National Park Service 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(C)), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final General Management Plan (GMP)/Wilderness Study (WS)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Lakeshore), Michigan. On January 6, 2009, the Midwest Regional Director approved the ROD for the project. As soon as practicable, the NPS will begin to implement the preferred alternative contained in the final EIS.

The National Park Service announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for Monocacy National Battlefield, Maryland. This document will be available for public review and comment pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321) and National Park Service policy.

Pursuant to section 102(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), and in accord with Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations including 40 CFR 1501.7, the National Park Service is expanding the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which is being prepared for the General Management Plan (GMP) for Channel Islands National Park. As part of this conservation planning effort, the EIS will include a wilderness study to determine if any portions of the park should be recommended for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System as defined in the Wilderness Act of 1964. This new element will be included as part of the EIS currently in preparation. Accordingly this notice supplements and updates the original Notice of Intent published with regard to initiation of the GMP project in the Federal Register on November 8, 2001. As a result, the scope of the EIS will be expanded to include an evaluation of foreseeable effects associated with possible designation of wilderness within the park.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the National Park Service announces the availability of the Final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Governors Island National Monument, New York.

As required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the National Park Service (NPS) is hereby giving notice that the Advisory Committee on the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail will hold a meeting. Designated through an amendment to the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1241), the new trail will consist of ``a series of water routes extending approximately 3,000 miles along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries in the States of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and in the District of Columbia,'' tracing the 1607-1609 voyages of Captain John Smith to chart the land and waterways of the Chesapeake Bay. This meeting is open to the public. Preregistration is required for both public attendance and comment. Any individual who wishes to attend the meeting and/or participate in the public comment session should register via e-mail at Christine_Lucero@nps.gov or telephone: (757) 898-2432. For those wishing to make comments, please provide a written summary of your comments prior to the meeting. The Designated Federal Official for the Advisory Council is John Maounis, Superintendent, Captain John Smith National Historic Trail, telephone: (410) 267-5778.

The Gates of the Arctic National Park Subsistence Resource Commission (GAAR SRC) and Denali National Park Subsistence Resource Commission (DENA SRC) will meet to develop and continue work on National Park Service (NPS) subsistence hunting program recommendations and other related subsistence management issues. These meetings are open to the public and will have time allocated for public testimony. The public is welcomed to present written or oral comments to the SRC. This meeting will be recorded and meeting minutes will be available upon request from the park 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.

The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposed Brooks River bridge and boardwalk, and associated access changes, to the Brooks Camp Area within Katmai National Park and Preserve. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives for a bridge and boardwalk that would span the lower Brooks River. The existing floating bridge would be removed. A new bridge would provide for the existing floatplane access to the Brooks Camp Area to continue, with planes beaching on the shore of Naknek Lake on the north side of Brooks River. This proposal would tier off the 1996 Brooks River Area Development Concept Plan (DCP) and EIS. If the decision is to construct a new bridge, it would result in an amendment to the access decision, which called for construction of a new floatplane dock, breakwater, one-mile access road on the south side of Brooks River, and required a shuttle system.

Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, January 1, 1970, as amended), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker Transportation Infrastructure and Management Plan. The proposed project would provide greater access to and within the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker areas of Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) for a variety of users in a way that minimizes impacts to the rich natural diversity and cultural resources within all the areas of potential effect. Roadway infrastructure would be rehabilitated or reconstructed with non-character altering roadway widening, and parking facilities would be improved. Additional transit options would be provided to and within the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker to improve access to visitor sites. Pedestrian and bicycle facilities would be improved through closure and rerouting of existing trails and construction of new trails.