- The Congress encourages active public participation in the federal planning and environmental processes. We need to do our part to protect public boating, fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation areas.
- New information indicates that there are several developers that have current and advanced plans to develop areas all around the Lake Texoma shoreline. The developers are reportedly actively considering adding hundreds of new private boat houses/slips and mooring buoys in some of our most beautiful bays, coves and in front of our beaches zoned for low-density recreation use. The developers and sponsoring local cities are also proposing to use public Corps hunting land adjacent to the shoreline for high density recreation such as golf courses, club houses and private yacht clubs. These proposals increase the profits that the developers make on adjacent new houses and condominiums that they plan to build. They primarily profit at our loss of public land and shoreline for hunting, fishing and boating.
- Corps approval of just one of the shoreline development plans will trigger applications from several developers around the lake that are just waiting for an opening precedent to proceed. Some developers are reportedly trying to circumvent the normal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and environmental processes. We believe that reviews of developer proposals require adequate information, “transparency” and public participation in the processes.
- One developer and associated city government sponsor are reportedly trying to apply for an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement that is limited to their specific development. Again, USACE approval of one development can set a very serious precedent for numerous other developers to follow aggressively. The cumulative effects must be evaluated.
- Several boaters and hunters do not have a major problem with reasonable development of onshore private property adjacent to US Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) land. However, use of USACE property close to the lake shoreline primarily for the benefit of developers is not considered to be in the public’s interest. Installing new private boat houses and mooring buoys in or near bays, coves and beaches preferred for boaters and fishermen and using valuable and scarce federal hunting land for a golf course are certainly not in the publics near or long term interest.
- Several organizations are concerned about Lake Texoma, particularly the need for an in depth Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). A full EIS of the entire lake with intensive research, peer review and scientific information is a necessity. It is also required by the by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) because of the lack of factual information and significant and cumulative impact of proposed developments for the lake.
- The Corps of Engineers is estimated to start with an Environmental Assessment and evaluate the results before proceeding to an EIS or other alternatives for the entire Corps area around Lake Texoma. As the NEPA national environmental process is implemented, it usually begins with an Environmental Assessment (EA) which culminates into a finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or an EIS with a Record of Decision. Alternatively, a government agency can decide to simply begin with an EIS which culminates into a Record of Decision. Conducting a preliminary EA is not required under certain circumstances. A simplified NEPA flow chart indicates the overall process.
- An EIS is used by federal agencies to plan actions and make decisions. This process enables federal agencies, decision makers, and the public to make informed judgments regarding a proposed project's merits. The Council for Environmental Quality outlines procedures for creating and implementing the EIS. The responsibility for preparing the EIS rests with the lead federal agency in charge of the proposed action. An EIS must be prepared at an early stage in the planning process before final hearings on proposed projects are conducted.
- An Environmental Impact Statement primarily focused on Operations and Maintenance for the Lake Texoma Corps Project was completed in 1976 but is extremely limited in scope and depth. The EIS is almost thirty years old and does not include the major new policies, standards and in depth research now required by the federal Clean Air and Water Acts, National Environmental Policy Act and Corps of Engineers. The facts are not present in the current EIS to make federal decisions or conduct effective coordination with the public and other necessary federal, state and local government offices.
- The EIS must contain enough technical information for scientists to identify significant environmental impacts, other information regarding outdoor recreation and other essential areas. However, it must also be written clearly and in laymen's terms so that the general public can understand all the environmental consequences of the proposed action. It is crucial that in presenting this information, the EIS include all reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. These alternatives provide choices for developing a proposed action that do not significantly affect the environment. When alternatives are available, the lead agency is more able to choose the one that best balances the environmental impacts with the social needs of the proposed action.
- The EIS must have credibility and transparency with stakeholders during all phases of the process. For example, contract consultants and investigators supporting the EIS should be reasonably challenged for their methodologies if they are conducting field tests during the dry season of the year and pertinent data collection is only valid during the rainy season of the year.
- A comprehensive and up to date Environmental Impact Statement for Lake Texoma requires a substantial federal investment. However, it is a sound investment for the future of Lake Texoma considering the billions of dollars of infrastructure, wildlife and fisheries already in place, hundreds of millions of economic benefit dollars from annual recreational activities and millions of dollars of proposed developments. Additional economic information is available in Outdoor Recreation Economic Benefits.
- An EIS is the only way to establish a baseline for thorough economic, environmental, and development evaluation as well as decision making on development for Lake Texoma. Initial, concurrent and draft coordination of the EIS by stakeholder groups will be critical to its success.
- The final EIS would provide very useful information for a new and updated USACE Lake Texoma Shoreline Management Plan that has not been updated since 1996.
- The EIS can also provide essential information to update the Lake Texoma Master Plan, dated 1978 that also needs to be updated.
- The Lake Texoma EIS should include but not be limited to;
- Human Environment
- Air Quality and the Clean Air Act
- Clean Water Act/Waters of the U.S.
- Cultural Resources
- Endangered and Threatened Species
- Environmental Justice
- Essential Fish Habitat
- Fish and Wildlife Coordination
- Floodplain Management
- Invasive Species
- Migratory Birds
- Natural Areas
- Prime and Unique Farmlands
- Riparian Areas
- Scenic Beauty
- Wetlands
- A moratorium should be expanded to hold federal decisions on Lake Texoma proposals that can affect hunting or fishing areas or increase the number and location of boat houses and mooring buoys until an EIS is approved. Expedited funding is crucial in view of the conditions.
- The US Army Corps of Engineers is the lead federal agency for the Lake Texoma EIS.
- We, therefore, strongly recommend that the USACE, Legislators, stakeholder Federal, State and Local organizations and the public require a thorough Environmental Impact Statement and public participation. The EIS should include the full Lake Texoma Project including but not limited to federal onshore, shoreline land and lake areas at Lake Texoma.
