The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District hosted a public meeting to discuss and seek input on the development of an environmental assessment document for the Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project Jan. 12 in Stuart, Fla.
Interested individuals, groups and agencies were invited to attend, comment and ask questions. More than 20 members of the public were in attendance at the meeting, along with numerous representatives from federal and state agencies.
“As we develop our plan to restore the Loxahatchee River Watershed, we want to ensure that everyone who is interested in providing input has the opportunity to do so,” said Andy LoSchiavo, Jacksonville District’s environmental technical lead for the project. “This public meeting will provide background on the project, discuss the steps needed to develop a final plan and get feedback from those in attendance.”
Comments on the project will be accepted through Feb. 5, 2015. They can be submitted electronically to: andrew.j.loschiavo@usace.army.mil, or mailed to:
Andrew LoSchiavo
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
701 San Marco Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32207
The Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project aims to restore and sustain the overall quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of freshwater to the federally designated “National Wild and Scenic” Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River for current and future generations. The project also seeks to restore, sustain, and reconnect the area’s wetlands and watersheds that form the historic headwaters for the river.
Planning efforts for the Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project were put on hold in 2011 and have now been restarted. The project team is in the process of re-scoping the project, and will use existing plan formulation data and analysis to develop a final plan, known as a Project Implementation Report and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Assessment, to prepare for congressional authorization.
Additional information is available online at www.bit.ly/LRWRP_CERP.