Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Akwesasne Water Access Projects: St Lawrence River Environment Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration

This Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) has been developed by the Natural Resource Trustees of the St. Lawrence River Environment (Trustees) to identify and evaluate restoration alternatives to compensate for injuries to natural resources and resource service losses resulting from historical releases of hazardous substances to the St. Lawrence River Environment from three industrial facilities in Massena, New York. This RP/EA addresses the following three projects (Collectively, defined as the “Akwesasne Water Access Projects”): 1. Raquette River Public Access: boat launch, nearshore fishing access, and parking. 2. St. Regis River - Sken:nen Park West: public access to St. Regis River from west bank. 3. St. Regis River - Sken:nen Park East: public access to St. Regis River in the vicinity of the former Hogansburg dam powerhouse and east bank. The Akwesasne Water Access Projects will partially compensate the public for ecological and recreational fishing losses resulting from these hazardous substance releases by restoring streambank habitat and public access to, and uses of, the St. Regis River and the Raquette River; and providing economic, cultural, educational, and recreational benefits to the Akwesasne and regional community. These rivers are tributaries to the St. Lawrence River, and are within the St. Lawrence River Environment. This Final RP/EA evaluates restoration alternatives, including a no action alternative, and incorporates information from both the 2013 St. Lawrence River Environment Trustee Council’s (SLETC) Restoration and Compensation Determination Plan and Environmental Assessment (RCDP/EA) for the St. Lawrence River Environment. The SLETC also uses relevant information from the 2015 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Restoration Center’s Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for habitat restoration activities in completing this impact analyses. The Trustees have determined that the proposed action - the Akwesasne Water Access Projects - is consistent with the RCDP/EA and Trustees’ restoration goals and objectives, meets the Trustees’ established restoration evaluation criteria, and is not expected to have any significant adverse environmental effects as defined under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).