80 FR 79929 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a Wilderness Stewardship Plan, Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce and Lewis Counties, Washington
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 246 (December 23, 2015)
National Park Service
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 246 (December 23, 2015)
| Page Range | 79929-79929 | |
| FR Document | 2015-32281 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 23, 2015)] [Notices] [Page 79929] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-32281] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS-PWR-PWRO-19532; PPWONRADE2/PMP00EI05.YP0000] Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a Wilderness Stewardship Plan, Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce and Lewis Counties, Washington AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Mount Rainier National Park is initiating process to prepare a Wilderness Stewardship Plan (WSP) for the Mount Rainier Wilderness, a 228,480-acre area surrounding and including Mount Rainier, as designated by the Washington Parks Wilderness Act of 1988. Through this process, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared to analyze a range of alternatives for achieving wilderness stewardship objectives, which include providing appropriate types and levels of access for visitors and authorized users, protecting cultural and natural resources, and adhering to legally-mandated management and preservation requirements. Ninety-seven percent of Mount Rainier National Park is designated as wilderness. The Wilderness Act of 1964 (Wilderness Act) directs federal land management agencies to protect and manage wilderness so that it ``generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable,'' and so that it ``has outstanding opportunities for solitude, or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.'' DATES: All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later than February 22, 2016. ADDRESSES: Requests to be added to the project mailing list may be sent to: Randy King, Superintendent, Attn: Wilderness Stewardship Plan, Mount Rainier National Park, 55210 238th Ave., East Ashford, WA 98304- 9751. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information will be available for public review and comment at the above address, as well as online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/morawild. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January 2002, the National Park Service (NPS) issued a Record of Decision for the Mount Rainier National Park General Management Plan (GMP) which provided broad, programmatic direction for wilderness management, including the assignment of management zones that attempt to identify levels of visitor use and management guidance for areas that are heavily impacted. The GMP also stated that indicators and standards in the wilderness management plan may be revised, and day use limits may be proposed. The new WSP is intended to not only update to the park's 1992 Wilderness Management Plan, it will reflect changes that have occurred in the uses and management of the Mount Rainier Wilderness since 2002. As an implementation level plan, the WSP/EIS will provide detailed guidance on a variety of issues including, but not limited to: day and overnight use; trail maintenance standards; wildlife and proper food storage; party size; camping and campsites; human waste management; meadow management; research activities; permitted uses; historic structures and cultural resources in wilderness; infrastructure and administrative activities within or adjacent to wilderness; and the ``minimum requirement'' for administration of the area as Wilderness. An ``extent necessary'' determination prepared in response to the Mount Rainier National Park's Commercial Services Plan (2005) will also be reviewed. This determination will identify the extent to which commercial services are necessary to fulfill the various wilderness purposes of the designated wilderness within Mount Rainier National Park, pursuant to Section 4(d)(5) of the Wilderness Act. The WSP/EIS will reevaluate existing wilderness-related plans and guidance, such as the 1992 Wilderness Management Plan, the 2005 Fire Management Plan, and the 2010 Hazard Tree Management Plan. The WSP/EIS will also provide for more detailed management direction on provisions of the Washington Parks Wilderness Act of 1989, the NPS Management Policies (2006), and current interagency policies regarding the preservation of wilderness character as they relate to wilderness within Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about the issues and concerns to be addressed in the WSP/EIS, Mount Rainier National Park staff will also host four public scoping meetings at the following Washington locations: Seattle, Tacoma, Enumclaw/Buckley, and Ashford. In addition, park staff will prepare a scoping newsletter to provide additional information about Mount Rainier wilderness, the wilderness planning process, and the goals of public scoping. This newsletter will be sent to the park's general mailing list, and posted on the park planning Web site (http://www.nps.gov/mora/parkmgmt/planning.htm) and the Planning, Environment and Public Comment Web site (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/mora). In order to ensure that your comments are considered, please submit your comments online by visiting http://parkplanning.nps.gov/morawild. Although NPS encourages commenting electronically, if you wish to submit written comments via letter, you may mail your comments or hand deliver them to the address provided above. Written comments will also be accepted during public scoping meetings. Comments in any format submitted by an individual or organization on behalf of another individual or organization will not be accepted. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, please be advised 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. The responsible official approval of the Wilderness Stewardship Plan is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region. Subsequently the official responsible of implementation of the approved plan is the Superintendent, Mount Rainier National Park. Dated: December 7, 2015. Martha J. Lee, Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service. [FR Doc. 2015-32281 Filed 12-22-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312-FF-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 23, 2015 / Notices 79929
the Ohio Environmental Protection Randy King, Superintendent, Attn: character as they relate to wilderness
Agency will remain cooperating Wilderness Stewardship Plan, Mount within Mount Rainier National Park.
agencies on the EA. The EA to consider Rainier National Park, 55210 238th To learn more about the issues and
whether to remove or modify the dam Ave., East Ashford, WA 98304–9751. concerns to be addressed in the WSP/
is expected to be released for public FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: EIS, Mount Rainier National Park staff
review in the early spring of 2016. The Information will be available for public will also host four public scoping
public comment period for the EA and review and comment at the above meetings at the following Washington
the dates, times, and locations of public address, as well as online at http://
meetings, if any, will be announced locations: Seattle, Tacoma, Enumclaw/
parkplanning.nps.gov/morawild. Buckley, and Ashford. In addition, park
through the PEPC Web site, the park
Web site, and in local media outlets. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January staff will prepare a scoping newsletter to
2002, the National Park Service (NPS) provide additional information about
Dated: December 1, 2015.
issued a Record of Decision for the Mount Rainier wilderness, the
Cameron H. Sholly, Mount Rainier National Park General wilderness planning process, and the
Regional Director, Midwest Region. Management Plan (GMP) which goals of public scoping. This newsletter
[FR Doc. 2015–32279 Filed 12–22–15; 8:45 am] provided broad, programmatic direction will be sent to the park’s general mailing
BILLING CODE 4310–MA–P for wilderness management, including list, and posted on the park planning
the assignment of management zones Web site (http://www.nps.gov/mora/
that attempt to identify levels of visitor parkmgmt/planning.htm) and the
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR use and management guidance for areas Planning, Environment and Public
that are heavily impacted. The GMP also Comment Web site (http://
National Park Service
stated that indicators and standards in parkplanning.nps.gov/mora).
[NPS–PWR–PWRO–19532; PPWONRADE2/ the wilderness management plan may
PMP00EI05.YP0000] be revised, and day use limits may be In order to ensure that your comments
proposed. The new WSP is intended to are considered, please submit your
Notice of Intent To Prepare an not only update to the park’s 1992 comments online by visiting http://
Environmental Impact Statement for a Wilderness Management Plan, it will parkplanning.nps.gov/morawild.
Wilderness Stewardship Plan, Mount reflect changes that have occurred in the Although NPS encourages commenting
Rainier National Park, Pierce and uses and management of the Mount electronically, if you wish to submit
Lewis Counties, Washington Rainier Wilderness since 2002. written comments via letter, you may
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. As an implementation level plan, the mail your comments or hand deliver
WSP/EIS will provide detailed guidance them to the address provided above.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
on a variety of issues including, but not Written comments will also be accepted
SUMMARY: Mount Rainier National Park limited to: day and overnight use; trail during public scoping meetings.
is initiating process to prepare a maintenance standards; wildlife and Comments in any format submitted by
Wilderness Stewardship Plan (WSP) for proper food storage; party size; camping an individual or organization on behalf
the Mount Rainier Wilderness, a and campsites; human waste of another individual or organization
228,480-acre area surrounding and management; meadow management; will not be accepted. Before including
including Mount Rainier, as designated research activities; permitted uses; your address, phone number, email
by the Washington Parks Wilderness historic structures and cultural address, or other personal identifying
Act of 1988. Through this process, an resources in wilderness; infrastructure information in your comment, please be
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and administrative activities within or advised that your entire comment
will be prepared to analyze a range of adjacent to wilderness; and the including your personal identifying
alternatives for achieving wilderness ‘‘minimum requirement’’ for information may be made publicly
stewardship objectives, which include administration of the area as available at any time. While you can ask
providing appropriate types and levels Wilderness. An ‘‘extent necessary’’ us in your comment to withhold your
of access for visitors and authorized determination prepared in response to personal identifying information from
users, protecting cultural and natural the Mount Rainier National Park’s public review, we cannot guarantee that
resources, and adhering to legally- Commercial Services Plan (2005) will we will be able to do so.
mandated management and preservation also be reviewed. This determination
requirements. Ninety-seven percent of will identify the extent to which The responsible official approval of
Mount Rainier National Park is commercial services are necessary to the Wilderness Stewardship Plan is the
designated as wilderness. The fulfill the various wilderness purposes Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
Wilderness Act of 1964 (Wilderness of the designated wilderness within Subsequently the official responsible of
Act) directs federal land management Mount Rainier National Park, pursuant implementation of the approved plan is
agencies to protect and manage to Section 4(d)(5) of the Wilderness Act. the Superintendent, Mount Rainier
wilderness so that it ‘‘generally appears The WSP/EIS will reevaluate existing National Park.
to have been affected primarily by the wilderness-related plans and guidance, Dated: December 7, 2015.
forces of nature, with the imprint of such as the 1992 Wilderness
man’s work substantially unnoticeable,’’ Martha J. Lee,
Management Plan, the 2005 Fire
and so that it ‘‘has outstanding Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region,
Management Plan, and the 2010 Hazard National Park Service.
opportunities for solitude, or a primitive
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Tree Management Plan. The WSP/EIS
and unconfined type of recreation.’’ will also provide for more detailed
[FR Doc. 2015–32281 Filed 12–22–15; 8:45 am]
DATES: All written comments must be management direction on provisions of BILLING CODE 4312–FF–P
postmarked or transmitted not later than the Washington Parks Wilderness Act of
February 22, 2016. 1989, the NPS Management Policies
ADDRESSES: Requests to be added to the (2006), and current interagency policies
project mailing list may be sent to: regarding the preservation of wilderness
VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:05 Dec 22, 2015 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00113 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM 23DEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/80_FR_80175/page/1.svg)
Document Created: 2018-03-02 09:20:33
Document Modified: 2018-03-02 09:20:33
| 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 intent. | |
| Dates | All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later than February 22, 2016. | |
| Contact | Information will be available for | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 79929 |
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