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

The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the General Management Plan (GMP) for Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Florida. This document will be available for public review pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and NPS policy in Director's Order Number 2 (Park Planning) and Director's Order Number 12 (Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-making). The authority for publishing this notice is 40 CFR 1506.6. The document provides a framework for management, use, and development of the historic site by the NPS for the next 15 to 20 years. The document describes four management alternatives, including a No-Action Alternative and the NPS's preferred alternative. The anticipated environmental impacts of those alternatives are also analyzed. Public comment on the draft plan was considered when preparing the final document.

Under Public Law 106-465, the Sand Creek Massacre Site Establishment Act of 2000, the Secretary of the Interior hereby announces that sufficient lands have been acquired to establish the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in Kiowa County, Colorado. Public Law 106-465 called for the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site once the Secretary had determined that sufficient lands had been acquired by the federal government to provide for the preservation, memorialization, commemoration, and interpretation of the Sand Creek Massacre. The Act authorized the National Park Service to acquire up to 12,500 acres from willing sellers for this purpose. Between 2002 and 2004 the United States acquired 920 acres within the authorized boundaries. On September 9, 2006, pursuant to Public Law 109-45, the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Trust Act of 2005, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma conveyed to the United States title to 1465 acres within the authorized boundaries to be held in trust for the purposes of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. With this conveyance, the United States has acquired a sufficient amount of the nationally significant resources that are integral to the preservation, commemoration and interpretation of the Sand Creek Massacre.

Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites comments on an extension of a currently approved collection of information (OMB Control 1024-0029).

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Badlands National Park, North Unit (park). A separate GMP is being developed for the guidance and management of the South Unit of Badlands National Park, and is scheduled to be completed in three years. Specifically, the NPS has selected the preferred alternative as described in the Final GMP/EIS. Under the selected action, the NPS will provide expanded opportunities for visitors to use the North Unit of the park. The number of locations where visitors could obtain park information and orientation will be increased with new visitor contact stations added near Pinnacles and in the town of Scenic. In addition, more hiking trails and routes will be designated in various parts of the park. Education pavilions will be added in the Conata picnic area and west of County Road 502 along with a group campground. Additional studies and environmental documents will be developed, as appropriate, to examine alternative road alignments for the Loop Road at Cedar Pass. Finally, the NPS will recommend expanding the park's boundaries in two locations to enhance resource protection and offer additional visitor experiences. One boundary expansion will incorporate approximately 5,400 acres along South Dakota Highway 44. The other recommended addition will be 4,500 acres along the western edge adjacent to the wilderness area. The selected action and three other alternatives were analyzed in the draft and final GMP/EIS. The full range of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed. Among the alternatives the NPS considered, the selected action best achieves a high standard of natural and cultural resource protection with improved opportunities for visitors in the park. Furthermore, the selected action responds to the changing visitation pattern the park has been experiencing. In the recent years, western South Dakota has become more of a destination for visitors with Rapid City serving as the hub for this visitation. This shift in tourism patterns has increased the number of park visitors entering the park through the western entrances. The selected action also provides needed improvements for park operations, such as areas for additional park housing and research support. The park is located in a rural area and housing for employees is limited in the surrounding communities. In addition, the park has developed a good relationship with the natural resources research community but has limited facilities for supporting these efforts. The selected action would address the need to provide facilities for park operations and research. The selected action also meets national environmental policy goals will not result in the impairment of resources and values. The ROD includes a statement of the decision made, synopses of other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, the rationale for why the selected action is the environmentally preferred alternative, a finding of no impairment of park resources and values, and an overview of public involvement in the decisionmaking process.

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 announces the availability of the Record of Decision for the Grand Teton Transportation Plan, Grand Teton National Park, WY. On March 12, 2007, the Director, Intermountain Region approved the Record of Decision for the project. As soon as practicable, the National Park Service will begin to implement the Preferred Alternative contained in the FEIS issued on September 15, 2006. The following course of action will occur under the preferred alternative: construction of approximately 23 miles of separated multi- use pathways between the south park boundary and String Lake via North Jenny Lake Junction; approximately 16 miles of pathways within the road corridor between North Jenny Lake Junction and Colter Bay; an approximately 3-mile pathway within the road corridor along the Moose- Wilson Road from the Granite Canyon Entrance to the Laurance S. Rockefeller (LSR) Preserve; and realignment of the Moose-Wilson Road in two areas, with the existing alignments being restored to natural conditions. This course of action was analyzed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and combines two alternatives presented in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Four other 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 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, and an overview of public involvement in the decision-making process.

Under the 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 a proposed new collection of information (1024-xxxx).

This notice lists programs or portions of programs that are eligible for inclusion in Fiscal Year 2007 funding agreements with self-governance tribes and lists programmatic targets pursuant to section 405(c)(4) of the Tribal Self-Governance Act.

The NPS announces the SRC meeting schedule for the following areas: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Lake Clark National Park. The purpose of each meeting is to develop and continue work on subsistence hunting program recommendations and other related subsistence management issues. Each meeting is open to the public and will have time allocated for public testimony. The public is welcome to present written or oral comments to the SRC. Each meeting will be recorded and a summary will be available upon request from each Superintendent for public inspection approximately six weeks after each meeting. The NPS SRC program is authorized under Title VIII, Section 808 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public Law 96-487, to operate in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (Pub. L. 91-190) and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (Pub. L. 90-542), the National Park Service is initiating public scoping for the conservation planning and environmental impact analysis process for a Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan (MRP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in Yosemite National Park. The MRP/EIS will be a comprehensive document that guides future management of the Merced River corridor, and will comply with all applicable legal requirements. The purpose of this scoping outreach is to solicit early public comments about issues and concerns that should be addressed in the plan, including a suitable range of alternatives, appropriate mitigation measures, and the nature and extent of potential environmental impacts. Background: In 1987, Congress designated 122 miles of the Merced River and its South Fork as Wild and Scenic, including the 81 miles within Yosemite National Park and the El Portal Administrative Site. The National Park Service (NPS) completed the Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement in August, 2000. Soon after, two citizen's groups filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. This initiated a series of court proceedings that culminated in a 2006 District Court decision that invalidated the park's revised 2005 plan, the Merced Wild and Scenic River Revised Comprehensive Management Plan/ Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Subsequently, the court ordered the NPS to prepare a new comprehensive management plan. On January 9, 2007, the NPS proposed a 33-month timeline to the court for the preparation of the new MRP/EIS, which would result in a Record of Decision on September 30, 2009. Scoping and Public Meetings: The participation of interested individuals and organizations is important to the conservation planning and environmental impact analysis process. During the scoping phase, the public is invited to share ideas and concerns that should be considered in development of the draft MRP. Yosemite National Park will consult tribal, federal, state, and local governments, and will receive public input during an extended period concluding 60 days from the date of publication of this Notice in the Federal Register. The scoping period will be publicized via the internet, direct mailings, and press releases distributed to local and regional media. Dates, times, specific locations, and additional information will be available in regional and local news sources, and updates will be available at https://www.nps.gov/yose/planning/. Written comments should be addressed to the Superintendent, Attn: Merced River Plan, Yosemite National Park, PO Box 577, Yosemite National Park, California 95389, or faxed to (209) 379-1294. All comments must be postmarked or faxed not later than 60 days from the publication date of this Notice in the Federal Register (or if sent via e-mail, transmitted by that date to YosePlanning@nps.gov). Immediately upon confirmation of this date it will be announced on the project Web site and via announcements in local and regional press media. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire commentincluding 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. Decision Process: Information about future public involvement opportunities, including workshops for preliminary alternatives formulation and the later public review of the draft EIS, will be publicized in regional news media, by mailings, and postings to the project's Web site. Following due consideration of comments received in response to the draft EIS, a final EIS will be prepared. As a delegated EIS the official responsible for approval of the MRP is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region (at this time a decision is anticipated during September, 2009). Subsequently the Superintendent, Yosemite National Park would be responsible for implementing the MRP.

This notice sets forth the date of the April 28, 2007 meeting of the Flight 93 Advisory Commission.

In accord with section 102(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the National Park Service (NPS) has undertaken a conservation planning and environmental impact analysis process for updating the General Management Plan (GMP) for Pinnacles National Monument. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared concurrently with the GMP. The GMP will address desired conditions for the Monument, uses or treatment needs for resource protection, visitor use and other management goals thus serving as a ``blueprint'' to guide management of natural and cultural resources and visitor use during the next 15-20 years. This notice supersedes the previous notice published in the Federal Register on November 19, 1998 (Vol. 63, No. 223). Background: Pinnacles National Monument preserves an ecologically- rich, geologically-spectacular, and culturally-significant landscape in the Central Coast region of California. Established in 1908 and named for dramatic rock formations that are the remains of an ancient volcano, the Monument preserves a landscape shaped by earthquake, fire, and flood. The Monument is rich in plant and animal life that inhabit the park's chaparral, oak woodland, talus cave, riparian, and rock-and- scree habitats. In 2003, Pinnacles became the home once again to the California condor, one of the nation's most endangered species, elevating the Monument's profile substantially throughout the region. Pinnacles preserves a rich human history with archeological sites reaching back at least 2,000 years, revealing use by indigenous people. Sites from the 1800s reflect the homesteading history of the area. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps played the central role in the development of the Monument that visitors enjoy today, evidenced by roads, a visitor center, numerous park structures, and an outstanding trail system that stands as an important cultural resource in itself. Located 100 miles south of the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Pinnacles is on the edge of one of the state's most populated and fastest-growing areas. Since 1976, Pinnacles has grown from 16,271 acres to 24,436 acres. In 1976, 15,985 acres were designated by Congress as Wilderness (and several tracts of land since transferred from the BLM bring the Wilderness total acreage to 16,048). Also, acquisition of the 2,000-acre Pinnacles Ranch during the spring of 2006 has added substantial new resources, infrastructure, recreational opportunities, and management challenges. A new GMP reflecting contemporary issues and challenges facing Pinnacles in the future is essential. The plan will provide direction for park management through the establishment of management zones, user capacities and appropriate types and levels of development and recreational use for all areas of the park. Resource protection, visitor experiences, community relationships, and relationships with neighboring land management agencies will be improved through completion and implementation of the GMP. Scoping Process: The purpose of the scoping outreach efforts is to elicit public comment regarding issues and concerns, the nature and extent of potential environmental impacts (and appropriate mitigation measures) that should be addressed in the plan. Major issues anticipated to be addressed in the EIS include: What are the desired conditions for native/endemic ecosystems? What are the desired conditions for Wilderness areas? What are the desired conditions for cultural resources and cultural landscapes? What areas and structures are appropriate for museum collections storage, preservation and accessibility for research? What is the desired visitor experience throughout the Monument (east side, west side, high peaks, Bear Gulch, Chalone, Chaparral, Pinnacles Ranch, campground, backcountry, Wilderness)? What are appropriate visitor use levels for different parts of the Monument? What transportation options should be considered for providing access to and within the Monument? What types of trail (or other) access are appropriate, and where? What is the appropriate level of development in different parts of the Monument, and what areas are appropriate for park administration and operations activities? How should the NPS work with nearby communities to encourage community understanding of the Monument and to address potential effects of development and population growth in neighboring communities on ecological, scenic, and Wilderness values of the Monument? Are there any recommendations for changes in the authorizing legislation for Pinnacles National Monument that should be considered in the GMP? Comments: Through the outreach activities planned in this final scoping effort, the NPS welcomes additional information and suggestions from the public regarding resource protection, visitor use, and land management. This notice formally resumes the public scoping comment phase for the EIS process for the GMP. All interested persons, organizations, agencies, and American Indian tribes wishing to express new concerns or provide information about management issues which should be addressed in the GMP and environmental impact analysis process are encouraged to contact the Superintendent (previous responses are contained in the administrative record and do not need to be resubmitted). All comments received will become part of the public record. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire commentincluding your personal identifying informationmay be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. At this time, public scoping meetings are anticipated to be held during the spring of 2007; details will be announced widely in local and regional news media, via direct park mailings and through the GMP Web site: (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/pinn). All attendees will be given the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments to the planning team. The Web site will provide the most up-to-date information regarding the project, including project description, planning process updates, meeting notices, reports and documents, and useful links associated with the project. All written comments regarding the preparation of the EIS/GMP must be postmarked or transmitted not later than May 31, 2007 and should be submitted directly to General Management Plan Team, Pinnacles National Monument, 5000 Hwy 146, Paicines, CA 95043 (or electronically through the Web site noted above). Decision Process: At this time, the draft EIS/GMP is expected to be released for public review during the fall of 2008; following due consideration of all comments as may be submitted, the final document is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2009. Formal announcement of the availability of both documents will be published in the Federal Register, publicized via local and regional media and the internet, and via direct mailing to the project mailing list. Responsibility for approving the Final EIS/GMP is delegated to the NPS, and the official responsible for the final decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region; subsequently the official responsible for implementing the approved GMP is the Superintendent, Pinnacles National Monument.