FINAL PUBLIC NOTICE
Iowa Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Bureau (Harrison County) has applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Program funding through Iowa’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (IHSEMD) as a sub- recipient.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to consider alternatives, and to provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low- income populations. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.
Sub-Applicant: Iowa Department of Natural Resources - Wildlife Bureau
Project Title: 160922-Little Sioux Recreation Area, PA-07-4557-IA-PW-1544
Location of Proposed Work: Little Sioux, Harrison County, 35 Benton Ln
Site 1: North Parking Lot (41.803783, -96.065621), (41.803268, -96.065855)
Site 2: South Parking Lot (41.803159, -96.065935), (41.802148, -96.065939)
Site 3: Boat Ramp (41.803578, -96.066092)
Special Flood Hazard Area Zone:
This project will perform work in the AE Zone, otherwise known as the area of 1% annual chance of flooding, per Harrison County FIRM Panel 19085C0040C, dated 01/29/2021.
Proposed Work and Purpose:
Iowa Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Bureau proposes to use FEMA Public Assistance Grant funds to remove 1,467 CY of silt/sediment and replace 183 CY (220 FT long x 90 FT wide x 2 FT deep) of gravel surface (north) parking lot (220 FT long x 90 FT wide x 3 FT deep) and will remove 2,590 CY (380 FT long x 92 FT wide x 2 FT deep) of silt/sediment and replace 324 CY (380 FT long x 92 FT wide x 3 FT deep) of gravel surface (South) parking lot. The applicant will remove 120 CY silt/sediment from the boat ramp.
Project Alternatives:
Alternative #1 (No Action): The no-action alternative -: the boat ramp is a structure which is a functionally dependent use, and facilitates an open space use (per CFR 9.11, d, 2). No action would deprive boaters and anglers’ access to and recreational use of the Missouri and Little Sioux River at this location. The parking lots provide support for the use of the boat ramp; the absence of usable parking lots would reduce public access. The applicant has not provided alternative locations that would be practicable for the relocation of the parking lots.
Alternative #2 (Removing Sediment from the boat ramp and Moving the Parking lots): the boat ramp is dependent on its location, however, the parking lots are not and the applicant has not provided an alternative location for relocation nearby but outside of the floodplain; it is uncertain if IDNR-Wildlife Bureau has or can acquire land more suitable for river/boat ramp access parking at this point along the river.
Alternative #3 (To restore back to Pre-disaster): This option will remove sediment from the ramp and parking lots and replace gravel on the surface of the parking lots to restore the functionality of this location for its current purpose: recreation and open space.
Comment Period:
This will serve as the final public notice regarding the above‐described action funded by the FEMA PA program. All comments received can be submitted online, via email, to FEMA at kate.stojsavljevic@fema.dhs.gov. Please use the subject line: “IA-4421-PW-1544, Iowa Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Bureau, Floodplain Comments.”
Interested persons may also submit comments and questions in writing, or request a map of this specific project, by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 7, 11224 Holmes Road; Kansas City, MO 64131. Written comments should be sent with the subject line IA-4421-PW-1544, Iowa Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Bureau to the above address within 15 days of the date of posting.
All comments are due within 15 days of the posted date of this notice.
POSTED ON: May 6, 2021
End of Notice