[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 167 (Monday, August 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 52969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21566]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Final Environmental Impact Statement; Prisoners Harbor Wetland 
Restoration, Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park, Santa 
Barbara County, CA; Notice of Approval of Record of Decision

    Summary: Pursuant to Sec.  102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the regulations 
promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1505.2), 
the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) has 
prepared and approved a Record of Decision for the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement for restoration of approximately 3 acres of coastal 
wetland on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park. The 
requisite no-action ``wait period'' was initiated April 16, 2010, with 
the Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register notification of 
the filing of the Final EIS.
    Decision: As soon as practical the NPS will begin to implement 
restoration of palustrine wetlands and deepwater habitat at Prisoners 
Harbor, as well as remove a berm constricting natural flows in lower 
Canada del Puerto Creek, in order to reconnect the creek to its 
floodplain. Other project elements include removing cattle corrals and 
relocating a scale house to its pre-1960s location, removing eucalyptus 
and controlling other non-native species, and protecting archeological 
resources. This alternative was identified and analyzed as the agency-
preferred Alternative B in the Final EIS (and includes no substantive 
modifications to the course of action which was described in the Draft 
EIS). The full range of foreseeable environmental consequences were 
assessed, and appropriate mitigation measures (developed in 
consultation with Tribal representatives and other agencies) are 
included in the approved plan. Both a No Action alternative and one 
additional ``action'' alternative (Alternative C, which would have 
restored approximately a third less wetland habitat) were also 
identified and analyzed. As documented in the Draft and Final EIS, the 
selected alternative was deemed to be the ``environmentally preferred'' 
course of action.
    Copies: Interested parties desiring to review the Record of 
Decision may obtain a copy by contacting the Superintendent, Channel 
Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 or via 
telephone request at (805) 658-5700.

     Dated: July 13, 2010.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2010-21566 Filed 8-27-10; 8:45 am]
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