National Park Service 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Park Service, is extending the public scoping period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Adoption of a Long-term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP) for the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam to January 31, 2012. The Notice to Solicit Comments and Hold Public Scoping Meetings was published in the Federal Register on October 17, 2011 (76 FR 64104). The public scoping period was originally scheduled to end on Friday, December 30, 2011.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations, the National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (Final EIS) for the proposed General Management Plan for Ross Lake National Recreation Area (Ross Lake NRA) in Washington State. This Final EIS describes and analyzes four alternatives for resource protection and preservation, education and interpretation, visitor use and facilities, land protection and boundaries, and long-term operations and management of the Ross Lake NRA.

The National Park Service has prepared a Draft General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Plan/DEIS). The Plan/DEIS evaluates four alternatives for updating the current approach to management in Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and Muir Woods National Monument. The original Notice of Availability (published in the Federal Register on September 12, 2011) announced a 60-day public comment period. In recognition of the complexity of the proposed plan alternatives, and with deference to interest from the public and interested organizations, the comment period has been reopened and extended through December 9, 2011.

This notice sets out the revised legal descriptions of the boundaries of an expanded Gates of the Arctic National Park and a revised Gates of the Arctic Wilderness. For the sake of completeness this notice also sets out the unrevised description of the boundary of an unchanged Gates of the Arctic National Preserve.

This rule implements the Record of Decision for the 2011 Winter Use Plan/Environmental Impact Statement and governs winter visitation and certain recreational activities in Yellowstone National Park for the 2011-2012 winter season. The rule retains, for one additional year, the regulations and management framework that have been in place for the past two winter seasons (2009-2010 and 2010- 2011). Specifically, the rule retains provisions that: require most recreational snowmobiles operating in the park to meet certain National Park Service air and sound emissions requirements; require snowmobiles and snowcoaches in Yellowstone to be accompanied by a commercial guide; set daily entry limits on the numbers of snowmobiles (up to 318) and snowcoaches (up to 78) that may enter the park; and prohibit traveling off designated oversnow routes.

The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council has completed an inventory of human remains in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. Disposition of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council has completed an inventory of human remains in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. Disposition of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the University of California, San Diego, have completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and have determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the University of California, San Diego. Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The National Park Service is expanding the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that is being prepared for updating the General Management Plan (GMP) for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. As part of this conservation planning and environmental impact analysis effort, the Draft EIS will include a wilderness study to determine if any additional portions of the park should be recommended for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System (currently the park contains 130,790 acres of Congressionally designated Wilderness).

The University of Michigan has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the University of Michigan Office of the Vice President for Research. Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The Washington State University, Museum of Anthropology (WSU), in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, has determined that the cultural items meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and repatriation to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the cultural items may contact WSU.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the University of Tennessee McClung Museum (McClung Museum), in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, have determined that the cultural items in this notice meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects, and repatriation to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional claimants come forward. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the cultural items may contact the TVA and McClung Museum.

The Paul H. Karshner Memorial Museum has completed an inventory of human remains in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the Paul H. Karshner Memorial Museum, Puyallup, WA. Disposition of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for Protecting and Restoring Native Ecosystems by Managing Non-Native Ungulates, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. The park's current management plan for non-native ungulate control was developed nearly 40 years ago. The new plan will provide a park-wide framework to systematically guide non- native ungulate management activities over the next 15-20 years. The Draft EIS presents five alternatives for managing non-native ungulates in a manner that supports long-term ecosystem protection, supports natural ecosystem recovery and provides desirable conditions for active ecosystem restoration, and supports protection and preservation of cultural resources.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 460l- 9(c)(1), the boundary of Colorado National Monument is modified to include an additional two and forty-five hundredths (2.45) acres of land identified as Tract 01-140, tax parcel number 2697-343-04-009. The land is located in Mesa County, Colorado, immediately adjacent to the current eastern boundary of Colorado National Monument. The boundary revision is depicted on Map No. 119/106,532 dated January 2011. The map is available for inspection at the following locations: National Park Service, Intermountain Land Resources Program Center, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80225-0287 and National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.

As authorized by Section 7001 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, Public Law 111-11 (codified at 16 U.S.C. 410lll), the National Park Service announces that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) has established, in the State of New Jersey, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of the Record of Decision for the Abbreviated Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Long Walk National Historic Trail Feasibility Study, prepared by National Trails Intermountain Region, Santa Fe, New Mexico. On August 3, 2011, the Regional Director, Intermountain Region approved the Record of Decision for the project. Four alternatives and their respective environmental consequences were presented in the study. The Record of Decision identifies the preferred alternative as alternative A, no-action. Under the no-action alternative, a national historic trail would not be designated. Interpretation and protection of Long Walk-related events and resources would not be coordinated by a single, overarching federal agency. State, county, and tribal laws for historic preservation would continue to apply; no new federal actions would be taken to protect other significant resources. In the feasibility study, the National Park Service found that the Long Walk routes fully meet the criteria for national historic trails. The overall nature of public comments during the review period supported designation of a national historic trail. The National Park Service decision to support the no action alternative as the selected action is based on the lack of support for designation by the Navajo Nation Tribal Council and the Mescalero Apache Tribe. 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, and an overview of public involvement in the decision-making process. Impairment and measures to minimize environmental harm are not addressed in the Record of Decision because the study involved no park resources.

This notice sets forth the dates of April 19, 2012 and September 6, 2012 of the Gettysburg National Military Park Advisory Commission.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Ungulate Management Plan, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado. The purpose of this plan/EIS is to establish a framework for the management of elk, bison, and other ungulates that supports attainment of desired habitat conditions at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and is compatible with conditions and management activities across the broader eastern San Luis Valley landscape. This planning effort is needed to identify desired future habitat conditions on newly acquired park land and future land transfers, using the best available science to guide management decisions and responses to changing conditions. A scoping brochure has been prepared that details the issues identified to date and includes the purpose, need, and objectives of the EIS. Copies of that information may be obtained online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ grsa-ungulates or Great Sand Dunes National Park, 11500 Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81146-9798, (719) 378-6300.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of the Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the National Mall Plan, National Mall and Memorial Parks (Final EIS/Plan).