The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers formally initiated a scoping process Nov. 20, 2018, for the Collier County Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study. USACE is the lead federal agency for this study, and Collier County is the nonfederal sponsor. The study authority is Public Law 84-71 dated June 15, 1955, which authorizes an examination and survey of coastal and tidal areas in the eastern and southern United States, with particular reference to locales where severe damage has occurred from hurricanes and tides. The project's purpose is to reduce potential damage caused by coastal storms and improve safety and coastal resiliency in Collier County.
Potential measures being considered include but are not limited to: structural and nonstructural alternatives such as increased dune height and width, increased berm height and width, a seawall behind the beach, pump stations, breakwater riprap revetments, a ring levee, elevated structures, hurricane evacuation, retreat based on elevation, revised building codes for minimal elevations, buyouts, a comprehensive evacuation plan, revised hurricane-response and emergency-preparedness plans, and natural and nature-based features such as mangrove planting, reefs, vegetative dune planting and living shorelines.
The scoping period began the public process for the generation of a National Environmental Policy Act document to assess the effects of alternatives associated with the Collier County CSRM Feasibility Study. The NEPA document being prepared is an Environmental Impact Statement. Scoping aids in determining an analysis range and any potentially significant issues. This process also helps identify alternatives and information needed to evaluate those options.
The Corps of Engineers welcomes the public’s views, questions, comments, concerns and suggestions. USACE believes this study will benefit significantly from the public’s involvement. A public NEPA Scoping Meeting took place Dec. 6, 2018, at the Collier County Administrative Building in Naples. The open house featured informational poster boards and interaction with the Corps team. The comment period for the Collier County CSRM Feasibility Study's scoping phase closed Jan. 10, 2019.