Mountain Reservoirs Land Management Plan

Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee

TVA requests your comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Land Management Plan for TVA lands on nine mountain reservoirs. Please submit your comments by September 29, 2008. Instructions for submitting comments are described below.

The Draft EIS describes the potential impacts of alternative ways of managing 6,222 acres of TVA land on the following reservoirs: Apalachia, Blue Ridge, Chatuge, Fontana, Hiwassee, Nottely, Ocoee 1 (Parksville), Ocoee 2, and Ocoee 3. (View maps of the nine mountain reservoirs.) The purpose of the proposed land plan is to guide the use of the lands over the next decade by allocating them into one of the following zones: Project Operations, Sensitive Resource Management, Natural Resource Conservation, Industrial, Developed Recreation, and Shoreline Access.

This Draft EIS addresses three alternatives: the No Action Alternative, under which TVA would not adopt a new land management plan, and two action alternatives that allocate TVA reservoir shorelands into one of six land allocation zones. Under the Proposed Land Use Plan Alternative, the zone allocations would generally be consistent with existing land uses. Under the Proposed Modified Land Use Plan Alternative, five tracts totaling 105 acres would be allocated to the more development-oriented uses of Developed Recreation and Industrial than under the Proposed Land Use Plan Alternative. Under all alternatives, the uses of TVA lands already committed through land use agreements with other parties would not change.

Public involvement

A public scoping period was conducted from June 1 to June 30, 2007 to help TVA determine potential uses of the land parcels being planned and issues to be addressed in the EIS. The results of this scoping are summarized in a Summary of Public Participation report.

The comment period on the Draft EIS and Plan runs through September 29, 2008. See the directions for submitting comments below. TVA will also hold a public meeting to explain and receive comments on the Draft EIS and Plan during this comment period. The meeting will be held in the Mountain Reservoirs area; additional meeting details will be posted here once they are finalized.

Documents

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Draft Environmental Impact Statement The Draft EIS and Plan are available below as a single large file and as smaller files divided, (PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader). Paper or CD-ROM copies may be requested from Mr. Parr at the address below.

Complete Draft EIS and Plan (PDF, 11 mb)

Summary and Table of Contents (PDF, 407 kb)
Includes an abstract, a summary of Draft EIS, the table of contents, and a glossary.

Chapter 1, Purpose and Need for Action (PDF, 363 kb)
Includes the purpose of the proposed land management plan, goals of the plan, other pertinent environmental reviews, and summary of the public scoping process.

Chapter 2, Alternatives (PDF, 665 kb)
A description of the three alternatives, and a comparison of the alternatives. Includes a list of proposed mitigation measures

Chapter 3, Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences (PDF, 1.1 mb)
Detailed description of the environmental setting and a discussion of the identified resources, and other issues of concern in the area around the mountain reservoirs and a discussion of the environmental consequences under the three alternatives for each specified resource.

Chapters 4, 5, and 6, Supporting Information (PDF, 200 kb)
Lists of preparers; agencies and individuals receiving copies; literature cited; and index.

Appendix A (PDF, 320 kb)
TVA Land Policy

Appendix B (PDF, 2.5 mb)
Scoping Document and Summary of Public Participation

Appendix C (PDF, 150 kb)
Mountain Bike Trails Inventory in Mountain Reservoirs Region.

Appendix D (PDF, 150 kb)
Forecast System Definitions

Appendix E (PDF, 256 kb)
Comparison of Alternatives by Reservoir and Parcel Number

Appendix F (PDF, 178 kb)
Suitability/Capability Analysis Criteria

Appendix G (PDF, 2.2 mb)
Archaeology Programmatic Agreements

Appendix H (PDF, 135 kb)
Flood Profiles

Appendix I (PDF, 181 kb)
Common Species from Chatuge, Hiwassee, Blue Ridge, Nottely, Ocoee 1, Apalachia, and Fontana Reservoirs

Appendix J (PDF, 162 kb)
Scenic Value Criteria for Scenery Inventory and Management

Appendix K (PDF, 181 kb)
Mountain Lakes Boating Capacity

Index (PDF, 199 kb)

Related Documents

Maps of mountain reservoirs

General fact sheet (PDF, 92 kb)

Land planning process

Summary of Public Participation (PDF, 243 kb)

Federal Register Notice of Intent to prepare a DEIS (PDF, 58 kb)

Submitting Comments

Please use the online comment form to make a comment, or mail comments to the address below. Please note that any comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and will be available for public inspection.

Mountain Reservoirs Land Management Plan
Attn.: Ken Parr
TVA NEPA Resources
1101 Market Street, LP 5U.
Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801
(423) 751-4254
kpparr@tva.gov

A printed copy or CD-ROM of the DEIS may be requested from Mr. Parr.