[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 140 (Thursday, July 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39551-39552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18760]
[[Page 39551]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Environmental Impact Statement--Tims Ford Reservoir Land
Management Plan, Franklin and Moore Counties, Tennessee
AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice is provided in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality's regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 to 1508) and
TVA's procedures implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.
TVA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
(TDEC), in partnership, will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) on alternatives for management and disposition of Tims Ford
Reservoir project lands in Franklin and Moore Counties, Tennessee.
DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS must be received on or before
August 31, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Jon M. Loney, Manager,
Environmental Management, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit
Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harold M. Draper, NEPA Specialist,
Environmental Management, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit
Hill Drive, WT 8C, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499; telephone (423)
632-6889 or e-mail hmdraper@tva.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Tims Ford Reservoir has a surface area of 10,600-acres (4,290-
hectare) on the Elk River in Franklin and Moore Counties, Tennessee. It
was completed in 1970 by TVA for the purposes of flood control,
hydroelectric generation, recreation, and economic development. The
reservoir is 34 miles (54.7 kilometers) long at full pool. There are
approximately 250 miles (400 km) of shoreline and 10,000 acres (4050
ha) of project lands around the impoundment. TVA and TDEC are
considering new allocations for approximately 6,200 acres (2510 ha) of
this land. The remainder is already committed to project operations and
long-term easements.
The Tennessee Elk River Development Agency (TERDA) was created by
the Tennessee General Assembly in 1963. The enabling legislation (TCA
64-1-301) that created TERDA states:
The agency is created for the purpose of developing and
effectuating plans and programs for comprehensive development
including the control and development of the water resources of
those portions of the Elk River watershed and integrating plans,
programs, and development activities with the overall economic
development of the area described.
On May 17, 1966, TVA and TERDA entered into Contract No.TV-27333A
to ``engage in a cooperative program of comprehensive, unified resource
development for the purpose of fostering the orderly physical,
economic, and social development of the Elk River area,'' which
included the construction of the Tims Ford Dam and Reservoir. Under
that agreement, properties that were voluntarily sold were purchased by
the Federal Government for this project in the name of TERDA. Later,
those properties below the 895-foot contour were transferred to TVA for
reservoir project operations. Those tracts acquired under the power of
eminent domain were purchased in the name of the United States
Government and remain in the custody of TVA. In September 1980,
Contract No. TV-27333A was replaced by Contract No. TV-50000A, which
further defined the roles and responsibilities of each party in
managing the overall Tims Ford project. In April 1996, the Tennessee
General Assembly passed Public Chapter 816 of the Public Acts of 1996,
which terminated TERDA and transferred all powers, duties, contractual
obligations, functions, and remaining land interests of the agency to
TDEC. TDEC was charged with the responsibility of disposing of the
remaining land interests.
In February 1998, Contract No. TV-50000A was replaced by Contract
No. 98RE2-229151, which redefined the obligations and responsibilities
of each party to cooperatively develop a comprehensive Land Management
and Disposition Plan. The EIS will evaluate the environmental impacts
of implementing this Plan. Under this contract, all portions of project
lands must be allocated to specific uses, including TVA project
operations, resource protection, resource management, industrial/
commercial, recreational, residential, and any other uses deemed
desirable by the parties. In addition, the Plan will also determine
which portions of such lands should be transferred to or retained by
the State; transferred to or retained by TVA or other governmental
entities for public purposes; or sold, leased, or otherwise disposed.
The Plan will seek to integrate land and water benefits, provide
for optimum public benefit, and balance competing and sometimes
conflicting resource use goals. By providing a clear statement of how
TVA and TDEC intend to manage land and by identifying land for specific
uses, TVA and TDEC hope to balance conflicting uses and facilitate
decision making for use of its land. This Plan will be submitted for
approval by the TVA Board of Directors and the Tennessee State Building
Commission and adopted as policy to provide for long-term land
stewardship and accomplishment of TVA responsibilities under the 1933
TVA Act, carry forth the purposes for which Congress approved funding
for the Tims Ford project, and fulfill the intent of Public Chapter 816
of the 1996 Tennessee General Assembly.
In developing the plan, it is anticipated that lands currently
committed to a specific use would be allocated to that current use
unless there is an overriding need to change. Commitments include
transfers, easements, leases, licenses, contracts, utilities,
outstanding land rights, or developed recreation areas. All lands under
TVA and TDEC control would be allocated in the planning process. At
this time, TVA anticipates that four alternatives would be analyzed in
the EIS. The No Action alternative would be chosen if either or both
agencies decline to adopt a jointly-prepared land management and
disposition plan. In the absence of a joint plan, TVA and TDEC would
proceed with disposition or management of properties on a case-by-case
basis, using the scope of the Tims Ford Project as originally set forth
and subject to existing laws and policies. TDEC would be guided by
Public Chapter 816.
A second alternative would seek to provide a balance of sensitive
resource management, natural resource conservation, and development. A
third alternative would allocate lands into categories that emphasize
maximum development on suitable and capable tracts of land. The fourth
alternative would prohibit any new development excluding existing uses.
This alternative would deem all lands unsuitable for development and
would allocate them for natural resource conservation.
Scoping
TVA and TDEC formally began the environmental review process with a
press release on October 2, 1998, announcing a public comment period
extending through December 1, 1998 to solicit input and to conduct
public scoping meetings. Public meetings were held on November 9, 1998
at Winchester, Tennessee and on
[[Page 39552]]
November 10, 1998 at Fayetteville, Tennessee and attended by 181
people. TDEC also requested comments through a website (http://
www.state.tn.us/environment/elk/) and requested written comments.
Subsequent to the scoping meetings, the agencies determined that an
EIS would allow a better understanding of the impacts of the
alternatives. Accordingly, this notice publishes the intent of the
agencies to prepare an EIS. Based on the results of the previous
scoping, the agencies anticipate that the EIS will include discussion
of the potential effects of alternatives on the following resources and
issue areas: visual resources, cultural resources, threatened and
endangered species, terrestrial ecology, wetlands, recreation, water
quality, aquatic ecology, and socioeconomics. Other issues which may be
discussed, depending on the potential impacts of the alternatives,
include floodplains, prime farmland, and air quality.
TVA is interested in receiving additional comments on the scope of
issues to be addressed in the EIS. Written comments on the scope of the
EIS should be received on or before August 31, 1999. TVA and TDEC
anticipate completing the Draft EIS in the Fall of 1999. An opportunity
to review and comment on the draft EIS will be provided at that time.
Dated: July 14, 1999.
Kathryn J. Jackson
Executive Vice President, River System Operations & Environment.
[FR Doc. 99-18760 Filed 7-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P
