City of Wilson Rural Development Notice of Finding
(First Published in the Ellsworth County Independent/
Reporter, June 2, 2016)
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Development
City of Wilson Street Project: Notice of Finding
of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA
ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact
SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a request for possible financing assistance to the City of Wilson for the construction of the City of Wilson Street Project in Ellsworth County, Kansas.
FURTHER INFORMATION: To obtain copies of the EA and FONSI, or for further information, contact: David Barber, Area Loan Specialist, USDA Rural Development, (785)628-3081, david.barber@ks.usda.gov. The EA and FONSI are also available for public review at USDA Rural Development, 2715 Canterbury Drive, Hays, KS 67601
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project consists of constructing the street infrastructure necessary to develop Phase 1 of the new Prairie Estates Subdivision. Phase 1 consists of one cul-de-sac and 12 residential lots. The total development will occur in four phases and consists of 37 residential lots with two through streets and two cul-de-sacs. Alternatives considered by RHS and the City of Wilson include: No action; Preferred Alternative and Alternatives. The alternatives are discussed in the City of Wilson Street Project EA. RHS has reviewed and approved the EA for the proposed project.
The availability of the EA for public review was announced via notice in the following newspaper(s): Ellsworth County Independent/Reporter May 5, 2016 and May 12, 2016. A 14-day comment period was announced in the newspaper notice. The EA was also available for public review at the USDA Rural Development office and website as well as the City of Wilson offices. No comments were received.
Based on its EA, commitments made by the City of Wilson, and public comments received, RHS has concluded that the project would have no significant impact (or no impacts) to water quality, wetlands, floodplains, land use, aesthetics, transportation, or human health and safety.
The proposed project will have no adverse effect on resources listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Agency has also concluded that the proposed project is not likely to affect federally listed threatened and endangered species or designated critical habitat thereof. The proposed project would not disproportionately affect minority and/or low-income populations.
No other potential significant impacts resulting from the proposed project have been identified. Therefore, RHS has determined that this FONSI fulfills its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR §§ 1500-1508), and USDA Rural Development's Environmental
Policies and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1970) for its action related to the project.
RHS is satisfied that the environmental impacts of the proposed project have been adequately addressed. RHS’s federal action would not result in significant impacts to the quality of the human environment, and as such it will not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for its action related to the proposed project.
Dated: May 20, 2016
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