Notices. Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
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BILLING CODE 8025-01-M SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION National Advisory Council; Public Meeting The U.S. Small Business Administrations (SBA), National Advisory Council
(NAC)will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 3 p.m. to discuss such matters that may be presented by members, staff of the SBA, or interested others. The meeting will take place using an audio/web conferencing system. To participate, please call our toll free conferencing service at 1-866-740-1260 and enter access code 3711001 at the prompt. Anyone wishing to attend or to make a presentation must contact Balbina Caldwell in writing or by fax, in order to be put on the agenda. Balbina Caldwell, Director of the National Advisory Council, SBA Headquarters, 409 3rd Street SW., Washington DC 20416, phone
(202)205-6914, fax
(202)481-4678, e-mail: *Balbina.Caldwell@sba.gov.* For more information, see our Web site at *http://www.sba.gov/nac/index.html.* Matthew K. Becker, Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E6-3418 Filed 3-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8025-01-P SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Public Federal Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Hearing; U.S. Small Business Administration, Region IV Regulatory Fairness Board The U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA)Region IV Regulatory Fairness Board and the SBA Office of the National Ombudsman will hold a public hearing on Thursday, March 23, 2006, at 9 a.m. The meeting will take place at the North Florida District Office Conference Room, 7825 Baymeadows Way, Suite 100B, Jacksonville, FL to receive comments and testimony from small business owners, small government entities, and small non-profit organizations concerning regulatory enforcement and compliance actions taken by Federal agencies. Anyone wishing to attend or to make a presentation must contact Annette Paulson, in writing or by fax, in order to be put on the agenda. Annette Paulson, Acting Public Information Officer, SBA, North Florida District Office, 7825 Baymeadows Way, Suite 100B, Jacksonville, FL 32256-7504, phone
(904)443-1914, fax
(904)443-1380, e-mail: *Annette.paulson@sba.gov.* For more information, see our Web site at *http://www.sba.gov/ombudsman.* Matthew K. Becker, Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E6-3397 Filed 3-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8025-01-P DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 5325] Notice of Meeting of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee In accordance with the provisions of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 2601 *et seq.* ) (the Act) there will be a meeting of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee on Thursday, March 23, 2006, from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Friday, March 24, from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Department of State, Annex 44, Room 840, 301 4th St., SW., Washington, DC. At this meeting the Committee will conduct its ongoing review function with respect to the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Peru Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Archaeological Material from the Pre-Hispanic Cultures and Certain Ethnological Material from the Colonial Period; and, with respect to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Pre-Classical and Classical Archaeological Objects. This meeting is for the Committee to satisfy its ongoing review responsibility of the effectiveness of agreements pursuant to the Act and will focus its attention on Article II of the MOUs. This is not a meeting to consider extension of the MOUs. Such a meeting or meetings will be scheduled at some time in the future at which time a public session will be held. The Committee's responsibilities are carried out in accordance with provisions of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 2601 *et seq.* ). The U.S.—Peru MOU, the U.S.—Cyprus MOU, the designated lists of restricted categories, the text of the Act, and related information may be found at *http://exchanges.state.gov/culprop.* The meeting on March 23-24 will be closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(B) and 19 U.S.C. 2605(h). Dated: March 2, 2006. C. Miller Crouch, Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. [FR Doc. E6-3461 Filed 3-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710-05-P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Environmental Impact Statement for the Denton County, TX, Transportation Authority Commuter Rail Project AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration
(FTA)and the Denton County Transportation Authority
(DCTA)issue this notice to advise interested agencies and the public of their intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS)in accordance with the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)for transportation improvements in Denton and Dallas Counties, Texas. Transit improvements will be considered generally between Denton and Carrollton along the former Missouri Kansas Texas
(MKT)Railroad line that parallels I-35E, as recommended by the DCTA Board of Directors in May 2005 following a study of the transportation needs in the corridor and an analysis of alternative solutions. The relationships of concurrent projects such as the I-35E Environmental Analysis
(EA)being conducted by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Northwest Corridor Light Rail Transit project being advanced by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), and others, will also be considered in the EIS process. Transportation improvements are needed to meet current and future travel demands and to upgrade the transportation facilities in the corridor. The EIS will evaluate the recommended regional rail alignment, the No-Build Alternative, a Transportation Systems Management
(TSM)alternative, and any additional reasonable alternatives that emerge from scoping. DATES: *Comment Due Date:* Written or electronic comments on the scope of the EIS, including the purpose and need for transportation action in the corridor, and alternatives and impacts to be considered, should be sent to the project team's public involvement coordinator (see ADDRESSES below) by March 31, 2006. *Scoping Meetings:* Public scoping meetings will be held on February 28, 2006, in Denton, TX, and March 2,20076, in Lewisville, TX, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the locations shown in ADDRESSES below. ADDRESSES: *Written or electronic comments* on the EIS scope should be sent to: Judy Meyer, Public Involvement Lead, c/o Public Information Associates, P.O. Box 570, Allen, Texas 75013; Phone: 888-724-5328; Fax: 214-495-0479; E-mail: *Judy.Meyer@dfwair.net.* Scoping meetings will be held at the following locations: *Tuesday, February 28, 2006* 6-8 p.m., Martin Luther King Recreation Center, 1300 Wilson St., Denton, TX 76205. *Thursday, March 2, 2006* 6-8 p.m., Lewisville Senior Center, 1950 S. Valley Parkway, Lewisville, TX 75067. Information on the time and place of the public scoping meetings will be provided in the local newspapers and other media outlets. The scoping information packet is available on the Internet at *http://www.RailDCTA.net.* The packet is also available in hardcopy form by contacting Judy Meyer as indicated above. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Sweek, Community Planner, Federal Transit Administration, Region VI;
(817)978-0550. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Scoping of the EIS The FTA, in cooperation with the DCTA, will prepare an EIS for transportation improvements along the MKT Railroad line that parallels I-35E between Denton and Carrollton. Interested individuals, organizations, businesses and Federal, state and local agencies are invited to participate in determining the scope of the EIS, including the purpose and need for transportation action in the corridor, alternative alignments, alternative station locations, impacts to be evaluate, and environmental or community resources to be protected. Specific suggestions on additional alternatives to be examined and issues to be addressed are welcome and will be considered in the development in the final study scope. Scoping comments may be made orally or in writing not later than March 31, 2006. See DATES and ADDRESSES above. Additional information on the EIS process, the purpose and need, alternatives, and anticipated impact issues are available from DCTA. See DATES and ADDRESSES above. The EIS will evaluate transit improvement alternatives, the No-Action alternative, and a Transportation System Management
(TSM)alternative based on the Purpose and Need statement developed for the corridor during the previous Alternatives Analysis (AA). The AA document is available for public review on the Internet at *http://www.RailDCTA.net* or by contacting the project office at the address in ADDRESSES above. The AA document will also be available for review at the public scoping meetings. Alternatives will be reviewed and analyzed through an extensive agency and community outreach process. The EIS evaluation will result in a decision about which transportation projects, if any, will be built to address the states purpose and need for transportation action in the corridor. II. Description of Study Area and Project Need The study area for the EIS evaluation is the travelshed that parallels I-35E between Denton and Carrollton. The purpose of the proposed action is to decrease congestion, and improve safety, access, and mobility. More details are available in the scoping information packet. See ADDRESSES above. III. Alternatives To Be Considered The alternatives evaluated in the EIS will include, but not limited to, the recommended Locally Preferred Alternative
(LPA)developed in the AA, and approved by the DCTA Board of Directors in May 2005. This alternative consisted of Regional Rail (also called Commuter Rail) on the MKT alignment. Feeder bus improvements also were included as part of the recommended LPA. In addition, an existing bicycle/hiking trail on the northern portion of the corridor would be relocated within the railroad right-of-way as a ‘rails-with-trails’ facility. Five stations were proposed on the alignment during the AA: downtown Denton; south Denton; north Lewisville; downtown Lewisville; and south Lewisville; with a connection to the DART light rail station at Belt Line in Carrollton. The EIS will again examine other reasonable alternatives emerge from scoping. These may include alternatives that were screened out during the AA but that may now be available due to recent demographic trends, anticipated funding levels, or technological advances. The EIS will also evaluate the appropriate end-of-line and associated facilities and connections into the DART system in Carrollton and in downtown Denton. As part of the transit evaluation, station locations, railyard facilities, and other ancillary facilities such as stormwater management systems will be studied and identified as appropriate. The EIS will also fully evaluate the No-Action Alternative and a TSM alternative. Other alternatives may be added as a result of scoping and agency coordination efforts. IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis The EIS evaluation will analyze social, economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives. Major issues to be evaluated include air quality, noise and vibration, aesthetics, community cohesion impacts, and possible disruption of neighborhoods, businesses and commercial activities. The impact areas and level of detail addressed in the EIS will be consistent with the requirements of SAFETEA-LU Section 6002 and the FTA/Federal Highway Administration environmental regulation (Environmental Impact and Related Procedures, 23 CFR part 771 and 40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and other environmental and related regulations. Among other factors, the EIS will evaluate: • Transportation service including future corridor capacity; • Transit ridership and costs; • Traffic movements and changes and associated impacts to local facilities; • Community impacts such as land use, displacements, noise and vibration, neighborhood compatibility and aesthetics; and • Resource impacts including impacts to historic and archaeological resources, parklands, cultural resource impacts, environmental justice, and natural resource impacts including air quality, wetlands, water quality, and wildlife. The proposed impact assessment and evaluation will take into account both positive and negative impacts, direct and indirect impacts, short-term (during the construction period) and long-terms impacts, and site-specific as well as corridor-wide impacts. Mitigation measures will be identified for any adverse environmental impacts that are identified. Other potential impacts may be added as a result of scoping and agency coordination efforts. Issued on: March 7, 2006. Robert C. Patrick, Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Fort Worth, Texas. [FR Doc. 06-2337 Filed 3-9-06; 8:45 am]
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Notices
Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
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