News Release
| Release Number: | 97-058 |
| Dated: | 6/13/1997 |
| Contact: | Public Affairs Office, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore. -- The public is invited to comment on a draft environmental assessment (EA) which addresses the impacts of transferring about 81 acres of property from the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to the city of North Bonneville, Wash.
The Water Resources Development Act of 1996 (WRDA 1996) authorized the Corps to turn over all right, title and interest in four parcels of land (about 81 acres) within the city limits of the city of North Bonneville at no further cost to the city.
The city of North Bonneville was relocated by the Corps prior to construction of the second powerhouse at Bonneville Lock and Dam, 40 miles east of Portland, Ore., on the Columbia River. The purpose of this land transfer, as detailed in the EA and specified in WRDA 1996, is to resolve all outstanding issues between the United States and the city of North Bonneville.
The EA describes each of the four sites and the ways they may be used after the land transfer is completed. All four parcels are within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, North Bonneville Urban Area. The city has identified potential use of the lands for single and multi-family housing, light industry and a business park, and a mix of commercial recreation and multi-family housing.
Threatened and endangered species issues, archeological and cultural resource issues, and environmental effects over the long term are noted in the draft EA. The proposed land transfer would have no direct effects on the environment. The EA is being circulated for 30-day public review. Comments have been requested from federal and state agencies, tribes and other interested parties.
If you have questions or comments on the draft Environmental Assessment, or would like a copy of that document, please telephone Lynne Hamilton, Environmental Resource Branch, (503) 808-4772, or write to the following address: District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District, Portland, Attn: CENWP-PE-E, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, Ore., 97208-2946. Comments must be mailed by July 14, 1997.