Tellico Reservoir Land Management Plan, Blount, Loudon, and Monroe Counties

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

Tellico Reservoir Land Management Plan, Blount, Loudon, and

Monroe Counties

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 1500 to 1508) and TVA's

procedures implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. TVA will

prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on alternatives for

management of certain TVA-owned lands surrounding Tellico Reservoir in

Loudon, Monroe, and Blount Counties, Tennessee. The plan will help

guide TVA resource management and property administration decisions on

12,649 acres of public land under TVA control.

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

February 1, 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].

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

Background

The gates to Tellico Dam were closed in 1979, creating the Tellico

Reservoir. The waters of Tellico Reservoir and Fort Loudoun reservoir

are joined by a 500-foot wide canal. Approximately 38,480 acres of land

was acquired for the Tellico Project. Of that, 16,500 acres are covered

by water during normal summer pool. Subsequent transfers of land by TVA

for economic, industrial, residential or public recreation development

have resulted in a current balance of 12,649 acres of TVA land on

Tellico Reservoir.

In April of 1982, the Tellico Reservoir Development Agency (TRDA)

was created by the Tennessee Legislature to cooperate with TVA in the

development of approximately 10,582 acres of land along the reservoir.

TRDA was created with the mandate to plan programs and implement

activities for the comprehensive development of designated lands within

the Tellico Reservoir project area. TVA anticipates that TRDA will

cooperate in the preparation of this EIS.

This EIS will tier from TVA's Final EIS, Shoreline Management

Initiative: An Assessment of Residential Shoreline Development Impacts

in the Tennessee Valley (November 1998). That EIS evaluated alternative

policies for managing residential uses along TVA's reservoir system,

including Tellico Reservoir.

One of the major objectives of the Tellico Project and the

integrated land plan developed for it was to develop and use the

acquired project lands in a way that would make the maximum possible

contribution to the economy of the region. Based on current growth

trends and the inevitable pressures for change TVA has decided to

reevaluate the allocation of its remaining public land on Tellico

Reservoir to determine if changes are needed to further support the

objectives of the project.

TVA develops reservoir land management plans to help in the

management of reservoir properties in its custody. These plans seek to

integrate land and water benefits, provide for public benefits, and

balance competing and sometimes conflicting resource uses. Plans are

approved by the TVA Board of Directors.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

TVA proposes to develop a reservoir land management plan to guide

land-use approvals, private water use facility permitting, and resource

management decisions on Tellico Reservoir. The plan would identify land

use zones in broad categories. 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 the use. Such commitments

include transfers, leases, licenses, contracts, power lines,

outstanding land rights, or TVA developed recreation areas. At this

time, TVA anticipates that at least three alternative plans would be

analyzed in the EIS. One alternative plan would rely on the existing

land use plan established by contract with the Tellico Reservoir

Development Agency. This plan allocates land into three categories: TVA

retained land, sub-allocated to cultural/public use/open space areas,

industrial development areas, and natural/wildlife areas; transferred

land, sub-allocated to private residential areas, industrial

development areas, and commercial recreation areas; and easement land-

land under easement for recreation areas or to the Eastern Band of the

Cherokee Indians. This would be the ``No Action'' Alternative.

A second alternative plan would allocate land into categories that

emphasize sensitive resource management (preservation and enhancement

of wetlands, biodiversity, and archaeological and historic resources)

and natural resource conservation. A third alternative plan would

include sensitive resource management and natural resource conservation

but would also analyze the potential for expanded commercial recreation

and residential development along a portion of the northeast reservoir

shoreline. This involves a proposal made by Tellico Landing, Inc., to

develop TVA tracts in this area along with other non-TVA properties for

these uses. Other alternative uses for TVA tracts of land along the

reservoir that may be considered include industrial/commercial

development, developed recreation, and residential development.

Scoping

TVA anticipates that the EIS will discuss the effects of the

alternative plans on the following resources and issue areas: visual

resources, cultural resources, threatened and endangered species,

terrestrial ecology, wetlands, recreation, water quality, aquatic

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ecology, socioeconomics, floodplains, prime farmland, noise, and air

quality. TVA is interested in receiving comments on these and any

additional issues to be addressed in the EIS. The EIS will address

environmental issues and impacts raised in public scoping. A scoping

meeting is expected to be held in the near future. Persons interested

in attending or receiving more information should call 800-TVA-LAND

prior to the meeting to confirm the time and location.

Kathryn J. Jackson,

Executive Vice President, Resource Group.

[FR Doc. 99-874 Filed 1-13-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8120-08-P