Environmental Impact StatementTims Ford Reservoir Land Management Plan, Franklin and Moore Counties, Tennessee

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

Environmental Impact Statement--Tims Ford Reservoir Land

Management Plan, Franklin and Moore Counties, Tennessee

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: This notice is provided in accordance with the Council on

Environmental Quality's regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 to 1508) and

TVA's procedures implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.

TVA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

(TDEC), in partnership, will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) on alternatives for management and disposition of Tims Ford

Reservoir project lands in Franklin and Moore Counties, Tennessee.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS must be received on or before

August 31, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Jon M. Loney, Manager,

Environmental Management, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit

Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harold M. Draper, NEPA Specialist,

Environmental Management, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit

Hill Drive, WT 8C, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499; telephone (423)

632-6889 or e-mail [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Tims Ford Reservoir has a surface area of 10,600-acres (4,290-

hectare) on the Elk River in Franklin and Moore Counties, Tennessee. It

was completed in 1970 by TVA for the purposes of flood control,

hydroelectric generation, recreation, and economic development. The

reservoir is 34 miles (54.7 kilometers) long at full pool. There are

approximately 250 miles (400 km) of shoreline and 10,000 acres (4050

ha) of project lands around the impoundment. TVA and TDEC are

considering new allocations for approximately 6,200 acres (2510 ha) of

this land. The remainder is already committed to project operations and

long-term easements.

The Tennessee Elk River Development Agency (TERDA) was created by

the Tennessee General Assembly in 1963. The enabling legislation (TCA

64-1-301) that created TERDA states:

The agency is created for the purpose of developing and

effectuating plans and programs for comprehensive development

including the control and development of the water resources of

those portions of the Elk River watershed and integrating plans,

programs, and development activities with the overall economic

development of the area described.

On May 17, 1966, TVA and TERDA entered into Contract No.TV-27333A

to ``engage in a cooperative program of comprehensive, unified resource

development for the purpose of fostering the orderly physical,

economic, and social development of the Elk River area,'' which

included the construction of the Tims Ford Dam and Reservoir. Under

that agreement, properties that were voluntarily sold were purchased by

the Federal Government for this project in the name of TERDA. Later,

those properties below the 895-foot contour were transferred to TVA for

reservoir project operations. Those tracts acquired under the power of

eminent domain were purchased in the name of the United States

Government and remain in the custody of TVA. In September 1980,

Contract No. TV-27333A was replaced by Contract No. TV-50000A, which

further defined the roles and responsibilities of each party in

managing the overall Tims Ford project. In April 1996, the Tennessee

General Assembly passed Public Chapter 816 of the Public Acts of 1996,

which terminated TERDA and transferred all powers, duties, contractual

obligations, functions, and remaining land interests of the agency to

TDEC. TDEC was charged with the responsibility of disposing of the

remaining land interests.

In February 1998, Contract No. TV-50000A was replaced by Contract

No. 98RE2-229151, which redefined the obligations and responsibilities

of each party to cooperatively develop a comprehensive Land Management

and Disposition Plan. The EIS will evaluate the environmental impacts

of implementing this Plan. Under this contract, all portions of project

lands must be allocated to specific uses, including TVA project

operations, resource protection, resource management, industrial/

commercial, recreational, residential, and any other uses deemed

desirable by the parties. In addition, the Plan will also determine

which portions of such lands should be transferred to or retained by

the State; transferred to or retained by TVA or other governmental

entities for public purposes; or sold, leased, or otherwise disposed.

The Plan will seek to integrate land and water benefits, provide

for optimum public benefit, and balance competing and sometimes

conflicting resource use goals. By providing a clear statement of how

TVA and TDEC intend to manage land and by identifying land for specific

uses, TVA and TDEC hope to balance conflicting uses and facilitate

decision making for use of its land. This Plan will be submitted for

approval by the TVA Board of Directors and the Tennessee State Building

Commission and adopted as policy to provide for long-term land

stewardship and accomplishment of TVA responsibilities under the 1933

TVA Act, carry forth the purposes for which Congress approved funding

for the Tims Ford project, and fulfill the intent of Public Chapter 816

of the 1996 Tennessee General Assembly.

In developing the plan, it is anticipated that lands currently

committed to a specific use would be allocated to that current use

unless there is an overriding need to change. Commitments include

transfers, easements, leases, licenses, contracts, utilities,

outstanding land rights, or developed recreation areas. All lands under

TVA and TDEC control would be allocated in the planning process. At

this time, TVA anticipates that four alternatives would be analyzed in

the EIS. The No Action alternative would be chosen if either or both

agencies decline to adopt a jointly-prepared land management and

disposition plan. In the absence of a joint plan, TVA and TDEC would

proceed with disposition or management of properties on a case-by-case

basis, using the scope of the Tims Ford Project as originally set forth

and subject to existing laws and policies. TDEC would be guided by

Public Chapter 816.

A second alternative would seek to provide a balance of sensitive

resource management, natural resource conservation, and development. A

third alternative would allocate lands into categories that emphasize

maximum development on suitable and capable tracts of land. The fourth

alternative would prohibit any new development excluding existing uses.

This alternative would deem all lands unsuitable for development and

would allocate them for natural resource conservation.

Scoping

TVA and TDEC formally began the environmental review process with a

press release on October 2, 1998, announcing a public comment period

extending through December 1, 1998 to solicit input and to conduct

public scoping meetings. Public meetings were held on November 9, 1998

at Winchester, Tennessee and on

[[Page 39552]]

November 10, 1998 at Fayetteville, Tennessee and attended by 181

people. TDEC also requested comments through a website (http://

www.state.tn.us/environment/elk/) and requested written comments.

Subsequent to the scoping meetings, the agencies determined that an

EIS would allow a better understanding of the impacts of the

alternatives. Accordingly, this notice publishes the intent of the

agencies to prepare an EIS. Based on the results of the previous

scoping, the agencies anticipate that the EIS will include discussion

of the potential effects of alternatives on the following resources and

issue areas: visual resources, cultural resources, threatened and

endangered species, terrestrial ecology, wetlands, recreation, water

quality, aquatic ecology, and socioeconomics. Other issues which may be

discussed, depending on the potential impacts of the alternatives,

include floodplains, prime farmland, and air quality.

TVA is interested in receiving additional comments on the scope of

issues to be addressed in the EIS. Written comments on the scope of the

EIS should be received on or before August 31, 1999. TVA and TDEC

anticipate completing the Draft EIS in the Fall of 1999. An opportunity

to review and comment on the draft EIS will be provided at that time.

Dated: July 14, 1999.

Kathryn J. Jackson

Executive Vice President, River System Operations & Environment.

[FR Doc. 99-18760 Filed 7-21-99; 8:45 am]

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