The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), invites the public to review and comment on a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed land trade and construction of a sewage treatment facility at Beaver Dam State Park.
The draft EA evaluates several proposed actions, including the preferred alternative of transferring the federal obligation on approximately 10 acres of federal aid lands funded under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program to approximately 10 acres of land owned by the State of Illinois, and the subsequent construction of a sewage treatment facility on the Pittman-Robertson tract. The project is expected to cost $580,000 and would be paid for with state funds.
Beaver Dam State Park is located in Macoupin County, approximately 45 miles southwest of Springfield. It encompasses 751 acres, of which 312 acres were purchased by the Illinois DNR using federal aid funds from the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program. More than 300,000 people visit Beaver Dam State Park annually to enjoy the parks amenities, including camping, fishing, boating, hunting, hiking and picnicking.
Many capital improvements have been made on the non-federal aid portion of the site since the State of Illinois purchased it in 1947. Currently, however, the park does not have an adequate sewage collection/treatment system to handle wastewater effluent.
The preferred alternative in the EA would address this issue by: 1) transferring the federal interest to a nearby location in the park and making available 10 acres of land for the construction of the sewage treatment facility, 2) allowing installation of a sewage collection system to capture the effluent generated at the parks facilities, and 3) allowing construction of the sewage treatment facility on the 10 acres traded from federal interest.
The other three alternatives being considered are the "No Action" alternative; purchasing land adjacent to the state park for the construction of the sewage treatment system; and pumping the sewage approximately seven miles to a wastewater treatment plant at Carlinville.
The draft EA was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, which applies to the actions of all federal agencies.
The proposed project is also being reviewed under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The area of potential effect for this undertaking is the 10 acres of federal aid lands identified for the sewage treatment facility and the portions of the park where the sewage collection pipeline will be installed. No cultural resources are known to be located at any of these location; however, the Service and the DNR ask that the public inform them about archeological sites, buildings and structures, historic places, cemeteries, and traditional uses that could influence decisions about the project.
Copies of the draft EA are available from the DNR main offices, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271, phone 217/785-5922; and at Beaver Dam State Park, 14548 Beaver Dam Lane, Plainview, IL 62685, phone 217/854-8020.
The draft EA is also available on the Fish and Wildlife Services Internet site at: jon_parker@fws.gov or via fax to 612/713-5290. Comments should be received no later than April 21, 2003.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
