[Federal Register: December 21, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 246)]
[Notices]
[Page 65989-65990]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21de01-100]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
Stiltsville, Management Plan, Biscayne National Park, FL
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact
statement for the Stiltsville Management Plan, Biscayne National Park,
Florida.
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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a draft
environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Stiltsville Management
Plan for Biscayne National Park. This effort will result in a
management plan to guide public use and management of 7 stilt
structures located in the northern end of Biscayne National Park in
Biscayne Bay, Florida. Management options being considered include
public use of the structures consistent NPS policy and best management
practices for environmental protection (the preferred alternative), and
private lease under NPS management.
Major issues include potential impacts on water quality, biological
resources, soundscape, visual resources, cultural resources, and the
visitor experience.
To facilitate sound planning and consideration of environmental
resources, the NPS intends to gather information necessary for the
preparation of the Management Plan/DEIS and to obtain suggestions and
information from other agencies and the public on the scope of issues
to be
[[Page 65990]]
addressed in the Management Plan/DEIS. Comments and participation in
this scoping process are invited. Participation in the planning process
will be encouraged and facilitated by various means, including
newsletters and open houses or meetings.
DATES: The NPS will conduct public scoping meetings to explain the
planning process and to solicit opinions about issues to be addressed
in the Stiltsville Management Plan/DEIS. Locations, dates, and times of
public scoping meetings will be announced in the local press, in NPS
newsletters and on the park website, http://www.nps.gov/bisc and may
also be obtained by contacting Biscayne National Park.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and information concerning the scope of the
Management Plan/DEIS and other matters should be sent to the following
address, Stiltsville Management Plan, Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW
328th St., Homestead, Florida 33033. Requests to be added to the
project mailing list should be directed to the same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Biscayne National
Park, 305-230-1144 ext. 3002
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS is developing a management plan for
the 7 stilt structures located in the northern part of Biscayne
National Park in Biscayne Bay. In 1980, the park's northern boundary
expanded and Biscayne National Monument became Biscayne National Park.
In 1985, when the State of Florida transferred ownership of the bay
bottom within the expansion area to the park, it also transferred the
leases for the property, which the structures occupy. The leases
expired in July 1999. The park's 1983 General Management Plan,
Development Concept Plan, Wilderness Study, and Environmental
Assessment recommended removing the structures before the leases
expired. Because of numerous expressions of public interest in
maintaining the structures, the NPS initiated a multi-stage planning
process to identify and recommend future public uses of the structures
consistent with NPS policy.
In January 2001, the National Park System Advisory Board
established the Stiltsville Committee directing it to identify and
recommend future public use of Stiltsville and to develop
recommendations to guide the future operations of the structures. The
committee made several recommendations based upon an understanding that
the structures and the surrounding aquatic environment are critical and
important to the citizens of south Florida and to the visitors to
Biscayne National Park. These comments are available on the Biscayne
National Park web site: http://www.nps.gov/bisc
Our practice is to make comments, including names and addresses of
respondents, available for public review during regular business hours.
If you wish for us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state
this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not
consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
Dated: August 24, 2001.
Paul Winegar,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 01-31397 Filed 12-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M