Tellico Reservoir Land Management Plan, Blount, Loudon, and Monroe Counties

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 9 (Thursday, January 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2531-2532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-874]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Tellico Reservoir Land Management Plan, Blount, Loudon, and 
Monroe Counties

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: This notice is provided in accordance with the Council on 
Environmental Quality's regulations (40 CFR 1500 to 1508) and TVA's 
procedures implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. TVA will 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on alternatives for 
management of certain TVA-owned lands surrounding Tellico Reservoir in 
Loudon, Monroe, and Blount Counties, Tennessee. The plan will help 
guide TVA resource management and property administration decisions on 
12,649 acres of public land under TVA control.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS must be received on or before 
February 1, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Jon M. Loney, Manager, 
Environmental Management, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit 
Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harold M. Draper, NEPA Specialist, 
Environmental Management, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit 
Hill Drive, WT 8C, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499; telephone (423) 
632-6889 or e-mail hmdraper@tva.gov.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

Background

    The gates to Tellico Dam were closed in 1979, creating the Tellico 
Reservoir. The waters of Tellico Reservoir and Fort Loudoun reservoir 
are joined by a 500-foot wide canal. Approximately 38,480 acres of land 
was acquired for the Tellico Project. Of that, 16,500 acres are covered 
by water during normal summer pool. Subsequent transfers of land by TVA 
for economic, industrial, residential or public recreation development 
have resulted in a current balance of 12,649 acres of TVA land on 
Tellico Reservoir.
    In April of 1982, the Tellico Reservoir Development Agency (TRDA) 
was created by the Tennessee Legislature to cooperate with TVA in the 
development of approximately 10,582 acres of land along the reservoir. 
TRDA was created with the mandate to plan programs and implement 
activities for the comprehensive development of designated lands within 
the Tellico Reservoir project area. TVA anticipates that TRDA will 
cooperate in the preparation of this EIS.
    This EIS will tier from TVA's Final EIS, Shoreline Management 
Initiative: An Assessment of Residential Shoreline Development Impacts 
in the Tennessee Valley (November 1998). That EIS evaluated alternative 
policies for managing residential uses along TVA's reservoir system, 
including Tellico Reservoir.
    One of the major objectives of the Tellico Project and the 
integrated land plan developed for it was to develop and use the 
acquired project lands in a way that would make the maximum possible 
contribution to the economy of the region. Based on current growth 
trends and the inevitable pressures for change TVA has decided to 
reevaluate the allocation of its remaining public land on Tellico 
Reservoir to determine if changes are needed to further support the 
objectives of the project.
    TVA develops reservoir land management plans to help in the 
management of reservoir properties in its custody. These plans seek to 
integrate land and water benefits, provide for public benefits, and 
balance competing and sometimes conflicting resource uses. Plans are 
approved by the TVA Board of Directors.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    TVA proposes to develop a reservoir land management plan to guide 
land-use approvals, private water use facility permitting, and resource 
management decisions on Tellico Reservoir. The plan would identify land 
use zones in broad categories. It is anticipated that lands currently 
committed to a specific use would be allocated to that current use 
unless there is an overriding need to change the use. Such commitments 
include transfers, leases, licenses, contracts, power lines, 
outstanding land rights, or TVA developed recreation areas. At this 
time, TVA anticipates that at least three alternative plans would be 
analyzed in the EIS. One alternative plan would rely on the existing 
land use plan established by contract with the Tellico Reservoir 
Development Agency. This plan allocates land into three categories: TVA 
retained land, sub-allocated to cultural/public use/open space areas, 
industrial development areas, and natural/wildlife areas; transferred 
land, sub-allocated to private residential areas, industrial 
development areas, and commercial recreation areas; and easement land-
land under easement for recreation areas or to the Eastern Band of the 
Cherokee Indians. This would be the ``No Action'' Alternative.
    A second alternative plan would allocate land into categories that 
emphasize sensitive resource management (preservation and enhancement 
of wetlands, biodiversity, and archaeological and historic resources) 
and natural resource conservation. A third alternative plan would 
include sensitive resource management and natural resource conservation 
but would also analyze the potential for expanded commercial recreation 
and residential development along a portion of the northeast reservoir 
shoreline. This involves a proposal made by Tellico Landing, Inc., to 
develop TVA tracts in this area along with other non-TVA properties for 
these uses. Other alternative uses for TVA tracts of land along the 
reservoir that may be considered include industrial/commercial 
development, developed recreation, and residential development.

Scoping

    TVA anticipates that the EIS will discuss the effects of the 
alternative plans on the following resources and issue areas: visual 
resources, cultural resources, threatened and endangered species, 
terrestrial ecology, wetlands, recreation, water quality, aquatic

[[Page 2532]]

ecology, socioeconomics, floodplains, prime farmland, noise, and air 
quality. TVA is interested in receiving comments on these and any 
additional issues to be addressed in the EIS. The EIS will address 
environmental issues and impacts raised in public scoping. A scoping 
meeting is expected to be held in the near future. Persons interested 
in attending or receiving more information should call 800-TVA-LAND 
prior to the meeting to confirm the time and location.
Kathryn J. Jackson,
Executive Vice President, Resource Group.
[FR Doc. 99-874 Filed 1-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P