Draft Planning Criteria For Pilot PL 83-566/78-534 Rehabilitation Projects

1. All pilot projects should include the following five categories in their planning process. The amount of time and energy spent on each category will be determined during scoping activities. The five categories are:

(a) Scoping Activities.
Scoping is very important as it determines what will be studied and the extent to which it will be studied. The first step is to gather all available information concerning the watershed area. Next should be a public meeting where all individuals and groups, with an interest in the watershed, are invited to participate. The objective of the meeting, and any other scoping activities, is to determine the critical issues to be studied and identify additional information needed to make decisions about these critical issues.

(b) Problems and Opportunities
The need for the rehabilitation project, as well as other opportunities to improve the quality of life in the area, should be clearly demonstrated in this section. Problems and opportunities should be an outgrowth of the critical issues identified during the scoping process.

(c) Alternatives to be Considered
Rehabilitation pilot projects should always include the no action (without project condition) and decommissioning/removal alternatives. Other alternatives that will normally be considered include structural and non-structural and combinations of the two. Alternative plans should be formulated to stress completeness, effectiveness, efficiency, and acceptability.

(d) Effects of Alternatives
The effects should be described in three categories: environmental, social, and economic. All critical issues identified under scoping activities should be shown. Enough detail will be needed for decision makers to make a defensible selection between the considered alternatives.

(e) Selected Plan
Describe the measures that make up the selected plan. Other areas such as contracting, design, installation, permitting and operation and maintenance should be considered for inclusion.

2. The five categories described above should be documented in a planning report. The state conservationist should approve this report. The report could be sent to the Watershed and Wetlands Division for review and comment before the beginning of installation activities if the state conservationist so desires.

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