Corps Seeks Comments On Upper St. Anthony Falls L&D Property
The St. Paul Engineer District is seeking comments on the draft Environmental Assessment, or EA, for issuing an outgrant involving property at the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis.
An outgrant is a legal document that sets the terms and conditions for non-government use of Corps of Engineers-owned property.
The proposed plan involves a 25-year lease of 5.2 acres of land within the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam property to Owámniyomni Okhódayapi (formerly Friends of the Falls), a qualified non-profit organization. Activities associated with the lease would include cultural and environmental interpretive programming, tours and special events.
The proposed outgrant would also allow Owámniyomni Okhódayapi to continue evaluation in support of conveyance and outgrant of real property to the city of Minneapolis or the city’s designee pursuant to Section 356 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. The city has notified the Corps that the proposed outgrant does not conflict with a Section 356 conveyance. An outgrant to Owámniyomni Okhódayapi may be amended, modified or terminated to accomplish the section 356 conveyance at a later date.
Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam stopped operating in 2015, partly because of low barge traffic but also to block northern migration of invasive Asian carp.
The Corps is conducting a review of the environmental effects in accordance with the National Environment Policy Act. A final determination on the draft EA will be made following a 30-day public review period. A copy of the EA can be viewed and downloaded from the St. Paul District website at: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.
Comments on the draft EA should be submitted no later than December 29. Questions and comments concerning the project should be directed to David Potter, Corps biologist, at 651-290-5713 or david.f.potter@usace.army.mil. Correspondence on the project should be addressed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, Attention: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 332 Minnesota St,, Suite E1500, St. Paul, MN 55101-1678.
