83 FR 18862 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Transportation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Acadia National Park, Maine
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 83 (April 30, 2018)
National Park Service
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 83 (April 30, 2018)
| Page Range | 18862-18863 | |
| FR Document | 2018-08998 |
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 83 (Monday, April 30, 2018)] [Notices] [Pages 18862-18863] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-08998] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS-NERO-ACAD-DTS-24916; PX.PD210624B.00.4] Notice of Availability of the Draft Transportation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Acadia National Park, Maine AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Draft Transportation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Draft Plan/EIS) for Acadia National Park. The purpose of the Transportation Plan is to determine how best to provide safe and efficient transportation and a variety of high quality experiences to visitors within Acadia National Park while ensuring the protection of park resources and values. The Draft Plan/EIS describes four alternatives for consideration, including a no-action alternative. DATES: Comments will be accepted for a period of 60 days following publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Notice of Availability of the Draft Plan/EIS in the Federal Register. After the EPA Notice of Availability is published, the NPS will schedule public meetings to be held during the comment period. The comment period and dates, times, and locations of these public meetings will be announced through social media and local media outlets, and on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ACADTransportationPlan, and Acadia National Park's website at https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm. ADDRESSES: The Draft Plan/EIS will be available electronically on the NPS PEPC website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ACADTransportationPlan. Comments may be submitted electronically through the PEPC website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ACADTransportationPlan. Comments will also be accepted in hardcopy by mail to: Acadia National Park, Attn: Transportation Plan, P.O. Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kelly, Management Assistant, Acadia National Park, P.O. Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, (207) 288- 8703, [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a transportation plan for Acadia National Park to determine ways to provide safe and efficient transportation for visitors while ensuring the protection of park resources and values. Transportation issues at Acadia National Park are diverse and complex. Visitors travel to and within the park by private vehicle, tour bus, bicycle, ferry, Island Explorer bus, and other modes. In 2016, park visitation reached a record 3.3 million visitors, which is an increase of 58 percent from 2006. High volumes of visitors accessing popular visitor destinations during peak times is causing gridlock, visitor conflicts, crowding, emergency response delays, and resource trampling. Concentrated volumes and mixture of traffic, particularly on the Park Loop Road and Cadillac Mountain Road, create critical visitor safety issues, severe crowding and congestion, impacts on the road systems, and challenges to the park's operational efficiency and sustainability. Further, the interdependent relationship between Acadia National Park and diverse gateway communities increases the complexity of managing visitor use and access, especially given the importance of the park to the local economy. The transportation plan will determine ways to improve safety, reduce congestion and crowding, avoid impacts to park resources, and provide visitors with a high-quality experience through a variety of mechanisms such as visitor management strategies, enhancements to alternative transportation services, restrictions on vehicle size, and expanded access to parking. The Draft Plan/EIS evaluates four alternatives: Alternative A: No Action--reflects current transportation management direction and serves as a baseline for comparison with the other alternatives. Current management (as outlined in the park's 1992 General Management Plan) would continue with no major changes [[Page 18863]] from current operations, and changes that did occur would be on an as- needed basis. Management of park visitors would continue to vary seasonally as visitor demand and needs change with many management strategies focusing on the peak season between mid-May and mid-October. Parking would remain available to all users on a first-come, first- served basis and right lane parking on the Park Loop Road would continue to occur. Temporary or permanent closures of roads and parking areas may occur if necessary to address safety and security concerns or to ensure the financial sustainability of the overall transportation system. Alternative B--would establish a reservation system for parking at five of the primary attractions and trailheads along Park Loop Road during peak times and seasons, and eliminate right lane parking to improve traffic flows. Gates and queuing lanes would be constructed where needed to validate reservations and to control access on some first-come, first-served lots. Alternative C: Proposed action and preferred alternative--would address transportation and congestion issues by establishing a reservation system for the Ocean Drive corridor, Cadillac Mountain Road, and the Jordan Pond North Lot during peak use season (approximately mid-May to mid-October). During initial implementation of this alternative, all other parking lots in the park would continue to be managed on a first-come, first-served basis; but the alternative includes an adaptive management strategy that directs park managers to monitor traffic and resource conditions elsewhere in the park. If monitoring indicates traffic or resource conditions worsening beyond established thresholds, access to Island Explorer routes entering the park, vehicle access to other parking lots, or vehicle access to the entire Park Loop Road may be added to the reservation systems. Expanded opportunities for parking and associated visitor access to the park (without private vehicles) would be provided via expanded public transit service and improvements at Hulls Cove and the Acadia Gateway Center. Alternative D--would establish a systemwide approach to manage volume of vehicles on Park Loop Road during the peak use season. Gates and additional entrance stations would be installed at all access points to Park Loop Road and a timed-entry reservation system would be established for vehicle access to Park Loop Road during the peak use season. Once a visitor passes through an entrance station or gate during their reserved entry window, all parking lots on Park Loop Road would be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Under all of the action alternatives (alternatives B, C, and D), vehicle size limits would be phased in for all commercial and noncommercial vehicles on the Park Loop Road to improve safety and maintain the historic character of the road. Also common to these alternatives, the number of oversize commercial vehicles (vehicles that do not fit within a standard parking space such as a bus) allowed at key locations at one time would be managed to ensure desired conditions are maintained and visitor capacities at the parks primary attractions are not exceeded. The NPS will accept comments on the Draft Plan/EIS for a period of 60 days following publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Notice of Availability of the Draft Plan/EIS in the Federal Register. After the EPA Notice of Availability is published, the NPS will schedule public meetings to be held during the comment period. The comment period and dates, times, and locations of these public meetings will be announced through social media and local media outlets; and on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ACADTransportationPlan, and Acadia National Park's website at https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm. If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any one of several methods. The preferred method of commenting is to enter comments electronically through the PEPC website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ACADTransportationPlan. Comments will also be accepted in hardcopy by mail to: Acadia National Park, Attn: Transportation Plan, P.O. Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, or you may hand-deliver hardcopy comments to the park at 20 McFarland Hill Drive, Bar Harbor, ME. Comments will not be accepted in any other format beyond those specified above. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in any 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. Dated: March 13, 2018. Deborah L. Conway, Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region, National Park Service. [FR Doc. 2018-08998 Filed 4-27-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
![18862 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 83 / Monday, April 30, 2018 / Notices
T. 15 N., R. 7 E., accepted January 5, 2018 you should be aware that the documents ACADTransportationPlan. Comments
T. 15 N., R. 8 E., accepted January 5, 2018 you submit, including your personal may be submitted electronically through
T. 15 N., R. 8 E., accepted September 11, identifying information, may be made the PEPC website at http://
2015
publicly available in their entirety at parkplanning.nps.gov/
T. 15 N., R. 8 E., accepted September 22,
2016 any time. While you can ask us to ACADTransportationPlan. Comments
T. 15 N., R. 9 E., accepted September 11, withhold your personal identifying will also be accepted in hardcopy by
2015 information from public review, we mail to: Acadia National Park, Attn:
T. 15 N., R. 9 E., accepted September 22, cannot guarantee that we will be able to Transportation Plan, P.O. Box 177, Bar
2016 do so. Harbor, ME 04609.
T. 15 N., R. 10 E., accepted September 11,
Authority: 43 U.S.C. Chap. 3. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John
2015
T. 15 N., R. 10 E., accepted September 22, Kelly, Management Assistant, Acadia
Douglas N. Haywood,
2016 National Park, P.O. Box 177, Bar Harbor,
Chief Cadastral Surveyor, Alaska. ME 04609, (207) 288–8703, John_T_
T. 15 N., R. 11 E., accepted January 5, 2018
T. 15 N., R. 11 E., accepted September 11, [FR Doc. 2018–09017 Filed 4–27–18; 8:45 am] Kelly@nps.gov.
2015 BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
T. 15 N., R. 11 E., accepted September 22,
2016
National Park Service (NPS) is preparing
T. 16 N., R. 8 E., accepted September 11, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR a transportation plan for Acadia
2015 National Park to determine ways to
T. 16 N., R. 8 E., accepted September 22, National Park Service provide safe and efficient transportation
2016 for visitors while ensuring the
T. 16 N., R. 9 E., accepted September 11, [NPS–NERO–ACAD–DTS–24916; protection of park resources and values.
2015 PX.PD210624B.00.4]
Transportation issues at Acadia
T. 16 N., R. 9 E., accepted September 22,
Notice of Availability of the Draft National Park are diverse and complex.
2016
T. 16 N., R. 10 E., accepted September 11, Transportation Plan and Visitors travel to and within the park by
2015 Environmental Impact Statement for private vehicle, tour bus, bicycle, ferry,
T. 17 N., R. 8 E., accepted January 5, 2018 Acadia National Park, Maine Island Explorer bus, and other modes. In
T. 17 N., R. 9 E., accepted September 15, 2016, park visitation reached a record
2015 AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 3.3 million visitors, which is an increase
T. 17 N., R. 10 E., accepted September 15, ACTION: Notice of availability. of 58 percent from 2006.
2015 High volumes of visitors accessing
T. 18 N., R. 8 E., accepted January 5, 2018 SUMMARY: The National Park Service popular visitor destinations during peak
A person or party who wishes to (NPS) announces the availability of the times is causing gridlock, visitor
protest one or more plats of survey Draft Transportation Plan and conflicts, crowding, emergency response
identified above must file a written Environmental Impact Statement (Draft delays, and resource trampling.
notice of protest with the State Director Plan/EIS) for Acadia National Park. The Concentrated volumes and mixture of
for Alaska, BLM. The notice of protest purpose of the Transportation Plan is to
traffic, particularly on the Park Loop
must identify the plat(s) of survey that determine how best to provide safe and
Road and Cadillac Mountain Road,
the person or party wishes to protest. efficient transportation and a variety of
create critical visitor safety issues,
The notice of protest must be filed high quality experiences to visitors
severe crowding and congestion,
before the scheduled date of official within Acadia National Park while
impacts on the road systems, and
filing for the plat(s) of survey being ensuring the protection of park
challenges to the park’s operational
protested. Any notice of protest filed resources and values. The Draft Plan/
efficiency and sustainability. Further,
after the scheduled date of official filing EIS describes four alternatives for
the interdependent relationship
will not be considered. A notice of consideration, including a no-action
between Acadia National Park and
protest is considered filed on the date it alternative.
diverse gateway communities increases
is received by the State Director for DATES: Comments will be accepted for a the complexity of managing visitor use
Alaska during regular business hours; if period of 60 days following publication and access, especially given the
received after regular business hours, a of the Environmental Protection importance of the park to the local
notice of protest will be considered filed Agency’s (EPA) Notice of Availability of economy. The transportation plan will
the next business day. A written the Draft Plan/EIS in the Federal determine ways to improve safety,
statement of reasons in support of a Register. After the EPA Notice of reduce congestion and crowding, avoid
protest, if not filed with the notice of Availability is published, the NPS will impacts to park resources, and provide
protest, must be filed with the State schedule public meetings to be held visitors with a high-quality experience
Director for Alaska within 30 calendar during the comment period. The through a variety of mechanisms such as
days after the notice of protest is filed. comment period and dates, times, and visitor management strategies,
If a notice of protest against a plat of locations of these public meetings will enhancements to alternative
survey is received prior to the be announced through social media and transportation services, restrictions on
scheduled date of official filing, the local media outlets, and on the NPS vehicle size, and expanded access to
official filing of the plat of survey Planning, Environment, and Public parking.
identified in the notice of protest will be Comment (PEPC) website at http:// The Draft Plan/EIS evaluates four
stayed pending consideration of the parkplanning.nps.gov/ alternatives:
nshattuck on DSK9F9SC42PROD with NOTICES
protest. A plat of survey will not be ACADTransportationPlan, and Acadia Alternative A: No Action—reflects
officially filed until the dismissal or National Park’s website at https:// current transportation management
resolution of all protests of the plat. www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm. direction and serves as a baseline for
Before including your address, phone ADDRESSES: The Draft Plan/EIS will be comparison with the other alternatives.
number, email address, or other available electronically on the NPS Current management (as outlined in the
personal identifying information in a PEPC website at http:// park’s 1992 General Management Plan)
notice of protest or statement of reasons, parkplanning.nps.gov/ would continue with no major changes
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![Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 83 / Monday, April 30, 2018 / Notices 18863
from current operations, and changes station or gate during their reserved Dated: March 13, 2018.
that did occur would be on an as- entry window, all parking lots on Park Deborah L. Conway,
needed basis. Management of park Loop Road would be available on a first- Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region,
visitors would continue to vary come, first-served basis. National Park Service.
seasonally as visitor demand and needs Under all of the action alternatives [FR Doc. 2018–08998 Filed 4–27–18; 8:45 am]
change with many management (alternatives B, C, and D), vehicle size BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
strategies focusing on the peak season limits would be phased in for all
between mid-May and mid-October. commercial and noncommercial
Parking would remain available to all vehicles on the Park Loop Road to
users on a first-come, first-served basis DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
improve safety and maintain the historic
and right lane parking on the Park Loop character of the road. Also common to Bureau of Prisons
Road would continue to occur. these alternatives, the number of
Temporary or permanent closures of oversize commercial vehicles (vehicles Annual Determination of Average Cost
roads and parking areas may occur if that do not fit within a standard parking of Incarceration
necessary to address safety and security space such as a bus) allowed at key
concerns or to ensure the financial AGENCY: Bureau of Prisons, Justice.
locations at one time would be managed
sustainability of the overall ACTION: Notice.
to ensure desired conditions are
transportation system.
maintained and visitor capacities at the SUMMARY: This Notice publishes the
Alternative B—would establish a
reservation system for parking at five of parks primary attractions are not annual determination of average cost of
the primary attractions and trailheads exceeded. incarceration for the Fiscal Years (FY)
along Park Loop Road during peak times The NPS will accept comments on the 2016 and 2017. The fee to cover the
and seasons, and eliminate right lane Draft Plan/EIS for a period of 60 days average cost of incarceration for Federal
parking to improve traffic flows. Gates following publication of the inmates was $34,704.12 ($94.82 per day)
and queuing lanes would be constructed Environmental Protection Agency’s in FY 2016 and $36,299.25 ($99.45 per
where needed to validate reservations (EPA) Notice of Availability of the Draft day) in FY 2017. The average annual
and to control access on some first- Plan/EIS in the Federal Register. After cost to confine an inmate in a
come, first-served lots. the EPA Notice of Availability is Residential Re-entry Center was
Alternative C: Proposed action and published, the NPS will schedule public $29,166.54 ($79.69 per day) for FY 2016
preferred alternative—would address meetings to be held during the comment and $32,309.80 ($88.52 per day) for FY
transportation and congestion issues by period. The comment period and dates, 2017.
establishing a reservation system for the times, and locations of these public DATES: Applicable Date: April 30, 2018.
Ocean Drive corridor, Cadillac meetings will be announced through ADDRESSES: Office of General Counsel,
Mountain Road, and the Jordan Pond social media and local media outlets; Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First St.
North Lot during peak use season and on the NPS Planning, Environment, NW, Washington, DC 20534.
(approximately mid-May to mid- and Public Comment website at http://
October). During initial implementation FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
parkplanning.nps.gov/
of this alternative, all other parking lots ACADTransportationPlan, and Acadia Sarah Qureshi, (202) 353–8248.
in the park would continue to be National Park’s website at https:// SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
managed on a first-come, first-served www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm. Title 28 of the Code of Federal
basis; but the alternative includes an Regulations, part 505, allows for
If you wish to comment, you may
adaptive management strategy that assessment and collection of a fee to
submit your comments by any one of
directs park managers to monitor traffic cover the average cost of incarceration
several methods. The preferred method
and resource conditions elsewhere in for Federal inmates. Under § 505.2, this
of commenting is to enter comments
the park. If monitoring indicates traffic fee is calculated by dividing the number
electronically through the PEPC website
or resource conditions worsening representing Bureau of Prisons (Bureau)
at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/
beyond established thresholds, access to facilities’ monetary obligation
ACADTransportationPlan. Comments
Island Explorer routes entering the park, (excluding activation costs) by the
will also be accepted in hardcopy by
vehicle access to other parking lots, or number of inmate-days incurred for the
mail to: Acadia National Park, Attn:
vehicle access to the entire Park Loop preceding fiscal year, and then by
Transportation Plan, P.O. Box 177, Bar
Road may be added to the reservation multiplying the quotient by the number
Harbor, ME 04609, or you may hand-
systems. Expanded opportunities for of days in the fiscal year.
parking and associated visitor access to deliver hardcopy comments to the park
Based on FY 2016 and FY 2017 data,
the park (without private vehicles) at 20 McFarland Hill Drive, Bar Harbor,
the fee to cover the average cost of
would be provided via expanded public ME. Comments will not be accepted in
incarceration for Federal inmates was
transit service and improvements at any other format beyond those specified
$34,704.12 ($94.82 per day) in FY 2016
Hulls Cove and the Acadia Gateway above.
and $36,299.25 ($99.45 per day) in FY
Center. Before including your address, phone 2017. The average annual cost to
Alternative D—would establish a number, email address, or other confine an inmate in a Residential Re-
systemwide approach to manage volume personal identifying information in any entry Center was $29,166.54 ($79.69 per
of vehicles on Park Loop Road during comment, you should be aware that day) for FY 2016 and $32,309.80 ($88.52
the peak use season. Gates and your entire comment—including your per day) for FY 2017. (Note: There were
nshattuck on DSK9F9SC42PROD with NOTICES
additional entrance stations would be personal identifying information—may 366 days in FY 2016 and 365 days in FY
installed at all access points to Park be made publicly available at any time. 2017.)
Loop Road and a timed-entry While you can ask us in your comment
reservation system would be established to withhold your personal identifying Ken Hyle,
for vehicle access to Park Loop Road information from public review, we General Counsel, Federal Bureau of Prisons.
during the peak use season. Once a cannot guarantee that we will be able to [FR Doc. 2018–09062 Filed 4–27–18; 8:45 am]
visitor passes through an entrance do so. BILLING CODE 4410–05–P
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Document Created: 2018-04-28 01:04:05
Document Modified: 2018-04-28 01:04:05
| 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 | Comments will be accepted for a period of 60 days following publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Notice of Availability of the Draft Plan/EIS in the Federal Register. After the EPA Notice of Availability is published, the NPS will schedule public meetings to be held during the comment period. The comment period and dates, times, and locations of these public meetings will be announced through social media and local media outlets, and on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http:// parkplanning.nps.gov/ACADTransportationPlan, and Acadia National Park's website at https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm. | |
| Contact | John Kelly, Management Assistant, Acadia National Park, P.O. Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, (207) 288- 8703, [email protected] | |
| FR Citation | 83 FR 18862 |
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