{Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Fwd: Availability of the Wetland Statement of Findings for the NPS Proposal to Transfer Potomac River Acreage to MWAA

I just got this pending construction report about extending a runway at National. Just to get ahead of the news curve, it does not seem to impact the Gravelly Point fishing area at the boat launch to the north, nor extend into the river. It's the diagonal runway and only extends onto existing land. But there is a call for public comment if anybody's interested.

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Jeff Cook

Begin forwarded message:

From: "O'Connell, Michael" <michael_o'connell@nps.gov>

Subject: Availability of the Wetland Statement of Findings for the NPS Proposal to Transfer Potomac River Acreage to MWAA

Date: March 27, 2013 11:43:26 AM EDT

To: undisclosed-recipients:;

Release Date:  Wednesday, March 27, 2013

 

The National Park Service Announces the Availability of the Wetland Statement of Findings for its Proposal to Transfer Potomac River Acreage to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; Public Review and Comment Sought

George Washington Memorial Parkway, McLean, VA -- The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Statement of Findings for Wetlands, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Proposed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Runway 15-33 Runway Safety Area Enhancements for public review. 

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) operates Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (the Airport), which occupies land owned by the United States of America and administered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The area comprising the Airport boundaries includes approximately 733 acres of land and 127 acres of submerged land situated along the western shore of the Potomac River in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In order to comply with FAA safety orders, MWAA has determined that constructing enhancements to its Runway Safety Areas (RSAs) is required.  MWAA prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) and subsequent Finding of No Significant Impact (April 2012 – both documents available at http://www.metwashairports.com/4847.htm ) analyzing the potential environmental impacts associated with proposed enhancements to the Runway 4-22 and Runway 15-33 RSAs. 

To comply with the FAA Order, MWAA will need to extend Runway 15-33 into the Potomac River, which will require approximately 5.3 acres of fill.  Of those 5.3 acres owned by the United States Government, 2.4 acres of river bottom is administered by the National Park Service (NPS).  The NPS would be required to transfer the administrative jurisdiction of 1.94 acres of that land to the FAA for the purposes of safety improvements.  This acreage is considered riverine wetlands by the NPS and therefore is subject to the NPS Director's requirements to protect and preserve wetlands (Director's Order, or D.O., 77-1). 

Because the proposal would result in adverse impacts on wetlands, D.O. 77-1 directs that a Statement of Findings (SOF) must be completed.  Before transferring the administrative jurisdiction, the NPS must describe in the SOF: the wetlands being impacted in terms of their overall ecological functions and values; any reasonable alternatives that avoids impacts to wetlands; rationale for the use of said wetlands; and details of what wetland area(s) would be restored to compensate for this loss or degradation and how that would be accomplished. 

For projects requiring authorization by both NPS and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), mitigations that satisfy both entities' permitting requirements are strongly encouraged by D.O. 77-1.  In recent months, the FAA and MWAA have been meeting with the NPS, USACE, the Washington, DC District Department of the Environment (DDOE), and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to discuss the mitigation requirements and opportunities for each agency.  MWAA presented the NPS with a mitigation proposal for the impacts caused by the proposed expansion of Runway 15-33 that consists of funding the construction of a continuous breakwater located along the edge of the historic promontory as part of the initial phase of the Dyke Marsh Restoration Project.  The NPS is currently preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the restoration of Dyke Marsh see: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/dykemarshresoration

The USACE is supporting this planning process through a series of technical memos that provide information needed for the restoration of Dyke Marsh.  NPS understands that this proposal is under the condition that it would also qualify as mitigation for the USACE's 404 permit.

The SOF will be available for public review and comment from March 26, 2013, through midnight on­ April 25, 2013.  To review and comment on the SOF, the public is directed to the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) site (the NPS preferred method of receiving comments) at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/airportrunway15-33

Written comments may be mailed to: Superintendent, the National Park Service, George Washington Memorial Parkway c/o Turkey Run Park, McLean, VA 22101, and must be postmarked by April 25, 2013 to receive consideration. 

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time.  While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

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Mike O'Connell
Environmental Protection Specialist
National Park Service
700 George Washington Memorial Parkway
McLean, VA 22101-1717