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In the Water
Resources Development Act of 1999, the Missouri River Fish and Wildlife
Mitigation Project was reauthorized to include an additional 118,650
acres of land to be purchased from willing sellers on which to develop,
restore or enhance fish and wildlife mitigation sites. Due to the
increase in acres, a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)
was completed prior to project implementation on the additional acres.
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The Army
Corps of Engineers has completed the process for this effort. First, a
public scoping effort was completed. The purpose of the public scoping
process was to request ideas and comments on how the 118,650 additional
acres will be acquired and developed for the project. Comments were
sought from Native American tribes, the general public, organizations,
and government agencies. |
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There were nine public
scoping meetings. They were held at Sidney and Onawa, Iowa; Blair and
Plattsmouth, Nebraska; St. Joseph, Lexington, Columbia, and Washington,
Missouri; and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. All meetings were held in an
open house format. Scoping comments were taken up until December 20,
2001. All scoping comments received were considered in determining
alternatives for the project, and in preparation of the Draft SEIS.
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The
Draft SEIS considered seven different alternatives and analyzed three
alternatives in detail including the Preferred Action, No Development
alternative, and the No Action alternative. The public comment period
for the Draft SEIS was from September 20, 2002 through November 4,
2002. The comments received were taken into consideration in completing
the Final SEIS. All comments received during the public comment period
were reprinted in Appendix E of the Final SEIS. Responses to the
comments received were placed along side the comments to allow the
easiest way for the public to see how comments were addressed. |
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The Final
SEIS was also made available to the public to review from March 7, 2003
through June 3, 2003. On June 12, 2003, General David A. Fastabend,
Commander for the Northwest Division of the Corps of Engineers, signed
the Record of Decision (ROD). After discussion with the Public, Native
American Tribes, and various government agencies, General Fastabend
"concluded that the public interest would be best served by implementing
Alternative A", the Corps' Preferred Action. |
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The
Preferred Action includes the acquisition and habitat development on up
to 118,650 acres of land. The land will be acquired from willing
sellers or through easements to restore or enhance aquatic and
terrestrial habitat on individual sites located along the Missouri River
from Sioux City to St. Louis. The Preferred Action includes development
of 7,000 to 20,000 acres of aquatic habitat. |
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The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Iowa
Department of Natural Resources, Kansas Department of Wildlife and
Parks, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission served as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the
SEIS. |
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Download Final SEIS |
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Download ROD |
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If you should have any questions regarding the Final SEIS document, please
click on the "E-Mail Comments" button on the upper left hand corner of
this webpage and your comments will be sent to the appropriate person at
the Corps of Engineers. |
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Introduction
Iowa