T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) EvaluationSection 6(f)(3) – No property acquired or developed with assistance under this section shall, without the approval of theSecretary, be converted to other than public outdoor recreation uses. The Secretary shall approve such conversion only if hefinds it to be in accord with the then existing comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan and only upon suchconditions as he deems necessary to assure the substitution of other recreation properties of at least equal fair market valueand of reasonably equivalent usefulness and location.This requirement applies to all parks and other sites that have been the subject of L&WCF grants of any type,and includes acquisition of parkland and development of park facilities. 517 Because recreational resources thatreceive L&WCF funding are often also Section 4(f) properties, the Section 4(f) process is used to assess andminimize improper conversion of Section 6(f) lands. A review of the L&WCF grants database and consultationwith the City of Warwick and RIDEM, the NPS State Liaison Officer, indicate that three projects at City-ownedland at Winslow Park were funded by L&WCF grants. The Winslow Park projects that received L&WCF are:1. Basketball court rehabilitation (#44-00255; approval in 1984; Grant amount: $3,200)2. Landscaping installation for three city parks including Winslow Field (#44-00251; approval in 1984; Totalgrant amount: $10,411)3. Softball field rehabilitation to bring to standard specifications and playground installation (#44-00127;approval in 1976; Grant amount: $8,000)The FAA and RIAC consulted with RIDEM and the City of Warwick to obtain information regarding theL&WCF-assisted property in Winslow Park that is subject to Section 6(f) restrictions. Initial writtencorrespondence was sent to RIDEM on December 8, 2010. A meeting with RIDEM, FAA and RIAC was held onJanuary 11, 2011. Subsequently, a meeting with RIDEM, FAA, and the City of Warwick was held on January 20,2011. See Appendix C, Federal, State, City, and Tribal Coordination, for details on these meetings. Consultationamong the parties is ongoing, and the following information is known.7.11.1 Effects on Land and Water Conservation Fund-Assisted PropertyThe City-owned portion of Winslow Park has been improved using L&WCF grants and is protected underSection 6(f). Both Alternatives B2 and B4 would encroach on Section 6(f)-protected land at Winslow Park andthus result in a conversion of this land from recreational to non-recreational use (refer to Figure 7-6). The Section6(f) boundary map on file with the NPS was recently revised to include only the City-owned portion ofWinslow Park. The L&WCF grants were approved by the NPS approximately three years before theRIAC-owned land was leased to the City. Please refer to refer to Appendix J, Section 4(f) and Section 6(f)Resources, for the City of Warwick’s request to RIDEM’s State Liaison Officer for a boundary change limiting theSection 6(f) boundary to the City-owned portion of the park. In May 2011, RIDEM’s State Liaison Officer for theNPS indicated that the boundary change request from the City was approved by the NPS. 518517 Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior, Federal Financial Assistance Manual,October 1, 2008.518 Dias, Joseph. Telephone communication with Kendra Beaver. May 19, 2011.Chapter 7 – Final Section 4(f)/Section 6(f) Evaluation 7-25 July 2011\\Mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH07_4(f)_JUL_2011.doc