The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites the surrounding communities to attend a virtual public meeting on Aug. 6 to review, submit feedback and comment on the draft Foster Joseph Sayers (FJS) Dam and Reservoir Master Plan and draft Environmental Assessment (EA).
The virtual public meeting on Aug. 6 will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Please use the following information to call into the audio meeting:
Call-in phone number: 877-873-8018
Access code: 1269627
Security code: 1234
The draft master plan and draft EA can be found on the FJS Master Plan revision website. The draft Plan and EA can also be found in physical form in the following locations:
Bald Eagle State Park, 149 Main Park Road, Howard, PA 16841 (located in the lobby)
Centre County Library, 200 N Allegheny St, Bellefonte, PA 16823
Ross Library, 232 W Main St, Lock Haven, PA, 17745
The public can provide comments and feedback regarding the draft EA and draft master plan until Aug. 21, 2020 to Michael Schuster at (410) 962-8160 or at Michael.J.Schuster@usace.army.mil. Additionally, questions can be mailed to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning Division, Subject: Foster Joseph Sayers Dam and Reservoir, 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21201.
All updates regarding the Master Plan revision, public meeting information and ways to submit comments or questions may be found on the following site: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Foster-Joseph-Sayers-Dam-Master-Plan-Revision/.
About the FJS Dam and Reservoir Master Plan Revision
FJS Dam and Reservoir, named in memory of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Private First Class Foster Joseph Sayers, has prevented an estimated $233 million in flood damages for downstream communities since the project’s operational completion in 1969. Located on Bald Eagle Creek in Centre County, Pa., the project has a storage capacity of 99,000 acre-feet and controls a drainage area of 339 square miles. It was authorized by the Flood Control Act of Sept. 3, 1954, and is described in House Document No. 29, 84th Congress, first session. The project is primarily operated for flood control, but is also used for recreation and fish and wildlife management. It is a unit of the comprehensive flood control plan for the protection of communities in the West Branch Susquehanna River Basin.
This Master Plan update does not significantly change the current operations or recreational opportunities at the project, as suggested reclassifications comply with current USACE regulations and guidance but do not change land management or land uses.
The main purpose of the MP revision is to align the prior land classifications from the 1974 MP in accordance with current policy and regulations including Engineering Regulation (ER) 1130-2-550 and ER 1130-2-540, and corresponding Engineering Pamphlets (EPs). In compliance with NEPA, USACE has prepared a draft EA and evaluated potential impacts of the updated draft MP on the natural, cultural, and human environment. The EA determined negligible impacts would occur to the following resources: air quality, greenhouse gases and climate, geology and topography, water resources, soils and prime farmland, noise, land use and recreation, cultural resources, utilities, hazardous materials and waste, socioeconomics and environmental justice, and traffic and transportation. Negligible and beneficial impacts would occur to biological resources. Based on the preliminary findings in the draft EA, USACE anticipates issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
Master Plans have no set timeframe for revisions, but they are developed to have an effective lifespan of 15 to 25 years. The current Master Plan for FJS dates back to 1974. The revision is also a part of a larger, Corps-wide effort to bring master plans up to date across the country.