<< Read and Download Original ND Governor Jack Dalrymple Comment Letter >>
November 7, 2011
Headquarters. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ATTN: CECW-P (IP)
7701 Telegraph Road
Alexandria, VA 22315-3860
RE: Comments on the Fargo-Moorhead Mctropolitan Area Hood Risk Management
Project Final EJS (FETS) and Proposed Report of the Chief or Engineels
Dear U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Headquarters:
This letter is submitted as my comments on the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project FEIS and Proposed Report of the Chief of Engineers.
Since the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Study was authorized, the State of North Dakota has attended Metro Working Group meetings, meetings with local sponsors and meetings with concerned stakeholders that are directly and indirectly affected by the proposed project. In September I had the opportunity to attend the Civil Work Review Board Hearing held in Washington DC, along with the local sponsors. While the state has been carefully monitoring this process, it is important to note that the state is serving a support role in the effort to develop a flood protection plan. Local governing entities, their constituents and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will determine the project’s scope and footprint.
The plan selected as most feasible in the FE1S, the Locally Preferred Plan, consists of a 36-mile long channel with a capacity of 20,000 cubic feet/second (cfs), including upstream staging and storage channel. This plan, which was proposed by Fargo and Cass County officials, would not only affect stakeholders in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area, but would also affect upstream and downstream stakeholders as well. To ensure the incerests of all stakeholders are considered, I request that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers carefully consider all comments submitted regarding the FEIS when selecting and implementing a final flood protection plan for the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan area.
To support the effort to reach a long-term solution regarding flood risk and damage in the Fargo-Momhead area, the State of North Dakota is committed to providing funding to cover one half of the non-federal, non-Minnesota share of the project’s costs. Aside from providing funding, the State of North Dakota will continually monitor the process as the Corps and local sponsors proceed with the design, survey, and construction phases of the project.
Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to comment on the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project Final EIS and Proposed Report of the Chief of Engineers. I appreciate the work the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has done with local level stakeholders to identify and construct the optimal flood protection plan.
Sincerely,
Jack Dalrymple
Governor
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