Central Federal Lands

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Central Federal Lands

• The Good (what weve done right),
• the Bad (what weve done wrong), and
• the Ugly (what we just plain dont know)

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Devil Lakes Project
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Devils Lake Elevation/Area/Volume
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Roads Acting as Dams Project

• Project Partners
• Existing Condition (roads and lake)
• Funding

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Purpose and Need

• Section 1937 of SAFETEA-LU
• The Secretary shall use funds made to . . .
  construct such measures . . . necessary for the
  continuation of roadway services, or the
  impoundment of water to protect roads, or both,
  at Devils Lake in the State of North Dakota . . .

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Alternatives

• Raise and Build Roads as Dams
• Construct Perimeter Levees
• Equalize Roads Acting as Dams

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Alternatives - Equalization
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Alternatives - Equalization
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Where are we at?

• Drafting EA
• Concurrence on Purpose and Need
• Identified Alternatives
• Affected Environment, Impacts, and Mitigation
• Team Review of EA in October

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The Good

• Partner Coordination
• Resource Agency Coordination
• Strong CFL Project Manager
• Tiered Coordination
• Quick development of EA
• GIS

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The Bad

• Roadway protection vs. land protection
• Delays due to ever changing scope
• Roadway agency building dams
• Katrina, Katrina, Katrina
• Inadequate funding

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The Ugly

• Evaluating impacts of a rapidly changing natural
  system
• Whos to blame for impacts, God or us?
• Consider a natural event in cumulative effects?
• Coordinating NEPA review of three agencies
• Who speaks for the Tribe?

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Sage Creek Project, WY
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Location Map
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• (Maintenance Funds)

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Where are we at?

• Drafting Purpose and Need
• Had one public meeting, response moderate
• Met with FS resource staff
• Project not yet programmed
• Phased programming

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Purpose and Need

• Unstated PN is political
• Additional items
• Address safety concerns
• Reduce maintenance demand
• Provide linkage N-S
• Projected ADT75

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The Good

• Some streamlining processes in place
• USFS/FWS ESA Streamlining Team
• Early acquisition of data
• GIS
• Resource staff meeting
• Public meeting/survey
• CSS--Considering use of Very Low Volume Design
  Criteria

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The Bad

• Inadequate planning
• No project agreement
• Partner roles not clearly defined
• Unstated PN
• Difficulty developing an honest PN
• Avoid overdesign
• Confusion regarding GIS

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The Ugly
(or, what we dont know)

• No mechanism to look at big picture issues
• Information needs for completing NEPA?
• Phased Programming
• Projects several years out
• How do we convey the effects of politics on
  timelines?