Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation
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GENERAL ELECTRIC/HOUSATONIC RIVER NATURAL RESOURCE RESTORATION MASSACHUSETTS HOUSATONIC RIVER WATERSHED RESTORATION PROGRAM DRAFT ROUND 3 RESTORATION PLAN AND SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR LAND PROTECTION AND HABITAT CONSERVATION June 18, 2012 PREPARED BY: STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES INC. FOR: MASSACHUSETTS SUBCOUNCIL, HOUSATONIC RIVER NATURAL RESOURCE TRUSTEES Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Page i Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation U.S. Department of the Interior Approval of the Draft Restoration Planl Supplemental Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Conservation General ElectriclHousatonic River Natural Resource Restoration Massachusetts Housatonic River Watershed Restoration Program - Round 3 In accordance with U.S. Department ofthe Interior policy regarding documentation for natural resource damage assessment and restoration projects (521 DM3), the Authorized Official for the Department must demonstrate approval ofdraft and final Restoration Plans and their associated National Environmental Policy Act documentation, with concurrence from the Department's Office ofthe Solicitor. The Authorized Official for the Housatonic River case is the Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Northeast Region. The Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan/Supplemental Environmental Assessment (RPISEA) for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation is hereby approved. This approval does not extend to the Final Round 3 RPISEA. The Draft Round 3 RPISEA shall be released for public review and comment for a minimum of30 days. After consideration ofthe public comments received, the Round 3 RPISEA may be revised to address such comments. Approved: Concurred: -Wend-iW-eber---D-mea:wfbt Regional Director Senior Attorney Northeast Region Northeast Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office ofthe Solicitor Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Page iii Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation Massachusetts SubCouncil Members: Mr. Ken Munney (voting member, Trustee Representative for the Department of the Interior/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New England Field Office 70 Commercial Street, Suite 300 Concord, NH 03301 Ms. Karen I. Pelto (voting member, State Trustee Representative, and Lead Administrative Trustee) Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection One Winter Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02108 Non-Voting Advisors to the Massachusetts SubCouncil: Mr. Dean Tagliaferro, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (non-voting Federal Advisor) Lead Federal Agency for Supplemental Environmental Assessment: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Page iv Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................1 1.1 Background And Details of Round 3 ............................................................... 1 1.2 Natural Resource Trustees Responsibilities under Federal and State Law Regarding Restoration Planning ...................................................................... 3 1.3 Summary of Natural Resource Damages Settlement ....................................... 4 1.4 Summary of Site Injuries and Public Losses ................................................... 4 1.5 Restoration Goals/Purpose of Restoration ....................................................... 4 1.6 Coordination and Scoping ............................................................................. 11 1.6.1 Trustee Council Organization and Activities ........................................11 1.6.2 Public Notification ................................................................................12 1.6.3 Summary of Public Involvement ..........................................................12 1.6.4 Restoration Planning Record.................................................................13 2.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ...............................................................................13 2.1 Biological Environment ................................................................................. 13 2.2 Socioeconomic Environment ......................................................................... 14 3.0 RESTORATION SOLICITATION AND CRITERIA EVALUATION PROCESS15 3.1 Public Comments on Land Protection Projects ............................................. 15 3.2 Solicitation Process ........................................................................................ 16 3.3 Criteria Evaluation ......................................................................................... 17 3.3.1 Stage One: Threshold Criteria ...............................................................18 3.3.2 Stage Two: Evaluation Criteria .............................................................19 4.0 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................21 5.0 COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER AUTHORITIES ...................................................22 5.1 Laws ............................................................................................................... 22 5.1.1 Federal Laws .........................................................................................22 5.1.2 State Laws .............................................................................................25 5.1.3 Local Laws ............................................................................................27 5.2 Policies and Directives .................................................................................. 27 5.2.1 Federal Policies and Directives .............................................................27 5.2.2 State and Local Policies ........................................................................28 6.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ............................................................................................29 7.0 LIST OF AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND PARTIES CONSULTED FOR Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Page v Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation INFORMATION ......................................................................................................30 8.0 PUBLIC COMMENTS ON DRAFT ROUND 3 RP/SEA FOR LAND PROTECTION AND HABITAT CONSERVATION .............................................31 8.1 Public Comments ........................................................................................... 31 8.2 MA SubCouncil Responses to Public Comments ......................................... 31 9.0 LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................32 APPENDICES Appendix A – Public libraries where documents can be accessed Appendix B – Newspapers and radio and television stations used for public announcements Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Page vi Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation ACRONYMS ACOE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ARPA Archaeological Resources Protection Act CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations CMR Code of Massachusetts Regulations Commonwealth Commonwealth of Massachusetts CTDEP Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection CWA Clean Water Act DOI Department of the Interior EIR Environmental Impact Report EEA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs ENF Environmental Notification Form ESA Endangered Species Act FACA Federal Advisory Committee Act Focus Group Land Acquisition Focus Group FWCA Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act GE General Electric HRR Housatonic River Restoration, Inc. IEI Index of Ecological Integrity MassDEP Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection MassGIS Massachusetts Geographic Information System MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act MEPA Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act MESA Massachusetts Endangered Species Act MA SubCouncil Massachusetts SubCouncil of the Housatonic River Natural Resource Trustees MOA Memorandum of Agreement M.G.L. Massachusetts General Laws Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Page vii Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHESP Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NRD Natural Resource Damages NRDAR Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls PEA Programmatic Environmental Assessment PEDA Pittsfield Economic Development Authority RFR Request for Response Restoration Program Massachusetts Housatonic River Watershed Restoration Program RP Restoration Plan RPS Restoration Planning Strategy RPSP Restoration Project Selection Procedure SEA Supplemental Environmental Assessment Stantec Stantec Consulting Services Inc. Trustees Natural Resource Trustees Trustee Council Housatonic River Natural Resource Trustees U.S.C. United States Code USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Woodlot Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. Woodlot and IEc Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. and Industrial Economics Draft Round 3 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Page 1 Environmental Assessment for Land Protection and Habitat Conservation 1.0 INTRODUCTION The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the