National Park Service 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 51 - 100 of 392
National Capital Region; Notice/Request for Comments-The Christmas Pageant of Peace
The National Park Service is seeking public comments and suggestions on the planning of the 2006 Christmas Pageant of Peace.
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Environmental Impact Statement on the Schoodic General Management Plan Amendment, Acadia National Park, ME
The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Schoodic General Management Plan Amendment, Acadia National Park, Maine. Acadia National Park includes 2,366 acres on the Schoodic Peninsula, which offers exceptional views of the rocky coast and surrounding islands in an uncrowded environment and attracts approximately 250,000 visits a year. The Schoodic District contains two ``Rare Natural Communities'' (Jack Pine Woodland and Maritime Shrubland), several rare plant species, and significant wildlife habitat, as identified by the Maine Natural Areas Program. Schoodic also protects pristine intertidal areas, exemplary geologic features, and extraordinary scenery. In addition, much of the Schoodic District is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places because of its historically significant cultural landscape. In 2002, the NPS acquired a former navy base located within the Schoodic District. The former base contains 36 major buildings, totaling approximately 206,000 square feet. Only two buildings on the former navy base, the Rockefeller Building (a 1935 apartment and office building) and its powerhouse, are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This ROD documents the decision by the NPS to implement the preferred alternative (Alternative CCollaborative Management) of the Schoodic General Management Plan Amendment as the selected action. Under this alternative, the NPS will develop the Schoodic Education and Research Center (SERC) at the former navy base to facilitate research and education that promotes the understanding, protection, and conservation of natural and cultural resources of the National Park System and advance related research and education at the regional, national, and international levels. The NPS will enter into a long-term cooperative agreement with an independent nonprofit organization to assist in carrying out the mission of SERC. The cooperative agreement will include the assignment of real property to the nonprofit organization for its direct use and possible reassignment to tenant partners. The nonprofit organization will, among other responsibilities, promote appropriate research and education, cultivate and facilitate partnerships, and manage facilities and services at SERC. The nonprofit organization will have sufficient autonomy to be creative and flexible in developing and managing SERC consistent with NPS laws, regulations, policies, and management documents. A full range of revenue-generating and fundraising approaches will be used to support SERC to ensure that its programs and activities are financially viable. The NPS will collaborate with the nonprofit organization and other partners at SERC to provide research and educational opportunities. The NPS will provide security, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and fire protection for the SERC campus, and maintain its roads, grounds, building envelopes, and utility systems. The NPS and nonprofit organization will share responsibilities for site renovation and construction to convert buildings to research and education use and facilitate the efficient reuse of the site. The NPS will redesign the landscape of the former navy base to create a suitable setting for research and education activities, minimize impervious surfaces, and improve its appearance. Incompatible elements that diminish the safety, appearance, or efficient use of the campus will be mitigated or removed. The NPS will manage resources and visitor use consistent with the management zone in which they are located. The NPS will implement management actions to ensure that natural, cultural, and scenic resources and values are protected, and the character of the Schoodic District is preserved. The NPS will encourage compatible land use adjacent to the park on the Schoodic Peninsula and surrounding islands through acquisition of conservation easements and participation in the land use planning and regulatory processes of the State of Maine and neighboring jurisdictions. The NPS will also cooperate with the State of Maine, local governments, and others to achieve collective goals, such as land protection, mutual aid for emergency medical services and fire protection, and management of the Schoodic National Scenic Byway. The ROD briefly discusses the selected action, other alternatives considered, basis for decision, and measures to minimize impacts and address public concerns.
General Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report; Giacomini Wetlands Restoration Project, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, CA; Notice of Availability
Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement identifying and evaluating the no action alternative and four action alternatives for restoration activities in Giacomini Wetlands. When approved, the project planning will guide the NPS in restorating lands at the headwaters of Tomales Bay, Marin County, California. Because some of the proposed project area includes state, county and private lands, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement also includes information as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The California State Lands Commission is the CEQA lead agency for this project. The potential impacts of a ``no action'' alternative and four ``action'' alternatives are assessed and, where appropriate, mitigation measures are applied to reduce the intensity of the potential effect or to avoid the potential effect. Three other preliminary alternatives were considered but rejected because they did not achieve the objectives of the restoration plan or were infeasible.
Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision for the Fort King Special Resource Study
Congress, in the Interior Appropriations Act of 2000, authorized the Fort King Special Resource Study and Final Environmental Impact Statement (``Study''). The legislation directed the National Park Service (NPS) to determine whether Fort King is nationally significant and, if so, whether it is suitable and feasible as a new unit of the National Park System. Acknowledging the site's National Historic Landmark (NHL) status, the Study determined that Fort King is nationally significant. In addition, the Study determined that Fort King is suitable and feasible for inclusion in the National Park System because its interpretive themes are underrepresented in the current system and the property is of sufficient size and shape to protect resources and accommodate public use. The study does not, however, propose an active NPS management role at the site. Rather, existing programs such as Save America's Treasures and Preserve America are used to exemplify the types of NPS assistance available to future non- Federal managers of the Fort King property. The Final Study was distributed for public review in August 2006. The NPS has prepared a Record of Decision (ROD) on the Study to document the decision made, the background of the project, other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, the environmentally preferable alternative, and the public involvement in the decision-making process. The 1998 Omnibus Parks Management Act (Pub. L. 105-391 Sec. 303) mandates that each Special Resources Study (SRS) identify the alternative or combination of alternatives which would, in the professional judgment of the Director of the NPS, be ``most effective and efficient in protecting significant resources and providing for public enjoyment.'' The Study identifies Alternative B in the Study as the environmentally preferred alternative and most effective and efficient alternative because it preserves more of the site's archeological resources in an undisturbed condition and minimizes capital expenditures and long-term operating costs. Under Alternative B, the historic significance of Fort King would be communicated to visitors primarily through self-guided interpretive trails, wayside exhibits, and brochures. The park would not have a permanent on-site staff. Guided tours and live interpretation programs for school groups and special events would be provided by volunteers on a case by case basis. The site's existing wooded landscape would remain predominantly unchanged. Pedestrian trails would be cleared by vegetation and lightly graded. Trees and other woody vegetation immediately surrounding the fort location would be thinned or removed for interpretive purposes. The Federal government would not assume ownership of land, impose zoning or land use controls, or take responsibility for permanent funding. Likewise, there would be no direct NPS ownership or management of resources. As with other National Historic Landmarks, the NPS could provide technical assistance for general planning, resource management, and interpretation. However, overall management of the Fort King site would be administered by one or more local entities. The Study also presented in detail a No Action and two Action Alternatives that describe different ways of commemorating, interpreting, and preserving resources associated with Fort King. All alternatives are described in detail in the Study. Alternative B provides a broad range of public benefits such as improved public access, long-term preservation of archeological resources, and increased visitor awareness of the site's national significance while minimizing capital expenditures and long-term operating costs.
Avalanche Hazard Reduction by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest Montana Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Glacier National Park, Montana
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Avalanche Hazard Reduction by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest Montana Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Glacier National Park, Montana.
Final Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan, Minidoka Internment National Monument, Jerome County, ID; Notice of Approval of Record of Decision
Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the implementing regulation 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 General Management Plan for Minidoka Internment National Monument. The formal no-action period was officially initiated July 28, 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 monument will begin to implement as its new General Management Plan the Preferred Alternative (Alternative C) contained in the Draft and Final EIS. The selected plan features a deliberate, long-term strategy emphasizing on-site education and interpretation and the extensive treatment and use of cultural resources in telling the Minidoka story. A range or preservation techniques to protect and enhance historic resources will be employed, including delineation; stabilization, restoration, or rehabilitation; and limited reconstruction. A complete barracks block exhibit in its original location will be established. A visitor contact facility area will be developed by adaptively reusing existing historic buildings; there will be minimal new development. As document in the EIS, this course of action was also deemed to be the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative. 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 June 2005). The full spectrum of foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriation mitigation measures identified, for each alternative. Beginning with early scoping, through the preparation of the Draft and Final EIS, scores of public meetings were conducted and over 2000 interested individuals participated overall. Approximately 375 written comments were received during the scoping phase or in response to the Draft EIS (given the minor nature of comments received on the Draft EIS, an abbreviated format was used for the Final EIS). Key consultations or other contacts that aided in preparing the EIS involved (but were not limited to) the Jerome County Office of Planning and Zoning, Jerome County Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Offices in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, native American Tribes, Japanese American Citizens League, South Central Idaho Tourism Association, and adjoining land managing agencies. Local communities, county and city officials, 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 Superintendent, Minidoka Internment National Monument, P.O. Box 570, Hagerman, Idaho 83332-0570; or via telephone request at (208) 837-4793.
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for Kings Mountain National Military Park, Blacksburg, SC
Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, requirements of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-625, and National Park Service Policy in Director's Order Number 2 (Park Planning) and Director's Order Number 12 (Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision- making) the National Park Service (NPS) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan (EIS/GMP) for Kings Mountain National Military Park (KIMO) located near Blacksburg, South Carolina. The authority for publishing this notice is contained in 40 CFR 1501.7. The statement will assess potential environmental impacts associated with various types and levels of visitor use and resources management within KIMO. The NPS is currently accepting comments from interested parties on issues, concerns, and suggestions pertinent to the management of KIMO. Suggestions and ideas for managing the cultural and natural resources and visitor experiences at KIMO are encouraged. Comments may be submitted in writing to the address listed at the end of this notice or through the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site, which is linked to the park's Web site at https://www.nps.gov/ kimo. The NPS will publish periodic newsletters on the PEPC Web site to present scoping issues and preliminary management concepts to the public as they are developed. Public meetings to present draft management concepts will be conducted in the local area. Specific locations, dates, and times will be announced in local media and on the PEPC Web site. If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any one of several methods. You may mail comments to Superintendent, Kings Mountain National Military Park, 2625 Park Road, Blacksburg, South Carolina 20702, telephone: 864-936-7921. You may also comment via the Internet to https://parkplanning.nps.gov/parkHome.cfm?parkId=390. Please submit internet comments as a plain text file, avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. If you do not receive a confirmation from the system that we have received your internet message, contact us directly at 404-562-3124, extension 685. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to Kings Mountain National Military Park, 2625 Park Road, Blacksburg, South Carolina 20702. Our practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider withholding this information you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale for withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be released. We will always make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan; Ross Lake National Recreation Area, North Cascades National Park Complex, Skagit and Whatcom Counties, WA; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
In accord with Sec. 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the National Park Service is undertaking a conservation planning and environmental impact analysis process for updating the General Management Plan (General Management Plan) for the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, in northwestern Washington. Ross Lake National Recreation Area is administratively managed as part of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex; however, this GMP will specifically address the Ross Lake unit of the part complex. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared concurrently with the GMP. The GMP is intended to set forth the basic management philosophy for this unit of the National Park System and provide the strategies for addressing issues and achieving identified management objectives for that unit. Thus, the GMP will serve as a blueprint to guide management of natural and cultural resources and visitor use during the next 15-20 years. One or more Development Concept Plans, which guide more detailed, site-specific preservation and development actions, may be included with the GMP. Consistent with NPS Planning Program Standards, the update GMP will: (1) Describe the Ross Lake National Recreation Area's (Ross Lake NRA) purpose, significance, and primary interpretive themes; (2) identify the fundamental resources and values of Ross Lake NRA, its other important resources and values, and describe the condition of these resources; (3) describe desired conditions for cultural and natural resources and visitor experiences throughout the Ross Lake NRA; (4) develop management zoning to support these desired conditions; (5) develop alternative applications of these management zones to the Ross Lake NRA's landscape (i.e., zoning alternatives); (6) address user capacity; (7) analyze potential boundary modifications; (8) ensure that management recommendations are developed in conclusion with interested stakeholders and the public and adopted by NPS after a thorough analysis of the benefits, potential environmental consequences, and economic costs of alternative courses of action; (9) develop cost estimates implementing each of the alternatives; and (10) identify and prioritize subsequent detailed studies, plans and actions that may be needed to implement the updated GMP. Scoping Process: A comprehensive scoping outreach effort is planned so as to elicit early public comment regarding issues and concerns, the nature and extent of potential environmental impacts (and as appropriate, mitigation measures), and possible alternatives that should be addressed in the preparing of the Draft EIS and proposed update to the GMP. Through the various scoping outreach activities planned, the NPS welcomes information and suggestions from the public regarding resource protection, visitor use, and land management. This notice formally initiates the public scoping comment phase for the EIS process. All written scoping comments must be postmarked not later than December 30, 2006. All comments should be addressed to: General Management Plan, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, Attn: Bill Paleck, Superintendent, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 92884-1289. At this time, it is expected that public workshops will be hosted in towns near Ross Lake NRA, and the metropolitan area of Seattle, Washington the week of October 16, 2006, and the week of October 23, 2006. Detailed information regarding these meetings will be posted on the GMP Web site (https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/rola). All participants will be given the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments to the planning team. The GMP 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; direct mailings will also be made periodically. Please note that our practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider withholding this information you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale for withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be released. We will always make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. Supplementary Information: As noted above, Ross Lake NRA is managed as one unit of the North Cascades National Park Complex (North Cascades), which also includes North Cascades National Park (north and south units), and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (which adjoins the park on the south). North Cascades is located deep in the northernmost reaches of the Cascades Range in Washington State and borders British Columbia, Canada. Management guidance for Ross Lake NRA was included in the North Cascades GMP (now 18 years old) and has become inadequate to address the policy and operational issues now facing park management for Ross Lake NRA. Since the completion of the North Cascades GMP, many changes have occurred that affect NRA management. Seattle City Light's three dam facilities have been re-licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The mitigation package approved as part of the relicensing agreement included several large-scale changes and improvements for Ross Lake NRA that were not included or fully envisioned in the 1988 North Cascades GMP. It is timely to update the GMP to address these large scale changes that are occurring in Ross Lake NRA and to address resource protection, visitor use, and management issues surrounding these enhancements. Additionally, Ross Lake NRA also faces other broad natural and cultural resource protection issuesthese include bioregional management strategies for grizzly bear recovery, control of invasive species, local climate change effects, changing lake levels, air quality, archeology, and American Indian traditional uses. Complementary management strategies will be pursued for these resource challenges. Visitor use within Ross Lake NRA has diversified and significantly increased since the 1988 North Cascades GMP, due in part to the enhanced recreational facilities. Boating on Diablo and Ross Lakes has intensified. Use of Washington State's North Cascades Highway 20 (which bisects approximately 25 miles of Ross Lake NRA) has increased dramatically and is the most popular motorcycle touring route in the region. The GMP update is needed to adequately provide management guidance for visitor use, boats, and motor vehicles within the Ross Lake NRA and address carrying capacity for visitor experience and resource protection. Following the completion of the 1988 North Cascades GMP, the Stephen Mather Wilderness within the North Cascades National Park Complex was designated by Congress in November 1988. This act brought 93% of the park complex under the provisions of the 1964 Wilderness Act, and 69% of Ross Lake NRA is designated wilderness (4% is designated potential wilderness). The new GMP is needed to adequately update zoning for the management of wilderness lands within Ross Lake NRA, and will ratify the current management contained in the Wilderness Management Plan. Trans-boundary ecosystem and recreation management is also a significant issue for Ross Lake NRA, which borders British Columbia provincial parks for five miles along its northern border. Hozomeen, at the US-Canada border, is the most developed access point onto Ross Lake. Ross Lake NRA is within a large extended watershed that begins in Canada, continues through the North Cascades and lower river valley, and then drains into the Pacific Ocean. An effort by Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission (SEE), an endowed organization established by international treaty, is underway to manage the upper Skagit watershed more holistically between Canada and the United States. The new GMP will address trans-boundary resource management issues as well as partnership opportunities with U.S. and Canadian entities. In addition, SEE has provided funding to the province of British Columbia to complete a managment plan for its provincial park units adjacent to Ross Lake NRA and within the upper Skagit watershed. Decision Process: Following the scoping phase and consideration of public concerns and other agency comments, a Draft EIS and proposed GMP will be prepared and released for public review. Availability of the forthcoming Draft EIS for public review and written comment will be formally announced with publication of a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register, as well as through local and regional news media, direct mailings, and via Web site postings. Following due consideration of all agency and public comment, a Final EIS will be prepared; it is anticipated that the final GMP proposal will be available in September 2009. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible for the decision on the proposed GMP is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service. Subsequently, the official responsible for implementation of the approved GMP would be the Superintendent, North Cascades National Park Service Complex.
Great Sand Dunes National Park Advisory Council Meeting
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve announces a meeting of the Great Sand Dunes National Park Advisory Council, which was established to provide guidance to the Secretary on long-term planning for Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
Minor Boundary Revision at Sequoia National Park
Notice is hereby given that the boundary of Sequoia National Park is modified to include approximately 11.83 acres of real property adjacent to the park. This adjustment is accomplished to include private property that the owner wishes to sell to the United States for the use of Sequoia National Park 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 05-110 on Drawing No. 102/80,034, Sheet 6 of 8, Segment Map 05, dated January 3, 2005. 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.
Notice of Availability for the Final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the North Unit of Badlands National Park, SD
Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Badlands National ParkNorth Unit.
60-Day Notice of Intention to Request Clearance of Information Collection; Opportunity for Public Comment
Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3507) and 5 CFR part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comment on a revision of a currently approved collection of information (OMB 1024-0026).
60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Information Collection-Opportunity for Public Comment
Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1955 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3507) and 5 CFR part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a revision of a currently approved information collection (OMB 1024-0232).
Final Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Island County, WA; Notice of Availability
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National Park Service has prepared and announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed general management plan (GMP) for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve located in Island County, Washington. In addition to a ``no-action'' alternative which would maintain current management, the FEIS describes and analyzes two ``action'' alternatives which respond to concerns and issues the public identified during the scoping process, as well as various conservation planning requirements. The alternatives present varying management strategies that address visitor use and preservation of cultural and natural resources that protect and interpret the rural community on Whidbey Island from 19th century exploration and settlement in Puget Sound to the present time. Development concept plans for three sites are described. The potential environmental consequences of all the alternatives, and mitigation strategies, are identified and analyzed; a determination as to the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative is also provided. Background: A Notice of Intent announcing preparation of the Draft EIS and general management plan was published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2000. Public engagement and information measures have included public meetings, presentations and meetings with organizations located within Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (Reserve) and additional organizations, newsletter mailings, local press releases, website postings, and postcards. Preceding the formal GMP planning process, the National Park Service (NPS) organized an interdisciplinary planning team to initiate a new general management plan for the Reserve. The team included both the Reserve's Trust Board (which included members from the NPS, Washington State, Island County and Town of Coupeville) and staff, and staff from the NPS Pacific West Regional Office in Seattle, Washington. The purpose of these initial meetings was to help characterize the scale and extent of the planning process. The official public scoping process began in June 2000 when NPS staff produced and mailed a newsletter to approximately 650 people on the Reserve's mailing list. In addition, over 2800 newsletters were distributed at local public places such as libraries, civic buildings, businesses, and local parks. The planning team held a series of public scoping meetings in Seattle (June 20) and Coupeville (June 21). In total, 141 verbal comments were recorded from three meetings. Individual scoping meetings were also held between August 2000 and January 2001 to meet with organizations located within the Reserve to discuss issues of mutual interest. Other meetings with additional organizations were scheduled. Scoping letters and comments were received until August 15, 2000 (a total of 36 letters were received during the public scoping period). On August 18, 2005, the NPS mailed 230 copies of the draft GMP/EIS to agencies, governmental representatives, organizations, and interested individuals. Copies of the draft GMP/EIS were placed in the Coupeville public library for public review. The Reserve's Notice of Availability was published in the Federal Register on September 2, 2005 to announce release of the Draft GMP/EIS for public review. The EPA's notice of filing of the draft EIS (August 26, 2005) and a revised Notice of Availability (September 13, 2005) provided opportunity for public comment through December 1, 2005. All comments received until December 15 are included in the official record. The NPS and Reserve staff placed advertisements announcing locations, times, and dates for public meetings in the Puget Consumer Cooperative Sound Consumer, in Seattle, Washington, the Whidbey News- Times in Oak Harbor, and the Coupeville Examiner in Coupeville, Washington. Press releases were sent to the following local and regional newspapers to publicize release of the draft GMP/EIS and dates, times, and locations of public meetings: Coupeville Examiner, Whidbey News-Times, Skagit Valley Herald, Everett-Herald, Anacortes American, Journal of the San Juan Islands, South Whidbey Record, Bellingham Herald, Market Place, Peninsula Daily News, and Sequim Gazette. A total of 2,000 newsletters were printed containing a summary of the draft GMP, also announcing the public meetings. Each newsletter included a postage-paid return form for public comments. Newsletters were available at the following locations: Island County Planning Office, the Town of Coupeville Planning Office, the Coupeville Public Library, Island Country Historical Museum in Coupeville, and Fort Ebey and Fort Casey state parks, the Coupeville Post Office, Coupeville Wharf, Coupeville Arts Center, the Oak Harbor and Coupeville Chamber of Commerce offices, local restaurants and other Coupeville businesses. Additional copies were also available at the Reserve's Trust Board office. All material was also made available online at https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/ebla. The public was also able to provide comments electronically through this Web site. The NPS and the Reserve's Trust Board hosted three public open houses, one in Seattle (September 12, 2005) and two in Coupeville (both on September 15, 2005). The purpose of the meetings was to provide an opportunity for the public to meet with Reserve Trust Board members and staff, and NPS staff to discuss the draft GMP/EIS and provide comments. A total of 74 people attended the sessions and 179 comments were recorded. In addition to these oral comments, at the close of the draft GMP/EIS public comment period a total of 51 pieces of written correspondence had been received from individuals, agencies and organizations. Minor changes to the Preferred Alternative were made as a result of public comment; however, there were no substantive modifications. Responses to comments are provided in the FEIS. Throughout the planning process, the public's comments and recommendations have provided the foundation for the proposed GMP, represented in the Reserve's purpose and significance, interpretive themes, and proposed actions. Proposed Plan and Alternatives: Alternative A constitutes the No Action alternative and assumes that existing programs, facilities, staffing, and funding, would generally continue at their current levels. The NPS would dispose of NPS-owned and managed farms within the Reserve to the private sector after placing conservation easements on them. Alternative B is the Preferred Alternative. The Reserve's Trust Board, and the NPS, in cooperation with partners, would enhance existing programs and resources management, as well as administrative, maintenance, and visitor services within the Reserve. To maintain and protect the rural landscape, the NPS would continue to purchase conservation easements on priority properties based upon a new land protection plan. The NPS would exchange two NPS-owned farms, Farms I and II, to private owners for additional protection on other properties within the Reserve. As part of the exchange of Farm II, the new farm owner would be required to construct a new maintenance building on the West Ridge property, which would remain in NPS ownership. The Sheep Barn at West Ridge would be rehabilitated for dry storage using preservation funds. Additional historic buildings would also be rehabilitated to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. In addition, a minor boundary adjustment would be recommended. To orient and inform the visitor about the Reserve, three gateway kiosks would be developed along State Route 20 and a visitor center/contact station would be sited in an historic building in Coupeville or within the historic district. As noted above, several minor modifications were made to the preferred alternative based upon public comments. A recommendation that Island County adopt a regulatory overlay zone for historic preservation over the unincorporated portion of the Reserve has been removed; the proposed GMP has also been updated to include historic preservation and land use measures undertaken by Island County since project planning was initiated. A second change involved recognizing the efforts by others and not the NPS to establish a marine science center within the Reserve and encouraging those on-going efforts. Also, since release of the draft GMP/EIS, Bell Farm has been removed from the proposed boundary in both Alternatives B and C at the owner's request. Alternative C changes the management structure of the Reserve from a Trust Board of volunteers to a paid Commission structure. Many actions are similar to Alternative B but with some distinctions. Approximately five acres of NPS-owned land at Farm II would be retained for administrative and maintenance use before exchanging the remaining farmland to a private farm owner for additional protection on other properties within the Reserve. One of the three gateways would be in a historic building in the north of the Reserve. The Reserve would also partner for a visitor contact facility at a proposed marine science center. Copies: The Final EIS/GMP is now available. Interested persons and organizations wishing to review the Final EIS/GMP may obtain the document by contacting Rob Harbor, Reserve Manager, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, P.O. Box 774, Coupeville, WA 98239, or via telephone at (360) 678-6084. This document may also be reviewed at the Coupeville Library, or a copy can be obtained electronically at https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/ebla. Please note that names and addresses of all respondents will become part of the public record. It is the practice of the NPS to make all comments, including names, home addresses, home phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider withholding this information you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale for withholding this information.This rational must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be released. We will always make submissions from organizations or business, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. Decision Process: Following release of the Final GMP/EIS, a Record of Decision will be prepared and approved not sooner than 30 days after the EPA has published its notice of filing of the document in the Federal Register. A notice regarding the approved GMP will be similarly published. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible for the final decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region. Subsequently, official responsibilities for implementing the approved GMP reside with the Trust Board, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve and the Reserve Manager.
Committee for the Preservation of the White House; Notice of Public Meeting
Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act that a meeting of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House will be held at the White House at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 26, 2006.
Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee for Dog Management at Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Notice is hereby given, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770, 5 U.S.C. App 1, section 10), of the sixth meeting of the Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee for Dog Management at Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park; Notice of Public Meeting
Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Advisory Commission will be held at 9:30 a.m., on Friday, October 20, 2006, at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Headquarters, 1850 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, Maryland 21740.
National Preservation Technology and Training Board-National Center for Preservation Technology and Training: Meeting
Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. Appendix (1988)), that the Preservation Technology and Training Board (Board) of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service will meet on Monday and Tuesday, October 16-17, 2006, at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The Board was established by Congress to provide leadership, policy advice, and professional oversight to the National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (National Center) in compliance with Section 404 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, (16 U.S.C. 470x-2(e)). The Board will meet at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, One Grand Loop Road, Yellowstone, WY 82190telephone (307) 344-7901. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and end no later than 5 p.m. each day. The Board's meeting agenda will include: review and comment on National Center FY2006 accomplishments and operational priorities for FY2007; status of FY2007 National Center budget and initiatives; development and launch of the Lee. H. Nelson Prize in Historic Preservation Technology; proposed Wingspread Conference on Sustainability in Preservation; revitalization of the Center's Friends group, and Board workgroup reports. The Board meeting is open to the public. Facilities and space for accommodating members of the public are limited, however, and persons will be accommodated on a first come first served basis. Any member of the public may file a written statement concerning any of the matters to be discussed by the Board. Persons wishing more information concerning this meeting, or who wish to submit written statements, may contact: Mr. Kirk A. Cordell, Executive Director, National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 645 University Parkway, Natchitoches, LA 71457telephone (318) 356-7444. In addition to U.S. Mail or commercial delivery, written comments may be sent by fax to Mr. Cordell at (318) 356-9119. Minutes of the meeting will be available for public inspection no later than 90 days after the meeting at the office of the Executive Director, National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 645 University Parkway, Natchitoches, LA 71457telephone (318) 356-7444.
Notice of Meeting of Concessions Management Advisory Board
In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463, 86 Stat. 770, 5 U.S.C. App 1, Section 10), notice is hereby given that the Concessions Management Advisory Board (the Board) will hold its 16th meeting October 24-25, 2006, at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Page, Arizona. The meeting will be held at the Lake Powell Lodge located in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m. each day and will conclude at 4:30 p.m.
Plan of Operations, Categorical Exclusion, Big Thicket National Preserve, TX
Notice is hereby given in accordance with Sec. 9.52(b) of Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 9, subpart B, that the National Park Service (NPS) has received from Cimarex Energy Co., a Plan of Operations to conduct the Sour Lake 3-D ``Cable-Only'' Seismic Survey within the Lance Rosier and Little Pine Island-Pine Island Bayou Corridor Units of Big Thicket National Preserve, in Hardin County, Texas. The NPS has prepared a Categorical Exclusion on this proposal.
Notice of Availability for the Record of Decision on the Final Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan, Pea Ridge National Military Park, AR
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) on the final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS), Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas (Park). The NPS will implement the preferred alternative, Alternative 4, as described in the final GMP/EIS issued in August. The GMP sets forth a management philosophy for the Park and ensures the Park has a clearly defined direction for resource preservation and visitor use. Under the selected action, visitors will have the opportunity to choose from the widest range of experiences available at the Park. Visitors will have opportunities to immerse themselves in Park resources associated with key battle areas and gain an understanding of the history of the Pea Ridge battle. Visitors will have many choices in the type, intensity, and duration of their experiences, guided by a variety of interpretive programs and media. The preferred alternative (Alternative 4) best accomplishes protection of Park resources and maintenance of a wide range of quality visitor experiences. The preferred alternative will have positive impacts on the Park's natural resources related to the rehabilitation of the landscape to its 1862 appearance. The new management zones help ensure that visitors will have numerous and varied opportunities for understanding and appreciating the significance of the history of the Battle of Pea Ridge. Four areas will be added to the Park under the selected action. The added lands will be feasible to administer by the NPS. There are no viable alternatives for adequate management and resource protection. The NPS will first consider alternate methods such as easements, right of way, or cooperative approaches that do not involve Federal acquisition of any interest in real property. 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 site resources and values, and an overview of public involvement in the decisionmaking process.
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site
The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the General Management Plan (GMP) for Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Kentucky. 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.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for General Management Plan; Olympic National Park; Notice of Extension of Public Comment Period
Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190 as amended), the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which will serve as the ``blueprint'' to guide management, research, and other activities in Olympic National Park, Washington, during the next 15-20 years. The park's Notice of Availability of the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on July 14, 2006, with the original public review period set to conclude on September 15, 2006. In response to public interest expressed to date and with regard for the timing of the original release, the public review period has been extended two additional weeks.
60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of Information; Opportunity for Public Comment
Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR part 1320, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comments on a proposed new collection of information (OMB 1024-XXXX),
Flight 93 National Memorial Advisory Commission Meeting
This notice sets forth the date of the October 7, 2006 meeting of the Flight 93 Advisory Commission.
Notice of Availability of the Draft South Florida and Caribbean Parks Exotic Plant Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Big Cypress National Preserve, FL; Biscayne National Park, FL; Canaveral National Seashore, FL; Dry Tortugas National Park, FL; Everglades National Park, FL; Buck Island Reef National Monument, VI; Christiansted National Historic Site, VI; Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, VI; and Virgin Islands National Park, VI
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of a Draft South Florida and Caribbean Parks Exotic Plant Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, Biscayne National Park, Florida, Canaveral National Seashore, Florida, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, Everglades National Park, Florida, Buck Island Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands, Christiansted National Historic Site, Virgin Islands, Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, Virgin Islands, and Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands.
National Park Service Benefits-Sharing Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. (2), 4332(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of the Benefits-Sharing Draft Environmental Impact Statement covering all units of the National Park System.
Curecanti National Recreation Area, Personal Watercraft Use
This final rule designates areas where personal watercraft (PWC) may be used in Curecanti National Recreation Area, Colorado. This final rule implements the provisions of the National Park Service (NPS) general regulations authorizing park areas to allow the use of PWC by promulgating a special regulation. Individual parks must determine whether PWC use is appropriate for a specific park area based on an evaluation of that area's enabling legislation, resources and values, other visitor uses, and overall management objectives.
White-Tailed Deer Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a White-tailed Deer Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC. The purpose of this plan and EIS is to develop a deer management plan that supports long-term protection, preservation, and restoration of native vegetation and other natural and cultural resources within the park. A scoping brochure will be prepared that details the issues identified to date, and possible alternatives to be considered. Copies of the brochure may be obtained from Rock Creek Park Natural Resources Division or the NPS Web site (https://www.nps.gov/rocr).
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