Environmental Impact Assessment (2)

Public Policy and Planning. Environmental Justice. Environmental Consequences. Topography, Land Formation, Key Geologic Characteristics. 1 No-Action Alternative (FWOPAlternative 1. Alternative 1.

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) refers to Federal legislation that amended portions of the U.S. Code relating to disaster relief. The DMA 2000 promotes an orderly and continuing means of assistance by the Federal government to state and local governments supporting pre-disaster hazard mitigation program development and modifies the national post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

The purpose of the county’s Smart Growth Policy Plan is to measure some of the various laws, regulations, policies, and programs of Suffolk County against Smart Growth principles and to recommend changes to encourage smart growth. The Smart Growth Committee reviewed the policies and goals outlined in the earlier documents and prioritized the 43 recommendations for implementing Smart Growth principles in the county according to the eight major Smart Growth Principles outlined in Resolution 212-2000.

In this document is discusses potential environmental impacts for the four alternatives - No-Action Alternative [or FWOP], Tentatively Selected Plan [TSP], Alternative 1 and Alternative 2. The following resource areas are addressed: Topography, Land Formation, Key Geologic Characteristics; Water Resources and Wetlands.

The vast majority of the wetlands identified are associated with the marine, estuarine, and palustrine forested wetland systems. The FWOP condition would lead to further changes to estuarine wetland resources through changes resulting from sea level rise, placement of fill and structures that change hydrologic patterns and processes, and shoreline and bay erosion and deposition trends based on the existence of current beach erosion control structures and dredging maintenance activities. The greatest impact to barrier island and mainland palustrine wetland habitats in the FWOP is the continued development associated with the projected increase in population. The need for additional housing and infrastructure is likely to result in a loss of open space and natural habitats within the Project.