Final General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Badlands National Park, North Unit, South Dakota, 20364 [E7-7744]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 78 / Tuesday April 24, 2007 / Notices
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winter use season, will rely on an openended, in-depth process.
Comments are invited on: (1) The
practical utility of the information being
gathered; (2) the accuracy of the burden
hour estimate; (3) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden to
respondents, including use of
automated information collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology. Before including your
address, phone number, e-mail address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Automated data collection: This
information will be collected via inperson interviews and surveys. No
automated data collection will take
place.
Description of respondents:
Components 1 and 2: Visitors stopping
at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Old
Faithful Geyser on 20 days during the
2007–2008 winter use season.
Component 3: Snowmobile and
snowcoach guides in Yellowstone
National Park.
Estimated average number of
respondents: Component 1: 165 (120
respondents for on-site survey; 45
respondents for interviews). Component
2: 400. Component 3: 30.
Estimated average number of
responses: Component 1: 165 (120
respondents for on-site survey; 45
respondents for interviews). Component
2: 400. Component 3: 30.
Estimated average burden hours per
response: Component 1: 25 minutes for
on-site survey respondents; 30 minutes
for interview respondents. Component
2: 25 minutes. Component 3: 33
minutes.
Frequency of Response: 1 time per
respondent.
Estimated annual reporting burden:
256 hours.
Dated: April 16, 2007.
Leonard E. Stowe,
NPS, Information Collection Clearance
Officer.
[FR Doc. 07–2019 Filed 4–23–07; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Final General Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement,
Badlands National Park, North Unit,
South Dakota
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C)
of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, the National Park Service
(NPS) announces the availability of the
Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final
General Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/
EIS) for Badlands National Park, North
Unit (park). A separate GMP is being
developed for the guidance and
management of the South Unit of
Badlands National Park, and is
scheduled to be completed in three
years. Specifically, the NPS has selected
the preferred alternative as described in
the Final GMP/EIS. Under the selected
action, the NPS will provide expanded
opportunities for visitors to use the
North Unit of the park. The number of
locations where visitors could obtain
park information and orientation will be
increased with new visitor contact
stations added near Pinnacles and in the
town of Scenic. In addition, more hiking
trails and routes will be designated in
various parts of the park. Education
pavilions will be added in the Conata
picnic area and west of County Road
502 along with a group campground.
Additional studies and environmental
documents will be developed, as
appropriate, to examine alternative road
alignments for the Loop Road at Cedar
Pass. Finally, the NPS will recommend
expanding the park’s boundaries in two
locations to enhance resource protection
and offer additional visitor experiences.
One boundary expansion will
incorporate approximately 5,400 acres
along South Dakota Highway 44. The
other recommended addition will be
4,500 acres along the western edge
adjacent to the wilderness area.
The selected action and three other
alternatives were analyzed in the draft
and final GMP/EIS. The full range of
foreseeable environmental
consequences was assessed. Among the
alternatives the NPS considered, the
selected action best achieves a high
standard of natural and cultural
resource protection with improved
opportunities for visitors in the park.
Furthermore, the selected action
responds to the changing visitation
pattern the park has been experiencing.
In the recent years, western South
Dakota has become more of a
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destination for visitors with Rapid City
serving as the hub for this visitation.
This shift in tourism patterns has
increased the number of park visitors
entering the park through the western
entrances. The selected action also
provides needed improvements for park
operations, such as areas for additional
park housing and research support. The
park is located in a rural area and
housing for employees is limited in the
surrounding communities. In addition,
the park has developed a good
relationship with the natural resources
research community but has limited
facilities for supporting these efforts.
The selected action would address the
need to provide facilities for park
operations and research. The selected
action also meets national
environmental policy goals will not
result in the impairment of resources
and values.
The ROD includes a statement of the
decision made, synopses of other
alternatives considered, the basis for the
decision, the rationale for why the
selected action is the environmentally
preferred alternative, a finding of no
impairment of park resources and
values, and an overview of public
involvement in the decisionmaking
process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Superintendent Paige Baker, Badlands
National Park, 25216 Ben Reifel Road,
P.O. Box 6, Interior, South Dakota
57750, telephone 605–433–5361.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of
the Record of Decision may be obtained
from the contact listed above or may be
viewed online at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/.
Dated: December 14, 2006.
Ernest Quintana,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
This document was received at the Office
of the Federal Register on April 19, 2007.
[FR Doc. E7–7744 Filed 4–23–07; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare a General
Management Plan and Environmental
Impact Statement for the South Unit of
Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the
National Park Service (NPS) in
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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 20364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7744]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Final General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement,
Badlands National Park, North Unit, South Dakota
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) announces the
availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final General
Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Badlands
National Park, North Unit (park). A separate GMP is being developed for
the guidance and management of the South Unit of Badlands National
Park, and is scheduled to be completed in three years. Specifically,
the NPS has selected the preferred alternative as described in the
Final GMP/EIS. Under the selected action, the NPS will provide expanded
opportunities for visitors to use the North Unit of the park. The
number of locations where visitors could obtain park information and
orientation will be increased with new visitor contact stations added
near Pinnacles and in the town of Scenic. In addition, more hiking
trails and routes will be designated in various parts of the park.
Education pavilions will be added in the Conata picnic area and west of
County Road 502 along with a group campground. Additional studies and
environmental documents will be developed, as appropriate, to examine
alternative road alignments for the Loop Road at Cedar Pass. Finally,
the NPS will recommend expanding the park's boundaries in two locations
to enhance resource protection and offer additional visitor
experiences. One boundary expansion will incorporate approximately
5,400 acres along South Dakota Highway 44. The other recommended
addition will be 4,500 acres along the western edge adjacent to the
wilderness area.
The selected action and three other alternatives were analyzed in
the draft and final GMP/EIS. The full range of foreseeable
environmental consequences was assessed. Among the alternatives the NPS
considered, the selected action best achieves a high standard of
natural and cultural resource protection with improved opportunities
for visitors in the park. Furthermore, the selected action responds to
the changing visitation pattern the park has been experiencing. In the
recent years, western South Dakota has become more of a destination for
visitors with Rapid City serving as the hub for this visitation. This
shift in tourism patterns has increased the number of park visitors
entering the park through the western entrances. The selected action
also provides needed improvements for park operations, such as areas
for additional park housing and research support. The park is located
in a rural area and housing for employees is limited in the surrounding
communities. In addition, the park has developed a good relationship
with the natural resources research community but has limited
facilities for supporting these efforts. The selected action would
address the need to provide facilities for park operations and
research. The selected action also meets national environmental policy
goals will not result in the impairment of resources and values.
The ROD includes a statement of the decision made, synopses of
other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, the
rationale for why the selected action is the environmentally preferred
alternative, a finding of no impairment of park resources and values,
and an overview of public involvement in the decisionmaking process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent Paige Baker, Badlands
National Park, 25216 Ben Reifel Road, P.O. Box 6, Interior, South
Dakota 57750, telephone 605-433-5361.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the Record of Decision may be
obtained from the contact listed above or may be viewed online at
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/.
Dated: December 14, 2006.
Ernest Quintana,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
This document was received at the Office of the Federal
Register on April 19, 2007.
[FR Doc. E7-7744 Filed 4-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-AD-P
