Department of Defense December 23, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addresses potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed Prado Basin Master Plan, and identifies recommended measures to reduce such impacts. The Prado Basin Master Plan proposes a range of recreation uses and features for identified planning areas with the Basin. Specific site plans and layouts for these proposed uses would be prepared when future specific development plans are proposed. The impact discussion, in turn, is purposely general in nature, and recommended measures to reduce impacts allow for flexibility. The potential impacts as stated and the commitment to minimize impacts are intended to provide a framework for future proposals. They also provide some guidelines for impacts that will require mitigation; short of making untimely, detailed, recommendations. This approach allows future recreation development sponsors the appropriate flexibility to design and formulate specific mitigation, including the parties responsible for implementation and verification, when details of specific Master Plan development proposals are presented. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has cooperated with counterparts in Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties in Developing this Master Plan. Two alternatives are proposed for consideration for the Prado Basin: Adopting the proposed Prado Basin Master Plan, and the No Project alternative. The proposed plan would serve as a guide for orderly and coordinated use, development and management of the land in the Prado Basin. The discussion of affected environment and potential environmental impacts in this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) are based on evaluation of land use designations proposed in the Basin Master Plan. Specific development proposals within the general land use Planning Areas would require appropriate National Environmental Policy act (NEPA) clearance to specifically address the potential environmental effects of those proposals. The No Project Alternative would eliminate the implementation of the recreation land use contemplated in the proposed Basin Master Plan, and in the continuation of current land use activities on the site. This alternative would result in the Corps being unable to meet its project objectives such as providing for the expressed public interests for recreation.