National Park Service November 2008 – 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(2)(C)), the National Park Service (NPS) is announcing its intent to prepare a General Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Memorial), South Dakota. This effort will update the 1980 GMP. The GMP/EIS will establish the overall direction for the Memorial, setting broad management goals for managing the area over the next 15 to 20 years. The GMP/EIS will prescribe desired resource conditions and visitor experiences that are to be achieved and maintained throughout the Memorial based on such factors as the Memorial's purpose, significance, special mandates, the body of laws and policies directing Memorial management, resource analysis, and the range of public expectations and concerns. The GMP/EIS also will outline the kinds of resource management activities, visitor activities, and developments that would be appropriate in the Memorial in the future. A range of reasonable alternatives for managing the Memorial will be developed through this planning process and will include, at a minimum, a no-action and a preferred alternative. Major issues the GMP/ EIS will address include changes in visitor use patterns and special events, adequacy and sustainability of existing facilities for visitor opportunities and activities and for Memorial operations, and partnership roles and opportunities. The need for new facilities such as maintenance, museum curation and storage, and interpretation will be examined. The GMP/EIS will evaluate the potential environmental effects of the alternative management approaches. As the first phase of the planning process, the NPS is beginning to scope the issues to be addressed in the GMP/EIS. All interested persons, organizations, Agencies, and Tribes are encouraged to submit comments and suggestions on issues and concerns that should be addressed in the GMP/EIS, and the range of appropriate alternatives that should be examined.

The National Park Service (NPS) is finalizing regulations governing viewing of the Inaugural Parade by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. The rule also extends the permissible duration and extent of demonstrations and special events in Washington, DC, including the Inaugural, the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree and Christmas Pathway of Peace, the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Fourth of July Celebration, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park Service has prepared and approved a Record of Decision (and Statement of Findings for Floodplains) for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for General Management Plan (GMP) at Olympic National Park. The GMP will serve as a blueprint in guiding park management and research programs over the next 15-20 years. The requisite no-action ``wait period'' was initiated March 14, 2008, with the Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register notification of the filing of the Final EIS. Decision: As soon as practical Olympic National Park will begin to implement the restoration strategies, park operations, and visitor service projects identified and analyzed as the Preferred Alternative (Alternative D) contained in the Final EIS (and which included minor modifications from the course of action as presented in the Draft EIS (released for public review on June 15, 2006). The full range of foreseeable environmental consequences were assessed, and appropriate mitigation measures identified. Both a No Action alternative and two additional ``action'' alternatives were identified and analyzed. Alternative D was determined to be the ``environmentally preferred'' course of action. Copies: Interested parties desiring to review the Record of Decision may obtain a copy by contacting the Superintendent, Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362; or via telephone request at (360) 565-3000.

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 (CEQ) (40 CFR Part 1500-1508), the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared an abbreviated final environmental impact statement for the proposed Comprehensive Management Plan for the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail (NHT) located on the island of Hawaii. Three CMP alternatives are identified and analyzed relative both to NPS planning requirements and to the public's concerns and issues identified during the scoping and public involvement process (in addition to a no-action alternative, an environmentally preferred alternative is also identified). Each alternative presents administrative, management, and partnership strategies for resource protection and preservation, education and interpretation, visitor uses and facilities, and long-term operations and management of the national trail. The potential environmental consequences of all the alternatives, and appropriate mitigation strategies, are identified and analyzed. Background: On April 4, 2003, the Federal Register published the Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the comprehensive management plan (CMP) for the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail. The initial scoping phase was designed to proactively elicit public issues, concerns, and other relevant information deemed necessary to address during the overall planning. A total of 200 people representing the general public, private landowners, trail advocacy groups, Native Hawaiian organizations, and state, county, and federal agencies participated overall. Several public meetings around the island were hosted (about 25 comment forms were returned to the trail office). In addition, the NPS planning team met with numerous individuals, community groups, private landowners, and government agency representatives to understand their concerns and visions for the Ala Kahakai NHT. The scoping phase extended through June 28, 2003. The NPS encouraged public involvement during two additional phases of the EIS process. In the second phase, the NPS engaged the public in developing preliminary alternatives intended to address the specific issues and concerns that surfaced during the public scoping. Nine public workshops were held around the island of Hawaii. The third phase of involvement afforded the opportunity for public review of the Draft EIS/CMP, notice of which appeared in the Federal Register on October 26, 2007. Government entities and the public were invited to submit comments by regular mail, e-mail, fax, and online. In addition, the NPS held seven public meetings on the island of Hawaii in November 2007 to provide further opportunity to learn about the proposed plan and to offer comments; over 90 people attended these meetings. The formal comment period closed on December 31, 2007, although the NPS received several comments during the next two weeks. Aside from approximately 83 individual statements recorded on the meeting flip charts and 21 comment sheets completed at the meetings, the NPS received 40 written communications. No comments received from interested individuals and groups, area residents and businesses, and public agencies required the NPS to add other alternatives, significantly alter existing alternatives, or make changes to the impact analysis of the effect of any alternative. Thus, an abbreviated format is used to fully document all responses to comments in the Final CMP/EIS in compliance with the CEQ implementing regulations (40 CFR 1503.4[c]) for the National Environmental Policy Act. Proposed Plan and Alternatives: Alternative A, the No Action Alternative, assumes that existing programs, facilities, staffing, and funding would generally continue at their current levels. The Ala Kahakai NHT would consist of trail segments within the four national parks through which it passes and only a few other segments (e.g., on state lands). As recommended in the Ala Kahakai National Trail Study and Environmental Impact Statement, January 1998, (Feasibility Study) on which national trail status was based, a continuous trail would be the goal but would not be implemented, even in the long-term. However, an auto tour would be completed that would lead visitors to 18 sites associated with the trail. Recreation along the trail and interpretation of its history would generally be limited to these sites. Alternative B proposes the completion of a single continuous trail comprised of unaltered or verified ancient and historic portions of the ala loa (coastal trail around the island) linked as needed by later pre-1892 trails, pathways, and modern connector trails. Within the planning period of 15 years, the goal would be to complete the linear trail within the priority zone from Kawaihae through Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Park to Ho'okena and to protect other segments outside of that area as feasible. In the long-term, cultural and natural resources along the entire trail tread and agreed upon adjacent areas would be protected and interpreted to the public. The NPS would administer the trail, but management outside of the national parks would remain with the land managing agency or landowner. The NPS would offer technical assistance and limited financial assistance to these management partners. Partnerships with state and county agencies, community organizations, and private individuals would help protect trail resources and provide appropriate trail user services. An auto tour would be completed as in Alternative A. Alternative C, the NPS proposed action and the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative, is based on the traditional Hawaiian trail system in which multiple trail alignments within the ahupua'a (mountain to sea land division) are integral to land use and stewardship. The linear trail would be protected as in Alternative B, but on publicly- owned lands the Ala Kahakai NHT includes inland portions of ala loa or other historic trails that run lateral to the shoreline and would be connected to ancient or historic mauka-makai (mountain to sea) trails that would have traditionally been part of the ahupua'a system. As with Alternative B, during the 15-year planning period, the priority zone from Kawaihae to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Park through Ho'okena would be the focus of administration and management, but sections outside of that zone would protected as feasible. Through an agreement, the state of Hawaii could convey to the NPS a less-than-fee management interest in trail segments that are state-owned under the Highways Act of 1892 within the Ala Kahakai NHT corridor. The NPS would then be responsible for managing these segments and federal law would fully apply. However, in cooperation with the NPS, local communities of the ahupua'a would be encouraged to take responsibility for trail management using the traditional Hawaiian principles of land management and stewardship. The Ala Kahakai Trail Association would be expected to be robust enough play a major part in trail management, promotion, and funding. An auto tour would be completed similarly as in the other alternatives. Copies: The abbreviated Final EIS/CMP is now available, and may be obtained by contacting the Superintendent, Ala Kahakai NHT, 73-4786 Kanalani Street, 14, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 or by telephone at 808-326-6012. Copies of the Draft EIS/CMP are available, if needed. The Final EIS/CMP may also be reviewed electronically via the Web site https://parkplanning.nps.gov/alka or at area libraries. Decision Process: Following the release of the abbreviated Final EIS/CMP, a Record of Decision will be prepared not sooner than 30 days after the EPA has published its notice of filing of the document in the Federal Register. Announcement of the approved CMP would be similarly published. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible for the final decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service. Subsequently, the official responsible for implementing the approved CMP would be the Superintendent, Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail.

Pursuant to section 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 (NPS), Department of the Interior, has prepared a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for updating the General Management Plan (GMP) for San Juan Island National Historical Park located in San Juan County, Washington. The current GMP was prepared in 1979. This FEIS describes and analyzes three GMP alternatives that respond to both NPS planning requirements and to the public's concerns and issues, identified during the scoping and public involvement process. Each alternative presents management strategies for resource protection and preservation, education and interpretation, visitor use and facilities, land protection and boundaries, and long-term operations and management of the park. The potential environmental consequences of all the alternatives, and mitigation strategies, are identified and analyzed in the FEIS. In addition to a ``no-action'' alternative, an ``environmentally preferred'' alternative is identified. Proposed Plan and Alternatives: Alternative A constitutes the ``no- action'' alternative and assumes a continuation of existing management and trends at San Juan Island National Historical Park. The primary emphasis in current management is placed on the protection and preservation of cultural resources. Since 1966, the park has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. The management of cultural landscapes around the immediate encampment areas at American Camp and English Camp would continue to emphasize cultural landscape management while respecting the natural environment and natural processes. No new construction would be authorized. Alternative B would increase visitor opportunities and outreach at both English Camp and American Camp, as well as in the town of Friday Harbor through additional visitor facilities, recreational opportunities, programs, and services. Natural and cultural resources interpretation would be enhanced through more extensive facilities and programs. At English Camp, the road system would be reconfigured as a one-way loop road by connecting a road segment approximately one-fifth mile long from the entrance road to the administrative road. The road would follow the existing historic road alignment where possible. The Crook house would be rehabilitated as a visitor contact facility on the ground floor and for administrative use on the second floor. At American Camp, the 1979 double-wide trailer that serves as the temporary visitor center at American Camp would be removed, the site restored to natural conditions, and a new enlarged visitor center would be constructed north of the redoubt. The new visitor center would include space for a collections study room for natural and cultural resource items, including a portion of the military-era collections. The existing road to the redoubt off Pickett's Lane would be removed and converted to a trail. The cultural landscapes would be enhanced to aid visitor understanding and interpretation through a variety of techniques. The prairie would be restored to native plant species. Off- island interpretation would be enhanced through partnerships. The park would propose boundary adjustments at both sites to include important natural and cultural resources related to the purpose of the park. Alternative C is the agency-preferred alternative as it would broaden the scope of resource management and interpretation programs to emphasize connections and interrelationships between the park's natural and cultural resources. New facilities, trails and programs provide opportunities for visitors to understand the importance of the park's natural resources in defining the cultural landscapes and influencing the settlement and historic events of San Juan Island. At English Camp, the Crook house would be retained, stabilized, and used as an exterior exhibit while the hospital would be rehabilitated and opened to the public for interpretation. The 1979 double-wide trailer that serves as the temporary visitor center at American Camp would be removed and replaced with a permanent, enlarged visitor center at the existing site, allowing for improved exhibits and staff space. A collections study room for natural and cultural resource items, including a portion of the military-era collections would be relocated to the park. Additional buildings would be open to the public for interpretation as well as research and academic study. As in Alternative B, the existing road to the redoubt would be removed and converted to a trail and the prairie would be restored to native plant species. Historic buildings from the encampment period still existing on the island would be repatriated back to their original locations within the camps. Off-island interpretation would be enhanced through partnerships. Finally, the park would also propose adjusting the boundary at both sites to include important natural and cultural resources related to the purpose of the park. Alternative C is deemed to be the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative.