[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 226 (Friday, November 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71176-71177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23298]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and 
Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Construction of Northern Arizona 
University's Merriam-Powell Research Station at The Arboretum at 
Flagstaff, Flagstaff, Arizona.

DATES: November 25, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Electronic copies of the Final EA 
and FONSI of the National Science Foundation (NSF) are available for 
review at http://www.nsf.gov/bio/pubs/reports/ea_mprs.doc. Please 
direct any requests for paper copies of the Final EA and FONSI to Amy 
V. Whipple, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, PO Box 
5640,

[[Page 71177]]

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 or 
[email protected]. The NSF Program contact for this project is Gerald 
B. Selzer, Director of the Field Stations and Marine Laboratories 
Program, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Northern Arizona University proposes to 
construct and operate the Merriam-Powell Research Station (MPRS) in 
collaboration with an on property leased from The Arboretum at 
Flagstaff. This project is funded by the NSF, which is the Federal 
agency responsible for the environmental review process. The 
environmental review process was conducted in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other applicable Federal 
laws and regulations. The proposed research station will provide 
facilities for visiting researchers, students, instructors, and agency 
personnel. It will leverage productive collaborations involving NAU 
researchers and the numerous field research opportunities in Northern 
Arizona, including the adjacent NAU Centennial Forest. The two 
alternative sites considered for the MPRS were on undeveloped land on 
the NAU Centennial Forest and adjacent to existing development at The 
Arboretum at Flagstaff. It is expected that construction will be 
completed in July of 2006.
    A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared and made 
available for a period of public comment that ended November 7, 2005. A 
Final EA was prepared after NSF considered all comments received on the 
Draft EA. From the information contained in the Final EA, NSF 
determined that no significant environmental impacts would result from 
construction of the Merriam-Powell Research Station on the preferred 
site at the Arboretum at Flagstaff. Therefore, NSF has issued a Finding 
of No significant Impact (FONSI) in conformance with Federal 
regulations at 45 Code of Federal Regulations 640.4(e).

Gerald B. Selzer,
Program Director for Field Stations and Marine Laboratories, Division 
of Biological Infrastructure, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 05-23298 Filed 11-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M