By Pamela A. Keene
The last week of February, the Corps of Engineers held four public input meetings regarding the Lake Lanier Draft Master Plan update. Representatives from the Corps manned multiple stations to share Proposed Management Actions and information about the lake and to hear from lake residents, boaters and others interested in the future of Lake Lanier.
Topics included safety and education; erosion and sedimentation, facilities, crowding and conflict and hunting/wildlife.
“Our job at these meetings is to present information, where we got it, why we’ve made some of the decisions we’ve and to hear the public’s feedback,” said Lake Lanier Operations Project Manager Tim Rainey, pictured here speaking with a group of attendees at the Gainesville meeting. “I can guarantee you that the information you’re seeing will not be the final Master Plan.”
The Corps set up feedback stations for attendees to provide written comments at the meetings. These comments will be reviewed and considered as the master planning process continues.
Once the Proposed Management Actions are final, the Draft Master Plan will be written and an Environmental Assessment will be conducted. It is expected that the Environmental Assessment will be completed by the end of September 2020.
During the Environmental Assessment process, the public will have another chance to provide comment virtually when the Environmental Assessment is posted on the internet. The website address will be advertised at the appropriate time.