Final Environmental Impact Statement and Cape Hatteras National Seashore Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan, 69700-69701 [2010-28710]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69700-69701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28710]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Final Environmental Impact Statement and Cape Hatteras National 
Seashore Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Off-Road Vehicle 
Management Plan.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332 (2) (C), and the Council on Environmental Quality 
regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National Park Service (NPS), 
Department of the Interior, announces the availability of the final 
environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the proposed Cape Hatteras 
National Seashore (Seashore) Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan (Plan/
FEIS). The Plan/FEIS will enable NPS to develop regulations and 
procedures to manage off-road vehicle (ORV) use/access in the Seashore 
consistent with the Executive Orders on ORV use on Federal lands and 
NPS regulations.

DATES: The NPS will execute a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days 
from the date of publication of the Notice of Availability of the FEIS 
in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the document are available for public 
review online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/caha. A limited number of 
compact disks (CDs) and hard copies of the FEIS are available at the 
Seashore headquarters, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954. You 
may also request a hard copy or CD by contacting Superintendent Mike 
Murray, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, 
Manteo, NC 27954.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Plan/FEIS is to develop 
regulations and procedures that manage ORV use and access in the 
Seashore to protect and preserve natural and cultural resources and 
natural processes, to provide a variety of visitor use experiences 
while minimizing conflicts among various users, and to promote the 
safety of all visitors. Executive Order 11644 of 1972, amended by 
Executive Order 11989 of 1977, requires certain Federal agencies 
permitting ORV use on Agency lands to designate specific trails and 
areas. Title 36, section 4.10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
implements the Executive Orders by providing that routes and areas 
designated for ORV use in units of the National Park System shall be 
promulgated as special regulations. Therefore, this Plan/FEIS is 
necessary to bring the Seashore in compliance with Executive Orders 
11644 and 11989, address the lack of an approved plan, and provide for 
protected species management in relation to ORV use. The FEIS evaluates 
two no action alternatives and four action alternatives for managing 
ORV use, and identifies their potential environmental consequences. 
Consistent with NPS laws, regulations, and policies, and the purpose of 
the Seashore, the FEIS describes Alternative F as the NPS preferred 
alternative. Alternative F provides a reasonably balanced approach to 
designating ORV routes and vehicle free areas while providing for the 
protection of park resources.
    Alternative A would manage ORV use and access at the Seashore based 
on the 2007 Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Interim 
Protected Species Management Strategy/Environmental Assessment and the 
Superintendent's Compendium 2007, as well as elements from the 1978 
draft interim ORV management plan that were incorporated in 
Superintendent's Order 7. Alternative B would continue management in 
effect during 2008-2010. Under alternative B, management of ORV use 
would follow the terms described under alternative A, except as 
modified by the provisions of the consent decree, as amended. 
Modifications in the consent decree include changes to resource 
protection buffers and closures for various species at the Seashore and 
added restrictions related to night driving. Alternative C emphasizes 
seasonal designation of ORV routes. It would provide visitors to the 
Seashore with a degree of predictability regarding areas available for 
ORV use, as well as vehicle-free areas, based largely on the seasonal 
resource and visitor use characteristics of various areas in the 
Seashore.
    Alternative D would give visitors to the Seashore the maximum 
amount of predictability regarding areas available for ORV use and 
vehicle-free areas for pedestrian use. Restrictions would be applied to 
larger areas over longer periods of time to minimize changes in 
designated ORV and non-ORV areas over the course of the year. 
Alternative E would provide use areas for all types of visitors to the 
Seashore with a wide variety of access for both ORV and pedestrian 
users, but often with controls or restrictions in place to limit 
impacts on sensitive resources. Interdunal road and ramp access would 
be improved, and more pedestrian access would be provided through 
substantial additions to parking capacity at various key locations that 
lend themselves to walking on the beach. Alternative E would provide 
more miles of ORV routes, shorter hours of ORV night closure during sea 
turtle nesting season, a park and stay program, and a self-contained 
vehicle camping program.

[[Page 69701]]

    Alternative F, the NPS preferred alternative, is designed to 
provide visitors to the Seashore with a wide variety of access 
opportunities for both ORV and pedestrian users. Following 
consideration of public comment on the DEIS, Alternative F was revised 
to provide more pedestrian access adjacent to resource closures, where 
possible, and a more balanced approach to ORV routes and vehicle-free 
areas than Alternative F provided in the DEIS. To support access to 
both vehicle-free areas and designated ORV routes, alternative F would 
involve the construction of new parking areas, pedestrian access 
trails, ORV ramps, and improvements and additions to the interdunal 
road system.
    The NPS Notice of Availability for the DEIS was published in the 
Federal Register on March 5, 2010. The DEIS was posted online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/caha on March 5, 2010. The U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Notice of Availability for the DEIS was published on 
March 12, 2010, which opened the public comment period and established 
the closing date of May 11, 2010, for comments. Five public hearings 
were conducted in North Carolina and Virginia between April 26 and 29, 
2010. Following a review of agency and public comment on the DEIS, NPS 
prepared a concern response report which contains responses to 
substantive comments. This report is included as an appendix to the 
FEIS.
    Authority: The authority for publishing this notice is 40 CFR 
1506.6.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Murray, Superintendent, Cape 
Hatteras National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954, 
(252) 473-2111 x 148.
    The responsible official for this final EIS is the Regional 
Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 100 Alabama Street 
SW, 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: October 19, 2010.
Gordon Wissinger,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2010-28710 Filed 11-12-10; 8:45 am]
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