80 FR 74131 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Backcountry Management Plan, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 228 (November 27, 2015)

The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Backcountry Management Plan (Plan/DEIS), Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The Plan/DEIS evaluates the impacts of three action alternatives that address backcountry and wilderness management.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 228 (Friday, November 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74131-74132]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30162]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-IMR-GRCA-16825; PX.P0133318B.00.1]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Backcountry Management 
Plan, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Backcountry Management 
Plan (Plan/DEIS), Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The Plan/DEIS 
evaluates the impacts of three action alternatives that address 
backcountry and wilderness management.

DATES: The NPS will accept comments from the public on the Plan/DEIS 
for 90 days following publication by the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) of the Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement. After the EPA Notice of Availability is published, 
the NPS will schedule public meetings to be held during the comment 
period. Dates, times, and locations of these meetings will be announced 
in press releases and on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public 
Comment (PEPC) for the project at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GRCA.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GRCA. Copies of the Plan/DEIS 
will also be available at the park library located in the Park 
Headquarters Building, 20 South Entrance Road, Grand Canyon, AZ.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Jalbert, Wilderness Coordinator, 
PO Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023, (928) 638-7909, 
[email protected] or Rachel Bennett, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, 1824 S Thompson Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, (928) 638-
7326, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Backcountry Management 
Plan is to establish an up-to-date plan that addresses immediate 
backcountry issues and provides an adaptive management framework to 
preserve, while allowing the public to experience, Grand Canyon's 
unique backcountry and wilderness resources and values. The park's 
backcountry encompasses over 1.1 million acres, most of which are 
proposed for wilderness designation. The Plan/DEIS evaluates four 
alternatives--the no-action alternative (A) and three action 
alternatives (B, C, and D)--all of which are summarized below. 
Alternative B is the NPS preferred alternative. Alternative D is the 
environmentally preferable alternative.
    Alternative A, the no-action alternative, would continue existing 
management practices. Under this alternative user conflicts and 
concerns and resource impacts would continue to occur because extended 
day hiking and running (i.e. rim-to-rim day trips) would not be 
comprehensively managed. An interim process was developed in 2014 that 
requires organized groups participating in extended day hiking and 
running to apply for a special use permit and limits group size to 30. 
The interim policy is expected to remain in

[[Page 74132]]

place until the completion of the Backcountry Management Plan Final EIS 
and Record of Decision. Commercial overnight backpacking would not be 
capped, would continue to occur in all backcountry management zones, 
and would be managed by commercial use authorizations. Commercial 
backpacking operators would continue to compete with the non-commercial 
public for backcountry permits which are limited by use area. River-
assisted backcountry travel would continue to be managed with a rule 
that allows up to five miles of river travel on one backcountry permit. 
Under the no-action alternative, no additional campsites would be added 
to the corridor-zone campgrounds to address the bottleneck for 
overnight users. Under this alternative, overnight backpacking would 
continue at the level that occurred in 2012, which was 94,277 user 
nights (one user night is one person in the backcountry for one night). 
The no-action alternative is required by NEPA as a baseline against 
which action alternatives can be compared and evaluated.
    Common to all action alternatives, NPS proposes an adaptive 
management process for extended day hiking and running (i.e. rim-to-rim 
day trips), human waste management, use area management, day use at 
Tuweep, and management of canyoneering and climbing. For example, 
seasonal day use permits are proposed for rim-to-rim and extended day 
hiking and running in the cross-canyon corridor in order to collect 
data and educate visitors. Future adaptive management actions could 
include limiting group size (e.g. 30), limiting overall number of 
people per day (e.g. 250), year-round day use permits, or designating 
specific days for these activities. Also common to all action 
alternatives, NPS proposes to authorize the majority of commercial 
overnight backpacking through longer-term concessions contracts 
(estimated at 3-5 contracts) instead of the commercial use 
authorization permits currently used. Commercial use authorizations 
would continue to be issued for commercial groups conducting three or 
less trips per year.
    Alternative B, the NPS preferred alternative, focuses on providing 
a variety of recreational activities and a high level of protection for 
natural and cultural resources and wilderness character. Changes would 
include a reduction in group size for overnight backpacking, from a 
maximum of 11 to a maximum of 6, in two of the most remote wilderness 
zones. Alternative B would manage river-assisted backcountry travel 
using 31 route-based river sections and would include development of 
four additional campsites at Cottonwood Campground in the cross-canyon 
corridor. Commercially guided services would be limited by zone and 
would be allowed only in less remote backcountry areas, while the most 
remote wilderness areas would remain free of guided activities. 
Commercial overnight backpacking use would be capped, and commercial 
guides would no longer compete with the non-commercial public for 
backcountry permits. Overnight use in the popular cross-canyon corridor 
would increase by approximately 3% (from 53,821 to a projected 55,531 
user nights). Overall, overnight use in the backcountry is expected to 
decrease by 1% (93,116 user nights), primarily as a result of the 
reduction in group size in two of the wilderness zones.
    Alternative C focuses on recreational activities and expanded 
opportunities for these activities. Group sizes for overnight 
backpacking would be the same as at present. Alternative C proposes to 
manage river-assisted backcountry travel using 11 river sections. Up to 
eight additional campsites would be developed at Indian Garden, 
Cottonwood Campground and Roaring Springs. Commercially guided services 
would be allowed in more use areas throughout the backcountry when 
compared with Alternatives B and D. Commercial overnight backpacking 
use would be capped. Overnight use in the cross-canyon corridor would 
increase by approximately 10% (from 53,821 to a projected 59,421 user 
nights). Overall, overnight use in the backcountry is expected to 
increase by 5% (99,273 user nights), primarily as a result of the 
increase in campsites in the corridor zone and designated campsites 
along backcountry road corridors.
    Alternative D, the environmentally preferable alternative, would 
focus on resource protection and opportunities for solitude. 
Recreational use would be concentrated in non-wilderness areas and 
facility improvement would be limited. Group size for overnight 
backpacking would be reduced, from a maximum of 11 to a maximum of 6, 
in all backcountry zones except the corridor zone. Commercially guided 
activities would be focused in non-wilderness zones. Commercial 
overnight backpacking use would be capped and only allowed in the 
corridor zone. These actions would allow for self-exploration and 
increased opportunities for solitude in all wilderness zones. Overnight 
use in the popular cross-canyon corridor would increase by 
approximately 2% (from 53,821 to a projected 54,846 user nights). 
Overall, overnight use in the backcountry is expected to decrease by 3% 
(91,405 user nights) primarily from the decrease in group size outside 
the corridor.
    If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any one of 
several methods. You may submit comments online at http://
parkplanning.nps.gov/grca. You may also mail comments to 
Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, PO Box 129, Grand Canyon, 
AZ 86023. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to Grand Canyon 
National Park Headquarters, 20 South Entrance Rd, Grand Canyon, AZ.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying 
information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so. We will make all submission from organizations and 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available 
for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: November 3, 2015.
Sue E. Masica,
Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-30162 Filed 11-25-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-CB-P