Notice of Designation of Potential Wilderness as Wilderness, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO, 16005-16006 [E9-7936]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 66 / Wednesday, April 8, 2009 / Notices 16005 ultimately enhance the experience for future conference attendees and inform the supporting institutions and/or agencies of their success. These data will also serve as a measurement tool and point of reference from which to evaluate future conferences. Dated: April 1, 2009. Charles van Riper, Leader, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Sonoran Desert Research Station. [FR Doc. E9–7930 Filed 4–7–09; 8:45 am] II. Data DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OMB Control Number: None. This is a new collection. Title: Evaluation of USGS Southwest Biological Science Center Biennial Conferences. Type of Request: New. Affected Public: Individuals, State agencies and tribal governments. Respondent Obligation: Voluntary. Frequency of Collection: Biannually. Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: 550 conference attendees. Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1100. Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 275 hours. U.S. Geological Survey BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P National Geospatial Advisory Committee; Meeting DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES III. Request for Comments We invite comments concerning this ICR on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. 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 publically available at anytime. 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. USGS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Phadrea D. Ponds 970–226–9445. VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:05 Apr 07, 2009 Jkt 217001 BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on May 12–13, 2009 at the George Washington University Cafritz Conference Center, 800 21st Street, NW., Washington, DC 20052. The meeting will be held in room 405. The NGAC, which is composed of representatives from governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations, was established to advise the Chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee on management of Federal geospatial programs, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A–16. Topics to be addressed at the meeting include: —Current FGDC Activities. —National Geospatial Policy and Strategy. —NGAC Subcommittee Activities, including The National Map, Partnerships, Parcel Data, Communications, Economic Recovery, and Governance. —NGAC Action Plan. The meeting will include an opportunity for public comment during the morning of May 13. Comments may also be submitted to the NGAC in writing. Members of the public who wish to attend the meeting must register in advance. Please register by contacting Arista Maher at the U.S. Geological Survey (703–648–6283, amaher@usgs.gov). Registrations are due by May 8, 2009. While the meeting will be open to the public, seating may be limited due to room capacity. DATES: The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 12 and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on May 13. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Mahoney, U.S. Geological Survey (206– 220–4621). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Meetings of the National Geospatial Advisory PO 00000 Frm 00093 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Committee are open to the public. Additional information about the NGAC and the meeting is available at https:// www.fgdc.gov/ngac. Dated: April 1, 2009. Ken Shaffer, Deputy Staff Director, Federal Geographic Data Committee. [FR Doc. E9–7927 Filed 4–7–09; 8:45 am] National Park Service Notice of Designation of Potential Wilderness as Wilderness, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior. SUMMARY: The Great Sand Dunes Wilderness within Great Sand Dunes National Monument was designated by Public Law 94–567, dated Oct 20th, 1976. According to the act the wilderness was to comprise 33,450 acres with a potential wilderness addition of 670 acres. Public Law 95–625, dated Nov 10th, 1978 added 1,109 acres to Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Public Law 96–87, dated Oct 12th, 1979, amended this addition to 1,900 acres and further added that ‘‘The Secretary shall designate the lands described by this paragraph for management in accordance with the adjacent lands within the monument * * *.’’ This amendment, therefore, has the effect of authorizing inclusion of the 1,900 acres in the wilderness area. At the time the Acts were approved the added lands had non-conforming uses prohibited by the Wilderness Act of 1964 and so were designated as potential wilderness until such time as the non-conforming uses were eliminated. The National Park Service depicted the wilderness and potential wilderness additions on maps entitled ‘‘Great Sand Dunes Wilderness, Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Colorado’’, numbered 140–20,006–D and dated January, 1980. In May, 1980, the NPS published the legal description of the wilderness and potential wilderness additions. The maps and legal description are on file at the headquarters of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, 11500 Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81144. At the time of the establishment of the wilderness area two of the potential wilderness units had been purchased by the government but had non-conforming uses which precluded them from being included in the original wilderness E:\FR\FM\08APN1.SGM 08APN1 16006 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 66 / Wednesday, April 8, 2009 / Notices declaration. One was occupied by the previous owner under a ‘‘Life Estate Agreement’’ while the other was occupied under a ‘‘Use and Occupancy’’ agreement. The former expired upon the death of the occupant in 1995 while the latter’s term expired in 1999. Subsequently each unit reverted to the exclusive control of the government and the non-conforming uses were eliminated. Additionally, improvements existing on one of the units were removed and the area restored to a natural state. The other two units were privately held, accessible by motor vehicle, and with potential further development. One 40 acre tract was purchased in 2000 and the remaining lands purchased in 2004. Subsequently, the government holds all rights and privileges to the land including mineral rights (which never passed from the government in the first place). Note that Public Law 106–530, dated Nov 22, 2000, abolished Great Sand Dunes National Monument and instead established Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. The potential wilderness lands hereby designated as wilderness total 2,505 acres more or less and are described as: rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES Sixth Principal Meridian T. 25 S., R. 73 W., Section 31, surveyed, that portion of Segregated Tract 39 in the N1⁄2 according to Government Independent Resurvey approved October 7, 1943; Section 32, surveyed, that portion of Segregated Tract 39 in the W1⁄2 NW1⁄4 NE1⁄4, N1⁄2 NW1⁄4, and W1⁄2 SW1⁄4 NW1⁄4 according to Government Independent Resurvey approved October 7, 1943. T. 26 S., R. 73 W., Section 11, surveyed, those portions of E1⁄2 lying northwesterly beyond 50 feet of the centerline of that portion of the Medano Pass Primitive Road northeasterly of Little Medano Road, northwesterly of the center of that portion of the intermittent stream leading into Medano Creek southwesterly of said Little Medano Road and northerly of the center of that portion of Medano Creek below the confluence thereof with said intermittent stream and excluding in said E1⁄2 a strip of land 50 feet on each side of the centerline of said Little Medano Road; Section 14, surveyed, that portion of E1⁄2 W1⁄2 lying west of the center of Medano Creek; Section 23, surveyed, that portion of W1⁄2 NW1⁄4 lying west of the center of Medano Creek; New Mexico Principal Meridian That southeasterly portion of the former Luis Maria Baca No. 4 Grant lying within the authorized boundaries of the former Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Saguache County. VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:05 Apr 07, 2009 Jkt 217001 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Bowman, Chief Ranger, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, 11500 Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81146, (719) 378–6321, jim_bowman@nps.gov. Dated: February 4, 2009. Michael D. Snyder, Director Intermountain Region, National Park Service. [FR Doc. E9–7936 Filed 4–7–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312–CL–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Environmental Impact Statement/ General Management Plan; Channel Islands National Park, Ventura County, California; Notice of Intent To Expand Scope of the Environmental Impact Statement SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), and in accord with Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations including 40 CFR 1501.7, the National Park Service is expanding the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which is being prepared for the General Management Plan (GMP) for Channel Islands National Park. As part of this conservation planning effort, the EIS will include a wilderness study to determine if any portions of the park should be recommended for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System as defined in the Wilderness Act of 1964. This new element will be included as part of the EIS currently in preparation. Accordingly this notice supplements and updates the original Notice of Intent published with regard to initiation of the GMP project in the Federal Register on November 8, 2001. As a result, the scope of the EIS will be expanded to include an evaluation of foreseeable effects associated with possible designation of wilderness within the park. As noted previously, the GMP will establish the overall direction for the park, setting broad management goals for managing the area over the next 15 to 20 years. The GMP will prescribe desired resource conditions and visitor experiences that are to be achieved and maintained throughout the park. Based on the desired conditions, the GMP will outline what resource management and visitor activities, and what limited developments, that would be appropriate in the park. Among the topics that have been addressed thus far are ecosystem management, preservation of natural and cultural PO 00000 Frm 00094 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 resources, landscape restoration, island access, road and trail systems, facility and staff needs, research needs, and education and interpretive efforts. A range of reasonable alternatives for managing the park, including ‘‘noaction’’ and ‘‘preferred’’ alternatives, will be developed through the planning process and included in the EIS. The EIS will evaluate the potential environmental consequences of all alternatives, and identify appropriate mitigation strategies. An ‘‘environmentally preferred’’ alternative will be identified, and any potential for unacceptable impacts or impairments to park values will also be disclosed. Scoping Process: To facilitate full and complete conservation planning and analysis of environmental impact, the National Park Service (NPS) is gathering information relevant to the GMP/ Wilderness Study and the associated EIS, and is obtaining new suggestions and relevant information from the public on the scope of issues to be addressed (comments previously provided to the planning team need not be re-submitted). In concert with local, state, tribal, and other federal agencies, consideration will also be made for cooperative management of resources outside park boundaries that affect the integrity of the park. Comments and participation in this final phase of the scoping process are encouraged. Persons not previously participating and now wishing to provide relevant information or comment about issues or concerns may do so as follows: written comments may be sent via regular mail to Channel Islands NP Planning Team, NPS–Denver Service Center, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225 (or transmitted via the Internet at https://parkplanning.nps.gov). They may express their concerns at public meetings to be held in Santa Barbara and Ventura (to be scheduled during spring-summer, 2009). Finally, they may hand-deliver written comments to the park headquarters in Ventura, California. 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. DATES: All written comments on the scope of the GMP/Wilderness Study/EIS must be postmarked, hand delivered, or electronically transmitted August 6, E:\FR\FM\08APN1.SGM 08APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16005-16006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7936]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Designation of Potential Wilderness as Wilderness, 
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
SUMMARY: The Great Sand Dunes Wilderness within Great Sand Dunes 
National Monument was designated by Public Law 94-567, dated Oct 20th, 
1976. According to the act the wilderness was to comprise 33,450 acres 
with a potential wilderness addition of 670 acres. Public Law 95-625, 
dated Nov 10th, 1978 added 1,109 acres to Great Sand Dunes National 
Monument and Public Law 96-87, dated Oct 12th, 1979, amended this 
addition to 1,900 acres and further added that ``The Secretary shall 
designate the lands described by this paragraph for management in 
accordance with the adjacent lands within the monument * * *.'' This 
amendment, therefore, has the effect of authorizing inclusion of the 
1,900 acres in the wilderness area. At the time the Acts were approved 
the added lands had non-conforming uses prohibited by the Wilderness 
Act of 1964 and so were designated as potential wilderness until such 
time as the non-conforming uses were eliminated.
    The National Park Service depicted the wilderness and potential 
wilderness additions on maps entitled ``Great Sand Dunes Wilderness, 
Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Colorado'', numbered 140-20,006-D 
and dated January, 1980. In May, 1980, the NPS published the legal 
description of the wilderness and potential wilderness additions. The 
maps and legal description are on file at the headquarters of Great 
Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, 11500 Highway 150, Mosca, CO 
81144.
    At the time of the establishment of the wilderness area two of the 
potential wilderness units had been purchased by the government but had 
non-conforming uses which precluded them from being included in the 
original wilderness

[[Page 16006]]

declaration. One was occupied by the previous owner under a ``Life 
Estate Agreement'' while the other was occupied under a ``Use and 
Occupancy'' agreement. The former expired upon the death of the 
occupant in 1995 while the latter's term expired in 1999. Subsequently 
each unit reverted to the exclusive control of the government and the 
non-conforming uses were eliminated. Additionally, improvements 
existing on one of the units were removed and the area restored to a 
natural state.
    The other two units were privately held, accessible by motor 
vehicle, and with potential further development. One 40 acre tract was 
purchased in 2000 and the remaining lands purchased in 2004. 
Subsequently, the government holds all rights and privileges to the 
land including mineral rights (which never passed from the government 
in the first place).
    Note that Public Law 106-530, dated Nov 22, 2000, abolished Great 
Sand Dunes National Monument and instead established Great Sand Dunes 
National Park and Preserve. The potential wilderness lands hereby 
designated as wilderness total 2,505 acres more or less and are 
described as:

Sixth Principal Meridian

T. 25 S., R. 73 W.,
    Section 31, surveyed, that portion of Segregated Tract 39 in the 
N\1/2\ according to Government Independent Resurvey approved October 
7, 1943;
    Section 32, surveyed, that portion of Segregated Tract 39 in the 
W\1/2\ NW\1/4\ NE\1/4\, N\1/2\ NW\1/4\, and W\1/2\ SW\1/4\ NW\1/4\ 
according to Government Independent Resurvey approved October 7, 
1943.
T. 26 S., R. 73 W.,
    Section 11, surveyed, those portions of E\1/2\ lying 
northwesterly beyond 50 feet of the centerline of that portion of 
the Medano Pass Primitive Road northeasterly of Little Medano Road, 
northwesterly of the center of that portion of the intermittent 
stream leading into Medano Creek southwesterly of said Little Medano 
Road and northerly of the center of that portion of Medano Creek 
below the confluence thereof with said intermittent stream and 
excluding in said E\1/2\ a strip of land 50 feet on each side of the 
centerline of said Little Medano Road;
    Section 14, surveyed, that portion of E\1/2\ W\1/2\ lying west 
of the center of Medano Creek;
    Section 23, surveyed, that portion of W\1/2\ NW\1/4\ lying west 
of the center of Medano Creek;

New Mexico Principal Meridian

That southeasterly portion of the former Luis Maria Baca No. 4 Grant 
lying within the authorized boundaries of the former Great Sand 
Dunes National Monument in Saguache County.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Bowman, Chief Ranger, Great Sand 
Dunes National Park and Preserve, 11500 Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81146, 
(719) 378-6321, jim_bowman@nps.gov.

    Dated: February 4, 2009.
Michael D. Snyder,
Director Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. E9-7936 Filed 4-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-CL-P
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