National Park Service February 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the implementing regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, has prepared, and the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, has approved, the Record of Decision for the new General Management Plan for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. The 30-day wait period was officially initiated October 13, 2006, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register notification of the filing of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Decision: As soon as practicable the Reserve will begin to implement as its new General Management Plan the Preferred Alternative (with minor modifications from Alternative B as described in the Draft and Final EIS); this alternative was also deemed to be the ``environmentally preferred'' course of action. The selected plan features an overlay of four management zones on the Reserve: (i) Cultural and Natural Preservation Zone, (ii) Visitor Use and Development Zone, (iii) Administrative Zone, and (iv) Special Use Zonethese zones are identified based on resource condition or character, visitor experience and appropriate types of activities or facilities criteria. The new plan enhances existing programs, natural and cultural resource management, and administrative and maintenance operations. An integrated pest management program will be implemented in concert with Reserve landowners and other partners. Visitor services within the Reserve are improved, and information kiosks would be installed along State Route 20 in the Smith Prairie area and at a northern gateway location, and at the Keystone and/or Port Townsend ferry landings. The Trust Board shall continue to be responsible for setting the policies and general actions for the Reserve consistent with the Reserve's enabling legislation, GMP, and relevant NPS policies and guidelines. This includes continuing the NPS's annual appraisal of Reserve management and operations under the enabling legislation. The Trust Board would continue to oversee management and protection of lands (including fee and easements) purchased with federal money, administer programs and technical support, participate in local land use review processes, and advocate for and support the Reserve. The Reserve Manager continues to be employed by and report directly to the Trust Board (in turn, the Trust Board will conduct annual operations and staff performance reviews and submit these to the Deputy Regional Director, Pacific West). Based upon public comments and refinements desired by the planning team collaborative, the selected plan includes several modifications from the Preferred Alternative as detailed in the Final EIS, including but not limited to: the GMP will incorporate certain historic preservation and land use protection measures which were adopted by Island County after the EIS process was begun; the development of a marine science center by nonprofits will be encouraged; proposed Reserve staff additions over the next 20 years are reduced to five. Also, since release of the draft GMP, Bell Farm was removed from the proposed boundary modification at the owner's request. The proposed plan and three alternatives were identified and analyzed in the Final EIS, and previously in the Draft EIS (the latter was distributed in August 2005). A broad spectrum of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate mitigation measures identified, for each alternative. Beginning with early scoping, through the preparation of the Draft and Final EIS, a series of public meetings and open-houses was conducted locally. Overall approximately 40 written scoping comments and 250 written or electronic Draft EIS review comments were received (as noted above, the latter served as the source of several minor adjustments to the final selected plan). Key consultations or other contacts that aided in preparing the EIS involved (but were not limited to) Island County and Town of Coupeville officials, Ebey's Landing Trust Board, Washington State Historic Preservation Office, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, tribal governments, and adjoining land managing agencies. Local community groups and neighbors, farmers and local business owners, and interested organizations were contacted extensively during initial scoping and throughout the GMP planning process. Copies: Interested parties desiring to review the Record of Decision may obtain a complete copy by contacting the Reserve Manager, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, P.O. Box 774, Coupeville, Washington 98239 as well as via telephone request at (360) 678-6084.

As directed by the U.S. Congress in Pub. L. 107-59, the National Park Service (NPS) undertook a special resource study (SRS) of the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, New Jersey. In accordance with NPS policy, the Great Falls Historic District SRS was initially undertaken as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2003. The purpose of an SRS is to determine the degree and kind of federal actions that may be desirable for the management and protection of an area considered to have potential for addition to the national park system. The EIS assesses the impacts of the management alternatives examined in the SRS. The SRS examines a site in terms of: significance of the resources determination of suitability of the site for inclusion within the national park system in comparison to other protected sites with similar resources or themes determination of feasibility for the NPS to own, manage or participate in conservation and interpretation in the study area need for NPS management measured against other alternatives This SRS examined the resources in the existing Great Falls Historic District, which preserves the history of the beginnings of manufacturing and labor in the United States. All of the elements of the site are located within the City of Paterson, County of Passaic, in New Jersey, adjacent to the Passaic River. Determination of the need for NPS management is the final criterion for evaluating resources for potential designation as a unit in the national park system. The study concluded that the site is determined neither suitable nor feasible for potential designation as a unit of the national park system. As a result, there is no need for NPS management and no further Federal action. Therefore, the EIS process has been terminated.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service and the University of Utah announce the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Construction and Operation of a Proposed New Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah, Salt Lake County, Utah.

Notice is hereby given that the boundary of Golden Gate National Recreation Area is modified to include five acres of real property adjacent to the park. This adjustment is accomplished to include private property that the owner wishes to donate to the United States for the use of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and which the National Park Service has concluded would be a valuable addition to the park. The real property added to the park is depicted as Tract 05- 168 on Drawing No. 641/80,046, Sheet 6 of 26, Segment Map 05, dated November 3, 2006. This map is on file and available for inspection at the following locations: National Park Service, Land Resources Program Center, Pacific West Region, 1111 Jackson St., Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94607, and National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.

Pursuant to 36 CFR 51.24, public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service proposes to award a temporary concession contract for the conduct of certain visitor services within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, California for a term not to exceed 1 year. The visitor services include a marina, retail and other services. This action is necessary to avoid interruption of visitor services.

Purusant to 36 CFR 51.23, public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service propses to extend the following expiring concession contracts for a period of up to 1 year, or until such time as a new contract is executed, whichever occurs sooner.

Pursuant to the terms of existing concession contracts, public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service intends to request a continuation of visitor services for a period not-to-exceed 1 year from the date of contract expiration.

Pursuant to 36 CFR 51.23, public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service proposes to extend the following expiring concession contracts for a period of up to 1 year, or until such time as a new contract is executed, whichever occurs sooner.

Pursuant to the terms of existing concession contracts, public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service intends to request a continuation of visitor services for a period not-to-exceed 1 year from the date of contract expiration.

Pursuant to the terms of existing concession contracts, public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service intends to request a continuation of visitor services for a period not-to-exceed 1 year from the date of contract expiration.

Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR Part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on an extension of a currently approved collection of information (OMB 1024-0231).

At a November 3-4, 2006, public meeting in Denver, CO, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee (Review Committee) considered a dispute between the White Mountain Apache Tribe and the Field Museum. The dispute focused on whether 33 items (catalogue records) in the possession or control of the Field Museum are ``objects of cultural patrimony'' and whether the Field Museum has a ``right of possession'' to them under provisions of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) [25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.]. The Review Committee finds that, by a preponderance of the evidence, these items are ``objects of cultural patrimony'' and that the Field Museum does not have a ``right of possession'' to them.

This notice announces two public meetings of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Citizen Advisory Commission. Notice of these meetings is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2).