President's Park-Environmental Assessment for Proposed Permanent Roadway Closures, Re-Design of Security Elements, and Preservation of Historic Landscape, 12753-12755 [2011-5253]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 8, 2011 / Notices
required payment. A person or party
who wishes to protest against a survey
must file a notice that they wish to
protest (at the above address) with the
Oregon/Washington State Director,
Bureau of Land Management, Portland,
Oregon.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle
Hensley, (503) 808–6124, Branch of
Geographic Sciences, Bureau of Land
Management, 333 SW. 1st Avenue,
Portland, Oregon 97204.
Fred O’Ferrall,
Chief, Branch of Land, Mineral, and Energy
Resources.
[FR Doc. 2011–5175 Filed 3–7–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLIDB00200 LF20000ES.JS0000
LFESFTF60000]
Notice of Temporary Closures on
Public Lands in Ada and Elmore
Counties, ID
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of temporary closure.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
the Big Fire (#FNW4) and Hot Tea Fire
(#FTF6) closures to motorized vehicle
use are in effect on public lands
administered by the Four Rivers Field
Office, Bureau of Land Management
(BLM).
DATES: The closures will be in effect on
the date this notice is published in the
Federal Register and will remain in
effect for 2 years or until rescinded or
modified by the authorized officer or
designated Federal officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Terry Humphrey, Four Rivers Field
Manager, at 3948 Development Avenue,
Boise, Idaho 83705, via e-mail at
terry_humphrey@blm.gov, or phone
(208) 384–3430. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
to contact the above individuals during
normal business hours. The FIRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question with the
above individual. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Big
Fire closure affects public lands located
in Ada County, Idaho approximately 3
miles northwest of Eagle, Idaho, which
burned on July 28, 2010. The legal
description of the affected public lands
is:
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:12 Mar 07, 2011
Jkt 223001
Boise Meridian, Idaho
T. 5 N., R. 1 W.,
Secs. 22 through 27, inclusive.
T. 5 N., R. 1 E.,
Sec. 19;
Sec. 30.
The areas described contain approximately
1,920 acres.
The Big Fire closure is necessary
because occupied and potential habitat
for slickspot peppergrass, a species
listed as threatened under the
Endangered Species Act, is at risk from
further damage by motorized vehicles.
The closure area includes a designated
management area for slickspot
peppergrass (MA–2C). The closure will
allow burned areas to re-establish a
vegetative cover which protects the soil
from erosion and provides for moisture
retention. The closure will help to
ensure the long-term viability of
slickspot peppergrass plants and their
associated habitat in this area.
The Hot Tea closure affects public
lands in Elmore County, Idaho, burned
August 27–29, 2010, by the Hot Tea
Fire, 12 miles northwest of Mountain
Home, Idaho. Unburned public lands in
the Thorn Creek Pasture (#4) of the
Hammett #6 Allotment and north of the
powerline in the Lower Bennett Creek
Allotment will also be closed. The legal
description of the affected public lands
is:
Boise Meridian, Idaho
T. 2 S., R. 8 E.,
Secs. 24 through 26, inclusive;
Secs. 34 through 35, inclusive.
T. 2 S., R. 9 E.,
Secs. 30 through 31, inclusive.
T. 3 S., R. 8 E.,
Sec. 2;
Secs. 12 through 13, inclusive;
Secs. 24 through 25, inclusive.
T. 3 S., R. 9 E.,
Secs. 5 through 8, inclusive;
Secs. 17 through 20, inclusive;
Secs. 28 through 30, inclusive.
The areas described contain approximately
6,900 acres.
The Hot Tea Fire closure is necessary
to protect critical winter habitat for elk
and mule deer as well as important
sage-grouse habitat. The closure will
help to slow the spread of noxious
weeds; allow planted shrub, forb, and
grass species to become established; and
allow existing plants to recover from the
effects of the fire. The closure will help
ensure the long-term viability of habitat
for wildlife populations in the area.
The BLM will post closure signs at
main entry points to the closed areas
and/or other locations on-site. This
closure will also be posted in the BLM
Boise District office. Maps of the
affected area and other documents
associated with this closure are
PO 00000
Frm 00063
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
12753
available at 3948 Development Avenue,
Boise, Idaho 83705. Under the authority
of Section 303(a) of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43
U.S.C. 1733(a)), 43 CFR 8360.0–7, and
43 CFR 8364.1, the BLM will enforce the
following rule within the Big Fire and
Hot Tea Fire closures:
Motorized Vehicles Must Not Be Used
in the Closed Area
Exemptions: The following persons
are exempt from this order: Federal,
State, and local officers and employees
in the performance of their official
duties; members of organized rescue or
fire-fighting forces in the performance of
their official duties; and persons with
written authorization from the BLM.
Penalties: Any person who violates
the above rule may be tried before a
United States Magistrate and fined no
more than $1,000, imprisoned for no
more than 12 months, or both. Violators
may also be subject to the enhanced
fines provided for in 18 U.S.C. 3571.
Authority: 43 CFR 8364.1.
Terry Humphrey,
Four Rivers Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2011–5130 Filed 3–7–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[Account No. 3950–SZM]
President’s Park—Environmental
Assessment for Proposed Permanent
Roadway Closures, Re-Design of
Security Elements, and Preservation of
Historic Landscape
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Assessment by the
National Park Service and the United
States Secret Service, and notice of
scoping for re-designing the security
elements and preserving the landscape
within President’s Park South, which
includes a portion of E Street, NW., in
Washington, DC.
AGENCY:
The proposed actions are as
follows: The United States Secret
Service deciding whether to
permanently close (1) the section of E
Street, NW. between 15th and 17th
Streets, NW., South Executive Avenue,
and the Ellipse roadways to
unauthorized vehicular traffic, and (2)
State Place and West South Executive
Avenue and adjacent sidewalks
(contiguous to First Division
Monument) and Hamilton Place and
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\08MRN1.SGM
08MRN1
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
12754
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 8, 2011 / Notices
East South Executive Avenue and
adjacent sidewalks (contiguous to
Sherman Park) to unauthorized
vehicular and unauthorized pedestrian
traffic, and to install durable, more
aesthetic security elements in the area to
replace the temporary, unsightly
security elements currently in place;
and the National Park Service deciding
on landscape and infrastructure changes
to the area that respond to the street
closures and re-design of security
elements to ensure the iconic historic
nature of the landscape that is the White
House and its environs and an
important destination for visitors.
DATES: Comments should be received
within 45 days of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted electronically through the
NPS’ Planning, Environment and Public
Comment (PEPC) Web site at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/PRPA (The NPS
preferred method of receiving
comments), or by mail to: Office of the
National Park Service Liaison to the
White House, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW.,
Room 344, Washington, DC 20242.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The
NPS may be contacted at the Office of
the National Park Service Liaison to the
White House, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW.,
Washington, DC 20242, (202) 619–6344.
To be added to a mailing list about the
proposed actions, contact the NPS at
(202) 619–6344.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C.
4321, (NEPA), and applicable
regulations and policies, the National
Park Service (NPS) and the United
States Secret Service (USSS), as joint
lead agencies, are preparing an
Environmental Assessment (EA). The
EA will aid the USSS in deciding
whether to permanently close E Street,
South Executive Avenue, and the
Ellipse roadways within President’s
Park South to unauthorized vehicular
traffic, and State Place and West South
Executive Avenue and adjacent
sidewalks (contiguous to First Division
Monument) and Hamilton Place and
East South Executive Avenue and
adjacent sidewalks (contiguous to
Sherman Park) to unauthorized
vehicular and unauthorized pedestrian
traffic. The EA will further inform the
USSS as it considers replacing existing
security elements in the area, such as
jersey barriers, provisional guard
booths, canopy tents, bike rack, concrete
planters and standing canine vehicles.
These security elements, while effective,
are visually unattractive and may
detract from the iconic and historic
nature of the area. The USSS would
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:12 Mar 07, 2011
Jkt 223001
seek to install security elements that are
both durable and more aesthetic at the
vehicle checkpoints and along the street
closures. The NPS will utilize the EA to
assist in its consideration of landscape
and infrastructure changes to
President’s Park South that respond to
USSS security requirements and
conform to the area’s historic features,
its iconic status and popularity as a
visitor destination. The National Capital
Planning Commission (NCPC) is a
cooperating agency in this EA and is
assisting in the development of
potential alternatives by holding a
limited competition for design concepts
that integrate USSS security
requirements and NPS cultural
landscape preservation policies and
guidelines.
Other government agencies are
invited to serve as cooperating agencies.
Interested agencies are asked to contact
the Office of the National Park Service
Liaison to the White House at (202)
619–6344 at the NPS as early as possible
in this process. Compliance with the
National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA), including NHPA Section 106,
and other laws and requirements, will
be coordinated with this EA process,
and government agencies that are
affected by the proposed actions or have
special expertise will be consulted,
whether or not they are cooperating
agencies.
This notice also serves as an
announcement of scoping on both
proposed actions, and comments are
sought from the public, government
agencies and other interested persons
and organizations. Scoping is used to
gain insight into the issues to be
addressed and to identify other
significant issues related to the
proposed actions. For comments to be
most helpful to the scoping process,
they must be received within 45 days of
this notice.
During scoping, a public meeting will
be held on Thursday, March 31, 2011,
to present information and obtain input
from attendees. The meeting will be
held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the
White House Visitor Center located at
1450 Pennsylvania Avenue South, NW.,
Washington, DC. At the meeting, the
NPS and USSS will describe the
proposed actions and how the planning
will be conducted, and NCPC will
describe the design concepts
competition it is conducting. All
comments submitted during scoping,
including at the meeting, will be
considered by both the NPS and USSS.
If you require additional information or
special assistance to attend and
participate in this meeting, please
contact the Office of the National Park
PO 00000
Frm 00064
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Service Liaison to the White House at
(202) 619–6344.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, be advised that your entire
comment —including your personal
identifying information —may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask in your comment to
withhold from public review your
personal identifying information, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
There is always the possibility that
the NPS and USSS might proceed to
prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the proposed actions
instead of an EA. If this occurs,
comments submitted now will be
considered for any EIS that is
developed.
NEPA regulations and policies
encourage agencies to collaborate or
otherwise use the same NEPA analysis
to avoid duplications of effort, to reduce
paperwork, and to prevent delays in
decision-making. The proposed actions
grow out of needs identified by USSS
concerning the level and type of
security required for the White House.
The NPS and USSS seek to re-design the
security elements in this space and
preserve the landscape to create a visitor
and pedestrian-friendly, elegant and
beautiful environment that is respectful
of its historic context and iconic status,
while continuing to meet USSS security
needs. President’s Park South is part of
the National Park System unit and
includes Sherman Park, First Division
Monument, the Ellipse and its side
panels, as well as the associated
roadways in the area. These places,
along with other site features, are listed
on the National Register of Historic
Places. The NPS manages President’s
Park South pursuant to its statutory
authorities, regulations and policies, the
Comprehensive Design Plan for the
White House and President’s Park
(2000) (Plan), the Design Guidelines for
the White House and President’s Park
(1997), and in light of the area’s
National Register status. The section of
E Street, NW. within this park area is
also administered by NPS.
Following the events of September 11,
2001, USSS temporarily closed the
section of E Street, NW. within
President’s Park South to unauthorized
vehicular traffic. To secure this general
area, USSS placed a line of jersey
barriers along the southern edge of E
Street and installed provisional guard
booths, canopy tents, bike rack, concrete
planters and standing canine vehicles at
vehicle checkpoints at the east and west
ends of E Street. A vehicle check point
E:\FR\FM\08MRN1.SGM
08MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 8, 2011 / Notices
was also placed at the 16th Street and
Constitution Avenue entrance to the
Ellipse. Since that time there has been
a continued, temporary closure of the
roadways to unauthorized vehicular
traffic. The USSS will determine
whether to change the status of the
closure from temporary to permanent
and to integrate durable, more aesthetic
security elements in place of the
temporary security elements identified
above.
The intent is to integrate durable,
more aesthetic security elements that
not only help satisfy the requirement to
maintain the historic and iconic
character of President’s Park South, but
also improve the experience of visitors
moving through the area to enter or
view the White House and its grounds.
The EA will assess a range of
alternatives establishing a permanent
closure of E Street and associated
roadways and the installation of redesigned security elements resulting in
changes to the area, along with a noaction alternative for continuing the
current closure using the existing,
temporary security elements. The Plan
was developed as an EIS and it will
serve as a foundation for this EA, and
the EA will also review the Plan’s
treatment of President’s Park South.
In 2008, the NCPC Security Task
Force recommended, and the NPS and
USSS agreed, that NCPC, through its
Task Force, would manage a limited
competition to generate creative and
thoughtful design concepts that
incorporate necessary USSS security
elements while improving the
experience of visitors moving through
the area to enter or view the White
House and its grounds. The NCPC is a
Federal agency whose mission includes
serving as the central planning agency
for the Federal activities in the greater
Washington, DC area. The design
concepts generated through this process
may become alternatives in the EA.
Dated: December 22, 2010.
Peggy O’Dell,
Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. 2011–5253 Filed 3–7–11; 8:45 am]
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 4312–54–P
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:12 Mar 07, 2011
Jkt 223001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and Hold Public Scoping Meetings for
the Municipal and Industrial (M&I)
Water Shortage Policy (WSP), Central
Valley Project (CVP)
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent and public
scoping meetings.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Reclamation MidPacific Region (Reclamation) proposes
to prepare an EIS to analyze the
potential effects of an update to the M&I
WSP. The policy would be implemented
by Reclamation during water short
years. Reclamation previously
developed, in consultation with the CVP
M&I Water Service contractors, a draft
CVP M&I WSP in 2001, and in 2005
prepared an Environmental Assessment
(2005 EA). The 2005 EA was published
on October 2005 and a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed
in December 2005. The 2001 M&I WSP
was modified by, and is being
implemented in accordance with,
Alternative 1B in the 2005 EA.
Since the publication of the 2005 EA,
Reclamation received additional
comments from several CVP water
service contractors. The contractors
expressed a need for clarity on certain
aspects of the 2001 M&I WSP, as
modified. Other comments received by
Reclamation suggested consideration of
alternatives to the 2001 M&I WSP. The
comments coupled with recent
significant changes in the Bay-Delta and
CVP/State Water Project operations, has
impelled Reclamation to evaluate
alternatives and provide an M&I WSP
that best recognizes the needs of various
segments of the water user community
and how those needs could be
addressed in times of water shortages.
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of the EIS will be accepted until May 9,
2011.
Four public scoping meetings will be
held to solicit public input on the scope
of the environmental document,
alternatives, concerns, and issues to be
addressed in the EIS. The scoping
meeting dates are:
• Monday, March 21, 2011, 2–4 p.m.,
Sacramento, CA.
• Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 6–8 p.m.,
Willows, CA.
• Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 6–8
p.m., Fresno, CA.
• Thursday, March 24, 2011, 6–8
p.m., Oakland, CA.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00065
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
12755
Send written comments on
the scope of the M&I WSP EIS to Tamara
LaFramboise, Natural Resource
Specialist, Mid-Pacific Regional Office,
Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage
Way, MP–410, Sacramento, CA 95825;
or e-mail tlaframboise@usbr.gov.
Scoping meetings will be held at:
• Sacramento— Best Western Expo
Inn and Suites, 1413 Howe Avenue,
Sacramento, CA 95825.
• Willows—Veteran’s Memorial Hall
Building of Willows, 525 W. Sycamore
Street, Willows, CA 95988.
• Fresno—Piccadilly Inn Express,
5115 E. McKinley Avenue, Fresno, CA
93727.
• Oakland— Red Lion Hotel Oakland
International Airport, 150 Hegenberger
Road, Oakland, CA 94621.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim
Rust, Program Manager, Bureau of
Reclamation, via e-mail at
trust@usbr.gov or at (916) 978–5516; or
Mike Chotkowski, Chief, Division of
Environmental Affairs, Bureau of
Reclamation, via e-mail at
mchotowski@usbr.gov or at (916) 978–
5025.
ADDRESSES:
The CVP
is operated under Federal statutes
authorizing the CVP, and by the terms
and conditions of water rights acquired
pursuant to California law. During any
year, constraints may occur on the
availability of CVP water for M&I water
service contractors. The cause of the
water shortage may be drought,
unavoidable causes, or restricted
operations resulting from legal and
environmental obligations or mandates.
Those legal and environmental
obligations include, but are not limited
to, the Endangered Species Act, the
Central Valley Project Improvement Act
(CVPIA), and conditions imposed on
CVP’s water rights by the California
State Water Resources Control Board.
The 2001 M&I WSP, as modified,
establishes the terms and conditions
regarding the constraints on availability
of water supply for the CVP M&I water
service contracts.
Allocation of CVP water supplies for
any given water year is based upon
forecasted reservoir inflows and Central
Valley hydrologic conditions, amounts
of storage in CVP reservoirs, regulatory
requirements, and management of
Section 3406(b)(2) resources and refuge
water supplies in accordance with
CVPIA. In some cases, M&I water
shortage allocations may differ between
CVP divisions due to regional CVP
water supply availability, system
capacity, or other operational
constraints.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\08MRN1.SGM
08MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12753-12755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5253]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[Account No. 3950-SZM]
President's Park--Environmental Assessment for Proposed Permanent
Roadway Closures, Re-Design of Security Elements, and Preservation of
Historic Landscape
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment by the
National Park Service and the United States Secret Service, and notice
of scoping for re-designing the security elements and preserving the
landscape within President's Park South, which includes a portion of E
Street, NW., in Washington, DC.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The proposed actions are as follows: The United States Secret
Service deciding whether to permanently close (1) the section of E
Street, NW. between 15th and 17th Streets, NW., South Executive Avenue,
and the Ellipse roadways to unauthorized vehicular traffic, and (2)
State Place and West South Executive Avenue and adjacent sidewalks
(contiguous to First Division Monument) and Hamilton Place and
[[Page 12754]]
East South Executive Avenue and adjacent sidewalks (contiguous to
Sherman Park) to unauthorized vehicular and unauthorized pedestrian
traffic, and to install durable, more aesthetic security elements in
the area to replace the temporary, unsightly security elements
currently in place; and the National Park Service deciding on landscape
and infrastructure changes to the area that respond to the street
closures and re-design of security elements to ensure the iconic
historic nature of the landscape that is the White House and its
environs and an important destination for visitors.
DATES: Comments should be received within 45 days of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically through the NPS'
Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/PRPA (The NPS preferred method of receiving
comments), or by mail to: Office of the National Park Service Liaison
to the White House, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW., Room 344, Washington, DC
20242.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The NPS may be contacted at the Office
of the National Park Service Liaison to the White House, 1100 Ohio
Drive, SW., Washington, DC 20242, (202) 619-6344. To be added to a
mailing list about the proposed actions, contact the NPS at (202) 619-
6344.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321, (NEPA), and applicable
regulations and policies, the National Park Service (NPS) and the
United States Secret Service (USSS), as joint lead agencies, are
preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA will aid the USSS in
deciding whether to permanently close E Street, South Executive Avenue,
and the Ellipse roadways within President's Park South to unauthorized
vehicular traffic, and State Place and West South Executive Avenue and
adjacent sidewalks (contiguous to First Division Monument) and Hamilton
Place and East South Executive Avenue and adjacent sidewalks
(contiguous to Sherman Park) to unauthorized vehicular and unauthorized
pedestrian traffic. The EA will further inform the USSS as it considers
replacing existing security elements in the area, such as jersey
barriers, provisional guard booths, canopy tents, bike rack, concrete
planters and standing canine vehicles. These security elements, while
effective, are visually unattractive and may detract from the iconic
and historic nature of the area. The USSS would seek to install
security elements that are both durable and more aesthetic at the
vehicle checkpoints and along the street closures. The NPS will utilize
the EA to assist in its consideration of landscape and infrastructure
changes to President's Park South that respond to USSS security
requirements and conform to the area's historic features, its iconic
status and popularity as a visitor destination. The National Capital
Planning Commission (NCPC) is a cooperating agency in this EA and is
assisting in the development of potential alternatives by holding a
limited competition for design concepts that integrate USSS security
requirements and NPS cultural landscape preservation policies and
guidelines.
Other government agencies are invited to serve as cooperating
agencies. Interested agencies are asked to contact the Office of the
National Park Service Liaison to the White House at (202) 619-6344 at
the NPS as early as possible in this process. Compliance with the
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), including NHPA Section 106,
and other laws and requirements, will be coordinated with this EA
process, and government agencies that are affected by the proposed
actions or have special expertise will be consulted, whether or not
they are cooperating agencies.
This notice also serves as an announcement of scoping on both
proposed actions, and comments are sought from the public, government
agencies and other interested persons and organizations. Scoping is
used to gain insight into the issues to be addressed and to identify
other significant issues related to the proposed actions. For comments
to be most helpful to the scoping process, they must be received within
45 days of this notice.
During scoping, a public meeting will be held on Thursday, March
31, 2011, to present information and obtain input from attendees. The
meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the White House
Visitor Center located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue South, NW.,
Washington, DC. At the meeting, the NPS and USSS will describe the
proposed actions and how the planning will be conducted, and NCPC will
describe the design concepts competition it is conducting. All comments
submitted during scoping, including at the meeting, will be considered
by both the NPS and USSS. If you require additional information or
special assistance to attend and participate in this meeting, please
contact the Office of the National Park Service Liaison to the White
House at (202) 619-6344.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that
your entire comment --including your personal identifying information
--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your
comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
There is always the possibility that the NPS and USSS might proceed
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed
actions instead of an EA. If this occurs, comments submitted now will
be considered for any EIS that is developed.
NEPA regulations and policies encourage agencies to collaborate or
otherwise use the same NEPA analysis to avoid duplications of effort,
to reduce paperwork, and to prevent delays in decision-making. The
proposed actions grow out of needs identified by USSS concerning the
level and type of security required for the White House. The NPS and
USSS seek to re-design the security elements in this space and preserve
the landscape to create a visitor and pedestrian-friendly, elegant and
beautiful environment that is respectful of its historic context and
iconic status, while continuing to meet USSS security needs.
President's Park South is part of the National Park System unit and
includes Sherman Park, First Division Monument, the Ellipse and its
side panels, as well as the associated roadways in the area. These
places, along with other site features, are listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. The NPS manages President's Park South
pursuant to its statutory authorities, regulations and policies, the
Comprehensive Design Plan for the White House and President's Park
(2000) (Plan), the Design Guidelines for the White House and
President's Park (1997), and in light of the area's National Register
status. The section of E Street, NW. within this park area is also
administered by NPS.
Following the events of September 11, 2001, USSS temporarily closed
the section of E Street, NW. within President's Park South to
unauthorized vehicular traffic. To secure this general area, USSS
placed a line of jersey barriers along the southern edge of E Street
and installed provisional guard booths, canopy tents, bike rack,
concrete planters and standing canine vehicles at vehicle checkpoints
at the east and west ends of E Street. A vehicle check point
[[Page 12755]]
was also placed at the 16th Street and Constitution Avenue entrance to
the Ellipse. Since that time there has been a continued, temporary
closure of the roadways to unauthorized vehicular traffic. The USSS
will determine whether to change the status of the closure from
temporary to permanent and to integrate durable, more aesthetic
security elements in place of the temporary security elements
identified above.
The intent is to integrate durable, more aesthetic security
elements that not only help satisfy the requirement to maintain the
historic and iconic character of President's Park South, but also
improve the experience of visitors moving through the area to enter or
view the White House and its grounds.
The EA will assess a range of alternatives establishing a permanent
closure of E Street and associated roadways and the installation of re-
designed security elements resulting in changes to the area, along with
a no-action alternative for continuing the current closure using the
existing, temporary security elements. The Plan was developed as an EIS
and it will serve as a foundation for this EA, and the EA will also
review the Plan's treatment of President's Park South.
In 2008, the NCPC Security Task Force recommended, and the NPS and
USSS agreed, that NCPC, through its Task Force, would manage a limited
competition to generate creative and thoughtful design concepts that
incorporate necessary USSS security elements while improving the
experience of visitors moving through the area to enter or view the
White House and its grounds. The NCPC is a Federal agency whose mission
includes serving as the central planning agency for the Federal
activities in the greater Washington, DC area. The design concepts
generated through this process may become alternatives in the EA.
Dated: December 22, 2010.
Peggy O'Dell,
Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-5253 Filed 3-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-54-P
