Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for an Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan (ORV Management Plan) for Cape Lookout National Seashore (Seashore), NC, 44178-44179 [07-3837]
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44178
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 151 / Tuesday, August 7, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) for an Off-Road Vehicle
Management Plan (ORV Management
Plan) for Cape Lookout National
Seashore (Seashore), NC
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given in
accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4332) and Council on
Environmental Quality regulations (40
CFR 1506.6), the U.S. Department of the
Interior, National Park Service (NPS)
will prepare an ORV Management Plan/
DEIS. The ORV Management Plan/DEIS
will be used to guide the management
and control of ORVs at the Seashore for
approximately the next 15 to 20 years.
It will also form the basis for a special
regulation that will regulate ORV use at
the Seashore. The ORV Management
Plan/DEIS will assess potential
environmental impacts associated with
a range of reasonable alternatives for
managing ORV impacts on park
resources such as threatened and
endangered species, soils, wetlands,
wildlife, and cultural resources.
Socioeconomic impacts and effects on
visitor experience and public safety will
also be analyzed. In addition, the plan
will focus on issues that have a direct
bearing on ORV management, including
management of threatened and
endangered species and species of
special concern, as well as predator
management.
DATES: To determine the scope of issues
to be addressed in the ORV Management
Plan/DEIS and to identify significant
issues related to the ORV management
at the Seashore, NPS anticipates
conducting public scoping meetings in
September 2007. The NPS is tentatively
planning to conduct one meeting in
Charlotte, Raleigh and Morehead City or
Beaufort, North Carolina, respectively.
Representatives of the NPS will be
available to discuss issues, resource
concerns, and the planning process at
each of the public meetings. Once
public meetings have been scheduled,
their locations, dates, and times will be
published in local newspapers and
posted on the NPS Planning,
Environment, and Public Comment
(PEPC) Web site at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/CALO.
ADDRESSES AND FURTHER INFORMATION:
Written comments or requests for
information should be addressed to
Wouter Ketel, Management Assistant,
Cape Lookout National Seashore, 131
Charles St., Harkers Island, North
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:56 Aug 06, 2007
Jkt 211001
Carolina 28531. Comments may also be
hand-delivered to the attention of
Wouter Ketel. In addition, comments
may be entered online in the NPS PEPC
Web site at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/CALO. To
comment using PEPC, select the ‘‘Cape
Lookout National Seashore ORV
Management Plan/EIS project,’’ select
‘‘documents,’’ select this ‘‘Notice of
Intent,’’ and then select ‘‘comment’’ and
enter your comments. Further
information about this project may also
be found on the PEPC Web site listed
above, including links to information
about the NEPA planning process.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, please be aware that our
practice is to make comments, including
names, home addresses, home phone
numbers, and e-mail addresses of
respondents, available for public
review. Individual respondents may
request that we withhold their names
and/or home addresses, etc., but if you
wish us to consider withholding this
information you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your
comments. We will always make
submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives of or officials of
organizations or businesses, available
for public inspection in their entirety.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ORV
use on the Seashore predates
establishment of the park in 1966. The
State of North Carolina turned over the
lands of Core Banks to the NPS in 1976.
Shackleford Banks was acquired from
1984 to 1986. Beginning in the 1940s,
vehicles were transported to the banks
by shallow draft ferries, and were used
to provide access to productive
commercial and recreational fishing
spots as well as for camping and
sightseeing. Today ORVs are used to
provide vehicular access onto the
Seashore beaches for recreational
purposes, including surf-fishing,
surfing, sunbathing, swimming, birdwatching, scenic driving, camping, etc.
It is estimated that up to 5500 ORVs are
transported by ferry to the Seashore
each year.
Executive Order 11644, issued in
1972 and amended by Executive Order
11989 in 1977, states that Federal
agencies allowing ORV use must
designate the specific areas and trails on
public lands on which the use of ORVs
may be permitted, and areas in which
the use of ORVs may not be permitted.
Agency regulations to authorize ORV
use provide that designation of such
PO 00000
Frm 00103
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
areas and trails will be based upon the
protection of the resources of the public
lands, promotion of the safety of all
users of those lands, and minimization
of conflicts among the various uses of
those lands. Executive Order 11644 was
issued in response to the widespread
and rapidly increasing use of ORVs on
the public lands—‘‘often for legitimate
purposes but also in frequent conflict
with wise land and resource
management practices, environmental
values, and other types of recreational
activity.’’ 36 CFR 4.10(b) requires that
‘‘routes and areas designated for off-road
motor vehicle use shall be promulgated
as special regulations.’’ In addition,
such routes and areas may only be
designated in national recreation areas,
national seashores, national lakeshores
and national preserves. Therefore, in
accordance with the Executive Order,
the purpose of this Plan/DEIS is to
manage ORV use in compliance with
the Seashore’s enabling legislation, NPS
management policies, and other laws
and regulations to ensure protection of
the natural, cultural, and recreational
values of the Seashore’s dynamic coastal
barrier island environment for present
and future generations.
An ORV Management Plan is needed
because lack of an approved plan over
time has led to inconsistent
management of ORV use. Related to the
need to provide consistency in ORV
management is the need to provide
consistency in resource protection in
areas of ORV use, particularly as
required under the Endangered Species
Act of 1973. Compounding these issues,
the Seashore is also subject to dynamic
weather-related events that continually
change the beach, and sometimes limit
the area that can be accessed safely by
ORVs. Therefore, an ORV Management
Plan is needed to: (1) Comply with
Executive Orders 11644 and 11989
respecting ORV use, and with NPS laws,
regulations (36 CFR 4.10), and policies
to minimize impacts to Seashore
resources and values; (2) Establish an
approved plan incorporating public
input that reduces the potential for
inconsistent management of ORV use,
user conflicts, and safety concerns; (3)
Provide for sustainable recreational use;
(4) Protect natural and cultural
resources from potential effects of ORV
use; and (5) Provide for protected
species management in relation to ORV
and other uses that replaces the Cape
Lookout National Seashore Interim
Protected Species Management Plan/EA
and associated Biological Opinion.
The ORV Management Plan/DEIS will
cover lands administered by the NPS on
North Core Banks, South Core Banks,
Middle Core Banks, Ophelia Banks, and
E:\FR\FM\07AUN1.SGM
07AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 151 / Tuesday, August 7, 2007 / Notices
Shackleford Banks. Of the 56-mile long
Seashore, about 47 miles spanning
North and South Core Banks were
identified by the Seashore General
Management Plan (December 1982) as
appropriate for controlled ORV use; the
remaining 9 miles on Shackleford Banks
is a proposed wilderness and is closed
to vehicle use. However, other potential
aspects of the ORV Management Plan,
such as species and predator
management, will also be addressed for
Shackleford Banks, where ORVs are not
allowed.
During initial internal scoping the
NPS interdisciplinary team identified a
number of draft objectives for the ORV
Management Plan/DEIS, including:
Management Methodology
• Identify criteria to designate ORV
use areas and routes.
• Establish ORV management
practices and procedures that have the
ability to adapt in response to changes
in the Seashore’s dynamic physical and
biological environment.
• Continue an ongoing and
meaningful dialogue with the multiple
public groups interested in/affected by
ORV management.
• Establish procedures for prompt
and efficient public notification of
beach access status including any
temporary ORV use restrictions for such
things as resource and public safety
closures, storm events, etc.
• Build stewardship through public
awareness and understanding of NPS
resource management and visitor use
policies and responsibilities as they
pertain to the Seashore and ORV
management.
Cultural Resources
• Protect cultural resources such as
shipwrecks, archeological sites, and
cultural landscapes from adverse
impacts related to ORV use.
Visitor Use and Experience
• Manage ORV use to allow for a
variety of appropriate visitor use
experiences.
• Minimize conflicts between ORV
use and other uses.
• Ensure that ORV operators are
informed about the rules and
regulations regarding ORV use at the
park.
Visitor Safety
• Ensure that ORV management
promotes the safety of all visitors.
Park Operations
• Identify operational needs and costs
to fully implement an ORV management
plan.
The draft and final ORV Management
Plan/DEIS will be made available to all
known interested parties and
appropriate agencies. Full public
participation by Federal, State, and local
agencies as well as other concerned
organizations and private citizens is
invited throughout the preparation
process of this document.
Authority: The authority for publishing
this notice is 40 CFR 1506.6.
The responsible official for this ORV
Management Plan/DEIS is Patricia A.
Hooks, Regional Director, Southeast
Region, National Park Service, 100
Alabama Street, SW., 1924 Building,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303.
Natural Physical Resources
• Minimize adverse impacts from
ORV use to soils and topographic
features, e.g., dunes, ocean beach,
wetlands, tidal flats, etc.
Dated: July 13, 2007.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 07–3837 Filed 8–6–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–XR–M
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Threatened, Endangered, and Other
Protected Species
National Park Service
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
• Provide protection for threatened,
endangered, and other protected species
(e.g., State-listed species) and their
habitats, minimize adverse impacts
related to ORV and other uses as
required by laws and policies, such as
the Endangered Species Act, the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and NPS
laws and management policies.
Other Vegetation and Wildlife and
Wildlife Habitat
• Minimize adverse impacts to native
plant and animal species and their
habitats related to ORV and other uses.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:56 Aug 06, 2007
Jkt 211001
General Management Plan,
Environmental Impact Statement, Sand
Creek Massacre National Historic Site,
Colorado
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a
general management plan and
environmental impact statement for the
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic
Site.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
PO 00000
Frm 00104
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
44179
1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National
Park Service (NPS) is preparing an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
for a general management plan (GMP)
for the Sand Creek Massacre National
Historic Site. This effort will analyze the
impacts of a broad range of design
alternatives for the national historic site.
This effort will result in a
comprehensive general management
plan that provides a framework for
making management decisions
regarding the preservation of natural
and cultural resources, visitor use and
interpretation and development of
appropriate park facilities. This plan
will be developed in cooperation with
the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe of
Oklahoma, the Northern Arapaho Tribe
of Wyoming, the Northern Cheyenne
Tribe of Montana, and the State of
Colorado. Alternatives to be considered
include no-action, the proposed action
and other reasonable alternatives.
The park superintendent will initiate
consultation with congressional
delegations, tribal representatives, and
state and local agencies on the
development of the plan. Consultation
with these agencies will continue
throughout the planning process.
Public involvement in the planning
process will include newsletters and
open houses that inform the public of
the project and provide opportunities
for input; press releases in the local
media; newsletters and open houses to
present and solicit input on the
alternatives; a public review draft of the
general management plan and
environmental impact statement and
public meetings to provide additional
opportunities to comment on the draft
plan. Public involvement is essential for
the development of creative and
sustainable management alternatives for
the national historic site.
A briefing statement has been
prepared that summarizes the specific
elements of the general management
planning process and the EIS. Copies of
that information may be obtained from:
Superintendent, Alexa Roberts, Sand
Creek Massacre National Historic Site,
P.O. Box 249, Eads, CO 81036.
DATES: The Park Service will accept
comments from the public through 30
days from date of publication in the
Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Information will be
available for public review and
comment in the office of the
Superintendent, Alexa Roberts, Sand
Creek Massacre National Historic Site,
P.O. Box 249, Eads, CO 81036 and on
the NPS Planning Environment and
Public Comment site (PEPC) at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/.
E:\FR\FM\07AUN1.SGM
07AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44178-44179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3837]
[[Page 44178]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for an Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan (ORV
Management Plan) for Cape Lookout National Seashore (Seashore), NC
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4332) and Council on
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1506.6), the U.S. Department
of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) will prepare an ORV
Management Plan/DEIS. The ORV Management Plan/DEIS will be used to
guide the management and control of ORVs at the Seashore for
approximately the next 15 to 20 years. It will also form the basis for
a special regulation that will regulate ORV use at the Seashore. The
ORV Management Plan/DEIS will assess potential environmental impacts
associated with a range of reasonable alternatives for managing ORV
impacts on park resources such as threatened and endangered species,
soils, wetlands, wildlife, and cultural resources. Socioeconomic
impacts and effects on visitor experience and public safety will also
be analyzed. In addition, the plan will focus on issues that have a
direct bearing on ORV management, including management of threatened
and endangered species and species of special concern, as well as
predator management.
DATES: To determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the ORV
Management Plan/DEIS and to identify significant issues related to the
ORV management at the Seashore, NPS anticipates conducting public
scoping meetings in September 2007. The NPS is tentatively planning to
conduct one meeting in Charlotte, Raleigh and Morehead City or
Beaufort, North Carolina, respectively. Representatives of the NPS will
be available to discuss issues, resource concerns, and the planning
process at each of the public meetings. Once public meetings have been
scheduled, their locations, dates, and times will be published in local
newspapers and posted on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public
Comment (PEPC) Web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CALO.
ADDRESSES AND FURTHER INFORMATION: Written comments or requests for
information should be addressed to Wouter Ketel, Management Assistant,
Cape Lookout National Seashore, 131 Charles St., Harkers Island, North
Carolina 28531. Comments may also be hand-delivered to the attention of
Wouter Ketel. In addition, comments may be entered online in the NPS
PEPC Web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CALO. To comment using
PEPC, select the ``Cape Lookout National Seashore ORV Management Plan/
EIS project,'' select ``documents,'' select this ``Notice of Intent,''
and then select ``comment'' and enter your comments. Further
information about this project may also be found on the PEPC Web site
listed above, including links to information about the NEPA planning
process.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware
that our practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses,
home phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, available for
public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold
their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider
withholding this information you must state this prominently at the
beginning of your comments. We will always make submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ORV use on the Seashore predates
establishment of the park in 1966. The State of North Carolina turned
over the lands of Core Banks to the NPS in 1976. Shackleford Banks was
acquired from 1984 to 1986. Beginning in the 1940s, vehicles were
transported to the banks by shallow draft ferries, and were used to
provide access to productive commercial and recreational fishing spots
as well as for camping and sightseeing. Today ORVs are used to provide
vehicular access onto the Seashore beaches for recreational purposes,
including surf-fishing, surfing, sunbathing, swimming, bird-watching,
scenic driving, camping, etc. It is estimated that up to 5500 ORVs are
transported by ferry to the Seashore each year.
Executive Order 11644, issued in 1972 and amended by Executive
Order 11989 in 1977, states that Federal agencies allowing ORV use must
designate the specific areas and trails on public lands on which the
use of ORVs may be permitted, and areas in which the use of ORVs may
not be permitted. Agency regulations to authorize ORV use provide that
designation of such areas and trails will be based upon the protection
of the resources of the public lands, promotion of the safety of all
users of those lands, and minimization of conflicts among the various
uses of those lands. Executive Order 11644 was issued in response to
the widespread and rapidly increasing use of ORVs on the public lands--
``often for legitimate purposes but also in frequent conflict with wise
land and resource management practices, environmental values, and other
types of recreational activity.'' 36 CFR 4.10(b) requires that ``routes
and areas designated for off-road motor vehicle use shall be
promulgated as special regulations.'' In addition, such routes and
areas may only be designated in national recreation areas, national
seashores, national lakeshores and national preserves. Therefore, in
accordance with the Executive Order, the purpose of this Plan/DEIS is
to manage ORV use in compliance with the Seashore's enabling
legislation, NPS management policies, and other laws and regulations to
ensure protection of the natural, cultural, and recreational values of
the Seashore's dynamic coastal barrier island environment for present
and future generations.
An ORV Management Plan is needed because lack of an approved plan
over time has led to inconsistent management of ORV use. Related to the
need to provide consistency in ORV management is the need to provide
consistency in resource protection in areas of ORV use, particularly as
required under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Compounding these
issues, the Seashore is also subject to dynamic weather-related events
that continually change the beach, and sometimes limit the area that
can be accessed safely by ORVs. Therefore, an ORV Management Plan is
needed to: (1) Comply with Executive Orders 11644 and 11989 respecting
ORV use, and with NPS laws, regulations (36 CFR 4.10), and policies to
minimize impacts to Seashore resources and values; (2) Establish an
approved plan incorporating public input that reduces the potential for
inconsistent management of ORV use, user conflicts, and safety
concerns; (3) Provide for sustainable recreational use; (4) Protect
natural and cultural resources from potential effects of ORV use; and
(5) Provide for protected species management in relation to ORV and
other uses that replaces the Cape Lookout National Seashore Interim
Protected Species Management Plan/EA and associated Biological Opinion.
The ORV Management Plan/DEIS will cover lands administered by the
NPS on North Core Banks, South Core Banks, Middle Core Banks, Ophelia
Banks, and
[[Page 44179]]
Shackleford Banks. Of the 56-mile long Seashore, about 47 miles
spanning North and South Core Banks were identified by the Seashore
General Management Plan (December 1982) as appropriate for controlled
ORV use; the remaining 9 miles on Shackleford Banks is a proposed
wilderness and is closed to vehicle use. However, other potential
aspects of the ORV Management Plan, such as species and predator
management, will also be addressed for Shackleford Banks, where ORVs
are not allowed.
During initial internal scoping the NPS interdisciplinary team
identified a number of draft objectives for the ORV Management Plan/
DEIS, including:
Management Methodology
Identify criteria to designate ORV use areas and routes.
Establish ORV management practices and procedures that
have the ability to adapt in response to changes in the Seashore's
dynamic physical and biological environment.
Continue an ongoing and meaningful dialogue with the
multiple public groups interested in/affected by ORV management.
Establish procedures for prompt and efficient public
notification of beach access status including any temporary ORV use
restrictions for such things as resource and public safety closures,
storm events, etc.
Build stewardship through public awareness and
understanding of NPS resource management and visitor use policies and
responsibilities as they pertain to the Seashore and ORV management.
Natural Physical Resources
Minimize adverse impacts from ORV use to soils and
topographic features, e.g., dunes, ocean beach, wetlands, tidal flats,
etc.
Threatened, Endangered, and Other Protected Species
Provide protection for threatened, endangered, and other
protected species (e.g., State-listed species) and their habitats,
minimize adverse impacts related to ORV and other uses as required by
laws and policies, such as the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act, and NPS laws and management policies.
Other Vegetation and Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat
Minimize adverse impacts to native plant and animal
species and their habitats related to ORV and other uses.
Cultural Resources
Protect cultural resources such as shipwrecks,
archeological sites, and cultural landscapes from adverse impacts
related to ORV use.
Visitor Use and Experience
Manage ORV use to allow for a variety of appropriate
visitor use experiences.
Minimize conflicts between ORV use and other uses.
Ensure that ORV operators are informed about the rules and
regulations regarding ORV use at the park.
Visitor Safety
Ensure that ORV management promotes the safety of all
visitors.
Park Operations
Identify operational needs and costs to fully implement an
ORV management plan.
The draft and final ORV Management Plan/DEIS will be made available
to all known interested parties and appropriate agencies. Full public
participation by Federal, State, and local agencies as well as other
concerned organizations and private citizens is invited throughout the
preparation process of this document.
Authority: The authority for publishing this notice is 40 CFR
1506.6.
The responsible official for this ORV Management Plan/DEIS is
Patricia A. Hooks, Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park
Service, 100 Alabama Street, SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia
30303.
Dated: July 13, 2007.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 07-3837 Filed 8-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-XR-M
