FORT PECK TEST RELEASE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

In the January 19, 2018 amendment to the October 30, 2017 Biological Assessment (BA) for the Operation of the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System, the Operation and Maintenance of the Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project, the Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System, and the Implementation of the Missouri River Recovery Management Plan (MRRMP), the USACE proposed, among other things to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) to “review previous information and information generated since the effects analysis to formulate test flow releases from Fort Peck Dam and an adaptive management framework for their implementation.” 

This commitment was relied upon by the USFWS in its 2018 Biological Opinion (BiOp) finding that the USACE’s proposed action is ‘not likely to jeopardize’ pallid sturgeon. The EIS will document the formulation and evaluation of test-flow alternatives from Fort Peck Dam intended to benefit pallid sturgeon. 

SCOPING MEETINGS - UPDATED***

The EIS scoping period has been extended through March 26, 2019.  Public comments are invited to assist in identifying the scope of potentially affected environmental, social, and economic issues relevant to the proposed Federal action and determining reasonable alternatives to be considered in the EIS. Information about the project is available on the Missouri River Recovery Program website at:  www.moriverrecovery.org.

In-person public scoping meetings were held from 5:30 pm to 7:30pm on:

• Tuesday, February 19 at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center, Yellowstone Road, Fort Peck, Montana, 59223.
• Wednesday, February 20 at the Williams County Administrative Building, 206 East Broadway, Williston, North Dakota, 58801

Scoping comments can be emailed to:  cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil.

Scoping comments can also be mailed to:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, ATTN: CENWO-PM-AC- Fort Peck EIS, 1616 Capitol Avenue, Omaha, NE  68102

Please note that before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or any other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment-including your personal identifying information-may be made available to the public at any time.  While you can request us to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.