82 FR 49601 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Integrated General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact for the Proposed Lower Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, CA

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 206 (October 26, 2017)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), San Francisco District, announces the availability for review and comment of the draft integrated General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Assessment (GRR/EA) and the draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, CA., USACE Procedures for Implementing [the National Environmental Policy Act] NEPA, notice of the availability of this draft GRR/EA and draft FONSI for review and comment is being provided to agencies, organizations, and the interested public.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 206 (Thursday, October 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 49601]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-23276]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of a Draft Integrated General Reevaluation 
Report and Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant 
Impact for the Proposed Lower Pajaro River Flood Risk Management 
Project, Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), San Francisco 
District, announces the availability for review and comment of the 
draft integrated General Reevaluation Report and Environmental 
Assessment (GRR/EA) and the draft Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI) for the proposed Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, 
Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, CA., USACE Procedures for 
Implementing [the National Environmental Policy Act] NEPA, notice of 
the availability of this draft GRR/EA and draft FONSI for review and 
comment is being provided to agencies, organizations, and the 
interested public.

DATES: Comments on the draft GRR/EA and draft FONSI may be submitted 
starting October 31, 2017, through November 30, 2017. If comments are 
provided by mail, they must be received at the address below no later 
than November 30, 2017.

ADDRESSES: The draft GRR/EA can be viewed online starting October 31, 
2017, at: http://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-and-Programs/Projects-by-Category/Projects-for-Flood-Risk-Management/Pajaro-River-Watsonville/. Comments may be submitted on the draft GRR/EA using any 
of the following methods:
     Mail: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco 
District, ATTN: CESPN-ET-PB-Pajaro River, 1455 Market Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94103-1398.
     Email: [email protected].
     Comment letters should include the commenter's physical 
mailing address and include ``Pajaro River'' in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Christopher Eng, U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, San Francisco District, 1455 Market Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94103-1398. Telephone: (415) 503-6868. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Proposed Action. USACE and the non-Federal study partners, 
Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, propose to reduce flood risk to the 
City of Watsonville and the town of Pajaro by implementing a 
combination of structural measures along the lower Pajaro River, 
Salsipuedes Creek, and Corralitos Creek. These measures include: 
Improving existing levees; constructing new levees, including setback 
levees; and constructing new floodwalls. The draft GRR/EA presents the 
draft findings of the General Reevaluation Study and identifies and 
describes the benefits, costs, and environmental effects of 
alternatives plans to reduce flood risk to the city of Watsonville, 
town of Pajaro, and surrounding area. Based on the evaluation, USACE 
has identified a Federal interest in at least one alternative plan, the 
Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP), to reduce the risk of flooding while 
minimizing adverse environmental effects. The TSP is the National 
Economic Development Plan (NED). The environmental review conducted as 
part of this study has initially concluded that, with mitigation, the 
proposed alternatives would not result in any significant environmental 
effects. This review and its findings are documented in the draft GRR/
EA.
    2. Alternatives. Ten project alternatives, including the no action 
alternative, have been evaluated in detail in the draft GRR/EA in 
accordance with NEPA (33 CFR part 230 (USACE NEPA Regulations) and 33 
CFR part 325, Appendix B (NEPA Implementation Procedures for USACE 
Regulatory Projects).
    3. Changes Since Publication of the Notice of Intent (NOI). An NOI 
was published in the Federal Register on June 8, 2001, (66 FR 30894) to 
advise the interested public and agencies that USACE planned to prepare 
a combined EIS/EIR for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Study. 
Since publication of the NOI, USACE and Monterey and Santa Cruz 
Counties have worked with stakeholders to identify and incorporate 
measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for adverse environmental 
effects. As a result, the environmental review conducted as part of 
this study has initially concluded that, with mitigation, the proposed 
alternatives would not result in any significant environmental effects. 
Therefore, an EA has been prepared instead of an EIS. Also, USACE now 
requires water resources planning and NEPA documents to be integrated 
into a single document, in this case, an integrated GRR/EA. The 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document for the study is 
being prepared separately by Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties as the 
CEQA lead agencies.
    c. USACE is consulting with the State Historic Preservation Officer 
and with Native American Tribes to comply with the National Historic 
Preservation Act, and with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 
National Marine Fisheries Service to comply with the Endangered Species 
Act. USACE is also coordinating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
to comply with the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act.
    4. Availability of the Draft EA. The draft GRR/EA and draft FONSI 
are available for public review and comment 30 days beginning October 
31, 2017 and ending November 30, 2017.
    5. A public meeting to discuss the status of the study, present the 
draft results of the GRR/EA, and receive questions and comments will be 
held on November 8, 2017, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the 
Watsonville Civic Plaza Community Room, 275 Main Street, 4th Floor, 
Watsonville, California 95076-5133.

    Dated: October 18, 2017.
Travis J. Rayfield,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. 2017-23276 Filed 10-25-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P