[Federal Register: March 9, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 47)] [Notices] [Page 12569-12570] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr09mr00-120] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment for the Grand Bayou/Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) Freshwater Diversion Project, Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, Louisiana AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Service announces the availability of the draft EA for the Grand Bayou/GIWW Freshwater Diversion Project. A more detailed description of the project is outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. A Copy of the draft EA may be obtained by sending a written request to the Service's Louisiana Field Office (see ADDRESSES). Requests must be made in writing to be processed. This notice is provided pursuant to NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). The Service specifically requests information, views, and opinions from the public via this Notice on the Federal action, including the identification of any other aspects of the human environment not already identified in the Service's EA. If you wish to comment, you may submit comments by any one of several methods. You may mail comments to the Service's Field Office (see ADDRESSES). You also may comment via the internet to ``Ronald__Paille@fws.gov''. Please submit comments over the internet as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Please also include your name and return address in your internet message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the Service that we have received your internet message, contact us directly at the telephone numbers listed below (see FURTHER INFORMATION). Finally, you may hand deliver comments to the Service office listed below (see ADDRESSES). Our practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address from the administrative record. We will honor such requests to the extent allowable by law. There may also be circumstances in which we would withhold from the administrative record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. We will not, however, consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. DATES: Written comments on the draft EA should be sent to the Service's Field Office (see ADDRESSES) and should be received on or before April 10, 2000. ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft EA may obtain a copy by writing to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Suite 400, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506. Documents will also be available for public inspection by appointment (Attn: Ronald Paille) during normal business hours at the Service Field Office. Written data or comments concerning the draft EA should be submitted to the [[Page 12570]] Service Field Office. The data and comments must be submitted in writing to be adequately considered in the Service's decision-making process. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ronald Paille, Senior Field Biologist, (see ADDRESSES above), telephone: 337/291-3117 or 337/291- 3100, facsimile: 337/291-3139. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Grand Bayou/GIWW Freshwater Diversion Project, was funded through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act on the Fifth Priority Project List. The project purpose is to reduce loss of coastal wetlands within the project area through increased introduction of freshwater from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and by reducing canal-induced saltwater intrusion into the project area. The proposed project would benefit about 42,690 acres of coastal wetlands by the enlargement of Bayou L'Eau Bleu to increase freshwater inflow. The preferred alternative includes water control structures. They would be installed on the Cutoff Canal, just below its junction with Bayou Pointe au Chien, and on the Island Road Borrow Canal, just west of Bayou Pointe au Chien. These water control structures would be operated to reduce canal-induced saltwater intrusion into project area wetlands. Dated: March 2, 2000. Judy L. Jones, Acting Regional Director. [FR Doc. 00-5728 Filed 3-8-00; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-U