National Park Service April 27, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)), the National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for the Backcountry Management Plan for Grand Canyon National Park. This plan will help guide park decisions on protecting natural and cultural resources while providing for a variety of visitor opportunities to experience the park's backcountry. Over 94% of the park has been proposed as wilderness, and an updated plan is needed to comply with NPS wilderness policy and other policies. A range of reasonable alternatives for managing the park's backcountry will be developed, with public input, through this planning process and will include, at a minimum, a no-action and an agency preferred alternative. Major issues the plan will address include visitor access and use of the park's backcountry, levels of commercial services, levels of administrative and scientific research activities, management of natural and cultural resources, and the protection of wilderness character. The National Park Service will identify additional issues to be addressed through public scoping. A scoping newsletter is being prepared that details the issues identified to date. Copies of that information will be made available on NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) at https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/grca.