Winter Use Plans, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway, Wyoming, 54456 [E7-18935]

Download as PDF 54456 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 25, 2007 / Notices date of publication of this notice. If the authorized officer determines that a public meeting will be held, a notice of the time and place will be published in the Federal Register at least 30 days before the scheduled date of the meeting. (Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3–1) Kent Hoffman, Deputy State Director, Lands and Minerals. [FR Doc. E7–18890 Filed 9–24–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Winter Use Plans, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway, Wyoming National Park Service, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Winter Use Plans, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway. yshivers on PROD1PC62 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: Pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Winter Use Plans, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway, Wyoming. Seven alternative winter use management plans are evaluated in this EIS; alternative 7 is the NPS preferred alternative. Alternative 1 would put into place the provisions of the temporary winter use plan of August 2004, with some modifications. Alternative 2 would prohibit recreational snowmobiling in the parks in favor of snowcoach access. Alternative 3A would close much of Yellowstone to oversnow travel, leaving the South Entrance to Old Faithful route open to such use. A variation of alternative 3 (3B) is the no action alternative—it closes all routes to motorized oversnow recreation. This would be the outcome of the temporary plan, should no new decision be made. Four other alternatives (4, 5, 6, and 7) would allow varying levels of snowmobile and snowcoach access to continue in the parks. Alternative 4 would allow for increased snowmobile use, relative to historic numbers. Alternative 5 would allow for some unguided snowmobile use and would feature seasonal and VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:20 Sep 24, 2007 Jkt 211001 flexible daily entry limits in Yellowstone. Alternative 6 would provide for plowing some roads in Yellowstone to allow commercial wheeled-vehicle access from West Yellowstone and Mammoth to Old Faithful. Preferred alternative 7 would provide for a balance of snowmobile and snowcoach use and protect park soundscapes, air quality, wildlife and other resources. In Yellowstone, the daily limit on snowmobiles would be 540 snowmobiles per day in Yellowstone. 65 snowmobiles would be allowed per day in Grand Teton and the Parkway. In Yellowstone, all snowmobilers would be required to travel with a commercial guide, and in both parks, all snowcoaches and most snowmobiles would be required to use Best Available Technology (BAT). 83 snowcoaches would be allowed into Yellowstone daily. The East Entrance would remain open for cross-country ski and snowshoe access. DATES: The National Park Service will execute a Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 30 days following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of the Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement. ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public inspection online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/yell, in the office of Superintendent Suzanne Lewis, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, 307–344–2019 and in the office of Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott, Grand Teton National Park, PO Drawer 170, Moose, WY 83012–0170, 307–739–3300. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Franken, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, 307–344–2019, yell_winter_use@nps.gov. Dated: August 30, 2007. John T. Crowley Acting Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service. [FR Doc. E7–18935 Filed 9–24–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312–CT–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Walker River Basin Acquisitions Program, Mineral, Lyon, and Douglas Counties, NV Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and notice of public scoping meetings. AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) proposes to prepare an EIS for the Walker River Basin Acquisitions Program. The primary purpose of the program is to comply with the requirements of Public Law 107–171 (Desert Terminal Lakes Program), which appropriates funds to provide water to at-risk natural desert terminal lakes, and with Public Law 109–103, which allocates funds to the University of Nevada for two specific purposes. The first purpose is to implement a program for environmental restoration to acquire from willing sellers land, water appurtenant to the land, and related interests in the Walker River Basin, Nevada. Acquired water rights would be transferred to provide water to Walker Lake. The second purpose of the University’s funding is to establish and operate an agricultural and natural resources center. The actions to be analyzed in this EIS will be the purchase of water rights and related interests from willing sellers in the Walker River Basin, Nevada. DATES: A series of public scoping meetings will be held to solicit public input on the alternatives, concerns, and issues to be addressed in the EIS. The meetings dates are: • Monday, October 22, 2007, 6 to 8 p.m., Reno, NV. • Tuesday, October 23, 2007, 6 to 8 p.m., Yerington, NV. • Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 6 to 8 p.m., Hawthorne, NV. • Thursday, October 25, 2007, 6 to 8 p.m., Bridgeport, CA. Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent by November 26, 2007. ADDRESSES: The public scoping meetings locations are: • Reno at Rancho San Rafael Park, Main Ranch House, 1595 N. Sierra Street. • Yerington at Yerington High School, gymnasium, 114 Pearl Street. • Hawthorne at Mineral County Public Library, meeting room, 110 1st Street. • Bridgeport at Bridgeport Memorial Hall, 73 N. School Street. Send comments on the scope of the EIS to Mrs. Caryn Huntt DeCarlo, Bureau of Reclamation, 705 N. Plaza Street, Room 320, Carson City, NV 89701, via e-mail to chunttdecarlo@mp.usbr.gov, or faxed to 775–884–8376. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Huntt DeCarlo, 775–884–8352. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project area is in the Walker River Basin E:\FR\FM\25SEN1.SGM 25SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 25, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 54456]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18935]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Winter Use Plans, Final Environmental Impact Statement, 
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, 
Jr., Memorial Parkway, Wyoming

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Winter Use Plans, Yellowstone and Grand Teton 
National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability 
of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Winter Use Plans, 
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, 
Jr., Memorial Parkway, Wyoming.
    Seven alternative winter use management plans are evaluated in this 
EIS; alternative 7 is the NPS preferred alternative. Alternative 1 
would put into place the provisions of the temporary winter use plan of 
August 2004, with some modifications. Alternative 2 would prohibit 
recreational snowmobiling in the parks in favor of snowcoach access. 
Alternative 3A would close much of Yellowstone to oversnow travel, 
leaving the South Entrance to Old Faithful route open to such use. A 
variation of alternative 3 (3B) is the no action alternative--it closes 
all routes to motorized oversnow recreation. This would be the outcome 
of the temporary plan, should no new decision be made. Four other 
alternatives (4, 5, 6, and 7) would allow varying levels of snowmobile 
and snowcoach access to continue in the parks. Alternative 4 would 
allow for increased snowmobile use, relative to historic numbers. 
Alternative 5 would allow for some unguided snowmobile use and would 
feature seasonal and flexible daily entry limits in Yellowstone. 
Alternative 6 would provide for plowing some roads in Yellowstone to 
allow commercial wheeled-vehicle access from West Yellowstone and 
Mammoth to Old Faithful. Preferred alternative 7 would provide for a 
balance of snowmobile and snowcoach use and protect park soundscapes, 
air quality, wildlife and other resources. In Yellowstone, the daily 
limit on snowmobiles would be 540 snowmobiles per day in Yellowstone. 
65 snowmobiles would be allowed per day in Grand Teton and the Parkway. 
In Yellowstone, all snowmobilers would be required to travel with a 
commercial guide, and in both parks, all snowcoaches and most 
snowmobiles would be required to use Best Available Technology (BAT). 
83 snowcoaches would be allowed into Yellowstone daily. The East 
Entrance would remain open for cross-country ski and snowshoe access.

DATES: The National Park Service will execute a Record of Decision 
(ROD) no sooner than 30 days following publication by the Environmental 
Protection Agency of the Notice of Availability of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public inspection online 
at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/yell, in the office of Superintendent 
Suzanne Lewis, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, 307-
344-2019 and in the office of Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott, Grand 
Teton National Park, PO Drawer 170, Moose, WY 83012-0170, 307-739-3300.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Franken, P.O. Box 168, 
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, 307-344-2019, yell_winter_
use@nps.gov.

    Dated: August 30, 2007.
John T. Crowley
Acting Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
 [FR Doc. E7-18935 Filed 9-24-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-CT-P

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