[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 1171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-400]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, 
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Washington

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service will prepare a General Management 
Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Fort Vancouver 
National Historic Site.
    A General Management Plan sets forth the basic management 
philosophy for a unit of the National Park System and provides the 
strategies for addressing issues and achieving identified management 
objectives for that unit. In the GMP/EIS and its accompanying public 
review process, the National Park Service will formulate and evaluate 
the environmental impacts of a range of alternatives to address 
distinct management strategies for the park, including resource 
protection and visitor use. The plan will guide the management of 
natural and cultural resources and visitor use of those resources for 
the next 15 years. Development concept plans for selected facilities 
may be included with the GMP.
    Scoping is the term given to the process by which the scope of 
issues to be addressed in the GMP/EIS is identified. Representatives of 
Federal, State and local agencies, American Indian tribes, private 
organizations and individuals from the general public who may be 
interested in or affected by the proposed GMP/EIS are invited to 
participate in the scoping process by responding to this Notice with 
written comments. All comments received will become part of the public 
record and copies of comments, including any names, addresses and 
telephone numbers provided by respondents, may be released for public 
inspection.
    Among the major issues likely to be addressed in the Fort Vancouver 
National Historic Site GMP/EIS are: (1) Interpretation and resource 
management, including the NPS role in relation to Vancouver National 
Historic Reserve; (2) partnership opportunities with the McLoughlin 
House National Historic Site; (3) cultural resources research and 
protection; (4) accessibility and availability of park collections; (5) 
park maintenance and sustainability; and (6) park administration. A 
full range of alternatives, including ``no action'', will be considered 
in the GMP/EIS to address these and other issues that may emerge during 
the planning process.
    The draft GMP/EIS is expected to be available for public review by 
the fall of 2000, with the final version of the GMP/EIS and the Record 
of Decision to be completed by summer 2001.
    Because the responsibility for approving the GMP/EIS has been 
delegated to the National Park Service, the EIS is a ``delegated'' EIS. 
The responsible official is John J. Reynolds, Regional Director, 
Pacific West Region, National Park Service.

DATES: Public scoping meetings will be held on Wednesday, January 12, 
2000, 6:30-9 p.m. at the Vancouver Water Resources Education Center, 
4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA, and Thursday, January 13, 2000, 2-
4:30 p.m., at the McLoughlin House National Historic Site, 719 Center 
Street, Oregon City, OR. Written comments on the scope of the issue and 
alternatives to be analyzed in the GMP/EIS should be received no later 
than March 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the GMP/EIS should be sent to 
Superintendent, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 612 E. Reserve 
Street, Vancouver, WA 98661.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Fort Vancouver 
National Historic Site, at the above address, or phone (360) 696-7655, 
ext. 13.

    Dated: December 16, 1999.
Rory D. Westberg,
Superintendent, Columbia Cascades Support Office, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 00-400 Filed 1-6-00; 8:45 am]
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