🌊Notice of Intent for Environmental Impact on New Mexico Watersheds
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) New Mexico State Office announces its intent to prepare a PEIS for the HPCC Burn Scar Project, in Mora, Colfax, Taos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Guadalupe, and San Miguel Counties, New Mexico. The PEIS will examine alternative solutions to address flooding, sedimentation, erosion, water quality impairments, and agricultural water management on private lands due to loss of land cover and the overall burn severity of the HPCC fire. The project area is approximately 500 square miles and includes 33 Hydrologic Unit Code-12 watersheds within nine Hydrologic Unit Code-10 watersheds (nine watersheds). The primary purpose for the PEIS is to provide improvement to increase the flood resilience to protect the communities that have been affected by the HPCC fire and restore the project areas' function that is essential to healthy streams and clean water; healthy forest, soil, and ecosystem; and healthy flora and fauna on private lands and in conjunction with other restoration efforts on National Forest System (NFS) lands. NRCS is requesting comments to identify significant issues, potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the Proposed Action from all interested individuals, Federal and State agencies, and Tribes and Pueblos.
Learn More🌊Environmental Impact Statement for Black River Watershed Proposal
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Missouri State Office announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed action involving the segment of the Black River in Butler County, Missouri, that reaches from the city of Poplar Bluff south to the Missouri-Arkansas state line. This reach of the Black River intersects four adjacent watersheds: Little Hunting Slough-Black River, Catherine Slough, Blue Spring Slough, and Old Menorkenut Slough. Along this stretch of river are residences, agricultural land, developed land, and the Coon Island Conservation Area. NRCS is requesting that interested individuals, Federal and State agencies, and Tribes participate in the scoping process for the EIS by attending the initial public scoping meeting and by submitting comments as described below. The goal of scoping is for NRCS to obtain input on identifying significant issues, potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the proposed action.
Learn More🌊Environmental Impact Statement for Shortfoot Creek Watershed Plan
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), North Dakota State Office, announces its intent to prepare an EIS for the Shortfoot Creek Watershed located within Sargent and Richland Counties, and North Dakota, Marshall and Roberts Counties, South Dakota. The proposed EIS will examine alternative solutions to provide flood damage reduction and watershed protection. NRCS is requesting comments to identify significant issues, potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the proposed action from all interested individuals, Federal and State agencies, and Tribes.
Learn More🌊USDA Announces Revised EIS for Clear Branch Dam Remedial Project
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Forest Service previously published an NOI (referred to in this notice as the original NOI) to announce the intention to prepare an EIS for the Clear Branch Dam Remedial Project (Remedial Project) on September 19, 2022. NRCS and the Forest Service are jointly publishing this revised NOI to update the project timeline, preliminary description of the proposed action and alternatives, and expected impacts; and identify the substantive provisions for potential forest plan amendments to the 1990 Mt. Hood National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended by the 1994 Record of Decision for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning Documents within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl (Northwest Forest Plan). This revised NOI also provides an additional 30-day scoping period and gives notice of a supplementary scoping meeting. In addition, the project name has been changed from the Clear Branch Dam Rehabilitation Project to the Clear Branch Dam Remedial Project (Remedial Project) to better align with policy (National Watershed Program Manual 505.20). The NRCS Oregon State Office and the Forest Service, announce their intent to prepare an EIS for the Remedial Project, located within the Hood River watershed in Parkdale, Oregon. The project area includes Clear Branch Dam, Laurance Lake which is formed by the dam, and associated infrastructure all located on the Mt. Hood National Forest. The Middle Fork Irrigation District (MFID)'s purpose is to provide clear and dependable irrigation water to its patrons. Recent developments have shown that Clear Branch Dam does not meet the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) safety standards and thus, in addition to remediation, this EIS will examine alternative solutions to meeting this FERC requirement while also meeting MFID's purpose which is to supply clean and dependable water. The project area in the Clear Branch watershed is primarily on National Forest System lands and includes Endangered Species Act (ESA) bull trout and Critical Habitat, significant recreation, and natural area amenities. NRCS is requesting comments to identify significant issues, potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the proposed action from all interested individuals, Federal and State agencies, and Tribes.
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