# Tellico Reservoir Land Management Plan, Blount, Loudon, and Monroe Counties > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A99-874 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** January 14, 1999 - **Citation:** 64 FR 2531 ## Text TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY Tellico Reservoir Land Management Plan, Blount, Loudon, and Monroe Counties AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). ACTION: Notice of intent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 [[Page 2532]] 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 --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A99-874. Public record. Not legal advice.