FEMA is seeking public comment on proposed actions to restore the eroded Gulf Coast shoreline along Navarre Beach on Santa Rosa Island, Santa Rosa County, Florida resulting from Hurricane Sally. Interested persons may obtain information about these actions by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing FEMA-R4EHP-FLORIDA@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing with the subject line, "PA 4564-00146, Navarre Beach Restoration Project" at the above address within 15 days of the date of this notice.
FEMA PUBLIC NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT NAVARRE BEACH RESTORATION PROJECT
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, FLORIDA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice to the public of its intent to reimburse eligible applicants for eligible costs to repair or replace facilities damaged by Hurricane Sally occurring during the incident period of September 14, 2020, to September 28, 2020. This notice applies to the Public Assistance (PA) project for the Santa Rosa County proposed restoration of the eroded Gulf Coast shoreline along Navarre Beach on Santa Rosa Island, Santa Rosa County, Florida, implemented under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207.
Under a major disaster declaration, FEMA-DR-4564-FL, signed by President Trump on September 23, 2020, Santa Rosa County was designated as adversely affected by the disaster and eligible for PA funding.
This public notice concerns activities pertaining to the Santa Rosa County proposed restoration of the eroded Gulf Coast shoreline along Navarre Beach on Santa Rosa Island, Santa Rosa County, Florida. The proposed restoration activities would occur along approximately 18,528 linear feet (3.5 miles) of engineered beach, beach berm, and dune system between Florida R-192 + 460’ and R-210.5 + 138’. The approximate start and end GPS coordinates for the entire length of the eroded shoreline to be restored are (30.371122, -86.918464) to (30.379370, -86.860547). The project consists of placing approximately 254,222 CY of engineered beach sand whose loss was attributed to Hurricane Sally plus sand lost from background erosion up to the full engineered template. Santa Rosa County will place up to 750,000 CY of sand on Navarre Beach by excavating up to 1,000,000 CY of sand from the offshore borrow areas T2-1A and T2-1B.
Offshore borrow areas T2-1A and T2-1B are sand ridges located approximately four (4) miles offshore of Navarre Beach in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico (30.283247176, -86.839156179) and contain high-quality, beach-compatible sand consistent with the “sand rule” in Chapter 62B- 41.007(i)(j) 1.-5. Florida Administrative Coda (FAC).
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)Parts 1500 to 1508), FEMA’s Instruction 108-1-1 for implementing NEPA, the National Historic Preservation Act, Executive Order 11988, Executive Order 11990, and 44 CFR Part 9, FEMA has prepared a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA). An alternatives analysis was performed, which included the evaluation of the proposed action and the No Action alternative.
Further detailed descriptions of all alternatives may be reviewed in the SEA conducted by FEMA or by contacting FEMA-R4EHP-FLORIDA@fema.dhs.gov for a copy. The draft SEA is available for publiccomment and can be viewed on FEMA’s, the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s (FDEM), and Santa Rosa County’s websites at the following locations:
FEMA WEBSITE LOCATION:
https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/environmental-historic/nepa/ supplemental-environmental-11
FDEM WEBSITE LOCATION:
www.floridadisaster.org/info/Sally
SANTA ROSA COUNTY WEBSITE LOCATION:
https://www.santarosa.fl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7362/fema_pa_dr_4564_00146_fl_navarre_ beach-sea
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires federal agencies to consult with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for affects to federally listed threatened and endangered species. Existing Programmatic Biological Opinions with NMFS and USFWS and corresponding standard species conditions would be utilized to minimize impacts to listed species by applying appropriate terms and conditions.
The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires federal agencies to take into account the effect of their undertakings on historic properties. FEMA consulted with the Florida State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and eleven (11) Tribes with ancestral interest in Santa Rosa County, Florida. Tribal consultation letters were submitted to eleven (11) federally recognized Tribes with ancestral interest in Santa Rosa County, Florida. FEMA received concurrence with the determination of No Historic Properties Affected from The Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma responded to FEMA’s consultation letter with the request that a cultural resource assessment survey (CRAS) of the project area be conducted. No objections to the proposed project were expressed by the remaining nine (9) Tribes with ancestral interest in Navarre Beach nor the FL SHPO. A Phase I Cultural Resource Assessment Survey (CRAS) of the project area was conducted. Upon its review of the Phase I CRAS report for the Navarre Beach Restoration project, FEMA made a determination of No Historic Properties Affected. FEMA re-initiated consultation with the FL SHPO and eleven (11) Tribes with ancestral interest in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma concurred with FEMA’s determination of No Historic Properties Affected, while the FL SHPO requested that select edits be made to the CRAS report. The requested edits were made, and the revised report was submitted to the FL SHPO. The FL SHPO concurred with the findings and recommendations of the survey and FEMA’s determination of No Historic Properties Affected. No objections to the proposed project were expressed by the remaining nine (9) Tribes with ancestral interest in Santa Rosa County.
Presidential Executive Orders 11988 and 11990 require that all federal actions in or affecting the floodplain or wetlands be reviewed for opportunities to relocate and evaluated for social, economic, historical, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. The proposed beach restoration project would be located within a Coastal High Hazard Area, otherwise known as Zone VE, per Santa Rosa County Unincorporated Areas Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) #12113C0588H, 12113C0569H, and 12113C0657H, dated November 19, 2021. The engineered beach facility is functionally dependent upon its location within the floodplain and facilitates open space use of the floodplain for recreational value. It also provides habitat for wildlife and a higher level of protection to adjacent properties. If no action is taken to replenish Navarre Beach and maintain its engineered template, improved property adjacent to the project area would remain vulnerable to storm surge, wave action, and erosion. In addition, the area would suffer economic and social losses.
This notice serves as the final public notice regarding the above-described action proposed for funded by the FEMA PA Program. Interested persons may obtain information about these actions by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing FEMA-R4EHP-FLORIDA@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing with the subject line, “PA 4564-00146, Navarre Beach Restoration Project” at the above address within 15 days of the date of this notice.