83 FR 53075 - South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, Phase 2; Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge, California; Record of Decision for Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 203 (October 19, 2018)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California State Coastal Conservancy, announce the availability of the record of decision (ROD) for the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge--Phase 2 of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project final environmental impact statement/environmental impact report. The ROD explains that the selected alternative is the environmentally preferred alternative.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 203 (Friday, October 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53075-53077]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22763]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-NWRS-2018-N130; FXRS282108E8PD0-190-F2013227943]


South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, Phase 2; Don Edwards 
National Wildlife Refuge, California; Record of Decision for Final 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; record of decision.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California 
State Coastal Conservancy, announce the availability of the record of 
decision (ROD) for the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge--Phase 2 of 
the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project final environmental impact 
statement/environmental impact report. The ROD explains that the 
selected alternative is the environmentally preferred alternative.

ADDRESSES: 
    Document Availability: The ROD is available at the following 
places:
    Internet: http://www.southbayrestoration.org/planning/phase2/.
    In Person: San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex 
Headquarters, 1 Marshlands Rd., Fremont, CA 94555.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Barr, Deputy Project Leader, 
510-792-0222 (phone), or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service), and the California State Coastal Conservancy, announce the 
availability of the record of decision (ROD) for the final 
environmental impact statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) 
for Phase 2 of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSP) at 
the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. The ROD explains that the 
selected alternative is the environmentally preferred alternative.

Background

    In December 2007, the USFWS and the California Department of Fish 
and Wildlife (CDFW) published a Final EIS/EIR for the SBSP Restoration 
Project at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge 
(Refuge) and the CDFW Eden Landing Ecological Reserve (December 19, 
2007; 72 FR 71937). The overall south bay salt pond restoration area 
includes 15,100 acres, which the USFWS and the CDFW

[[Page 53076]]

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 ponds on the 
Refuge 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, and other recreational access 
points. Construction was completed on the USFWS ponds in 2013.

Project

    The SBSP Phase 2 project site is located on the following three 
geographically separate pond clusters: the Ravenswood Pond Complex (R3, 
R4, R5, and S5), the Alviso Pond Complex-Mountain View Ponds (A1 and 
A2W), the Alviso Pond Complex-A8 Ponds (A8 and A8S), and the Alviso 
Pond Complex-Island Ponds (A19, A20, and A21). These pond clusters are 
illustrated in Figures 1-5 on the SBSP Restoration Project website at 
http://www.southbayrestoration.org/planning/phase2/.
    Phase 2 of the SBSP Restoration Project will restore and enhance 
over 2,000 acres of tidal wetlands and managed pond habitats in South 
San Francisco Bay while providing for flood management and wildlife-
oriented public access and recreation. On June 3, 2016, we announced 
the availability of the Final EIS/EIR for Phase 2 (81 FR 35790).

Alternatives

    We analyzed a range of alternatives in the Final EIS/EIR, including 
No Action Alternatives for each group of ponds. The range of 
alternatives included varying approaches to restoring tidal marshes 
(including number and location of breaches and other levee 
modifications), habitat enhancements (islands, transition zones, and 
channels), modifications to existing levees and berms to maintain or 
improve flood protection, and recreation and public access components 
(including trails, boardwalks, and viewing platforms) which correspond 
to the project objectives.
    The alternatives for each group of ponds, or pond cluster, are 
described briefly below. The no-action alternatives are described 
together, followed by the action alternatives that were considered for 
each pond cluster.

Alviso-Island Ponds, Alviso-Mountain View Ponds, Alviso-A8 Ponds, and 
Ravenswood Ponds--Alternatives A (No Action)

    Under Alternatives Island A, Mountain View A, A8 A, and Ravenswood 
A (the no-action alternative at each of these pond clusters), no new 
activities would be implemented as part of Phase 2. The pond clusters 
would continue to be monitored and managed through the activities 
described in the Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) and in accordance with 
current USFWS practices.

Alviso Island Ponds

Alternative Island B
    Alternative Island B would breach Pond A19's northern levee and 
remove or lower levees between Ponds A19 and A20 to increase 
connectivity and improve the ecological function of both ponds.
Alternative Island C
    Alternative Island C would include the components of Alternative 
Island B with the addition of levee breaches on the north sides of 
Ponds A20 and A21, lowering of portions of levees around Pond A20, 
pilot channels in Pond A19, and widening the existing breaches on the 
southern levee of Pond A19.

Alviso-Mountain View Ponds

Alternative Mountain View B
    Under Alternative Mountain View B, Ponds A1 and A2W levees would be 
breached at several points to introduce tidal flow in the ponds. 
Portions of Pond A1's western levee would be built up to maintain 
current levels of flood protection provided by the pond itself. Habitat 
transition zones and habitat islands would be constructed in the ponds 
to increase habitat complexity and quality for special-status species. 
A new trail and viewing platform would be installed to improve 
recreation and public access at these ponds.
Alternative Mountain View C
    Under Alternative Mountain View C, levees would be breached and 
lowered to increase tidal flows in Pond A1, Pond A2W, and Charleston 
Slough. The inclusion of Charleston Slough (by breaching and lowering 
much of Pond A1's western levee) is the primary distinguishing feature 
between Alternative Mountain View B and Alternative Mountain View C. 
Several additional new trails and viewing platforms would be installed 
or replaced to improve recreation and public access at the pond 
cluster. To continue providing water to the City of Mountain View's 
Shoreline Park sailing lake, a new water intake would be constructed at 
the proposed breach between Pond A1 and Charleston Slough.

Alviso-A8 Ponds

Alternative A8 B
    Alternative A8 B proposes the construction of habitat transition 
zones in Pond A8S's southwest corner, southeast corner, or both, 
depending on the amount of material available.

Ravenswood Ponds

Alternative Ravenswood B
    Alternative Ravenswood B would open Pond R4 to tidal flows, improve 
levees to provide additional flood protection, create habitat 
transition zone along the western edge of Pond R4, establish managed 
ponds to improve habitat for diving and dabbling birds, increase pond 
connectivity, and add a viewing platform to improve recreation and 
public access.
Alternative Ravenswood C
    Alternative Ravenswood C would be similar to Alternative Ravenswood 
B, with the following exceptions: Ponds R5 and S5 would be converted to 
a particular type of managed pond that is operated to maintain 
intertidal mudflat elevation; water control structures would be 
installed on Pond R3 to allow for improvement to the habitat for 
western snowy plover; an additional habitat transition zone would be 
constructed; and two public access and recreational trails and 
additional viewing platforms would be constructed.
Alternative Ravenswood D
    Alternative Ravenswood D would open Pond R4 to tidal flows, improve 
levees to provide additional flood protection, create two habitat 
transition zones in Pond R4, establish enhanced managed ponds in Ponds 
R5 and S5, increase pond connectivity, enhance Pond R3 for western 
snowy plover

[[Page 53077]]

habitat, remove the levees within and between Ponds R5 and S5, and 
improve recreation and public access. Alternative Ravenswood D would 
also allow temporary stormwater detention into Ponds R5 and S5 via 
connections with the City of Redwood City's Bayfront Canal and Atherton 
Channel Project. This would treat a residual salinity problem in Ponds 
R5 and S5.
    Following public review of the Draft EIS/EIR, USFWS and the 
California State Coastal Conservancy, in coordination with the Project 
Management Team and other project partners, identified the preferred 
alternative, which is based on restoration enhancements at all four 
pond clusters, as well as maintained or increased flood protection and 
additional public access and recreation features at two of the Phase 2 
pond clusters. The preferred alternative is described in Chapter 6 of 
the Final EIS/EIR. A summary is provided below.
    Preferred Alternative: The preferred alternative at each pond 
cluster is as follows:
     At the Island Ponds it is Alternative Island B, with one 
restoration component of Alternative Island C included, which is to 
widen only the westernmost of the two existing breaches on the south 
side of Pond A19.
     At the Mountain View Ponds it is essentially Alternative 
Mountain View B, with the substitution of one habitat enhancement (do 
not include Charleston Slough in tidal marsh restoration but do 
construct a habitat transition zone across the entire southern extent 
of Pond A1, but only across central portion of A2W) and the addition of 
one public access component drawn from Mountain View C (add 
recreational trail on eastern levee of Pond A2W to the northeast corner 
of Pond A2W). There is also a modification of one of the flood 
protection features presented in the two action alternatives (raise the 
Coast Casey Forebay levee along southern border of Charleston Slough 
and maintain necessary access to existing utilities adjacent to that 
levee).
     At the A8 Ponds it is Alternative A8 B, except that the 
top elevation of the proposed transition zones has been increased to 
provide greater erosion protection.
     At the Ravenswood Ponds it is similar to Alternative 
Ravenswood B, in its restoration goals and features for Ponds R3, R4, 
R5, and S5, but it also includes an additional habitat transition zone 
and a trail on the eastern edge of Ponds R5 and S5, all of which were 
included in Alternatives Ravenswood C and D.

Selected Alternative

    The ROD identifies the preferred alternative as the selected 
alternative. This alternative is also the environmentally preferred 
alternative. The basis for the decision, descriptions of the 
alternatives considered, an overview of the measures to be implemented 
to avoid and minimized environmental effects, and a summary of the 
public involvement process are provided in the ROD.

Authority

    We publish this notice under the authority of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and the Department of 
Interior's implementing regulations in title 43 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (43 CFR part 46).

Jody Holzworth,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2018-22763 Filed 10-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P