Natural Resource Plan

On June 15, 2009, TVA published a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and to conduct a comprehensive study of its future energy and environmental stewardship needs known as the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Since publishing the NOI, TVA has determined that planning processes for the Environmental Policy goals not closely tied to energy production and use, notably Water Resource Protection and Improvement, Sustainable Land Use and Natural Resource Management, would be better addressed in a separate study – the Natural Resource Plan (NRP) and EIS.

Background

The NRP would evaluate the implementation of TVA’s reservoir lands planning, natural resource management, water resources management, and recreation processes and strategies. The content of this EIS would be consistent with TVA’s Environmental Policy and Land Policy and with the previous Shoreline Management Initiative EIS and Reservoir Operations Study EIS. Stewardship activities associated with TVA’s Aquatic Plant Management, Mosquito Management, or Reservoir Releases Improvement programs are not within the scope of the review. Similarly, this project would not result in potential changes to reservoir operations or river flows, to shoreline permitting activities, or to opening more shoreline for residential development. These specific activities have been excluded due to the prior public input processes used to establish the procedures that direct them.

TVA seeks through reservoir lands planning to integrate land and water stewardship objectives, provide for the optimum public benefit, and balance competing and sometimes conflicting resource uses. These competing interests and development pressures, coupled with today’s environmental awareness, underscore the necessity for a consistent approach to the management of TVA’s reservoir land and related resources. The NRP presents an opportunity to evaluate the current planning process and land use allocation categories from a Valleywide perspective. This review would also be an opportunity to streamline the review efforts of future land plans.

The objective of TVA’s natural resource management is to implement sustainable practices to balance protection of natural and cultural resources while providing dispersed recreation opportunities. The goal of TVA’s recreation strategy is to add value to the agency by working in partnership to enhance developed recreation opportunities and address unmet recreation needs while managing resources on and along the Tennessee River system. The EIS will evaluate a variety of activities associated with the implementation of these activities.

The Water Resources Program catalyzes and implements water quality improvement efforts that protect and improve water resources for human health, fishing, swimming, boating, drinking water supply, agricultural use, aquatic habitat, and economic development. Throughout the Valley, TVA assists local citizens, organizations, and agencies to identify and quantify water quality problems and then works collaboratively with them to develop plans and implement improvement actions.

In May 1997, TVA issued an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact for activities associated with the clean water initiative activities, now called water resource activities. The NRP would include any changes to the types of activities and techniques evaluated in the previous EA, updates to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation required for site-specific activities, and an evaluation of TVA’s ability to issue grants for certain water resource activities.

Public Involvement

All comments pertaining to this study that have been received during the IRP public scoping period will be used in the NRP project scoping. An additional public scoping comment period was held from October 2 through November 2, 2009.  Please note that any comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and will be available for public inspection.

Document

Notice of Intent (62 kb, PDF)

Contacts

For more information on the EIS, contact:

Heather L. Montgomery
NEPA Specialist
Tennessee Valley Authority
Post Office Box 1010, CTR 2W
Muscle Shoals, AL 35662-1010
(256) 386-3803
NRP@tva.gov

For general information on the project, contact:

Randall E. Johnson
NRP Project Manager
Tennessee Valley Authority
1101 Market Street, LP 5U
Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801
(423) 751-3520
rejohnson1@tva.gov