January 19, 2007

David McGillivary, 303-236-4411
Otto Jose, 303 236-8156

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking Public Comment on its Proposal
to Adopt the “Final Environmental Assessment” prepared for the
“Glenn Cunningham Lake Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project”
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) propose to adopt the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineer’s (CORPS) “Glenn Cunningham Lake Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project” and issue a “Finding of No Significant Impacts”.  The public comment period on this proposal is open for 15 days. 

Glenn Cunningham Lake, constructed in the early 1970s, is a 3,787 acre multipurpose flood control and recreation reservoir located on the northern edge of the City of Omaha in Douglas County, Nebraska.  The reservoir is supplied primarily by the Little Papillion Creek and four small tributaries to the Little Papillion Creek.  The CORPS owns and operates the dam and the surrounding project lands.  They lease the site to the City of Omaha, which administers and maintains the reservoir's recreational facilities. 

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), in cooperation with the City of Omaha, propose to construct an aquatic habitat restoration project at Glenn Cunningham Lake.  The purpose of the project is to restore and maintain the recreational fishery in the lake by improving water quality, depth diversity, and shoreline and wetland quality and by developing a quality sport fisheries.  The NGPC will assist in funding the Lake Cunningham restoration project with funds from a Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Grant, administered by the Service. 

The Service reviewed the Final EA assessing the impacts to the environment, and mitigation measures that will minimize impacts to the affected resources including threatened and endangered species, water quality, wetlands, fisheries, wildlife, prime farmland, flood storage capacity, and historic properties.  The review process determined that adverse effects would include temporary disruption of water-based recreational activities and temporary disturbance or displacement of local wildlife species during construction.  It was also determined that no adverse impacts to threatened and endangered species are expected as a result of the project. 

The Final EA will be available for review for 15 days at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office, 134 Union Boulevard, Suite 440, Lakewood, Colorado 80225 and are due by February 5, 2007.  The Final EA may also be reviewed at the following web address: http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/federalassistance 

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 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources 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 and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.