PUBLIC NOTICE
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND
DRAFT FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
ROGUE RIVER REGIONAL MASTER PLAN
JACKSON COUNTY, OREGON
30 Day Notice
CENWP-PM-E
Issue Date: March 29, 2019
Closing Date: April 29, 2019
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Corps) is making available for public review the 90% draft Rogue River Regional Master Plan, integrated Environmental Assessment (EA), and draft finding of no significant impact (FONSI). The master plan is for the Corps’ Rogue River Projects, which consists of Lost Creek Lake, Applegate Dam, and the Elk Creek Project. The integrated EA and draft FONSI were 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).
The purpose of the Rogue River Regional Master Plan is to serve as the overall strategic land use management document guiding the Corps’ comprehensive administration and development of recreational, natural, and cultural resources on project lands of the Corps’ Rogue River Project. The master plan provides an overall land use management plan, resource objectives, and management development concepts for the efficient and cost-effective management, development, and use of project lands for the next twenty years.
The Corps recently updated the Elk Creek master plan, but master plans for the remainder of the Rogue River Project are outdated. A regional master plan is needed to integrate and update management and development planning for the Rogue River Project in order to guide the responsible stewardship and sustainability of project resources for the benefit of present and future generations. The Rogue River Regional Master Plan ensures the management, development, and use of project lands are aligned with national objectives regional needs, and resource capabilities and suitability; protect and sustain project natural and cultural resources; and provide public recreational opportunities that are consistent with authorized project purposes.
The master plan and integrated EA include land classifications, resource objectives and plans and natural resource management. Resources evaluated include cultural resources, fish and wildlife, aquatic and terrestrial invasive species management, threatened and endangered species, ecological settings, and recreation use and facilities on Project lands within the master plan boundaries. Environmental impacts from a no action alternative and a proposed action alternative (implementation of the master plan) are evaluated in the integrated EA.
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. The draft FONSI is included with the EA for public review.
Public Comment Period: The master plan, integrated EA, and draft FONSI will be available for public comment for 30-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. The Corps will consider comments received during the 30-day comment period in making a determination on a finding of no significant impact.
The draft master plan and integrated EA are available for download at the following link:
https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16021coll7/id/10355
Please note the document is a large file and may take some time to download.
Comment Submittal: Please submit written comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District by April 29, 2019. Written comments may be sent via email to: rogue-plan@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.
Additional information is available online at: http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/plans/master-plan/.