Eden C
Alternative Eden C would retain the Inland and Southern Ponds as
managed ponds, and the Bay Ponds would be restored to tidal marsh. A
mid-complex levee would be constructed mostly by improving existing
internal levees along the Inland Ponds, the J-Ponds, and Pond E1C of
the Southern Ponds. Several water control structures would be placed
within the Inland and Southern Ponds so that a variety of pond
characteristics could be modified as necessary to support a range of
pond-dependent wildlife. This alternative would implement many of the
same habitat enhancements as Alternative Eden B, but in different
locations. For example, the habitat transition zone would be built
against the mid-complex levee, and the excavated pilot channels would
also be in different places. Similar recreational opportunities would
be created under this alternative, but additional trails have been
proposed. These include a set of trails along, and a bridge across, the
Old Alameda Creek. These trails would end at the Alvarado Salt Works at
a new viewing platform. This alternative also proposes to build a
bridge to extend the Bay Trail spine over the Alameda Creek Flood
Control Channel beyond the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve boundary.
Alternative Eden D
Alternative Eden D would restore the ponds to tidal marsh in a
staged approach. Similar to Alternative Eden C, a mid-complex levee
would be constructed; however this levee would be temporary. The first
stage of this alternative would restore the Bay Ponds to tidal marsh
and retain the Inland and Southern Ponds as managed ponds using the
temporary mid-complex levee and water control structures. These water
control structures would be installed in the Inland and Southern Ponds
while they are managed ponds. Once tidal marsh becomes established in
the Bay Ponds, the Inland and Southern Ponds would likely be restored
to tidal marsh by removing the water control structures and introducing
tidal flows to the Inland and Southern Ponds. This end result would be
much like Alternative Eden C. However, if ongoing wildlife monitoring
conducted under the AMP shows that the pond-associated wildlife species
continue to require pond habitat, the Inland Ponds and Southern Ponds
could be retained in that managed pond configuration indefinitely. The
end result in that case would be much like Alternative Eden C. The
proposed recreational features for this alternative are identical to
Alternative Eden B, which includes extending the Bay Trail spine
through southern Eden Landing on top of improved internal levees and
also adding a viewing platform.
National Environmental Policy Review Act Compliance
We are conducting environmental review in accordance with the
requirements of NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its
implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), other applicable
regulations, and our procedures for compliance with those regulations.
The DEIS/EIR discusses the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of
the alternatives on biological resources, cultural resources, water
quality, and other environmental resources. Measures to minimize
adverse environmental effects are identified and discussed in the DEIS/
EIR.
Public Comments
We request that you send comments only by one of the methods
described in ADDRESSES. If you submit a comment that includes personal
identifying information, you may request at the top of your document
that we withhold this information from public review. However, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
In addition to providing written comments, the public is encouraged
to attend a public meeting on (see DATES), to solicit comments on the
DEIS/EIR. The location of the public meeting is provided in the
ADDRESSES section. We will accept both oral and written comments at the
public meeting.
Jody Holzworth,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2018-06941 Filed 4-4-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
