Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park Draft Supplemental Environmental

Impact Statement

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Availability of draft supplemental environmental impact

statement for determination of section 6(f) replacement lands for Creve

Coeur Lake Memorial Park, St. Louis County, Missouri.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service, in compliance with section

102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1069 (NEPA) [42

United States Code (U.S.C.) 4321 et seq. and 42 U.S.C. 4332, as

amended] and with section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund

(LWCF) Act (Public Law 88-578, as amended), announces the availability

of a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS)

evaluating additional replacement land for the 184 acres of Creve Coeur

Lake Memorial Park converted from outdoor recreation use. Creve Coeur

Lake Memorial Park is a county park which has received Federal

financial assistance from the LWCF program. This DSEIS will supplement

the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for Page Avenue (Route

D) extension, St. Louis and St. Charles Counties, Missouri, approved in

a Record of Decision on January 6, 1993, by the Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA).

The FHWA FEIS addressed construction of a ten-land elevated

extension of Page Avenue across the southern tip of the park site

assuming all necessary coordination with other Federal agencies has

been satisfactorily accomplished. The National Park Service on December

11, 1992, adopted the FEIS for use in the environmental evaluation

requirements of section 6(f) of the LWCF Act.

The initial proposal of 265 acres, submitted by the State of

Missouri to replace the converted 184 acres was determined by the

National Park Service as not offering ``reasonably equivalent

usefulness'' to the extent necessary to reflect appropriately the loss

of this unique natural area. Secretary Babbitt announced on May 18,

1993, in letters to Senators Danforth and Bond, that he did not intend

to use his authority under section 6(f)(3) to block the construction of

this highway project. He further stated that ``. . . it is necessary to

identify a significant amount of additional lands to be included in the

mitigation package.''

The DSEIS identifies a range of alternative land proposals,

including additional substitution properties, and analyzes the

``equivalent usefulness'' of each candidate replacement land parcel. In

addition, each of the replacement parcels have been evaluated for

impacts on natural and cultural resources, the socioeconomic

environment, and current uses.

The State of Missouri's and the NPS's preferred alternative for

additional replacement land is identified in the DSEIS as Alternative B

(Little Creve Coeur Lake Proposal). The alternative, consisting of

approximately 440 acres and located southwest of the present Creve

Coeur Lake Memorial Park, consists primarily of wetlands presently in

agricultural use.

Copies of the DSEIS may be obtained from the responsible official,

Mr. William Schenk, Acting Regional Director (refer to address below).

Comments on the DSEIS should be received no later than August 8, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DSEIS should be submitted to: Mr. William W.

Schenk, Acting Regional Director National Park Service, Midwest Region,

1709 Jackson Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102, (402) 221-3432.

Public reading copies of the DSEIS will be available for review at:

Office of Public Affairs, Department of the Interior, National Park

Service, 18th and C Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240, (202) 343-

6843.

PUBLIC MEETING: A public meeting, at a date to be announced later, will

be held in the St. Louis area during this 45-day review period to

solicit public comments on the DSEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Clay McDermeit, Chief, Western

Heartland Division, Recreation Assistance Programs, National Park

Service, Midwest Region, 1709 Jackson Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102,

(402) 221-3203.

Dated: June 16, 1994.

William W. Schenk,

Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region.

[FR Doc. 94-16162 Filed 7-1-94; 8:45 am]

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