Draft Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan: Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Island County, WA; Notice of Availability, 52444-52445 [05-17483]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 170 / Friday, September 2, 2005 / Notices
heritage for the enjoyment of this and
future generations. Over the past 35
years, this program has consistently
grown to become one of the
government’s largest, most successful
volunteer programs. Between FY2003
and 2004, the program experienced its
biggest increase in history: The number
of VIPs increased by 14% and the
number of hours by 11%. In order to
effectively manage the increasing trend
of volunteerism in the NPS, it is
imperative that the organization assess
its strengths and weaknesses and
determine methods for improved
efficiency. A servicewide volunteer
program assessment has not been
conducted to date. Volunteers (6,000)
will be surveyed during this process
(mail-back/Internet-based questionnaire)
to collect information about the current
status and needs of the program. In
addition, follow-up focus groups (3 with
up to 20 participants each) and
telephone interviews (up to 40) will be
conducted to acquire detailed data
expanding on questionnaire results).
Results will be reported at the
servicewide level, the regional level
(seven NPS regions), and the volunteer
work category level (to include, at
minimum, work in the areas of
interpretation, natural resource
management, park maintenance,
campground hosting, and cultural
resource management).
Recommendations for improvements
will be made based on the findings. This
process will not only aid in creating an
improved, streamlined program, but
may also serve as a model for other
Federal agencies.
Automated data collection: This
information will primarily be collected
electronically through a designated,
secure Web site. Non-automated
methods (mail-back questionnaire) will
be available for those without access to
electronic means.
Description of respondents: National
Park Service Volunteers-In-Parks.
Estimated average number of
respondents: Approximately 6,100
respondents.
Estimated average number of
responses: Approximately 6,100
responses.
Estimated average burden hours per
response: One-quarter burden hour per
response to the mail-back/internet-based
questionnaire (≈6,000 responses); One
and one-half burden hour for
participants in the follow-up focus
groups (≈60 responses); One burden
hour for participants in the follow-up
interviews (≈responses).
Frequency of Response: 1 time per
respondent.
VerDate Aug<18>2005
18:00 Sep 01, 2005
Jkt 205001
Estimated annual reporting burden:
1,630 hours.
Dated: July 19, 2005.
Leonard E. Stowe,
National Park Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 05–17487 Filed 9–1–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
General Management Plan: Ebey’s
Landing National Historical Reserve,
Island County, WA; Notice of
Availability
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4332(C), and the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40
CFR part 1500–1508), the National Park
Service has prepared a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for the
proposed general management plan for
Ebey’s Landing National Historical
Reserve (Reserve) located in
northwestern Washington. In addition
to a ‘‘no-action’’ alternative (which
would maintain current management),
the Draft EIS describes and analyzes two
‘‘action’’ alternatives which respond to
public concerns and issues identified
during the scoping process, as well as
NPS’s conservation planning
requirements. These alternatives present
varying management strategies that
address visitor use and preservation of
cultural and natural resources that
protect and reflect the rural community
on Whidbey Island from 19th century
exploration and settlement in Puget
Sound to the present time. The potential
environmental consequences of each
alternative, and mitigation strategies, are
identified and analyzed; a
determination as to the
‘‘environmentally preferred’’ alternative
is also provided in the Draft EIS.
Scoping: A Notice of Intent
announcing preparation of the Draft EIS
and general management plan was
published in the Federal Register on
May 22, 2000. Public involvement has
included public meetings, presentations
and meetings with organizations located
within the Reserve and additional
organizations, newsletter mailings, local
press releases, website postings, and
postcards. Preceding the formal EIS
analysis process, the NPS had organized
an interdisciplinary planning team to
initiate the general management plan
process for the Reserve. The team
included the Reserve’s Trust Board and
staff, representatives from Washington
PO 00000
Frm 00084
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
State, Island County and Town of
Coupeville, and NPS staff from the
Pacific West Region Office in Seattle,
Washington. The purpose of these
initial meetings was to help characterize
the scale and extent of the planning
process.
The formal public scoping efforts
began in June 2000 with release of a
scoping newsletter to approximately 650
people on the Reserve’s mailing list. In
addition, over 2800 newsletters were
distributed at local public places such
as libraries, civic buildings, businesses,
and parks. The planning team received
36 letters during the official public
scoping period ending August 15, 2000.
In addition, during June 2000, three
public scoping meetings were held in
Seattle, Washington and Coupeville,
Washington (in total, 141 verbal
comments were recorded). Individual
scoping meetings were also held
between August 2000 and January 2001
with organizations located within the
Reserve to discuss issues of mutual
interest. Other meetings with other
interested organizations were also
scheduled.
Proposed Plan and Alternatives:
Alternative A constitutes the No-Action
alternative and serves as an
environmental baseline to facilitate
comparisons between the ‘‘action’’
alternatives. Alternative A assumes that
existing programs, facilities, staffing,
and funding would generally continue
at their current levels. The NPS would
dispose of NPS-owned and managed
farms within the Reserve to the private
sector after placing conservation
easements on them.
Alternative B is the ‘‘agency
preferred’’ alternative. The Reserve’s
Trust Board, and the NPS, in
cooperation with partners, would
enhance existing programs and
resources management, as well as
administrative, maintenance, and visitor
services within the Reserve. To
maintain and protect the rural
landscape, the NPS would continue to
purchase conservation easements on
priority properties based upon a new
land protection plan. The NPS would
exchange NPS-owned farms to private
farm owners for additional protection
on other properties within the Reserve.
Historic buildings would be
rehabilitated to the Secretary of the
Interior’s Standards. The county would
be encouraged to develop a zoning
overlay for the Reserve to aid in land
use control. In addition, a minor
boundary adjustment would be
recommended. To orient and inform
visitors about the Reserve, three gateway
kiosks would be developed along State
Route 20 and a visitor center/contact
E:\FR\FM\02SEN1.SGM
02SEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 170 / Friday, September 2, 2005 / Notices
station would be operated within an
historic building in Coupeville or
within the historic district (three
development concept plans for three
sites are included). As documented in
the Draft EIS this alternative is deemed
to be ‘‘environmentally preferred’’.
Alternative C changes the
management structure of the Reserve
from a Trust Board of volunteers to a
paid Commission structure. Many
actions are similar to Alternative B but
with some distinctions. Approximately
five acres of NPS-owned land at Farm II
would be retained for administrative
and maintenance use before exchanging
the remaining farmland to a private farm
owner for additional protection on other
properties within the Reserve. One of
the three gateways would be in a
historic building in the north of the
Reserve. The Reserve would partner for
a visitor contact facility at a proposed
marine science center.
Public Review and Comment: The
Draft GMP/EIS has now been released
for public review, and a limited number
of printed copies are available upon
request (see below). In addition, the
document may be reviewed at the
public library in Coupeville. Also a
Draft General Management Plan
Alternatives Newsletter is being issued
concurrently. Written comments may be
submitted using several methods.
Responses are encouraged online using
the electronic comment form accessed at
the NPS Planning, Environment and
Public Comment System (https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/ebla). A postagepaid comment response form is
included in the Alternatives Newsletter
(additional pages may be attached to
this form as necessary). Written
comments may be directly mailed to:
Rob Harbour, Reserve Manager, Ebey’s
Landing National Historical Reserve,
P.O. Box 774, 162 Cemetery Road,
Coupeville, WA 98239. In addition, oral
comments may be offered at one of
several public workshops to be
conducted in fall, 2005. Confirmed
details on dates, locations and times for
these workshops will be announced in
local newspapers, in the Alternatives
Newsletter, via the park’s website, or
may be obtained by telephone at (360)
678–6084.
All written comments must be
postmarked or transmitted not later than
60 days after the EPA’s notice of filing
is published in the Federal Register
(immediately upon confirmation of this
date it will be announced on the park’s
website). All comments will become
part of the public record. If individuals
submitting comments request that their
name or address be withheld from
public disclosure, the request will be
VerDate Aug<18>2005
18:00 Sep 01, 2005
Jkt 205001
honored to the extent allowable by law.
Such requests must be stated
prominently in the beginning of
comments. There also may be
circumstances in which the NPS will
withhold from the record a respondent’s
identity, as allowable by law. As always:
The NPS will make available to public
inspection all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses; and
anonymous comments may not be
considered.
Decision: Following the opportunity
to review the Draft EIS/GMP, all public
and agency comments received will be
carefully considered in preparing the
final document. The Final EIS is
anticipated to be completed during the
Fall/Winter 2006 and its availability
will be similarly announced in the
Federal Register and via local and
regional press media. As a delegated
EIS, the official responsible for the final
decision is the Regional Director, Pacific
West Region; subsequently the approved
plan would be implemented by the
Trust Board, Ebey’s Landing National
Historical Reserve, in conjunction with
the Reserve Manager.
Dated: May 26, 2005.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 05–17483 Filed 9–1–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–6W–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Announcement of the National Park
Subsistence Resource Commission
(SRC) meetings for Cape Krusenstern
National Monument and Kobuk Valley
National Park
National Park Service, Interior.
The National Park Service
(NPS) announces the SRC meeting
schedule for the following NPS areas
within the Alaska Region: Cape
Krusenstern National Monument, and
Kobuk Valley National Park and Denali
National Park. The purpose of each
meeting is to develop and continue
work on subsistence hunting program
recommendations and other related
subsistence management issues. Each
meeting is open to the public and will
have time allocated for public
testimony. The public is welcomed to
present written or oral comments to the
SRC.
The NPS SRC program is authorized
under Title VIII, Section 808, of the
Alaska National Interest Lands
AGENCY:
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00085
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
52445
Conservation Act, Public Law 96–487,
to operate in accordance with the
provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act. Draft meeting minutes
will be available for public inspection
approximately six weeks after each
meeting: Superintendent Western Arctic
National Parklands, P.O. Box 1029,
Kotzebue, AK 99752.
The meeting times and locations
are:
1. Cape Krusenstern National
Monument SRC, Tuesday, October 4,
2005, Wednesday, October 5, 2005, and
Thursday, October 6, 2005, from 9 a.m.
to approximately 5 p.m. at the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Office in Kotzebue,
Alaska.
2. Kobuk Valley National Park SRC,
Tuesday, October 4, 2005, Wednesday,
October 5, 2005, and Thursday, October
6, 2005, from 9 a.m. to approximately 5
p.m. at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Office in Kotzebue, Alaska.
DATES:
Ken
Adkisson, Subsistence Program
Manager, Western Arctic National
Parklands at (907) 443-6104 or Willie
Goodwin, Subsistence Manager at (907)
442–3890.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SRC
meeting locations and dates may need to
be changed based on weather or local
circumstances. Notice of each meeting
will be published in local newspapers
and announced on local radio stations
prior to the meeting dates. The agendas
for each meeting include the following:
1. Call to order (SRC Chair)
2. SRC Roll Call and Confirmation of
Quorum
3. SRC Chair and Superintendent’s
Welcome and Introductions
4. Review and Approve Agenda
5. Review and adopt minutes from
last meeting
6. Status of SRC Membership—
Election of Chair and Vice Chair
7. Commission Member Reports
8. Superintendent and NPS Staff
Reports
9. Federal Subsistence Board Update
10. New Business
11. Agency and Public Comments
12. SRC Work Session. Prepare
correspondence and hunting program
recommendations
13. Set time and place of next SRC
meeting
14. Adjournment
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Judith Gottlieb,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 05–17484 Filed 9–1–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–HN–P
E:\FR\FM\02SEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 170 (Friday, September 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52444-52445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17483]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Draft Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan:
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Island County, WA; Notice
of Availability
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4332(C), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations
(40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National Park Service has prepared a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed general management plan
for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (Reserve) located in
northwestern Washington. In addition to a ``no-action'' alternative
(which would maintain current management), the Draft EIS describes and
analyzes two ``action'' alternatives which respond to public concerns
and issues identified during the scoping process, as well as NPS's
conservation planning requirements. These alternatives present varying
management strategies that address visitor use and preservation of
cultural and natural resources that protect and reflect the rural
community on Whidbey Island from 19th century exploration and
settlement in Puget Sound to the present time. The potential
environmental consequences of each alternative, and mitigation
strategies, are identified and analyzed; a determination as to the
``environmentally preferred'' alternative is also provided in the Draft
EIS.
Scoping: A Notice of Intent announcing preparation of the Draft EIS
and general management plan was published in the Federal Register on
May 22, 2000. Public involvement has included public meetings,
presentations and meetings with organizations located within the
Reserve and additional organizations, newsletter mailings, local press
releases, website postings, and postcards. Preceding the formal EIS
analysis process, the NPS had organized an interdisciplinary planning
team to initiate the general management plan process for the Reserve.
The team included the Reserve's Trust Board and staff, representatives
from Washington State, Island County and Town of Coupeville, and NPS
staff from the Pacific West Region Office in Seattle, Washington. The
purpose of these initial meetings was to help characterize the scale
and extent of the planning process.
The formal public scoping efforts began in June 2000 with release
of a scoping newsletter to approximately 650 people on the Reserve's
mailing list. In addition, over 2800 newsletters were distributed at
local public places such as libraries, civic buildings, businesses, and
parks. The planning team received 36 letters during the official public
scoping period ending August 15, 2000. In addition, during June 2000,
three public scoping meetings were held in Seattle, Washington and
Coupeville, Washington (in total, 141 verbal comments were recorded).
Individual scoping meetings were also held between August 2000 and
January 2001 with organizations located within the Reserve to discuss
issues of mutual interest. Other meetings with other interested
organizations were also scheduled.
Proposed Plan and Alternatives: Alternative A constitutes the No-
Action alternative and serves as an environmental baseline to
facilitate comparisons between the ``action'' alternatives. Alternative
A assumes that existing programs, facilities, staffing, and funding
would generally continue at their current levels. The NPS would dispose
of NPS-owned and managed farms within the Reserve to the private sector
after placing conservation easements on them.
Alternative B is the ``agency preferred'' alternative. The
Reserve's Trust Board, and the NPS, in cooperation with partners, would
enhance existing programs and resources management, as well as
administrative, maintenance, and visitor services within the Reserve.
To maintain and protect the rural landscape, the NPS would continue to
purchase conservation easements on priority properties based upon a new
land protection plan. The NPS would exchange NPS-owned farms to private
farm owners for additional protection on other properties within the
Reserve. Historic buildings would be rehabilitated to the Secretary of
the Interior's Standards. The county would be encouraged to develop a
zoning overlay for the Reserve to aid in land use control. In addition,
a minor boundary adjustment would be recommended. To orient and inform
visitors about the Reserve, three gateway kiosks would be developed
along State Route 20 and a visitor center/contact
[[Page 52445]]
station would be operated within an historic building in Coupeville or
within the historic district (three development concept plans for three
sites are included). As documented in the Draft EIS this alternative is
deemed to be ``environmentally preferred''.
Alternative C changes the management structure of the Reserve from
a Trust Board of volunteers to a paid Commission structure. Many
actions are similar to Alternative B but with some distinctions.
Approximately five acres of NPS-owned land at Farm II would be retained
for administrative and maintenance use before exchanging the remaining
farmland to a private farm owner for additional protection on other
properties within the Reserve. One of the three gateways would be in a
historic building in the north of the Reserve. The Reserve would
partner for a visitor contact facility at a proposed marine science
center.
Public Review and Comment: The Draft GMP/EIS has now been released
for public review, and a limited number of printed copies are available
upon request (see below). In addition, the document may be reviewed at
the public library in Coupeville. Also a Draft General Management Plan
Alternatives Newsletter is being issued concurrently. Written comments
may be submitted using several methods. Responses are encouraged online
using the electronic comment form accessed at the NPS Planning,
Environment and Public Comment System (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/
ebla). A postage-paid comment response form is included in the
Alternatives Newsletter (additional pages may be attached to this form
as necessary). Written comments may be directly mailed to: Rob Harbour,
Reserve Manager, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, P.O. Box
774, 162 Cemetery Road, Coupeville, WA 98239. In addition, oral
comments may be offered at one of several public workshops to be
conducted in fall, 2005. Confirmed details on dates, locations and
times for these workshops will be announced in local newspapers, in the
Alternatives Newsletter, via the park's website, or may be obtained by
telephone at (360) 678-6084.
All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later
than 60 days after the EPA's notice of filing is published in the
Federal Register (immediately upon confirmation of this date it will be
announced on the park's website). All comments will become part of the
public record. If individuals submitting comments request that their
name or address be withheld from public disclosure, the request will be
honored to the extent allowable by law. Such requests must be stated
prominently in the beginning of comments. There also may be
circumstances in which the NPS will withhold from the record a
respondent's identity, as allowable by law. As always: The NPS will
make available to public inspection all submissions from organizations
or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses; and
anonymous comments may not be considered.
Decision: Following the opportunity to review the Draft EIS/GMP,
all public and agency comments received will be carefully considered in
preparing the final document. The Final EIS is anticipated to be
completed during the Fall/Winter 2006 and its availability will be
similarly announced in the Federal Register and via local and regional
press media. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible for the final
decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region; subsequently
the approved plan would be implemented by the Trust Board, Ebey's
Landing National Historical Reserve, in conjunction with the Reserve
Manager.
Dated: May 26, 2005.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 05-17483 Filed 9-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-6W-P
