Jump to main content.

Kirkpatrick Dam/Oklawaha River Restoration Project, Ocala National Forest, Putnam and Marion County Florida

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

 [Federal Register: March 20, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 54)]
[Notices]
[Page 15686]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20mr01-25]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Kirkpatrick Dam/Oklawaha River Restoration Project, Ocala
National Forest, Putnam and Marion County Florida

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact
statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service along with the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP), intends to prepare a draft
environmental impact statement to authorize continued occupancy and use
of national forest system land for operating and maintaining portions
of Kirkpatrick Dam, Rodman Reservoir, and Eureka Lock in conjunction
with the implementation of the partial restoration of the Oklawaha
River.

DATES: A draft environmental impact statement is expected to be
completed in April 2001. The final environmental impact statement is
scheduled to be completed in December 2001.

ADDRESSES: You may request to be placed on the project mailing list and
direct comments to: Marsha Kearney, Forest Supervisor, USDA Forest
Service, 325 John Knox Rd., Tallahassee, Florida 32303.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Hemingway, Special Projects
Liaison, USDA Forest Service, 325 John Knox Rd., Tallahassee, Florida
32303, 850-942-9364.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FDEP has applied for a permit to occupy
and use national forest system land for operating and maintaining
portions of Kirkpatrick Dam, Rodman Resevoir, and Eureka Lock. The FDEP
is in the process of developing the Kirkpatrick Dam/Ocklawaha River
Restoration Project for restoring a portion of the Cross Florida Barge
Canal to its historic condition. The FDEP is considering four
alternatives for this project: (1) Complete Restoration of the Oklawaha
River, (2) Partial Restoration of the Oklawaha River, (3) Total
Retention of the Rodman Reservoir, and (4) Partial Retention of the
Rodman Reservoir. The FDEP has chosen the Partial Restoration of the
Oklawaha River as its preferred alternative. This plan will restore
river hydrology and floodplain function to historic conditions through
breaching the dam, with limited removal and/or alteration of structures
and topographical manipulation, and allowing for restoration by natural
processes.
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a draft environmental impact
statement for this project was prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (COE) and published on February 6, 1996. The COE decisions
include permitting activities for Section 9 and Section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act and for Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The
COE permitting decisions are several years away and the Forest Service
decision is ripe for action at this time; therefore, the Forest Service
intends to prepare its own draft environmental impact statement to
support its land use decision. The Forest Supervisor for the National
Forests in Florida will decide whether or not to permit continued
occupancy and use of national forest system land by FDEP for operating
and maintaining portions of Kirkpatrick Dam, Rodman Reservoir, and
Eureka Lock, and the disposition and management of currently submerged
national forest land in conjunction with the implementation of the
Partial Restoration of the Oklawaha River.
    The scoping process, as outlined by the Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ), will be utilized to involve Federal, State, and local
agencies and other interested persons and organizations. Interested
persons and organizations wishing to participate in the scoping process
should contact the Forest Service at the above mentioned address.
Environmental considerations include potential presence of historical
or archeological resources, aesthetics, recreation demand, water
quality, flood control, water supply, land use, wetlands, endangered
and threatened species, and fish and wildlife habitats and values. The
comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will be 45
days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the comment period so that substantive
comments and objections are made available to the Forest Service at a
time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the
final environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the CEQ for implementing the procedural provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

    Dated: March 14, 2001.
Art Rohrbacher,
Acting Forest Supervisor, National Forests in Florida.
[FR Doc. 01-6810 Filed 3-19-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M

 
 

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.