Corps Announces Finding of No Significant Impact on Proposed Park Operations.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in proposed changes for park operations. The decrease in recreation funding drove the District to look for ways to reduce expenditures while striving to provide the public with facilities that meet Corps standards.

A total of 68 park areas at 11 lakes were identified for consideration to undertake some form of action to gain operational efficiencies. A variety of measures were considered which could provide potential efficiencies on a park area specific basis. The proposed alternative measures discussed in the environmental assessment (EA) include: reduction of services (45 areas), shortening of the season when selected parks are open (8 areas), lease concessionaire to a private party (1 area), closure of a section of certain parks (6 areas), and full closure of certain parks (10 areas).

During the 30-day public review period for the EA numerous comments were received regarding adverse effects to the local community if a portion of Walling Bend Park at Whitney Lake were closed. The Corps of Engineers (COE) subsequently reassessed its anticipated operations and maintenance funding and identified sufficient funds to allow Walling Bend Park in its entirety to remain open. This change in the proposed action is noted in this finding only and discussions in the EA were not revised.

The EA revealed a finding of no significant impact to human and natural environment associated with the implementation of the proposed action. The complete FONSI is available at: http://www.swf.usace.army.mil/Pubdata/notices/EA/EAforOperChanges/ final_ea-fonsi_8jul05.pdf. (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

Visit the Fort Worth District website at: www.swf.usace.army.mil.