Welcome to Skagit County
August 8th, 2011
Skagit River General Investigation
- NEPA Scoping Meeting, August 10, 2011
SKAGIT COUNTY - On August
10, 2011, Skagit County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a public
scoping meeting from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Skagit Station's Community
Room located at 105 E. Kincaid, Mount Vernon. The purpose of the meeting is
to solicit comments on the Skagit River General Investigation, also known as
the GI. The agenda includes:
The purpose of the GI
is to identify the problems and opportunities that exist to relieve flooding
and reduce flood risks, and to develop a flood-risk management plan.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare
a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Skagit River General
Investigation in the July 29, 2011 Federal Register. A DEIS is being prepared
due to the potential for impacts on environmental resources and the intense
public interest already demonstrated in addressing the Skagit River flooding
problems.
A NOI was originally published in the Federal Register in November 1997 and
a public meeting was held. Due to the amount of time that has lapsed since
the issuance of the original NOI, the Corps has reissued the NOI and is soliciting
comments.
Public involvement will be sought during scoping, plan formulation, and preparation
of the DEIS in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures.
A public scoping process has been started to: (1) clarify which issues appear
to be major public concerns, (2) identify any information sources that might
be available to analyze and evaluate impacts, and (3) obtain public input
and determine acceptability for the range of measures to be included within
potential alternatives.
This NOI formally commences the scoping process under NEPA. As part of the
scoping process, all affected Federal, state, and local agencies; Tribes;
the public; and other interested private organizations, including environmental
groups, are invited to comment on the scope of the DEIS. Comments are requested
regarding issues of concern, project alternatives, potential mitigation measures,
probable significant environmental impacts, and permits or other approvals
that may be required by any project.
People or organizations wishing to submit scoping comments should do so by
August 29, 2011. Public comment may also be made at the scoping meeting on
August 10, 2011.
Please send mailing list inclusion requests, future documents, and all comments
on the proposed project, to:
Hannah Hadley, Study Environmental Coordinator
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District
ATTN: CENWS-PM-PL-ER
P.O. 3755, Seattle, WA 98124-3755
Fax: (206) 764-4470
E-mail: hannah.f.hadley@usace.army.mil.
For more information,
contact Hannah Hadley, at hannah.f.hadley@usace.army.mil
or at (206) 764-6950.