PN14-29 Severn River and Magothy River Ski Club/Water Ski Course/Buoys - Anne Arundel Co.

Published May 19, 2014
Expiration date: 6/18/2014

                                              

                    Public Notice                   

U.S. Army Corps           In Reply to Application Number:                                                                      

of Engineers                 CENAB-OP-RMN 2013-61708-M18 (Severn River and Magothy Baltimore District                          River Ski Club / Water Ski Course / Buoys)

                           

PN 14-29                         Comment Period:  May 19, 2014 to June 18, 2014 

                               

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC NOTICE IS TO SOLICIT COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE WORK DESCRIBED BELOW.  NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A PERMIT WILL BE ISSUED AT THIS TIME.

This District has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 as described below:

APPLICANT:      Severn River and Magothy River Ski Club

                             Attn: Mr. Jim Wilson

                             214 Oak Court

                             Severna Park, Maryland 21146

   

LOCATION AND WATERWAY: In Maynadier Creek/Severn River adjacent to the communities of Maynadier and Bayberry Hill, in Crownsville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland .

 

WORK:  To permanently install buoys and realign a regulation American Water Ski Association (AWSA) slalom water ski course within a 75-foot wide by 850-foot long open water area consisting of 22 anchored rubber buoys, 9 to 11 inches in diameter, placed in a regular pattern as the course markers and two, 55-meter buoys, one at each end of the course.  The buoys are to be attached to concrete anchors with polypropylene rope and rubber surgical tubing.  Styrofoam sub-buoys will be attached four feet below the water surface.  The ski course is to be located a minimum of 600 feet from shore and 350 feet from existing piers.  Total minimum length of a regulation slalom water ski curse is 1,970 feet.  The ski course is intended to be used daily for practice and training during the spring through fall seasons.  The purpose of the revised alignment of the ski course is to meet current AWSA standards for a slalom water ski course and to provide a safer tow-path by setting the buoys further from existing piers at the end of the course than in the original authorized alignment.  The original ski course alignment was approved by the Corps on September 13, 1990 and was authorized to be used from noon on each Monday to sunset on each Thursday, except during the time of year use restriction between March 15th to June 15th of any year.  All work is to be completed in accordance with the enclosed plans dated September 2013.  If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Mr. Richard Kibby at 410-962-0694 or at richard.kibby@usace.army.mil.

The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impacts, including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest.  That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources.  The benefit, which reasonable may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments.  All factors, which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are conservation, economic, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, and consideration of property ownership and in general, the needs and welfare of the people.

The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity.  Any comments received will be considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal.  To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above.  Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.  Comments provided will become part of the public record for this action.  Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity. 

Written comments concerning the work described above related to the factors listed above or other pertinent factors must be received by the District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, [Attn: Mr. Richard Kibby, CENAB-OP-RMN], P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland, 21203-1715 or richard.kibby@usace.army.milwithin the comment period specified above.

ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT:  The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), as amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (Public Law 04-267), requires all Federal agencies to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on all actions, or proposed actions, permitted, funded, or undertaken by the agency that may adversely effect Essential Fish Habitat (EFH).

The project site is adjacent to EFH as described under MSFCMA for windowpane flounder (Scopthalmus aquosos) juvenile and adult; blue fish (Pomatomus saltatrix) juvenile and adult; summer flounder (Paralicthys dentatus) juvenile and adult; and egg, larvae, juvenile and adult stages of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla), spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculates), and cobia (Rachycentron canadum), all managed species under the MSFCMA.  The project site lies within EFH for juvenile life stages of bluefish and juvenile and adult life stages of summer flounder.  The project has the potential to adversely affect EFH or the species of concern by loss of spawning, nursery, forage and/or shelter habitat as described under the MSFCMA for the species and life stages identified above.  The Baltimore District has made a preliminary determination that site-specific impacts would not be substantial and an abbreviated consultation will be conducted with NMFS.  This determination may be modified if additional information indicates otherwise and would change the preliminary determination.

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS:  Where applicable, the applicant has certified in this application that the proposed activity complies with and will be conducted in a manner consistent with the approved Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program.  By this public notice, we are requesting the State concurrence or objection to the applicant’s consistency statement.  Public comments relating to consistency must be received by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Wetlands and Waterways Program, Montgomery Park Business Center, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 430, Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1708 within the comment period as specified above to receive consideration.  MDE has a statutory limit of 6 months to concur or object to the applicant’s consistency determination.

The applicant must obtain any State or local government permits which may be required.

A preliminary review of this application indicates that the proposed work will not affect Federal listed threatened or endangered species or their critical habitat, pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, as amended.  As the evaluation of this application continues, additional information may become available which could modify this preliminary determination.

Review of the latest published version of the National Register of Historic Places indicates that no registered properties listed as eligible for inclusion, therein, are located at the site of the proposed work.  Currently unknown archeological, scientific, prehistoric, or historical data may be lost or destroyed by the work to be accomplished under the request permit.

Any person who has an interest which may be adversely affected by the issuance of this permit may request a public hearing.  The request, which must be in writing, must be received by the District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, [Attn: Mr. Richard Kibby, CENAB-OP-RMN], P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715,  within the comment period as specified above to receive consideration.  Also, it must clearly set forth the interest which may be adversely affected by this activity and the manner in which the interest may be adversely affected.

It is requested that you communicate this information concerning the proposed work to any persons know by you to be interested and not being known to this office, who did not receive a copy of this notice.

FOR THE DISTRICT ENGINEER:

Joseph P. DaVia

Chief, Maryland Section Northern