[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2688-2690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00634]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-SER-EVER-14535; PX.P0078991D.00.1]
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Acquisition of
Florida Power and Light Company Land in the East Everglades Expansion
Area, Everglades National Park, Florida
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service
(NPS) announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (Draft EIS) for the Acquisition of Florida Power and Light
Company Land in the East Everglades Expansion Area, Everglades National
Park, Florida.
DATES: The NPS will accept comments on the Draft EIS from the public
for a period of 60 days following publication of the Environmental
Protection Agency's Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. We
will announce the dates, times, and location for a public meeting to
solicit comments on the Draft EIS through the NPS Planning,
Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER; the Web site of Everglades National Park at
www.nps.gov/ever; and media outlets.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the Draft EIS will be available online
at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER. A limited number of compact disks
and printed copies will be also available at the Park headquarters,
Everglades National Park, 40001 State Highway 9336, Homestead, Florida
33034-6733.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brien Culhane, Everglades National
Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034-6733 or by telephone
at (305) 242-7717.
[[Page 2689]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS addresses options for NPS
acquisition of existing Florida Power and Light (FPL) land located
within the park, or sufficient interest in the property, to facilitate
hydrologic and ecologic restoration of the park and Everglades
ecosystem. This action is needed to support the mission of NPS and the
park, because the East Everglades Expansion Area (EEEA), which includes
the existing FPL parcel, has been identified as vital to long-term
protection of the park for ecosystem restoration purposes. Also, the
acquisition of the existing FPL parcel is needed to support the goals
of restoring the Northeast Shark River Slough and to fulfill the
purposes of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Public Law
(Pub. L.) 101-229 (December 13, 1989), articulates that the Everglades
is both nationally and internationally significant and sets forth
specific goals and objectives for acquisition of properties in this
area. Acquisition of land within the EEEA through an exchange of lands
with FPL is also authorized by Public Law 111-11 (March 30, 2009).
The Draft EIS describes five alternatives for acquiring land owned
by FPL in the EEEA within the boundaries of the park, or sufficient
interest in this property, as well as the affected environment and the
environmental consequences of implementing these alternatives. The
Draft EIS addresses both the potential impacts from the acquisition of
FPL land in the park, as well as the indirect impacts that could result
from the subsequent construction and operation of transmission lines
that could be built by FPL either inside or outside the park as a
result of the land acquisition alternative selected. The alternatives
are described in detail in Chapter 2 of the Draft EIS, and Chapter 4
details the key impacts of implementing the alternatives.
The following describes each of the alternatives included in the
Draft EIS:
Alternative 1a--The NPS would not take action to acquire FPL
property within the park. There would be no change in the status of FPL
lands in the park. The impact analysis for this alternative assumes
that FPL would not construct transmission lines on its existing land in
the park or in any area outside the park. This alternative represents
the environmental baseline. It assumes that the NPS would not be able
to flow water on this property to achieve its long-term restoration
objectives because it would not have acquired the right or interest to
do so.
Alternative 1b--The NPS would not take action to acquire FPL
property within the park, the same as alternative 1a, but the impact
analysis for this alternative assumes that FPL would construct
transmission lines on its existing land in the park. Although it
represents the same management decision as alternative 1a, the impact
analysis for this alternative addresses the impacts of transmission
line construction on the FPL property. Similar to alternative 1a, it
also assumes that the NPS would not be able to flow water on this
property to achieve its long-term restoration objectives.
Alternative 2--The NPS would acquire the FPL corridor by purchase
or through the exercise of eminent domain authority by the United
States. This alternative would result in an increase of 320 acres of
NPS-owned land within the authorized boundary of the park and would
allow for flowage of water on this property. The transmission line
construction scenario associated with the analysis of the impacts of
alternative 2 assumes that FPL would likely acquire a replacement
corridor east of the existing park boundary to meet its transmission
needs and the lines would be built outside the park.
Alternative 3--The NPS would acquire fee title to the FPL corridor
through a fee-for-fee exchange for park property, as authorized by the
exchange legislation (Pub. L. 111-11). NPS land conveyed to FPL would
consist of 260 acres along 6.5 miles of the eastern boundary of the
EEEA, and the boundary of the park would be adjusted upon completion of
the exchange to remove the lands conveyed to FPL from the park. The NPS
would also convey a 90-foot-wide perpetual nonnative vegetation
management easement to FPL adjacent to the entire length of the
exchange corridor. The fee-for-fee land exchange would be subject to
terms and conditions that are to be agreed upon between the NPS and FPL
and incorporated into a binding exchange agreement. FPL would be
required to allow the United States the perpetual right, power and
privilege to flood and submerge the property consistent with hydrologic
restoration requirements. The transmission line construction scenario
associated with the analysis of the impacts of this alternative assumes
that FPL would build the transmission lines in the exchange corridor in
accordance with the terms and conditions established in the fee for fee
exchange agreement.
Alternative 4--The NPS would acquire fee title to the FPL corridor
through an exchange for an easement on NPS property. This is
essentially the same as alternative 3, except that NPS would grant an
easement (not fee title) to FPL on 260 acres of park land along 6.5
miles of the eastern boundary of the EEEA for potential construction of
transmission lines, in accordance with the terms and conditions
developed for this ``easement for fee'' exchange. The NPS would retain
ownership of the corridor, but would no longer have the unencumbered
use of the exchange corridor. The NPS would also convey a 90-foot-wide
perpetual nonnative vegetation management easement to FPL adjacent to
the entire length of the exchange corridor. The easement for fee land
exchange would also be subject to terms and conditions that are to be
agreed upon between the NPS and FPL and incorporated into a binding
exchange agreement. Similar to alternative 3, the FPL easement area
would be subject to a perpetual flowage easement. The transmission line
construction scenario associated with the analysis of the impacts of
this alternative assumes that FPL would build the transmission lines in
the exchange corridor in accordance with the terms and conditions
established in the easement for fee exchange agreement.
Alternative 5--The NPS would acquire a perpetual flowage easement
on FPL's property within the EEEA through purchase, condemnation, or
donation by FPL. FPL would retain ownership of its corridor in the park
during the term of the easement and could seek to site transmission
lines there. The flowage allowed under this easement would allow
sufficient water flow over this area to support ecosystem restoration
projects. There would be no change to the authorized boundary of the
park, although the NPS would retain the current goal of acquiring this
property over the long term. The construction scenario associated with
the analysis of the impacts of this alternative would be the same as
the one for alternative 1b (FPL construction of transmission lines on
its existing land in the park), except that NPS would acquire a long-
term, perpetual flowage easement.
If you wish to comment on the Draft EIS, you may submit your
comments by any one of several methods. We encourage you to comment via
the internet on the PEPC Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER.
An electronic public comment form is provided on this Web site. You may
also comment via mail to: Everglades National Park FPL Project Planning
Team, National Park Service, M. Elmer (DSC-P), P.O. Box 25287, Denver,
CO 80225-0287; or by hand delivery to Park headquarters, at 40001 State
Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034-6733.
[[Page 2690]]
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in
your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from
public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
The responsible official for this Draft EIS is the Regional
Director, NPS Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303.
Dated: January 8, 2014.
Stan Austin,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-00634 Filed 1-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JD-P