PUBLIC NOTICE
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Willow Creek Arm Easement Renewal
GILLIAM COUNTY, OREGON
15 Day Notice
CENWP-PME-E
Issue Date: March 5, 2019
Closing Date: March 20, 2019
Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) is seeking public comment on the Willow Creek Arm Easement Renewal draft Environmental Assessment (EA). The draft EA was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality’s NEPA regulations (40 C.F.R. parts 1500-1508), and the Corps’ NEPA regulations (33 C.F.R. part 230).
USACE is proposing to renew an easement to Threemile Canyon Farms (TMCF); included in this action would be an expansion of the easement area. The proposed easement is located on the southern end of the Willow Creek Arm (WCA) of the Columbia River at River Mile 252.8 on the south shore of the John Day Reservoir (Lake Umatilla), in Gilliam County, Oregon. The proposed easement area is an approximate 36.77 acres, which includes 21.61 acres under the existing easement, and expansion of the easement area by an approximate 15.16 acres, for a total of approximately 36.77 acres. The term of the easement would be for 50 years. The easement renewal and expansion does not include consent for construction of any new facilities.
Assessment of the Need for an Environmental Impact Statement: USACE has preliminarily determined the proposed action is not likely to result in significant effects on the human environment, and therefore an environmental impact statement (EIS) will not be prepared. USACE will consider comments received during the 15-day comment period for the draft EA in making a determination on a finding of no significant impact.
Environmental Document: The draft EA is available for download at: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16021coll7/id/9991
Public Comment Period: The draft EA will be available for public comment for 15-days after the date of this public notice. The public comment period is intended to provide those interested in or affected by this action an opportunity to make their concerns or comments known.
Comment Submittal: Please submit written comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District by March 20, 2019. Written comments may be sent via email to: Suzanne.Hill@usace.army.mil or sent via mail to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Attn: CENWP-PME-E/Suzanne Hill
P.O. Box 2946
Portland, OR 97208-2946
All comments received will become part of the administrative record and are subject to public release under the Freedom of Information Act, including any personally identifiable information such as name, phone numbers, and addresses.
In your response, please include in the subject line: Willow Creek Arm Easement Renewal EA Comment and the date.