[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23335-23337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10042]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-PWR-PWRO-01-20-6605; 2310-0087-422]
Wilderness Stewardship Plan/Environmental Impact Statement,
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Tulare and Fresno Counties, CA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
[[Page 23336]]
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement for
Wilderness Stewardship Plan, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL91-190) Sequoia and Kings Canyon
National Parks (SEKI) are initiating the conservation planning and
environmental impact analysis process required to inform consideration
of alternative strategies for the future management of SEKI wilderness.
The Sequoia-Kings Canyon and John Krebs Wildernesses (an 808,000-acre
expanse of wild High Sierra lands that were designated by the
California Wilderness Act of 1984 and the Omnibus Public Land
Management Act of 2009) are contained wholly within these two national
parks. Through this process, SEKI will identify and analyze a range of
alternatives for achieving wilderness stewardship objectives, which
include providing appropriate types and levels of access for visitors
and authorized users, preserving wilderness character, protecting
cultural and natural resources, and adhering to legally-mandated
management and preservation requirements.
This planning process represents a significant commitment by SEKI
to complete a Wilderness Stewardship Plan (WSP) for these two national
parks. On April 30, 1997, SEKI published a Notice of Intent to prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in the Federal Register to
notify the public of the intent to prepare a WSP, and had previously
held seven public scoping sessions in communities throughout California
between May 28 and October 5, 1996. Based on an analysis of the
numerous scoping comments received, and with consideration of a variety
of other factors, SEKI determined that the WSP/EIS process should be
suspended and that SEKI should instead first prepare a new General
Management Plan for the parks.
The General Management Plan (GMP) process was initiated in October
1997 and culminated with a Record of Decision in September 2007 (the
Final EIS/General Management Plan/Comprehensive River Management Plan
and associated Record of Decision are available at http://www.nps.gov/seki/parkmgmt/gmp.htm). The GMP provides broad, programmatic direction
for wilderness management. Importantly, however, the GMP commits SEKI
to preparing a tiered plan for the management of wilderness resources,
and explains that this tiered plan would be an implementation level
plan focused on both SEKI wilderness stewardship overall, as well as
stock use within wilderness.
As an implementation level plan, the WSP will provide detailed
guidance on a variety of issues including, but not limited to: Day and
overnight use; wilderness permitting; use of campfires; wildlife and
proper food storage; party size; camping and campsites; human waste
management; stock use; meadow management; research activities; wildlife
management in wilderness; cultural resources in wilderness; maintenance
of trails, bridges, or other necessary infrastructure; and the
``minimum requirement'' for administration of the areas as Wilderness.
Also to be analyzed and determined is the extent to which commercial
services are necessary to fulfill the recreational and other purposes
of SEKI's Congressionally designated wilderness areas. This ``extent
necessary'' determination for commercial services will be performed to
ensure compliance with Sec. 4(d)(5) of the Wilderness Act.
The WSP will reevaluate existing wilderness-related plans and
guidance, such as the 1986 Backcountry Management Plan and the 1986
Stock Use and Meadow Management Plan. The WSP will also provide for
more detailed management direction on provisions of the California
Wilderness Act of 1984, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009,
the NPS Management Policies (2006), and current interagency policies
regarding the preservation of wilderness character as they relate to
wilderness within SEKI.
How to Comment: In consideration for the complexity and scope of
wilderness stewardship issues in SEKI, the period during which comments
will be accepted will extend for 90 days. SEKI encourages comments
regarding the range of issues which should be addressed, alternative
approaches to managing SEKI wilderness areas, and other concerns
regarding SEKI wilderness areas or the wilderness planning process. All
written comments must be transmitted, postmarked, or hand-delivered no
later than July 25, 2011.
The status of the Draft EIS (DEIS) will updated periodically at
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/sekiwild. You may request to be added to
the project mailing list by mailing or faxing your request to:
Superintendent Karen F. Taylor-Goodrich, Sequoia and Kings Canyon
National Parks, Attn: Wilderness Stewardship Plan, 47050 Generals
Highway, Three Rivers, CA 93271. So that we may plan accordingly,
please note in your request whether you will prefer to receive a
printed or compact disk copy of the DEIS/WSP when it is released, or
just wish to receive a notice that the document is available for review
on the Web site (to assist in reducing costs, the public is strongly
encouraged to accept compact disks versus printed copies).
In order to ensure that information you may provide or any concerns
expressed are fully considered, you may use either of two methods to
respond during this scoping period. To respond electronically, you may
submit your comments online to the NPS Planning, Environment and Public
Comment (PEPC) Web site (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/sekiwild). To
submit written comments (e.g., in a letter), you may send them by U.S.
Postal Service or other mail delivery service, or hand deliver your
comments to the address provided above. Written comments will also be
accepted during public scoping meetings. Comments in any format
(written or electronic) submitted by an individual or organization on
behalf of another individual or organization will not be accepted. It
is the practice of the NPS to make all comments available for public
review, after the close of the EIS process.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At this time SEKI anticipates hosting five
public scoping meetings in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles
Area, and in Fresno, Visalia, and Bishop--these are expected to occur
during April 25 through April 29, 2011. Confirmed details will be
posted on the project Web sites. In addition, a scoping newsletter will
be distributed to publicize the meeting details, and to provide a
summary of issues and concerns developed through the previous scoping
efforts, as well as present additional information about SEKI
wilderness areas and the wilderness planning process. This newsletter
will be posted on the park planning Web site (http://www.nps.gov/seki/parkmgmt/planning.htm) and the PEPC Web site (noted above), and sent to
the SEKI mailing list.
[[Page 23337]]
Following due consideration for all comments obtained through this
scoping effort, SEKI will prepare the DEIS/WSP. This document will
state the purpose and need for Federal action, describe and analyze a
range of ``action'' alternatives (and a ``no action'' baseline
alternative), assess potential environmental consequences of each
alternative and provide appropriate impact mitigation strategies,
identify the ``environmentally preferred'' course of action, and
explain the process and rationale for determining the ``agency-
preferred'' alternative. The DEIS/WSP will also include an analysis of
the extent to which commercial services in wilderness are necessary to
realize Wilderness Act purposes. The release of the DEIS/WSP will be
formally announced by publication of a Notice of Availability in the
Federal Register, and via Web site postings and announcements in local
and regional news media. Notifications will also be sent to the project
mailing list, as well as to local, State, Federal, and Tribal
governments.
Decision Process: Following careful analysis of all responses
received concerning the DEIS/WSP, a Final EIS/WSP will be prepared and
its availability similarly announced in the Federal Register.
Thereafter, but not sooner than 30 days after release of the Final EIS/
WSP, a Record of Decision would be prepared. As a delegated EIS, the
official responsible for final approval of the SEKI Wilderness
Stewardship Plan is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
Subsequently the official responsible for implementation of the
approved plan would be the Superintendent, Sequoia and Kings Canyon
National Parks.
Dated: January 5, 2011.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-10042 Filed 4-25-11; 8:45 am]
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