Record of Decision for the Nabesna Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, 20843 [2012-8364]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 67 / Friday, April 6, 2012 / Notices
survey, in accordance with 43 CFR
4.450–2, of the above plats is received
prior to the date of official filing, the
filing will be stayed pending
consideration of the protest.
A plat will not be officially filed until
the day after all protests have been
dismissed and become final or appeals
from the dismissal affirmed.
A person or party who wishes to
protest against any of these surveys
must file a written protest with the
Bureau of Land Management New
Mexico State Director stating that they
wish to protest.
A statement of reasons for a protest
may be filed with the Notice of protest
to the State Director or the statement of
reasons must be filed with the State
Director within thirty (30) days after the
protest is filed.
Robert A. Casias,
Deputy State Director, Cadastral Survey/
GeoSciences.
[FR Doc. 2012–8312 Filed 4–5–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–FB–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–AKR–WRST–0112–9413;
98651C01SZP]
Record of Decision for the Nabesna
Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan
and Final Environmental Impact
Statement, Wrangell-St. Elias National
Park and Preserve
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of availability of a record
of decision for the Nabesna Off-Road
Vehicle Management Plan and Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS),
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and
Preserve.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National
Park Service (NPS) announces the
availability of a Record of Decision
(ROD) that documents decisions
regarding off-road vehicle management
in the Nabesna District of Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park and Preserve. The
ROD describes the management actions,
trail improvements, regulations, and
mitigation (including monitoring) that
will implement Alternative 6, identified
in the FEIS as the preferred alternative.
The ROD also describes the rationale
used in making the decision and
identifies the environmentally
preferable alternative. The ROD
includes a recommendation for the
reclassification of eligible wilderness,
which was approved by the NPS
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:17 Apr 05, 2012
Jkt 226001
Director on January 18, 2012. The
reclassification resulted in a net gain of
16,929 acres of eligible wilderness in
the analysis area.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD will be
available for public review at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/wrst. Hard copies
are available at park headquarters
(Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and
Preserve, Mile 106.8 Richardson
Highway, Copper Center, Alaska) or
may be requested from Bruce Rogers,
Project Manager, Wrangell-St. Elias
National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box
439, Copper Center, Alaska 99573.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ROD
describes management actions necessary
for managing off-road vehicles (ORVs)
for recreational and subsistence use on
trails in the Nabesna District of
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and
Preserve. The trails were in existence at
the time the 13.2-million-acre park and
preserve was established in 1980.
Beginning in 1983, the park issued
permits for recreational ORV use of
these established trails, initially in
accordance with 36 CFR 13.14(c), which
was replaced by 43 CFR 36.11(g)(2) in
1986. The trails also provide for
subsistence ORV use and access to
inholdings. On June 29, 2006, the
National Parks Conservation
Association, Alaska Center for the
Environment, and The Wilderness
Society filed a lawsuit against NPS in
the United States District Court for the
District of Alaska regarding recreational
ORV use on the nine trails that are the
subject of this EIS. They challenged the
NPS issuance of recreational ORV
permits, asserting that NPS failed to
make the required finding that
recreational ORV use is compatible with
the purposes and values of the Park and
Preserve. They also claimed that the
NPS failed to prepare an environmental
analysis of recreational ORV use as
required by NEPA.
In the May 15, 2007, settlement
agreement, NPS agreed to endeavor to
complete an EIS and ROD by December
31, 2010 (this was extended to
December 31, 2011).
A Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) was published in
August 2010 and made available for a
90-day public comment period. During
the 90-day public comment period, five
public meetings were held in Fairbanks,
Anchorage, Tok, Slana, and Copper
Center, Alaska. The NPS received 153
comment letters from various agencies,
organizations, and individuals. In
response to public comment, the FEIS
analyzed a sixth alternative that was
identified as the NPS preferred
alternative and that combined elements
PO 00000
Frm 00065
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
20843
of Alternatives 4 and 5 from the DEIS.
Additionally, the FEIS responded to
substantive comments in Chapter 5 and
numerous changes were made in the
FEIS as a result of public comment. The
FEIS considered a reasonable range of
alternatives based on project purpose
and need and considering park
resources and values, and public input.
Alternative 6 was identified as the
NPS preferred alternative. All trails
would be improved to at least a
maintainable condition. After trail
improvement, recreational ORV use
would be permitted on trails in the
national preserve (Suslota, Caribou
Creek, Trail Creek, Lost Creek, Soda
Lake, and Reeve Field) but not on trails
in the national park (Boomerang,
Tanada Lake, and Copper Lake).
Subsistence ORV use would be subject
to monitoring and adaptive management
steps and would be confined to
designated trail corridors in park
wilderness.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bruce Rogers, Project Manager,
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and
Preserve, P.O. Box 439, Copper Center,
Alaska 99573. Telephone: 907–822–
7276.
Tim A. Hudson,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2012–8364 Filed 4–5–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–HC–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NRNHL–0412–9934; 2200–
3200–665]
National Register of Historic Places;
Notification of Pending Nominations
and Related Actions
Nominations for the following
properties being considered for listing
or related actions in the National
Register were received by the National
Park Service before March 17, 2012.
Pursuant to § 60.13 of 36 CFR Part 60,
written comments are being accepted
concerning the significance of the
nominated properties under the
National Register criteria for evaluation.
Comments may be forwarded by United
States Postal Service, to the National
Register of Historic Places, National
Park Service, 1849 C St. NW., MS 2280,
Washington, DC 20240; by all other
carriers, National Register of Historic
Places, National Park Service, 1201 Eye
St. NW., 8th Floor, Washington DC
20005; or by fax, 202–371–6447. Written
or faxed comments should be submitted
by April 23, 2012. Before including your
E:\FR\FM\06APN1.SGM
06APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 67 (Friday, April 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 20843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8364]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-AKR-WRST-0112-9413; 98651C01SZP]
Record of Decision for the Nabesna Off-Road Vehicle Management
Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, Wrangell-St. Elias
National Park and Preserve
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a record of decision for the Nabesna
Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS), Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces
the availability of a Record of Decision (ROD) that documents decisions
regarding off-road vehicle management in the Nabesna District of
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The ROD describes the
management actions, trail improvements, regulations, and mitigation
(including monitoring) that will implement Alternative 6, identified in
the FEIS as the preferred alternative. The ROD also describes the
rationale used in making the decision and identifies the
environmentally preferable alternative. The ROD includes a
recommendation for the reclassification of eligible wilderness, which
was approved by the NPS Director on January 18, 2012. The
reclassification resulted in a net gain of 16,929 acres of eligible
wilderness in the analysis area.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD will be available for public review at
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/wrst. Hard copies are available at park
headquarters (Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Mile 106.8
Richardson Highway, Copper Center, Alaska) or may be requested from
Bruce Rogers, Project Manager, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and
Preserve, P.O. Box 439, Copper Center, Alaska 99573.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ROD describes management actions
necessary for managing off-road vehicles (ORVs) for recreational and
subsistence use on trails in the Nabesna District of Wrangell-St. Elias
National Park and Preserve. The trails were in existence at the time
the 13.2-million-acre park and preserve was established in 1980.
Beginning in 1983, the park issued permits for recreational ORV use of
these established trails, initially in accordance with 36 CFR 13.14(c),
which was replaced by 43 CFR 36.11(g)(2) in 1986. The trails also
provide for subsistence ORV use and access to inholdings. On June 29,
2006, the National Parks Conservation Association, Alaska Center for
the Environment, and The Wilderness Society filed a lawsuit against NPS
in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska
regarding recreational ORV use on the nine trails that are the subject
of this EIS. They challenged the NPS issuance of recreational ORV
permits, asserting that NPS failed to make the required finding that
recreational ORV use is compatible with the purposes and values of the
Park and Preserve. They also claimed that the NPS failed to prepare an
environmental analysis of recreational ORV use as required by NEPA.
In the May 15, 2007, settlement agreement, NPS agreed to endeavor
to complete an EIS and ROD by December 31, 2010 (this was extended to
December 31, 2011).
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was published in
August 2010 and made available for a 90-day public comment period.
During the 90-day public comment period, five public meetings were held
in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Tok, Slana, and Copper Center, Alaska. The NPS
received 153 comment letters from various agencies, organizations, and
individuals. In response to public comment, the FEIS analyzed a sixth
alternative that was identified as the NPS preferred alternative and
that combined elements of Alternatives 4 and 5 from the DEIS.
Additionally, the FEIS responded to substantive comments in Chapter 5
and numerous changes were made in the FEIS as a result of public
comment. The FEIS considered a reasonable range of alternatives based
on project purpose and need and considering park resources and values,
and public input.
Alternative 6 was identified as the NPS preferred alternative. All
trails would be improved to at least a maintainable condition. After
trail improvement, recreational ORV use would be permitted on trails in
the national preserve (Suslota, Caribou Creek, Trail Creek, Lost Creek,
Soda Lake, and Reeve Field) but not on trails in the national park
(Boomerang, Tanada Lake, and Copper Lake). Subsistence ORV use would be
subject to monitoring and adaptive management steps and would be
confined to designated trail corridors in park wilderness.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Rogers, Project Manager,
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 439, Copper
Center, Alaska 99573. Telephone: 907-822-7276.
Tim A. Hudson,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2012-8364 Filed 4-5-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-HC-P
