[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 14 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6664-6665]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1576]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


Notice of Availability of a Final General Management Plan 
Amendment/Environmental Impact Statement for Dry Tortugas National 
Park, Monroe County, FL

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final General Management Plan 
Amendment/Environmental Impact Statement for Dry Tortugas National 
Park, Monroe County, Florida.

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[[Page 6665]]

SUMMARY: The National Park Service has prepared a Final General 
Management Plan Amendment/Environmental Impact Statement (GMPA/EIS) 
that evaluates long-term management alternatives for Dry Tortugas 
National Park. Consistent with the park's purpose, significance, and 
mission goals, five alternatives were evaluated for guiding the 
management of the park over the next 15 to 20 years. The alternatives 
incorporate various zoning applications and other management provisions 
to ensure resource protection and quality visitor experience 
conditions. The environmental consequences anticipated from 
implementation of the various alternatives are addressed in the 
document. Impact topics include natural and cultural resources, visitor 
experience, socioeconomic environment, and park operations/facilities.

DATES: The document will be available for review for 30 days from the 
publication of a notice by the Environmental Protection Agency in the 
Federal Register. After the 30-day review period, a Record of Decision 
will be signed that will document NPS approval of the final Dry 
Tortugas GMPA/EIS, and identify the selected alternative for 
implementation.

ADDRESSES: The final Dry Tortugas GMPA/EIS will be mailed to agencies, 
organizations, and individuals on the park's mailing list. Public 
reading copies of the document will also be available for review at the 
following locations:
     Everglades National Park--Headquarters, 40001 State Road 
9336, Homestead, FL
     Offices of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: 216 
Ann Street, Key West, FL, 5550 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL, 95200 
Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL
     Miami-Dade Public Library Branches: 700 N. Homestead 
Blvd., Homestead, FL, 101 West Flagler St., Miami, FL, 10750 SW 211th 
St., Miami, FL
     Monroe County Public Library Branches: 700 Fleming St., 
Key West, FL, 3251 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL, Mile Marker 81.5, 
Islamorada, FL, Mile Marker 100, Key Largo, FL
     Collier County Public Library, 650 Central Avenue, Naples, 
FL
     St. Petersburg Public Library, 3745 9th Ave. North, St. 
Petersburg, FL
    In addition, the document will be posted on the Dry Tortugas 
National Park Webpage (www.nps.gov/drto/planning). A limited number of 
printed copies will be available from the Superintendent on request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maureen Finnerty, Superintendent, 
Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, 40001 State Road 9336, 
Homestead, FL 33034-6733.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following management alternatives were 
evaluated in the GMPA/EIS:
    Alternative A--As the no-action alternative, this alternative 
represents a continuation of current management policies and 
operations. The park would attempt to accommodate increasing visitor 
use while protecting resources to the extent allowable under current 
policy and legal requirements.
    Alternative B--Under this alternative, visitors would be free to 
travel throughout much of the park and have a variety of recreational 
experiences. However, the park would more closely manage the types and 
levels of acceptable visitor use to provide greater protection of park 
resources and to ensure quality visitor experiences. Greater emphasis 
would be placed on measures to monitor resource conditions and to 
implement appropriate protection/remedial actions as necessary.
    Alternative C (proposed action)--In addition to the provisions of 
Alternative B, this alternative calls for the application of a research 
natural area zone (covering about one half of the park) in which no 
fishing would be allowed, the implementation of a visitor permitting 
system, and increased reliance on commercial service providers to 
direct and structure visitor use. These measures would be anticipated 
to further enhance resource protection and visitor experience 
objectives.
    Alternative D--Provisions of this alternative are similar to those 
of Alternative C, with the further restrictions that only commercial 
tour operators providing public tours would be allowed in the research 
natural area zone. Private boaters would be required to obtain a permit 
to boat or engage in other park-allowed activities outside of the 
research natural area zone. As under Alternative C, the research 
natural area zone would cover approximately half of the park, although 
its spatial configuration would be different. Visitor experiences would 
be highly structured, but diverse opportunities for recreational 
activities would remain available.
    Alternative E--This alternative places primary emphasis on resource 
protection and conservation with the majority of the park zoned a 
research natural area. Visitation would be strictly managed throughout 
most of the park to reduce or avoid impacts on the fragile resource 
base.
    Planning for the Dry Tortugas GMPA/EIS was coordinated with 
concurrent planning for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 
administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
The latter plan proposes a no-take ecological reserve within the remote 
westernmost portion of the marine sanctuary.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. If you wish for us to withhold your name and/or 
address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your 
comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. 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: January 9, 2001.
W. Thomas Brown,
Regional Director, Southeast Regional Office, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 01-1576 Filed 1-19-01; 8:45 am]
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