RALEIGH, Sep.3, 2025 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in North Carolina is preparing watershed plans - Environmental Document for the Back and Jacob Swamp Watershed Project, Bear Swamp Watershed Project and Meadow Branch Channel Watershed Project, all located in Robeson County, North Carolina.

As part of NRCS' planning efforts and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, Robeson County Drainage Districts One, Two and Four invite you to comment and/or participate as a stakeholder. The stakeholder meeting will be held on September 23, 2025, from 6:00-7:30 pm EST at the Lumberton NC Cooperative Extension Robeson County Center, 455 Caton Rd, Lumberton, NC 28359. Participants will learn more about the environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic effects associated with the proposed action(s). A virtual option is also available via MS Teams. For the virtual meeting option, the MS Teams link is:

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 255 986 263 140 3

Passcode: wT2sm6HK

As the local sponsor, Drainage Districts One, Two and Four of Robeson County, North Carolina propose Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program projects in the Back and Jacob Swamp Watershed, Bear Swamp Watershed and Meadow Branch Channel Watershed. The purpose of the project is flood prevention and flood damage reduction to reduce flooding damage to crops, farm and surrounding residential/commercial/public infrastructure and drainage canal infrastructure.

Public comments are due by September 30, 2025. As part of these operations NEPA requires a cumulative impact analysis, which assesses a proposed project's environmental impacts in conjunction with other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions. To help with this analysis, please identify major projects in the vicinity that may contribute to cumulative effects to water, air, or wildlife.

In your communication, please indicate if your interest is in all three watershed planning efforts or refer to the individual watershed or drainage district that interests you. Individuals requiring additional information, special accommodations to attend the meeting, or alternate forms of communication or who wish to attend the meeting virtually, or you have an interest in the project, please submit comments in writing to Dr. James Kjelgaard at the USDA NRCS, 4407 Bland Rd., Suite 117, Raleigh, NC 27609 or by email at [email protected]. We look forward to your participation in this NRCS watershed planning effort.

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