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Scoping Letter for St. Augustine Florida Back Bay CSRM Feasibility Study

Department of the Army
Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Planning and Policy Division
Environmental Branch
February 9, 2023

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District (Corps) is beginning preparation of an integrated Feasibility Study and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document to address coastal storm damages and risks in the City of St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida.  The City of St. Augustine is the Non-Federal Sponsor (NFS) for this feasibility study, utilizing authority granted under House Resolution 2646, in accordance with Section 110 of the River and Harbor Act of 1962, Public Law 87-874.  The Corps is currently gathering information to define issues and concerns that will be addressed in an analysis to be prepared in compliance with the NEPA.
The City of St. Augustine is located on the Atlantic Coast in the vicinity of the Tolomato, Matanzas, and San Sebastian rivers which includes a portion of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in St. Johns County, Florida (see Figure 1).  The study area encompasses the City of St. Augustine’s municipal boundary which consists of residential dwellings, commercial businesses, significant historic and cultural areas, as well as wetlands, waterways, fish and wildlife resources, and Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) units (Usina Beach Unit P04A, Conch Island Unit P05, and Conch Island P05P - Otherwise Protected Area (OPA)) as designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see Figure 2).   
Section 110 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1962 provides authority for the Corps to develop and construct projects for coastal storm risk management (CSRM).  The purpose of the St. Augustine Back Bay CSRM Feasibility Study is to reduce the risk of future coastal storm damages in the study area driven by flooding, erosion, and wave attack, along with the effects of future sea level rise and tidal flooding.  These hazards threaten infrastructure and public safety in the City’s municipal boundary from the surrounding rivers and waterways and reduce the environmental quality of the adjacent waters and wetlands.  Infrastructure located in the study area includes residential homes, public parkland, residential and commercial properties, cultural resources, roads, and major hurricane evacuation routes (Florida State Road A1A, State Road Route 1, State Road 312, State Road 16, State Road 214, San Marco Avenue, Anastasia Park Road, and A1A Beach Boulevard). 
The objectives of the study include (1) reduce flooding caused by coastal storms, extreme high tides, and future projected sea level rise in the study area; (2) explore opportunities to increase community resiliency from future coastal storms.  Issues that are anticipated include concern for aesthetics, cultural resources, recreation, socioeconomics, environmental justice, wetlands, fish and wildlife resources, threatened and endangered species, CBRA Units, and water quality.  CSRM measures to be evaluated may include a combination of structural (i.e., tidal gates, seawalls, revetments, levees, drainage improvements, building elevation, etc.), non-structural (i.e., relocation, buyouts, etc.), and natural and nature-based features (i.e., living shorelines, vegetated features, oyster reefs, and maritime forests).
The Corps welcomes your scoping comments, views, and information about environmental and cultural resources, study objectives, and important features within the described project area.  There will be an opportunity to participate in a public NEPA scoping meeting on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Lightner Museum (City of St. Augustine) - 1st Floor, City Commission Meeting Room - 75 King Street, St. Augustine FL 32084.  
Detailed meeting information, including how to access the meeting via livestream link will be published on the project’s website (https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Shore-Protection/St-Johns-County/St-Augustine-Beach-Florida-Back-Bay-Feasibility-Study/) and social media platforms (https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict/ and @JaxStrong).  The Corps will accept written scoping comments regarding the proposed project via email to CESAJ-St.AugBackBayCSRM@usace.army.mil (recommended subject line: “St. Augustine Back Bay CSRM NEPA Scoping Comments”) or by U.S. mail to the address below through March 10, 2023. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Attn: Mr. Darren Pecora
701 San Marco Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL  32207-8915

All individuals who respond with scoping comments will be included in future mailings.  Others may be added to the mailing by making a written request by email to the address above.  All comments will be summarized, addressed, and used to inform the St. Augustine Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study.
If you have questions, please contact Mr. Darren Pecora at 904-232-2286 or via email at Darren.J.Pecora@usace.army.mil.  Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Gretchen S. Ehlinger, Ph.D.
Chief, Environmental Branch

St. Augustine Florida Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study

November 2024 webinar flyer

Public Invited to Observe St. Augustine Back Bay Study Project Delivery Team Discussions
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, and the City of St. Augustine invite the public to observe its monthly planning meetings for the St. Augustine Back Bay CSRM Feasibility Study every third Thursday of the month from 1-2:30 p.m.  The next webinar will be held Nov. 21, 2024. 
Find previous presentations and meeting notes in the links to your right.
The open plan formulation and discussion is being conducted to ensure public visibility and awareness of the study team’s deliberations and progress. The team will collect comments at the end of the session; however, they will not be able to respond to questions from participants.
The public webinars will include project delivery team discussion, key updates to the planning process, discussion of key schedule milestones, open discussion with representatives of federal, state and local agencies engaged in the study, and other issues as they present themselves.
Join the discussion via Webex at https://usace1.webex.com/meet/jason.s.harrah.
Alternately, join by telephone to listen to the discussion. Dial 1-844-800-2712 and enter access code 199 614 3322 when prompted. 
No reservation is required and all are welcome. Please join us!

Public Workshop October 2024

USACE Jacksonville District to conduct St. Augustine Back Bay Study public workshop Oct. 23
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, in coordination with the City of St. Augustine, will conduct the third in a series of semi-annual public workshops devoted to the St. Augustine, Florida, Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study.
The event will take place Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the Alcazar Room at City Hall, 75 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32085 beginning at 6 p.m. All residents and interested parties are encouraged to attend; no pre-registration is necessary. The study is designed to develop the best combination of available alternatives intended to protect the City of St. Augustine from coastal and inland flooding.
USACE and city representatives will present the team’s initial array of alternatives and seek public input as it begins its in depth analysis of each alternative. That analysis will consider cost, risk reduction, environmental benefits and impacts, viewshed and real estate requirements among others as it develops a final array of alternatives by June 2025.
The presentation will conclude with an open forum workshop session where the public are encouraged to raise their concerns and suggestions for alternatives to address flooding in each of the study’s three model reaches and 17 neighborhoods. Comments and suggestions will be collected for review and consideration as the study progresses.
For those who cannot attend in person, the evening’s proceedings may be viewed in real time on the city’s web stream at https://www.citystaug.com/616/Watch-Meetings-Online.

Back Bay Study: Engineering & Economic Considerations, Building Resilience

Purpose of the St. Augustine Back Bay Feasibility Study
The St. Augustine, Florida Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study will conduct activities and tasks required to identify and evaluate alternatives and produce a decision document that, as appropriate, recommends a coordinated and implementable solution for hurricane protection, storm damage reduction, beach erosion control, and other related purposes at St. Augustine, Florida.
In partnership with the City of St. Augustine and its stakeholders, the study will explore effective, economically-viable and environmentally-sound solutions to mitigate risks and build enduring coastal resiliency - and amidst the potential impacts of sea level rise on the city’s character and livability. 
A feasibility study is the first step toward a potential federally-cost shared water resources project that could be one piece of the City of St. Augustine’s overall, long-range flood resiliency strategy.
The typical cost of a CSRM study is $3 million. The cost will be split 50/50 percent between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers  (USACE) and the City of St. Augustine, Florida. 

Monthly Planning Meeting Presentations and Minutes

Environmental Focus Group Presentation and Meeting Notes

News Releases

Helpful Links

Social Media Channels

Contact

Jacksonville District
Corporate Communications Office
904-510-1881 / 904-232-2568