Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision on the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Manassas National Battlefield Park, 42727-42728 [2011-18149]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 138 / Tuesday, July 19, 2011 / Notices
Dated: April 19, 2011.
Woody Smeck,
Acting Regional Director, National Capital
Region.
[FR Doc. 2011–18150 Filed 7–18–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JK–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–NCR–MANA–0411–7316; 3840–SZM]
Notice of Availability of a Record of
Decision on the Final Environmental
Impact Statement for the General
Management Plan, Manassas National
Battlefield Park
National Park Service, Interior.
Pursuant to § 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, 83 Stat. 852, 853, codified as
amended at 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the
National Park Service (NPS) announces
the availability of the Record of
Decision for the Final Environmental
Impact Statement for the General
Management Plan (FEIS/GMP),
Manassas National Battlefield Park,
Virginia.
AGENCY:
sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed
W. Clark, Superintendent, Manassas
National Battlefield Park, at Manassas
National Battlefield Park, 12521 Lee
Highway, Manassas, Virginia 20109–
2005, by telephone at (703) 754–1861, or
by e-mail at EdWClark @NPS.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
January 25, 2011, the Regional Director
of the National Capital Region, NPS,
approved the Record of Decision for the
project. As soon as practicable, the NPS
will begin to implement the Preferred
Alternative contained in the FEIS/GMP
issued on September 19, 2008. The
following course of action will occur
under the Alternative B, the selected
alternative.
Alternative B is the NPS-selected
alternative. Under this alternative, the
park would focus on interpreting the
two battles of Manassas as distinct
military events. This alternative has
been modified from the Alternative B
presented in the FEIS/GMP as discussed
below. The initial stop in the park will
be a new visitor center; where visitors
will receive their first orientation to the
battlefield. The interpretive information
will focus on putting the two battles
into context. Visitors will receive a more
thorough orientation to each battle from
two visitor contact areas—Henry Hill for
First Manassas and Brawner Farm for
Second Manassas. From these access
points, visitors may explore the many
historic sites associated with each event
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:20 Jul 18, 2011
Jkt 223001
throughout the park. The experience for
each battle will be distinct, with standalone visitor areas and automobile tour
routes. Separate, chronological
automobile and bicycle tours will be
developed for each battle. In this
alternative, the rehabilitation of the
historic landscape will be critical to
visitor understanding of the events and
military tactics associated with each
battle. Development of a visitor center
near Stone Bridge was discussed as part
of Alternative C in the FEIS/GMP. By
including it in the selected alternative,
the NPS believes the park can provide
a more comprehensive approach to
interpretation of both battles that will
enhance the visitor experience. It
should be noted that while Alternative
C places the visitor center near Stone
Bridge, future planning and compliance
may determine a more appropriate
location for such a facility. The new
visitor center will provide context for
the battles of First and Second Manassas
battles; the visitor contact station at
Henry Hill will continue its sole focus
on the battle of First Manassas, while
the visitor contact station at Brawner
Farm will focus solely on the battle of
Second Manassas. Given its location
within the cultural landscape and space
limitations, expanding the interpretive
focus at Henry Hill is not feasible. By
constructing a new visitor center the
park can more effectively achieve the
management goals of the park. Sitespecific analysis, compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) will
be conducted as appropriate before
development of the new visitor center.
As part of this planning effort, due to
the sensitive nature of the cultural
landscape and resources in the park, the
NPS will explore a range of alternatives
regarding the potential site of the new
facility (both inside and outside of the
park boundaries), and would seek sites
that minimize impacts to park resources
especially those resources related to the
two battles. In addition, the NPS will
consider the operational needs of the
park and how a new visitor center could
meet those needs more efficiently (i.e.,
office space, interpretation, cooperative
agreements, curatorial requirements,
and utilization of the current visitor
facilities within the park); potentially
allowing for a reduction in the size of
the current visitor facilities within the
park in the future.
Full implementation of this
alternative assumes the completion of
the Manassas National Battlefield Park
Bypass (Bypass). The Bypass will permit
the removal of heavy commuter and
PO 00000
Frm 00054
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
42727
commercial truck traffic from the
portions of U.S. Route 29 and VA Route
234 that run through the park. Through
traffic will be further limited with the
addition of controlled access points.
Visitors will experience a battlefield
landscape that resembles its wartime
appearance. Key interpretive views will
be preserved and re-created to help
visitors understand how the battles
unfolded and the importance of certain
locations. Wartime structures will be
preserved and other historic structures
will be retained to mark the site of
wartime buildings.
Key Actions
Under the selected alternative, the
following actions will occur: Separate
automobile and bike paths will be
developed for each battle. The NPS will
upgrade current trails and interpretive
media along the First Manassas and
Second Manassas hiking trails as
necessary. New portions of the Second
Manassas hiking trail will be created as
necessary. Because of safety concerns
posed by the high traffic volumes on
U.S. Route 29 and VA Route 234,
separate automobile and bicycle tour
routes will not be implemented until the
completion of the Bypass. Once the
Bypass is completed, through traffic will
be limited in the park with the addition
of controlled access facilities at the
park’s four main entry points.
A new visitor center will be
constructed, designed as the initial stop
and primary orientation point for the
park. The visitor contact station at
Henry Hill will focus entirely on First
Manassas.
The battle of Second Manassas visitor
contact station will be located at
Brawner Farm. The site will be open for
year-round visitation once necessary
improvements have been completed.
The cultural landscape will reflect
conditions in 1861–1862 in several key
areas of the park through a combination
of tree removal, clearing, and
reforestation. The cleared areas will be
managed as grassland communities (or
in a few instances as shrub
communities) that will provide
desirable habitat and restore historic
vistas for visitors. Maintaining the
historic appearance of some of these
areas with a lawnmower or other
machinery may be prohibited because of
terrain. In those cases, following
appropriate compliance, other approved
methods will be utilized to maintain the
landscape. Prescribed fire may be
considered as a potential management
tool; however, this will require
extensive compliance to ensure that it
be used safely and have the expected
results. The park staff will continue to
E:\FR\FM\19JYN1.SGM
19JYN1
sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
42728
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 138 / Tuesday, July 19, 2011 / Notices
work cooperatively with neighboring
jurisdictions related to rehabilitation of
the historic scene. In addition, plans
detailing how the various landscapes
will be managed will be developed prior
to the implementation of any
rehabilitation activities. The following
rehabilitation activities have been
identified; the highest priority tasks are
listed first:
• Approximately 45 acres of woods
along the west side of Chinn Ridge will
be cleared and replaced with open fields
and grasslands to reestablish the view
between the ridge and the site of the
New York Monuments.
• Approximately 35 acres of trees will
be removed from Matthews Hill and the
open fields will be rehabilitated.
• Trees will be thinned at the top of
the slope along the east side of the
Chinn Ridge to reestablish the view
between Chinn Ridge and Henry Hill
while minimizing the amount of
vegetation removed. The riparian buffer
along Chinn Branch will be retained.
• Approximately 15 acres of land on
Stuart’s Hill that is currently open space
will be reforested.
• Approximately 20 acres of land that
is currently open space south of Stuart’s
Hill will be reforested.
• Approximately 20 acres along the
north-central portion of Dogan Ridge
will be reforested, and a small area of
3 acres along the curve of the SudleyManassas Road will be cleared and
managed as open fields.
• To the north of the Matthews Hill
area, an area of approximately 25 acres
will be reforested.
• An additional 5 acres of land along
Bull Run to the west of Poplar Ford will
be reforested.
• The current Stuart’s Hill clearing
will be expanded by approximately 30
acres to the east. The clearing will
restore the view from General Lee’s
headquarters toward Centreville during
the Second Battle of Manassas.
• The historic landscape around the
Cundiff House will be rehabilitated to
wartime conditions. Approximately 40
acres of trees will be removed and
converted to grassland and/or
scrubland.
The NPS will continue to preserve
historic structures and features,
including those that date from the
battles, such as Stone House, L. Dogan
House, Thornberry House, and the
Unfinished Railroad. Buildings and
structures that do not date from the
battles, but are historic or mark the site
of wartime structures, will be stabilized
and rehabilitated to function as
important interpretive sites or will be
maintained for park uses. These
structures include the Brawner Farm
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:20 Jul 18, 2011
Jkt 223001
House, Henry House, J. Dogan House,
Pringle House, and Stone Bridge.
In addition to continuing to protect
these structures, the NPS will initiate
several actions:
• Complete work necessary to
support year round visitation of the
Brawner Farm House as part of the
Second Battle of Manassas tour route.
• Explore a range of options to
support interpretation of the Robinson
House ruins from the Civil War period.
• Preserve and stabilize the J. Dogan
House. This preservation effort will
include removing nonconforming
structural elements such as siding, and
removing the nonconforming modern
garage.
• As part of the Bypass, the existing
U.S. Route 29 Bridge over Bull Run will
be removed to eliminate modern
intrusions from the battlefield landscape
and to return the site to a more historic
appearance. In addition, a new bridge
will be constructed to allow continued
access along U.S. Route 29. The new
location will be chosen so there will be
fewer impacts to the cultural landscape.
In the selected alternative, a boundary
adjustment to the park will be necessary
to include the four tracts of land; the
Davis Tract, the Stonewall Memory
Garden Tract, the Conservation Trust
Parcel, and the Dunklin Monument.
These tracts are described in detail in
the FEIS and in the Record of Decision.
This adjustment will require
Congressional action to amend the
existing boundary.
Implementation of each of these
specific actions will require additional
site-specific planning and compliance
with NHPA and NEPA.
The Preferred Alternative and two
other alternatives were analyzed in the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
on the General Management Plan (DEIS/
GMP) and FEIS/GMP. The full range of
foreseeable environmental
consequences was assessed, and
appropriate mitigating measures were
identified.
The Record of Decision includes a
statement of the decision made,
synopses of other alternatives
considered, the basis for the decision, a
description of the environmentally
preferable alternative, a finding on
impairment of park resources and
values, a listing of measures to
minimize environmental harm, an
overview of public involvement in the
decision-making process, and comments
received on the DEIS/GMP.
Copies of the Record of Decision may
be obtained from the contact listed
above or online at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/MANA.
PO 00000
Frm 00055
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Dated: April 19, 2011.
Woody Smeck,
Acting Regional Director, National Capital
Region.
[FR Doc. 2011–18149 Filed 7–18–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–49–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Inv. No. 337–TA–789]
In the Matter of Certain Digital
Televisions and Components Thereof;
Notice of Institution of Investigation
Institution of Investigation Pursuant to
19 U.S.C. 1337
AGENCY: U.S. International Trade
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a
complaint was filed with the U.S.
International Trade Commission on June
16, 2011, under section 337 of the Tariff
Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C.
1337, on behalf of Vizio, Inc. of Irvine,
California. Letters supplementing the
complaint were filed on June 29 and
July 6, 2011. The complaint alleges
violations of section 337 based upon the
importation into the United States, the
sale for importation, and the sale within
the United States after importation of
certain digital televisions and
components thereof by reason of
infringement of certain claims of U.S.
Patent No. 5,511,096 (‘‘the ‘096 patent’’);
U.S. Patent No. 5,621,761 (‘‘the ‘761
patent’’); U.S. Patent No. 5,703,887 (‘‘the
‘887 patent’’); U.S. Patent No. 5,745,522
(‘‘the ‘522 patent’’); and U.S. Patent No.
5,511,082 (‘‘the ‘082 patent’’). The
complaint further alleges that an
industry in the United States exists or
is in the process of being established as
required by subsection (a)(2) of section
337.
The complainant requests that the
Commission institute an investigation
and, after the investigation, issue an
exclusion order and cease and desist
orders.
ADDRESSES: The complaint, except for
any confidential information contained
therein, is available for inspection
during official business hours (8:45 a.m.
to 5:15 p.m.) in the Office of the
Secretary, U.S. International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street, SW., Room
112, Washington, DC 20436, telephone
(202) 205–2000. Hearing impaired
individuals are advised that information
on this matter can be obtained by
contacting the Commission’s TDD
terminal on (202) 205–1810. Persons
with mobility impairments who will
E:\FR\FM\19JYN1.SGM
19JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42727-42728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18149]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-NCR-MANA-0411-7316; 3840-SZM]
Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision on the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan,
Manassas National Battlefield Park
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, 83 Stat. 852, 853, codified as amended at 42 U.S.C.
4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability
of the Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the General Management Plan (FEIS/GMP), Manassas National
Battlefield Park, Virginia.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed W. Clark, Superintendent, Manassas
National Battlefield Park, at Manassas National Battlefield Park, 12521
Lee Highway, Manassas, Virginia 20109-2005, by telephone at (703) 754-
1861, or by e-mail at EdWClark @NPS.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 25, 2011, the Regional Director
of the National Capital Region, NPS, approved the Record of Decision
for the project. As soon as practicable, the NPS will begin to
implement the Preferred Alternative contained in the FEIS/GMP issued on
September 19, 2008. The following course of action will occur under the
Alternative B, the selected alternative.
Alternative B is the NPS-selected alternative. Under this
alternative, the park would focus on interpreting the two battles of
Manassas as distinct military events. This alternative has been
modified from the Alternative B presented in the FEIS/GMP as discussed
below. The initial stop in the park will be a new visitor center; where
visitors will receive their first orientation to the battlefield. The
interpretive information will focus on putting the two battles into
context. Visitors will receive a more thorough orientation to each
battle from two visitor contact areas--Henry Hill for First Manassas
and Brawner Farm for Second Manassas. From these access points,
visitors may explore the many historic sites associated with each event
throughout the park. The experience for each battle will be distinct,
with stand-alone visitor areas and automobile tour routes. Separate,
chronological automobile and bicycle tours will be developed for each
battle. In this alternative, the rehabilitation of the historic
landscape will be critical to visitor understanding of the events and
military tactics associated with each battle. Development of a visitor
center near Stone Bridge was discussed as part of Alternative C in the
FEIS/GMP. By including it in the selected alternative, the NPS believes
the park can provide a more comprehensive approach to interpretation of
both battles that will enhance the visitor experience. It should be
noted that while Alternative C places the visitor center near Stone
Bridge, future planning and compliance may determine a more appropriate
location for such a facility. The new visitor center will provide
context for the battles of First and Second Manassas battles; the
visitor contact station at Henry Hill will continue its sole focus on
the battle of First Manassas, while the visitor contact station at
Brawner Farm will focus solely on the battle of Second Manassas. Given
its location within the cultural landscape and space limitations,
expanding the interpretive focus at Henry Hill is not feasible. By
constructing a new visitor center the park can more effectively achieve
the management goals of the park. Site-specific analysis, compliance
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) will be conducted as
appropriate before development of the new visitor center. As part of
this planning effort, due to the sensitive nature of the cultural
landscape and resources in the park, the NPS will explore a range of
alternatives regarding the potential site of the new facility (both
inside and outside of the park boundaries), and would seek sites that
minimize impacts to park resources especially those resources related
to the two battles. In addition, the NPS will consider the operational
needs of the park and how a new visitor center could meet those needs
more efficiently (i.e., office space, interpretation, cooperative
agreements, curatorial requirements, and utilization of the current
visitor facilities within the park); potentially allowing for a
reduction in the size of the current visitor facilities within the park
in the future.
Full implementation of this alternative assumes the completion of
the Manassas National Battlefield Park Bypass (Bypass). The Bypass will
permit the removal of heavy commuter and commercial truck traffic from
the portions of U.S. Route 29 and VA Route 234 that run through the
park. Through traffic will be further limited with the addition of
controlled access points. Visitors will experience a battlefield
landscape that resembles its wartime appearance. Key interpretive views
will be preserved and re-created to help visitors understand how the
battles unfolded and the importance of certain locations. Wartime
structures will be preserved and other historic structures will be
retained to mark the site of wartime buildings.
Key Actions
Under the selected alternative, the following actions will occur:
Separate automobile and bike paths will be developed for each battle.
The NPS will upgrade current trails and interpretive media along the
First Manassas and Second Manassas hiking trails as necessary. New
portions of the Second Manassas hiking trail will be created as
necessary. Because of safety concerns posed by the high traffic volumes
on U.S. Route 29 and VA Route 234, separate automobile and bicycle tour
routes will not be implemented until the completion of the Bypass. Once
the Bypass is completed, through traffic will be limited in the park
with the addition of controlled access facilities at the park's four
main entry points.
A new visitor center will be constructed, designed as the initial
stop and primary orientation point for the park. The visitor contact
station at Henry Hill will focus entirely on First Manassas.
The battle of Second Manassas visitor contact station will be
located at Brawner Farm. The site will be open for year-round
visitation once necessary improvements have been completed.
The cultural landscape will reflect conditions in 1861-1862 in
several key areas of the park through a combination of tree removal,
clearing, and reforestation. The cleared areas will be managed as
grassland communities (or in a few instances as shrub communities) that
will provide desirable habitat and restore historic vistas for
visitors. Maintaining the historic appearance of some of these areas
with a lawnmower or other machinery may be prohibited because of
terrain. In those cases, following appropriate compliance, other
approved methods will be utilized to maintain the landscape. Prescribed
fire may be considered as a potential management tool; however, this
will require extensive compliance to ensure that it be used safely and
have the expected results. The park staff will continue to
[[Page 42728]]
work cooperatively with neighboring jurisdictions related to
rehabilitation of the historic scene. In addition, plans detailing how
the various landscapes will be managed will be developed prior to the
implementation of any rehabilitation activities. The following
rehabilitation activities have been identified; the highest priority
tasks are listed first:
Approximately 45 acres of woods along the west side of
Chinn Ridge will be cleared and replaced with open fields and
grasslands to reestablish the view between the ridge and the site of
the New York Monuments.
Approximately 35 acres of trees will be removed from
Matthews Hill and the open fields will be rehabilitated.
Trees will be thinned at the top of the slope along the
east side of the Chinn Ridge to reestablish the view between Chinn
Ridge and Henry Hill while minimizing the amount of vegetation removed.
The riparian buffer along Chinn Branch will be retained.
Approximately 15 acres of land on Stuart's Hill that is
currently open space will be reforested.
Approximately 20 acres of land that is currently open
space south of Stuart's Hill will be reforested.
Approximately 20 acres along the north-central portion of
Dogan Ridge will be reforested, and a small area of 3 acres along the
curve of the Sudley-Manassas Road will be cleared and managed as open
fields.
To the north of the Matthews Hill area, an area of
approximately 25 acres will be reforested.
An additional 5 acres of land along Bull Run to the west
of Poplar Ford will be reforested.
The current Stuart's Hill clearing will be expanded by
approximately 30 acres to the east. The clearing will restore the view
from General Lee's headquarters toward Centreville during the Second
Battle of Manassas.
The historic landscape around the Cundiff House will be
rehabilitated to wartime conditions. Approximately 40 acres of trees
will be removed and converted to grassland and/or scrubland.
The NPS will continue to preserve historic structures and features,
including those that date from the battles, such as Stone House, L.
Dogan House, Thornberry House, and the Unfinished Railroad. Buildings
and structures that do not date from the battles, but are historic or
mark the site of wartime structures, will be stabilized and
rehabilitated to function as important interpretive sites or will be
maintained for park uses. These structures include the Brawner Farm
House, Henry House, J. Dogan House, Pringle House, and Stone Bridge.
In addition to continuing to protect these structures, the NPS will
initiate several actions:
Complete work necessary to support year round visitation
of the Brawner Farm House as part of the Second Battle of Manassas tour
route.
Explore a range of options to support interpretation of
the Robinson House ruins from the Civil War period.
Preserve and stabilize the J. Dogan House. This
preservation effort will include removing nonconforming structural
elements such as siding, and removing the nonconforming modern garage.
As part of the Bypass, the existing U.S. Route 29 Bridge
over Bull Run will be removed to eliminate modern intrusions from the
battlefield landscape and to return the site to a more historic
appearance. In addition, a new bridge will be constructed to allow
continued access along U.S. Route 29. The new location will be chosen
so there will be fewer impacts to the cultural landscape.
In the selected alternative, a boundary adjustment to the park will
be necessary to include the four tracts of land; the Davis Tract, the
Stonewall Memory Garden Tract, the Conservation Trust Parcel, and the
Dunklin Monument. These tracts are described in detail in the FEIS and
in the Record of Decision. This adjustment will require Congressional
action to amend the existing boundary.
Implementation of each of these specific actions will require
additional site-specific planning and compliance with NHPA and NEPA.
The Preferred Alternative and two other alternatives were analyzed
in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the General Management
Plan (DEIS/GMP) and FEIS/GMP. The full range of foreseeable
environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate mitigating
measures were identified.
The Record of Decision includes a statement of the decision made,
synopses of other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision,
a description of the environmentally preferable alternative, a finding
on impairment of park resources and values, a listing of measures to
minimize environmental harm, an overview of public involvement in the
decision-making process, and comments received on the DEIS/GMP.
Copies of the Record of Decision may be obtained from the contact
listed above or online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/MANA.
Dated: April 19, 2011.
Woody Smeck,
Acting Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-18149 Filed 7-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-49-P
