[Federal Register: March 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 50)]
[Notices]
[Page 12366-12368]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14mr03-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
General Management Plan Revision, Draft Environmental Impact
Statement, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the General Management Plan Revision for Petrified Forest
National Park.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4332(C), the National Park Service announces the availability of
a draft Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan
Revision for Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona.
DATES: The draft Environmental Impact Statement and General Management
Plan Revision will remain available for public review through May 13,
2003. No
[[Page 12367]]
public meetings are scheduled at this time.
If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any one of
several methods. You may mail comments to Superintendent, Petrified
Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest National Park,
Arizona 86028. You may also comment via the Internet to Suzy--
Stutzman@nps.gov. Please submit Internet comments either as an ASCII
file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption,
as a Microsoft Word file, or as a Word Perfect file. Please also
include your name and return address in your Internet message. If you
do not receive a confirmation from the system that we have received
your Internet message, contact us directly by calling Suzy Stutzman at
303-987-6671. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the Petrified
Forest National Park visitor center or the Intermountain Support
Office-Denver, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO (room 186) 80228.
Our practice is to make comments, including names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold
their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent
allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would
withhold from the 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.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft Environmental Impact Statement and
General Management Plan Revision are available from the Superintendent,
Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest
National Park, Arizona 86028. The plan is also available on the
Internet at: http://planning.nps.gov/plans.cfm.
Public reading copies of the document will be available for review
at the following locations:
Petrified Forest National Park,
P.O. Box 2217,
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona 86028,
Telephone: 928-672-2700.
Planning and Environmental Quality,
Intermountain Support Office--Denver,
National Park Service,
12795 W. Alameda Parkway,
Lakewood, CO 80228,
Telephone: (303) 987-6671.
Office of Public Affairs, National Park Service,
Department of Interior,
18th and C Streets NW.,
Washington, DC 20240,
Telephone: (202) 208-6843.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Petrified Forest
National Park, at the above address and telephone number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This General Management Plan Revision /
Environmental Impact Statement describes and analyzes four alternatives
for managing Petrified Forest National Park. The approved plan revision
will help managers make decisions about managing resources, visitation,
and development for the next 15 to 20 years. Issues addressed by the
plan revision relate to use of Painted Desert Inn National Historic
Landmark, staff housing needs, cultural landscape values, use and
treatment of Painted Desert headquarters complex, museum collections,
accommodating researchers, concessions, and providing for resource
protection and visitor experience/understanding in different areas of
the park.
Alternative 1, the no-action alternative, would continue present
management. It provides a baseline for understanding changes and
impacts of the other alternatives. There would be no new construction
or major changes, and the park would be operated and maintained as
before. Resources would be protected as funding allows. Visitor and
operational facilities would remain concentrated in the Painted Desert
and Rainbow Forest areas. Some areas would be closed or access modified
to address harmful resource impacts. Visitor uses would be reassessed
and revised as new information about natural and cultural resource
impacts becomes available. Museum collections would be stored offsite
and in the park, some in substandard facilities. In alternative 2, the
preferred alternative, reusing and maintaining the historic integrity
of Painted Desert headquarters complex would be a priority. Visitor
services at Painted Desert Inn (rehabilitated) would be expanded.
Facility improvements would be made at Rainbow Forest. Park lands would
be managed similar to now, but with greater protection for natural and
cultural resources from increased monitoring and adapting to new
information. Some trails and turnouts would be added, and visitor hours
would be expanded in the north. Most park collections would be housed
in a new facility at headquarters. In alternative 3, the park would be
managed as a fossil resource preserve. Painted Desert Inn and the
headquarters complex would be rehabilitated and adaptively reused.
Improvements would be made at Rainbow Forest developed area. This
alternative would provide the most protection for natural and cultural
resources. Visitors would be encouraged to explore the park primarily
in selected frontcountry areas. Some sensitive areas would be closed to
visitor use. Backcountry access would be managed with permits and/or
other methods (e.g., guided access only). Interpretive services would
be expanded to increase understanding of park resources. Park
collections would be reunited at the park in a new facility. In
alternative 4, resources would be protected while more opportunities to
experience park resources would be provided. Visitor services at
Painted Desert Inn (rehabilitated) would be expanded. Painted Desert
headquarters complex would be demolished and rebuilt in phases in the
same location. Improvements would be made at Rainbow Forest developed
area. New trails, turnouts, and other options would expand
opportunities to experience and understand park resources. Visitor
hours would be expanded in the north. Park collections would be moved
to institutions and/or agency facilities outside the park that meet
National Park Service standards.
This document includes discussion of the potential environmental
consequences of each alternative. Notable impacts of alternative 1
include adverse impacts to the Painted Desert headquarters complex and
historic residences near the Painted Desert Inn from continued
deterioration; adverse impacts on museum collections from inadequate
facilities, limited work space, and inaccuracies in recordkeeping;
adverse impacts on archeological resources and petrified wood and other
fossils, primarily from visitor use; adverse impacts on visitor
experience and appreciation from dated interpretive materials and lack
of opportunities and accessibility. Notable impacts of alternative 2
include potential adverse impacts to archeological sites and petrified
wood from new trails; adverse impacts to Rainbow Forest cultural
landscape from parking and walkway realignment; beneficial impacts to
park collections from construction of a new collections facility;
beneficial impacts on visitor experience and appreciation from new
turnouts, trails, and facility improvements; beneficial impacts to
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park operations from improved work conditions and facilities. Impacts
of alternative 3 include adverse impacts to Rainbow Forest cultural
landscape from parking and walkway realignment; beneficial impacts on
archeological sites and petrified wood from reducing trails and
controlling backcountry use; adverse impacts to operations from new
visitor programs; beneficial impacts on park operations from improved
work conditions and facilities. Impacts of alternative 4 include
adverse impacts to Rainbow Forest cultural landscape from parking and
walkway realignment; adverse impacts to archeological sites and
petrified wood from new trails and turnouts; beneficial impacts on
visitor experience and appreciation from new facilities, turnouts,
trails, and expanded services; beneficial impacts to park operations
from new facilities and removal of deteriorating structures.
Dated: January 24, 2003.
Karen P. Wade,
Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 03-6208 Filed 3-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P