Army Corps of Engineers releases massive Missouri River Draft Adaptive Management Plan and EIS for public comment

Deadline for Public Comment Extended to April 24, 2017

posted by Missouri River Relief - Dec. 21, 2016
(updated Feb. 7, 2017)

 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a revised management plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Missouri River Recovery Program, intended to help the recovery of three endangered species – the pallid sturgeon, the piping plover and the interior least tern.

This massive document, which provides alternatives to Missouri River management in order to comply with the Endangered Species Act, was released last week, along with a schedule of public meetings and a public comment period. The proposed plan utilizes Adaptive Management to allow managers to more quickly adopt changes based on what the latest science reveals.

After petitioning from several stakeholder groups, the USACE has extended the comment period from 70 days to 120 days. The new deadline for public comments will be April 24, 2017. 

There will be public meetings throughout the basin in February.

As we dig into this and get a chance to talk to some experts, we will link to more details on this page.

Here’s some links for the DEIS download, associated documents and more information as it becomes available – 

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Press Release with information on locations and dates of public meetings, locations on public libraries that are storing the DEIS documents and how to submit public comments.
• Full list of Draft Environmental Impact Statement documents and associated science and economic documents (there’s a LOT of them!)
• To find the Executive Summary and the Proposed Management Alternatives, click the first Document ("Draft Missouri River Recovery Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)") and select Volume 1. The alternatives are detailed in Chapter 2.9
• ARTICLE - "Coalition to Protect the Missouri River urges extension of DEIS comment period" - High Plains Journal, Dec, 29, 2016
• ARTICLE - "Corps proposes new Missouri River habitat plan for threatened fish, birds" - Omaha World-Herald, Dec. 26, 2016
• Fact Sheets on DEIS issues
• General Fact Sheet about Draft Management Plan and DEIS
• "Relationship between Alternatives and the Adaptive Management Plan"
• Fact Sheet - Flow Alternatives
• Fact Sheet - Human Considerations
• Fact Sheet - Emergent Sandbar Habitat
• Fact Sheet - Human Considerations
• Fact Sheet - Interception Rearing Complexes

Submit Comments via the Following Methods until April 24, 2017 

Input comments online here.  (preferred method)
Here's some tips on submitting public comments. 

Verbal or written comments at the public meetings (locations and schedule below)

OR written comments submitted to: 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Omaha District 

ATTN: CENWO-PM-AC - Management Plan Comments 

1616 Capitol Avenue 

Omaha, NE 68102 

Schedule of Public Meetings

(find updated schedule here)

Participants are encouraged to attend one of the following meetings to learn more about the MRRMP-EIS and provide feedback to the USACE. 

All meetings are scheduled from 5-8:45 p.m.; the format will consist of an open house from 5–5:45 p.m. followed by a brief presentation and public hearing from 5:45– 8 p.m. Following this, the open house will continue to 8:45 p.m.

Fort Peck, MT --Tuesday, February 7, 2017 

Fort Peck Interpretive Center

Yellowstone Road

Fort Peck, MT 59223

Bismarck, ND --Wednesday, February 8, 2017 

Bismarck State College-National Energy Center of Excellence (Bavendick Ballroom #415)

1500 Edwards Avenue

Bismarck, ND 58506

Pierre, SD – Thursday, February 9, 2017 

Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center 

Galleria B & C 

920 W. Sioux Avenue

Pierre, SD 57501 

Omaha, NE - Tuesday, February 14, 2017 

Thompson Alumni Center – Bootstrapper Hall

6705 Dodge Street

Omaha, NE 68182

Kansas City, MO - Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Hilton - Kansas City Airport

Shawnee B

8801 NW 112th Street

Kansas City, MO 64153 

St. Louis, MO - Thursday, February 16, 2017 

Double Tree by Hilton Hotel – Chesterfield, MO

Ballroom A & B

16625 Swingley Ridge Road

Chesterfield, MO 63017

Notice is further given to all individuals with disabilities that this meeting is being held in a physically accessible place. Please notify cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil at least 48 hours prior to the meeting if you have special needs for which this department will need to make arrangements.