Notice of a Record of Decision, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, 19320-19321 [2012-7744]

Download as PDF 19320 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2012 / Notices Topics of discussion during Northwest Colorado RAC meetings may include the BLM National Greater SageGrouse Conservation Strategy, working group reports, recreation, fire management, land-use planning, invasive species management, energy and minerals management, travel management, wilderness, wild horse herd management, land exchange proposals, cultural resource management and other issues as appropriate. These meetings are open to the public. The public may present written comments to the RACs. Each formal RAC meeting will also have time, as identified above, allocated for hearing public comments. Depending on the number of persons wishing to comment and time available, the time for individual oral comments may be limited. Subcommittees under this RAC meet regarding the McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area; Resource Management Plan revisions for the Colorado River Valley, Kremmling and Grand Junction field offices; and the White River Field Office Resource Management Plan Oil and Gas Amendment. Subcommittees report to the Northwest Colorado RAC at each council meeting. Subcommittee meetings are open to the public. More information is available at www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Resources/ racs/nwrac.html. Dated: March 23, 2012. Helen M. Hankins, State Director. [FR Doc. 2012–7687 Filed 3–29–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS–NCRO–HAFE–0811–7947; 3851–SZM] Notice of a Record of Decision, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park National Park Service, Interior. Notice of a Record of Decision on the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. AGENCY: ACTION: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Record of Decision for the General Management Plan, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. As soon as practicable, the mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:11 Mar 29, 2012 Jkt 226001 NPS will begin to implement the preferred alternative as contained in the Final Environmental Impact Statement issued by the NPS on August 27, 2010, and summarized in the Record of Decision. Copies of the Record of Decision may be obtained from the contact listed below or online at www.nps.gov/hafe. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Hayes, Regional Planner and Transportation Liaison, National Capital Region, National Park Service, at 1100 Ohio Drive SW., Washington, DC 20242, by telephone at (202) 619–7277, or email at david_hayes@nps.gov. The following course of action will occur under the selected alternative. The visitor contact station on Cavalier Heights will be improved to provide better orientation for park visitors and information on the park’s many resources. It will be the starting point for an expanded transportation system that will allow visitors to reach areas of the park such as the Murphy Farm, Schoolhouse Ridge, and Camp Hill which were previously difficult to access without a car. It will also be a stop on the new Around-the-Park trail that will allow visitors to hike to all areas of the park. 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 listing of measures to minimize environmental harm, and an overview of public involvement in the decisionmaking process. Preserved historic buildings, period shops, exhibits, and outdoor furnishings will complement the interpretation provided by rangers and possible period artisans/demonstrators that will revitalize this area. Travelling exhibits will be sought to supplement interpretation provided within the park. A smaller information center and bookstore will remain but possibly be moved to new locations. Park artifact/ museum object storage will be removed from the historic structures and the space converted to office use or other types of storage. The Federal Armory will retain its current access. A study of the feasibility of returning John Brown’s Fort to its original location will be undertaken. The train station will become a secondary portal to the site with proposed excursion trains arriving from Washington several days of the week. The armory canal will be restored and rewatered with the turbine also restored SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00144 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 for interpretive purposes. The power plant will be rehabilitated for exhibits. Virginius and Halls Islands will be preserved as an archeological preserve with ruins stabilized and outlined and wayside exhibits explaining the history and industrial development that was there. Camp Hill will be managed with a campus atmosphere reminiscent of the Storer College era. Additional signs and waysides will allow visitors to get the feel of the site. Museum exhibits now in Lower Town will be moved to one or more of the Storer College structures to better explain the importance of Harpers Ferry to the story of the civil rights movement in America. Several historic buildings from the military occupation of Camp Hill will be restored and adaptively used for park headquarters. The historic Shipley School on Camp Hill is currently in poor condition. Further consideration will be required to determine potential future use. The historic Grandview School will be rehabilitated and enlarged for use by the park’s protection division. The Nash Farm will be preserved as a dairy farm of the 1940s with its structures adapted for use as an environmental education center and outdoor laboratory managed by the NPS or an NPS Partner. At the Murphy Farm, the Civil War earthworks and the foundations of John Brown’s Fort will be stabilized, and the Chambers/Murphy house studied to determine the best use for it. A bus stop and trail to the earthworks and foundations will be developed. Restrooms and drinking water will also be developed at the site. Schoolhouse Ridge will also be managed as a battlefield landscape with agricultural leases that maintain the 1862 appearance. The nonhistoric campground will be removed and the Harpers Ferry Caverns restored to a more natural appearance. Nonhistoric structures will be removed. Onsite interpretation and occasional interpretive demonstrations with a military focus will be provided. Bus parking and trails will be developed. At the Potoma Wayside, upgraded takeout facilities will be developed to facilitate river use. The takeout will be hardened and restroom facilities provided. To the extent possible, parking will also be upgraded. Interpretation will be provided by the concessioner. On Loudoun Heights, the Sherwood House will be removed and the site developed as a Civil War overlook. All Civil War camps and earthworks will be stabilized as necessary. E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM 30MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2012 / Notices The majority of the site will be maintained for its natural resources. Short Hill will be managed similarly. Maryland Heights will undergo stabilization of earthworks and fortifications as necessary and restoration of line of fire vistas. Historic roads will continue to be used and maintained. A more comprehensive level of interpretation will be achieved through wayside exhibits, site brochures and occasional ranger-guided hikes. Three additional alternatives were analyzed in the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements. The full range of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate mitigating measures were identified. The Regional Director, National Capital Region, approved the Record of Decision for the project. The official primarily responsible for implementing the General Management Plan is the Superintendent of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Dated: July 22, 2011. Stephen E. Whitesell, Regional Director, National Capital Region. [FR Doc. 2012–7744 Filed 3–29–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312–JT–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Geological and Geophysical Exploration on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. AGENCY: This Notice of Availability (NOA) is published pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR part 1503 and 43 CFR part 46) implementing the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (1988)). BOEM has prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate potential environmental effects of multiple Geological and Geophysical (G&G) activities in the Mid- and South Atlantic Planning Areas of the OCS. These activities include, but are not limited to, seismic surveys, sidescan-sonar surveys, electromagnetic surveys, geological and geochemical sampling, and remote sensing. The Draft PEIS considers G&G activities for the three program areas managed by BOEM: (1) Oil and gas mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:11 Mar 29, 2012 Jkt 226001 exploration and development; (2) renewable energy; and (3) marine minerals. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the PEIS was published in the Federal Register on January 21, 2009, and scoping comments were received during a comment period that closed on March 23, 2009. Scoping was reopened by publication of a Federal Register Notice on April 2, 2010, that announced a 45day scoping period and meeting locations in April 2010. The comment period closed on May 17, 2010. DATES: Comments on this draft PEIS will be accepted until 60 days following the date of publication in the Federal Register. If you wish to comment, you may submit your written comments by the following methods. Written comments should be enclosed in an envelope labeled ‘‘Comments on the Draft PEIS for Atlantic G&G Activities’’ and mailed (or hand carried) to Mr. Gary D. Goeke, Chief, Regional Assessment Section, Office of Environment (MS 5410), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123–2394. Comments by email should be sent to: GGEIS@boem.gov. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for information on submitting comments via the internet and the public disclosure of commenters’ names and addresses. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the Draft PEIS, you may contact Mr. Gary D. Goeke, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard (MS 5410), New Orleans, Louisiana 70123–2394. You may also contact Mr. Goeke by telephone at (504) 736–3233. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To obtain a single printed or CD–ROM copy of the Draft PEIS, you may contact BOEM, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 250, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123–2394 (1– 800–200–GULF). An electronic copy of the Draft PEIS is available at the BOEM’s Internet Web site at https:// www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-EnergyProgram/GOMR/GandG.aspx. Several libraries in Atlantic coastal states have also been sent copies of the Draft PEIS (CDs or hard copy; according to their preference and their selection criteria for receipt of government documents). To find out which libraries have copies of the Draft PEIS for review, you may contact BOEM’s Public Information Office at the number provided above. ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00145 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 19321 Public hearings will be held on the dates listed below at the specified times and locations. BOEM will receive statements, both oral and written. Persons wishing to speak may request to be placed on the speakers’ list by contacting BOEM in advance of a specific public meeting or may sign up to speak upon arrival. To allow time for all speakers to participate, speakers should anticipate time limits for oral testimony. The following public meetings are scheduled as follows: April 16, 2012—Jacksonville Marriott, 4760 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, Florida, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. April 18, 2012—Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Farm Street, Savannah, Georgia, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. April 20, 2012—Embassy Suites North Charleston, 5055 International Boulevard, Charleston, South Carolina, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. April 24, 2012—Hilton Norfolk Airport, 1500 N. Military Highway, Norfolk, Virginia, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. April 25, 2012—Doubletree Hotel, 210 Holiday Court, Annapolis, Maryland, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. April 26, 2012—Sheraton Suites, 422 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, Delaware, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. April 26, 2012—Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 North Water Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. April 27, 2012—Atlantic City Convention Center, (Room 301 tentative), One Convention Boulevard, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1 p.m. EDT. Public Disclosure of Names and Addresses Before including your address, phone number, email 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 us in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Dated: March 26, 2012. Willie R. Taylor, Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance. [FR Doc. 2012–7693 Filed 3–29–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–VH–P E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM 30MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 62 (Friday, March 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19320-19321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7744]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-NCRO-HAFE-0811-7947; 3851-SZM]


Notice of a Record of Decision, Harpers Ferry National Historical 
Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a Record of Decision on the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Harpers Ferry 
National Historical Park.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces 
the availability of the Record of Decision for the General Management 
Plan, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia, Virginia, 
and Maryland. As soon as practicable, the NPS will begin to implement 
the preferred alternative as contained in the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement issued by the NPS on August 27, 2010, and summarized 
in the Record of Decision. Copies of the Record of Decision may be 
obtained from the contact listed below or online at www.nps.gov/hafe.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Hayes, Regional Planner and 
Transportation Liaison, National Capital Region, National Park Service, 
at 1100 Ohio Drive SW., Washington, DC 20242, by telephone at (202) 
619-7277, or email at david_hayes@nps.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following course of action will occur 
under the selected alternative. The visitor contact station on Cavalier 
Heights will be improved to provide better orientation for park 
visitors and information on the park's many resources. It will be the 
starting point for an expanded transportation system that will allow 
visitors to reach areas of the park such as the Murphy Farm, 
Schoolhouse Ridge, and Camp Hill which were previously difficult to 
access without a car. It will also be a stop on the new Around-the-Park 
trail that will allow visitors to hike to all areas of the park. 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 listing of 
measures to minimize environmental harm, and an overview of public 
involvement in the decision-making process.
    Preserved historic buildings, period shops, exhibits, and outdoor 
furnishings will complement the interpretation provided by rangers and 
possible period artisans/demonstrators that will revitalize this area. 
Travelling exhibits will be sought to supplement interpretation 
provided within the park. A smaller information center and bookstore 
will remain but possibly be moved to new locations. Park artifact/
museum object storage will be removed from the historic structures and 
the space converted to office use or other types of storage.
    The Federal Armory will retain its current access. A study of the 
feasibility of returning John Brown's Fort to its original location 
will be undertaken. The train station will become a secondary portal to 
the site with proposed excursion trains arriving from Washington 
several days of the week. The armory canal will be restored and 
rewatered with the turbine also restored for interpretive purposes. The 
power plant will be rehabilitated for exhibits.
    Virginius and Halls Islands will be preserved as an archeological 
preserve with ruins stabilized and outlined and wayside exhibits 
explaining the history and industrial development that was there.
    Camp Hill will be managed with a campus atmosphere reminiscent of 
the Storer College era. Additional signs and waysides will allow 
visitors to get the feel of the site. Museum exhibits now in Lower Town 
will be moved to one or more of the Storer College structures to better 
explain the importance of Harpers Ferry to the story of the civil 
rights movement in America. Several historic buildings from the 
military occupation of Camp Hill will be restored and adaptively used 
for park headquarters. The historic Shipley School on Camp Hill is 
currently in poor condition. Further consideration will be required to 
determine potential future use.
    The historic Grandview School will be rehabilitated and enlarged 
for use by the park's protection division. The Nash Farm will be 
preserved as a dairy farm of the 1940s with its structures adapted for 
use as an environmental education center and outdoor laboratory managed 
by the NPS or an NPS Partner. At the Murphy Farm, the Civil War 
earthworks and the foundations of John Brown's Fort will be stabilized, 
and the Chambers/Murphy house studied to determine the best use for it. 
A bus stop and trail to the earthworks and foundations will be 
developed. Restrooms and drinking water will also be developed at the 
site.
    Schoolhouse Ridge will also be managed as a battlefield landscape 
with agricultural leases that maintain the 1862 appearance. The 
nonhistoric campground will be removed and the Harpers Ferry Caverns 
restored to a more natural appearance. Nonhistoric structures will be 
removed. Onsite interpretation and occasional interpretive 
demonstrations with a military focus will be provided. Bus parking and 
trails will be developed.
    At the Potoma Wayside, upgraded takeout facilities will be 
developed to facilitate river use. The takeout will be hardened and 
restroom facilities provided. To the extent possible, parking will also 
be upgraded. Interpretation will be provided by the concessioner.
    On Loudoun Heights, the Sherwood House will be removed and the site 
developed as a Civil War overlook. All Civil War camps and earthworks 
will be stabilized as necessary.

[[Page 19321]]

    The majority of the site will be maintained for its natural 
resources. Short Hill will be managed similarly.
    Maryland Heights will undergo stabilization of earthworks and 
fortifications as necessary and restoration of line of fire vistas. 
Historic roads will continue to be used and maintained. A more 
comprehensive level of interpretation will be achieved through wayside 
exhibits, site brochures and occasional ranger-guided hikes. Three 
additional alternatives were analyzed in the Draft and Final 
Environmental Impact Statements. The full range of foreseeable 
environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate mitigating 
measures were identified.
    The Regional Director, National Capital Region, approved the Record 
of Decision for the project. The official primarily responsible for 
implementing the General Management Plan is the Superintendent of 
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

    Dated: July 22, 2011.
 Stephen E. Whitesell,
Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. 2012-7744 Filed 3-29-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-JT-P
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