Last Tuesday, Dec. 1st, the Musconetcong River Restoration Partnership of which TU is a member, held our second National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) public meeting regarding the use of federal funds for the possible removal of the Finesville dam on the lower Musky.  Public comments are being solicited by the NRCS (see below article for more details) until December 29, 2009.  TU members will receive an email alert for action to support this initiative to restore this river where our Musconetcong Home Rivers Initiative is focused.  More on that shortly…

This from the Hunterdon County Democrat:

USDA seeks comment after Bloomsbury meeting about Finesville Dam on the Musconetcong River

By Terry Wright

December 05, 2009, 5:59PM

BLOOMSBURY — The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking public comment on the final draft environmental assessment for the restoration of the Lower Musconetcong River at the Finesville Dam. The assessment was presented at a public meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 1 in Bloomsbury and is available on the NRCS web site.

The final environmental assessment will incorporate comments received at the meeting and written comments submitted by Dec. 29.

Prepared in cooperation with several federal and state agencies and non-profit groups, the Environmental Assessment considers the impacts of river restoration alternatives on the community relative to air quality, noise, water resources, sediment, vegetation, aquatic resources, wetland resources, threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, environmental justice, hazardous waste and materials.

The EA document, meeting agenda and presentations can be accessed on the New Jersey NRCS web site at

http://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/watersheds/Musconetcong2008.html.

Send written comments by Dec. 29 to Barbara Phillips, public affairs specialist, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 220 Davidson Avenue 4th Floor, Somerset 08873 or email to barbara.phillips@nj.usda.gov. If you can not access the internet, call 732-537-6044 for more information.