81 FR 87053 - Recirculation and Adoption of the Central Everglades Planning Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 232 (December 2, 2016)

The National Park Service (NPS), Everglades National Park (ENP), intends to adopt the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) in July 2014. Under applicable Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, the NPS may adopt and recirculate the COE's Final EIS because the NPS proposed action is substantially the same as the action covered by the COE's Final EIS, and the NPS and partner agencies are ready to initiate detailed planning and compliance for these components of the plan.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 232 (Friday, December 2, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87053-87054]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28988]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-SERO-EVER-22108; PPSESERO03, PPMPSAS1Y.YP0000]


Recirculation and Adoption of the Central Everglades Planning 
Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS), Everglades National Park 
(ENP), intends to adopt the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) issued by the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers (COE) in July 2014. Under applicable Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, the NPS may adopt and 
recirculate the COE's Final EIS because the NPS proposed action is 
substantially the same as the action covered by the COE's Final EIS, 
and the NPS and partner agencies are ready to initiate detailed 
planning and

[[Page 87054]]

compliance for these components of the plan.

DATES: The NPS will execute the Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 
30 days following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of 
its Notice of Availability of the Final EIS in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the Central Everglades Planning 
Project Final EIS, including Appendix C (Environmental and Cultural 
Resources), is available for download on the Army Corps of Engineers 
Web site at: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/Ecosystem-Restoration/Central-Everglades-Planning-Project/.
    A hard copy of the Final EIS can be viewed at Everglades National 
Park Headquarters, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, Florida 33034.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pedro Ramos, Superintendent, 
Everglades National Park, [email protected], 305-242-7712, or Ben 
West, Chief, Planning & Compliance, SE Regional Office, 
[email protected], 404-507-5700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS is adopting the CEPP Final EIS, 
prepared by the COE. The CEQ regulations allow Federal agencies to 
adopt an EIS prepared by another Federal agency that meets the 
standards for an adequate statement. When the proposed actions are 
``substantially the same,'' the adopting agency only needs to 
recirculate it as a final EIS. CEQ's regulations implementing NEPA 
strongly encourage agencies to reduce paperwork and delay (40 CFR 
1500.4, 1500.5.). One of the methods identified by CEQ to accomplish 
this goal is adopting the environmental documents prepared by other 
agencies in appropriate circumstances (40 CFR 1500.4(n), 1500.5(h), and 
1506.3).
    The CEPP combines several components of the Comprehensive 
Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), and is designed to redirect water 
that is currently being discharged to the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of 
Mexico to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The project optimizes the use 
of public lands to move additional water to the south. The CEPP will 
deliver approximately 210,000 acre-feet of water from Lake Okeechobee 
to the central Everglades every year. The recommended plan, Alternative 
4R2, includes features to store, treat, and deliver water as sheetflow 
at the top of Water Conservation Area (WCA) 3A and calls for removal of 
barriers to sheetflow flow between WCA-3A, WCA 3B, and Everglades 
National Park.
    These actions have been addressed in general or program-level terms 
and include guidelines for future coordination requirements and 
programmatic consultations as methods of ensuring the project is 
avoiding and minimizing impacts to resources to the extent practicable, 
and complying with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. 
Because of the complexity of the plan, detailed designs are likely to 
be developed and implemented in phases.
    The NPS is adopting the Final EIS, and will refine its direction in 
more focused environmental reviews and provide site specific impact 
analysis prior to implementation of proposed actions. The NPS will 
prepare its own Record of Decision for the Selected Alternative (4R2) 
in accordance with 40 CFR 1505.2. 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.

    Dated: November 10, 2016.
Stan Austin,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-28988 Filed 12-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P