[Federal Register: April 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 79)]
[Notices]
[Page 23945-23946]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25ap06-108]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent to Expand the Scope of the General Management
Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement for the Addition at Big Cypress
National Preserve, FL
SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is expanding the scope of the
General Management Plan (GMP)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
being prepared for the Addition lands. As part of this planning effort,
the NPS will include a wilderness study to determine if any portions of
the Addition Lands of Big Cypress National Preserve (Preserve) should
be recommended for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation
System as defined in the Wilderness Act of 1964. The NPS also will
prepare an Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan that will address in more
detail the management of off-road vehicles in the Addition Lands. These
new elements will be included as part of the GMP/EIS currently in
preparation. A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS with that GMP was
published in the Federal Register of June 12, 2001. That EIS now will
be expanded to include an evaluation of the impacts associated with
possible designation of wilderness and off-road vehicle management
within the Addition Lands of the Preserve. This notice is being
furnished as required by National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
regulation 40 CFR 1501.7.
To facilitate sound planning and analysis of environmental impact,
the NPS is gathering information necessary for the preparation of the
GMP, the Wilderness Study, Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan and the
associated EIS and is obtaining suggestions and information from other
agencies and the public on the scope of issues to be addressed.
Comments and participation in this scoping process are invited.
DATES: Open house meeting places and times will be announced by press
release to the Naples Daily News and the Miami Herald and on the park
Web site at: http://www.nps.gov.gov/bicy.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to comment may do so by any one of several
methods. They may attend open houses noted above. They may mail
comments to Big Cypress Planning Team, National Park Service, Denver
Service Center, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225. They also may
to the Big Cypress National Preserve headquarters in Ochopee, Florida.
It is the practice of the NPS to make all comments, including names
and addresses of respondents who provide that information, available
for public review following the conclusion of the [NEPA] process.
Individuals may request that the NPS withhold their name and/or address
from public disclosure. If you wish to do this, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your comment. Commentators using the
website can make such a request by checking the box ``keep my contact
information private.'' NPS will honor such requests to the extent
allowable by law, but you should be aware that NPS may still be
required to disclose your name and address pursuant to the Freedom of
Information Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Big Cypress National
Preserve, 33100 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, Florida, 34141-1000,
telephone: 239-695-1103.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Persons who previously submitted comments on
the scope of the EIS as it relates to the GMP need not resubmit those
comments. The NPS already is considering that input as planning
continues. However, persons who have not previously submitted comments
on
[[Page 23946]]
the scope of the EIS, or who wish to submit additional comments related
to the scope of the EIS in consideration of the Wilderness Study and
Off-Road Vehicle Management plan are encouraged to do so. The
environmental review of the GMP, Wilderness Study, Off-Road Vehicle
Management Plan, and EIS for the Addition Lands of the Preserve will be
conducted in accordance with requirements of the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4371
et seq.), NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1500 through 1508), other
appropriate Federal regulations, and NPS procedures and policies for
compliance with those regulations.
Authority: The authority for publishing this notice is 40 CFR
1506.6.
The responsible official for this draft GMP/EIS is the Regional
Director for the Southeast Region, Patricia A. Hooks.
Dated: March 16, 2006.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. E6-6151 Filed 4-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-V6-P