[Federal Register: October 25, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 205)]
[Notices]               
[Page 57481]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25oc99-91]                         

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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

 
Environmental Impact Statement; Notice of intent; Big Cypress 
National, Florida

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement for the general management plan addendum for the Big Cypress 
National Preserve Addition, Florida.

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

SUMMARY: Big Cypress National Preserve, located in south central 
Florida, was established in 1974. The preserve's boundary was expanded 
in 1988 by PL 100-301 (Big Cypress National Preserve Addition Act) to 
include 147,280 acres of land northeast of the original preserve and a 
strip of land along the western boundary. Known as the Addition, these 
lands increased the area of the original preserve by approximately 30 
per cent. The current General Management Plan (GMP) for the preserve, 
which was already under preparation when PL 100-301 was approved, does 
not address the management of the addition lands. Consequently, an 
Addendum to the GMP will be prepared for the Addition.
    Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, the 
National Park Service (NPS) will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to assess the impacts of alternative management 
concepts for a General Management Plan Addendum for the Addition to Big 
Cypress National Preserve.
    The purpose of a General Management Plan Addendum is to set forth a 
clearly defined direction for resource preservation and visitor use for 
the addition lands. The General Management Plan Addendum/Environmental 
Impact Statement will evaluate the environmental impacts of a range of 
alternatives to address distinct management issues for the Addition, 
such as resource protection, visitor use, and development.
    Participation throughout the planning process will be encouraged 
and facilitated by various means, such as public meetings and 
newsletters. The NPS will conduct public scoping meetings to explain 
the planning process and to solicit opinion about issues to address in 
the GMP/EIS. Notification of all such meetings will be announced in the 
local press and in NPS newsletters. This notice will also serve as an 
additional scoping method. Persons who may be interested in or affected 
by the GMP/EIS are invited to participate in the scoping process by 
responding to this notice with written or e-mail comments.

DATES: Written comments concerning the GMP Addendum/EIS should be 
received no later than December 27, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the GMP/EIS or requests to be 
added to the project mailing list should be sent to: Mr. Wally Hibbard, 
Superintendent, Big Cypress National Preserve, HCR 61, Box 110, 
Ochopee, FL 34141.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Hand, GMP Planning Coordinator, 
at the above address or at telephone number (941) 695-2000 ext. 318, or 
Bicygmp@nps.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Commenters should be aware that National 
Park Service practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual commenters may request that we withhold 
their home address from the planning record, which we will honor to the 
extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we 
would withhold from the planning record a respondent's identity, as 
allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, 
you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. 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: October 15, 1999.
W. Thomas Brown,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 99-27702 Filed 10-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M