80 FR 52337 - Everglades General Management Plan/East Everglades Wilderness Study, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Everglades National Park, Florida
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 167 (August 28, 2015)
National Park Service
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 167 (August 28, 2015)
| Page Range | 52337-52337 | |
| FR Document | 2015-21358 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 167 (Friday, August 28, 2015)] [Notices] [Page 52337] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-21358] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS-SER-EVER-16068; PXPD078991D001] Everglades General Management Plan/East Everglades Wilderness Study, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Everglades National Park, Florida AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan/ East Everglades Wilderness Study (EIS/GMP/EEWS) for Everglades National Park, Florida. The last comprehensive planning effort for Everglades National Park was completed in 1979. Much has changed since then-- patterns and types of visitor use have changed, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was approved, and in 1989 the East Everglades Addition (109,506 acres) was added to restore Northeast Shark River Slough. Recent studies have enhanced the NPS's understanding of resources, resource threats, and visitor use in the national park. This GMP will provide updated management direction for the entire park, including the East Everglades Addition. The EEWS provides a forum for evaluating lands within the East Everglades Addition for possible recommendation to Congress for inclusion in the national wilderness preservation system. DATES: The NPS will execute a Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 30 days following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency`s Notice of Availability of the Final EIS in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: The document will be available for public review online at www.parkplanning.nps.gov/ever. A limited number of CDs and hard copies will be made available at Everglades National Park headquarters. You may request a copy by contacting Supervisory Park Planner, Fred Herling, at Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 93363, Homestead, FL 33034; telephone 305-242-7704. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Everglades National Park Supervisory Park Planner, Fred Herling, at the address and telephone number shown above, or via email at [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public scoping for the GMP was initiated in 2003. The EEWS was added to the scope of the project in 2006. Public meetings, five newsletters, and internet updates kept the public informed and involved throughout the planning process. The Draft GMP/ EEWS/EIS was distributed to other agencies, interested organizations, and individuals for their review and comment in February of 2013. Nine public meetings and many additional stakeholder meetings were held on the draft plan in southern Florida. A wilderness hearing was held as part of each of the public meetings. The draft document was revised as a result of public and agency feedback received during the public comment period. The Final GMP/EEWS/ EIS provides a framework for management, use, and development options of the national park for the next 20 or more years. The EIS presents and analyzes the environmental impacts of four alternatives: alternative 1 (no action), alternative 2, the NPS preferred alternative and alternative 4. (Alternative 3 was dismissed from detailed analysis.) The alternatives present a range of resource protection directions, visitor opportunities, visitor facilities, and proposed wilderness.Alternative 1 (no action) provides a baseline for evaluating changes and impacts of the three action alternatives. Under this alternative the current management framework would continue and no wilderness would be proposed for the East Everglades Addition. Alternative 2 would strive to maintain and enhance visitor opportunities and protect natural systems while preserving many traditional routes and ways of visitor access. It proposes 39,500 acres for designation as wilderness within the East Everglades Addition. The NPS preferred alternative, would support restoration of natural systems while providing improved opportunities for quality visitor experiences. It proposes about 42,200 acres for designation as wilderness and about 43,100 acres for designation as potential wilderness within the East Everglades Addition. Elements of this alternative would support the resilience of the Everglades National Park to climate change concerns, such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, and higher storm surges, all of which may affect cultural and natural resources as well as visitor experience at the park. Alternative 4 would provide a high level of support for protecting natural systems while improving opportunities for certain types of visitor activities. Alternative 4 would eliminate commercial airboat tours within the park. It proposes 42,700 acres for designation as wilderness and 59,400 acres for designation as potential wilderness within the East Everglades Addition. The responsible official for this Final EIS is the Regional Director, Southeast Region, NPS 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Dated: August 6, 2015. Barclay C. Trimble, Acting, Regional Director, Southeast Region. [FR Doc. 2015-21358 Filed 8-27-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-JD-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 167 / Friday, August 28, 2015 / Notices 52337
Dated: August 3, 2015. Park Planner, Fred Herling, at the • Alternative 4 would provide a high
Michael A. Caldwell, address and telephone number shown level of support for protecting natural
Regional Director, Northeast Region, National above, or via email at Fred_Herling@ systems while improving opportunities
Park Service. nps.gov. for certain types of visitor activities.
[FR Doc. 2015–21357 Filed 8–27–15; 8:45 am] Public
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Alternative 4 would eliminate
BILLING CODE 4310–WV–P scoping for the GMP was initiated in commercial airboat tours within the
2003. The EEWS was added to the scope park. It proposes 42,700 acres for
of the project in 2006. Public meetings, designation as wilderness and 59,400
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR five newsletters, and internet updates acres for designation as potential
kept the public informed and involved wilderness within the East Everglades
National Park Service Addition.
throughout the planning process. The
[NPS–SER–EVER–16068; PXPD078991D001] Draft GMP/EEWS/EIS was distributed to The responsible official for this Final
other agencies, interested organizations, EIS is the Regional Director, Southeast
Everglades General Management Plan/ and individuals for their review and Region, NPS 100 Alabama Street SW.,
East Everglades Wilderness Study, comment in February of 2013. Nine 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.
Final Environmental Impact Statement, public meetings and many additional Dated: August 6, 2015.
Everglades National Park, Florida stakeholder meetings were held on the Barclay C. Trimble,
AGENCY: National Park Service, draft plan in southern Florida. A Acting, Regional Director, Southeast Region.
Department of the Interior. wilderness hearing was held as part of [FR Doc. 2015–21358 Filed 8–27–15; 8:45 am]
each of the public meetings.
ACTION: Notice of Availability. BILLING CODE 4310–JD–P
The draft document was revised as a
SUMMARY: The National Park Service result of public and agency feedback
(NPS) announces the availability of a received during the public comment DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Final Environmental Impact Statement period. The Final GMP/EEWS/EIS
for the General Management Plan/East provides a framework for management, Bureau of Reclamation
Everglades Wilderness Study (EIS/GMP/ use, and development options of the [RR03042000, 15XR0680A1,
EEWS) for Everglades National Park, national park for the next 20 or more RX.18786000.1501100]
Florida. The last comprehensive years. The EIS presents and analyzes the
planning effort for Everglades National environmental impacts of four Agency Information Collection
Park was completed in 1979. Much has alternatives: alternative 1 (no action), Activities Under OMB Review; Renewal
changed since then—patterns and types alternative 2, the NPS preferred of a Currently Approved Information
of visitor use have changed, the alternative and alternative 4. Collection (OMB Control Number
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration (Alternative 3 was dismissed from 1006–0014)
Plan was approved, and in 1989 the East detailed analysis.) The alternatives AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,
Everglades Addition (109,506 acres) was present a range of resource protection Interior.
added to restore Northeast Shark River directions, visitor opportunities, visitor
facilities, and proposed wilderness. ACTION: Notice and request for
Slough. Recent studies have enhanced
the NPS’s understanding of resources, • Alternative 1 (no action) provides a comments.
resource threats, and visitor use in the baseline for evaluating changes and
impacts of the three action alternatives. SUMMARY: We, the Bureau of
national park. This GMP will provide Reclamation, have forwarded the
updated management direction for the Under this alternative the current
management framework would continue following Information Collection
entire park, including the East Request to the Office of Management
Everglades Addition. The EEWS and no wilderness would be proposed
for the East Everglades Addition. and Budget (OMB) for review and
provides a forum for evaluating lands approval: Lower Colorado River Well
within the East Everglades Addition for • Alternative 2 would strive to
maintain and enhance visitor Inventory, OMB Control Number 1006–
possible recommendation to Congress 0014. The Information Collection
for inclusion in the national wilderness opportunities and protect natural
systems while preserving many Request describes the nature of the
preservation system. information collection and its expected
traditional routes and ways of visitor
DATES: The NPS will execute a Record cost burden.
access. It proposes 39,500 acres for
of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 30 designation as wilderness within the DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to
days following publication by the East Everglades Addition. approve or disapprove this information
Environmental Protection Agency‘s • The NPS preferred alternative, collection request, but may respond
Notice of Availability of the Final EIS in would support restoration of natural after 30 days; therefore, public
the Federal Register. systems while providing improved comments must be received on or before
ADDRESSES: The document will be opportunities for quality visitor September 28, 2015.
available for public review online at experiences. It proposes about 42,200 ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
www.parkplanning.nps.gov/ever. A acres for designation as wilderness and the Desk Officer for the Department of
limited number of CDs and hard copies about 43,100 acres for designation as the Interior at the Office of Management
will be made available at Everglades potential wilderness within the East and Budget, Office of Information and
National Park headquarters. You may Everglades Addition. Elements of this Regulatory Affairs, via facsimile to (202)
Lhorne on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
request a copy by contacting alternative would support the resilience 395–5806, or email to oira_submission@
Supervisory Park Planner, Fred Herling, of the Everglades National Park to omb.eop.gov. A copy of your comments
at Everglades National Park, 40001 State climate change concerns, such as sea should also be directed to Paul Matuska,
Road 93363, Homestead, FL 33034; level rise, coastal erosion, and higher Water Accounting and Verification
telephone 305–242–7704. storm surges, all of which may affect Group Manager, LC–4200, Bureau of
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: cultural and natural resources as well as Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional
Everglades National Park Supervisory visitor experience at the park. Office, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City,
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Document Created: 2015-12-15 11:04:17
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 11:04:17
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of Availability. | |
| Dates | The NPS will execute a Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 30 days following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency`s Notice of Availability of the Final EIS in the Federal Register. | |
| Contact | Everglades National Park Supervisory | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 52337 |
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