[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 224 (Monday, November 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69784-69785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-29554]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Management Plan/Special Resource Study/Record of Decision 
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, VA

AGENCIES: Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District 
Commission and National Park Service; Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National 
Historic District Commission and the National Park Service have signed 
a Record of Decision for the Management Plan/Special Resource Study for 
the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District.
    The NPS and the Commission will implement the proposed action 
identified in the Abbreviated Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(Alternative B: ``Clusters''). A new non-profit organization, the 
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, will be created to manage 
the District.

[[Page 69785]]

Battlefields and related Civil War resources will be protected through 
the combined efforts of the Foundation and its partners. Visitor 
services and interpretation will be focused at five geographic 
groupings--clusters--of battlefields, nearby towns, and other visitor 
sites. Each cluster will include a Civil War orientation center to 
interpret the stories of that particular cluster within the context of 
the larger District. The clusters and other sites in the District will 
be linked through brochures, interpretive displays, and a wayfinding 
system that emphasizes historic routes.
    The Foundation will represent the varied interests of the District 
and serve as the ``lead managing partner'' for implementing the plan. 
As principal partners, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the NPS will 
serve on the Foundation board and support its operations and programs. 
The NPS will also provide technical assistance throughout the District.
    In the Special Resource Study portion of the plan, the NPS analyzed 
the District and the battlefields and found that Cedar Creek 
Battlefield--currently a National Historic Landmark--meets the criteria 
for inclusion in the National Park System. The NPS will present the 
study and supporting information to the United States Congress for its 
consideration.
    The proposed action is also the environmentally preferred 
alternative. Relative to the other alternatives, this alternative would 
cause the least damage to the environment and best protect, preserve, 
and enhance historic and cultural resources in the District.
    The Commission and the NPS selected the proposed action for several 
reasons. It was positively received by those that attended the public 
meetings and responded to the newsletter and draft plan/EIS. It best 
fulfills the legislative mandate, has the fewest negative impacts, and 
generates the greatest degree of local participation. In addition, the 
proposed action distributes the economic benefits of tourism most 
evenly throughout the District, creates the greatest degree of local 
stewardship for battlefield preservation, and offers opportunities to 
tell the most complete story of all the alternatives.
    For further information or to receive a complete copy of the Record 
of Decision, contact: Shenandoah Valley Battlefields NHD Commission, 
P.O. Box 897, 8895 Collins Drive, New Market, Virginia 22844, (888) 
689-4545.

    Dated: October 26, 2000.
Marie Rust,
Northeast Regional Director, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 00-29554 Filed 11-17-00; 8:45 am]
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