The Project Sponsor has informed FWS that it may need up to two weeks to sign the ROW permit it received on 8/7/2020, and return it to the FWS Realty Office. FWS has coordinated with the Lead Agency (USDA RUS) on this delay.
Description:
Submission of a Right-of-Way application will begin the process for issuance of a permit/easement. FWS recommends the application be submitted after a Record of Decision is signed which will identify the preferred route. Once the application is determined to be complete, the Refuge will evaluate the compatibility of the preferred route and document that determination through a signed Compatibility Determination (CD). The process for completing the CD is estimated to take 45 days. The signed CD along with the ROD/EIS will be forwarded to FWS Realty staff and should complete the necessary documentation for Realty to process the previously submitted application. Issuance of a ROW easement could take up to 9 months.
August 10, 2020 update - FWS received a final restoration plan to restore the abandoned ROW and the property to be exchanged as replacement habitat from the applicants on August 5th. The final restoration plan is a requirement of the ROW permit. The plan is with FWS Realty office, and FWS awaiting review and finalization of the appraisal for the ROW. The appraisal will be used to determine the fee to charge the applicants for use of the ROW. FWS anticipates the approved appraisal this week. With that, FWS will “finalize” the draft ROW permit and send to the applicants for review and signature later this week or early next week. The applicants need to return a signed copy of the ROW to the FWS for final signature and issuance.
August 28, 2020 Update: The FWS ROW permit was provided to the Project Sponsor on Wednesday, August 26. On Thursday, August 27, the Project Sponsor informed FWS that it could take up to 2 weeks to sign the ROW permit and return it to the FWS Realty Office. Once it is returned to FWS, the Regional Director will need to sign it.
Milestones:
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PROJECT WEBSITE: Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project
All dates below are specific to the schedule of the Environmental Review and Permitting processes for this project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS
IN PROGRESS
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING
10/06/2023
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESSES
COMPLETED
SECTOR
Electricity Transmission
CATEGORY
Project Category
FAST-41 Covered Projects
LEAD AGENCY
Department of Agriculture, Rural Development
View FAST-41 Postings by Agencies
Other Agencies with Actions or Authorizations:
Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers - Regulatory
Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers - Civil Works
Description:
Dairyland Power Cooperative ("Dairyland"), a cooperative organized under the
laws of Wisconsin, American Transmission Company LLC by its corporate
manager, ATC Management Inc., (together, "ATC"), and ITC Midwest LLC ("ITC
Midwest") (all collectively, "Utilities") propose to construct and own the Cardinal—
Hickory Creek Transmission Line Project ("Project"), a 345 kilovolt ("kV")
transmission line connecting northeast Iowa and south-central Wisconsin.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service is currently the lead
federal agency for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Project. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers are Cooperating Agencies. The Notice of Intent was published on
October 18, 2016. The Scoping Report was released around June 23, 2017.
The RUS's consultant is currently drafting the Preliminary Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (PDEIS).
Original Target Date: 08/07/2020
Milestone: Issuance of decision for permit/approval
Requested extensions greater than 30 days for this Action are shown below:
Issuance of decision for permit/approval extended by 42
From: 08/28/2020
To: 09/18/2020