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Environmental Impact Statement: King County, WA

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: January 18, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 12)]
[Notices]
[Page 4889-4890]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18ja01-153]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: King County, WA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration, King County, Washington.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a
joint NEPA/SEPA Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for a
proposed bicycle/pedestrian trail. The trail would be located primarily
along a former rail corridor on the east side of Lake Sammamish between
the Cities of Issaquah and Redmond in King County, Washington. The EIS
will be prepared in conjunction with King County Department of
Construction and Facilities Management.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Healy, Transportation and
Environmental Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 711 S. Capitol
Way, Suite 501, Olympia, WA 98501, Telephone (360) 753-9480; or Ms.
Robin Cole, Project Manager, King County Department of Construction and
Facilities Management, 500 Fourth

[[Page 4890]]

Avenue, Room 320, Seattle, WA 98104, Telephone (206) 296-4261.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the proposed project is to
design and construct a multi-use recreational trail and alternative
transportation corridor primarily within the 10.8-mile former
Burlington-Northern Santa Fe rail corridor, and to protect the federal
railbanking status of the corridor, which was granted in September
1998. This East Lake Sammamish Trail would extend along the east side
of Lake Sammamish from Redmond to Issaquah, linking King County's
Marymoor Park and West Lake Sammamish Trail to Lake Sammamish State
Park and other local and regional trails.
    At this time, three alternatives are being considered: a No Action
alternative, use of primarily the existing railbed with some off-
railbed use, and use of the existing rail corridor with some off-
corridor use. The range of alternatives may, however, be modified as a
result of public involvement process.

Potential Environmental Issues

    King County has conducted a community outreach and preliminary
environmental evaluation process. As a result, the County and FWHA have
identified the following areas of potentially significant environmental
impacts associated with the proposed project: surface water, geology
and soils, noise, land and shoreline use, vegetation, wildlife,
fisheries, public services and utilities, transportation, safety,
recreation, and aesthetics. Additional areas of potential impact may be
identified during public involvement.

Public Involvement and Scoping Meetings

    During spring and summer 2000, Neighborhood Vision Workshops and
User Group Workshops were held by King County to gather information
from neighbors of the trail and potential user groups including
cyclists, runners, pedestrians, and equestrians.
    King County held a public SEPA scoping meeting on November 15, 2000
to provide an opportunity for the public to help the project team
identify issues for consideration and evaluation in the environmental
review process. The meeting was held at the Inglewood Junior High
School, 24120 NE 8th, Redmond, WA 98053.
    A public scoping meeting will be held on February 20, 2001 to
provide additional opportunity to ensure that proposed alternatives
respond to previous input and are comprehensive. Notice of this meeting
was also published in local newspapers, including the Seattle Times,
the Eastside Journal, and the Issaquah Press. The February 20th scoping
meeting will be held at: Skyline High School (Commons Area), 1122-228th
Avenue SE, Sammamish, WA 98075, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments,
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be
directed to the FHWA at the address provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this program)

    Issued on: January 9, 2001.
Elizabeth Healy,
Transportation and Environmental Engineer, Olympia, Washington.
[FR Doc. 01-1509 Filed 1-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M

 
 

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