[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 236 (Friday, December 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63549-63550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30336]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Final Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan 
Lassen Volcanic National Park Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama Counties, 
CA; Notice of Availability

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sec. 102 (2)  of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub.L. 91-190 as amended), the 
National Park Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement identifying four alternatives for (and 
assessing the potential impacts of) a proposed General Management Plan 
for Lassen Volcanic National Park, located in northeastern California. 
Upon approval, the new General Management Plan will serve as a 
``blueprint'' for the management and use of Lassen Volcanic National 
Park over the next 10-15 years.

Proposal and Alternatives Considered

    The ``no action'' alternative, Alternative A, assumes that physical 
facilities and ongoing activities would remain largely unchanged, and 
that staffing and operational funding would remain constant over the 
planning period.
    Alternative B: Resource Preservation and Basic Visitor Service, 
provides a program for preserving, and where necessary, restoring 
significant park resources. It includes essential staffing and funding 
increases for the park's cultural and natural resource management 
functions, restores key elements of the park's infrastructure, provides 
for restoration of several specific sites with natural system 
conflicts, establishes a standards-based management zoning system, and 
proposes designation of approximately

[[Page 63550]]

25,000 acres as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System 
(increasing the total amount of designated Wilderness to approximately 
104,000 acres). The plan also includes program increases and visitor 
facility improvements to provide for quality basic visitor service.
    Alternative C: The Proposed General Management Plan--Resource 
Protection and Enhanced Visitor Experience. This plan includes all the 
features of Alternative B, and provides enhancement to visitor 
experience by making more facilities available during winter months, 
and increasing interpretive services, facilities, and information.
    Alternative D: Resource Protection and Expanded Visitor 
Opportunities, includes all of the features of Alternative C and, in 
addition, provides for expansion of family and group campgrounds at 
several locations. It also expands winter access at the north entrance 
by plowing the park road an additional 9 miles to the Devastated Area, 
and keeping one loop of the campground open for winter camping.
    Significant adverse environmental impacts and potential impairment 
of park values would be expected to result from Alternative A as a 
number of cultural, natural, and environmental resources are undergoing 
deterioration under current conditions. All of the action alternatives 
include programs to arrest the deterioration of resources and 
mitigation features to avoid or reduce impacts, which might ensue from 
implementation of project features. It was determined that the 
``environmentally preferred'' alternative is Alternative C.

Public Comment

    A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on July 24, 1998. During the subsequent scoping phase leading 
to development of the Draft EIS, the NPS conducted seven public 
meetings, three agency meetings, and several Tribal meetings. In all, 
information provided by 120 commentors and 49 letters was obtained. A 
Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on August 18, 2000. During the subsequent public comment 
period, seven public workshops were conducted and over 650 copies of 
the Draft EIS were distributed. Throughout the process contacts were 
undertaken with Tribes, the State Historic Preservation Office, U.S. 
Forest Service, the four surrounding County Boards of Supervisors, and 
other entities. Altogether 189 comment letters were received; these as 
well as the responses obtained during the scoping phase are filed in 
the administrative record.

Copies

    Inquiries and requests for printed copies of the final EIS for the 
proposed General Management Plan may be directed to Superintendent, 
Lassen Volcanic National Park, P.O. Box 100, Mineral, California 96063-
0100, or via telephone at (530) 595-4444 ext.5101. Public review copies 
will also be available at area libraries.
    During the Ano action'' period following release of the Final EIS, 
if any individuals submit comments and request that their name or/and 
address be withheld from public disclosure, it will be honored to the 
extent allowable by law. Such requests must be stated prominently in 
the beginning of the comments. There also may be circumstances wherein 
the NPS will withhold a respondent's identity as allowable by law. As 
always: NPS will make available to public inspection all submissions 
from organizations or businesses and from persons identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations and 
businesses; and, anonymous comments may not be considered.

Decision

    A Record of Decision may be approved by the Regional Director, 
Pacific West Region, no sooner than 30 days after publication of a 
Notice of filing of this Final EIS in the Federal Register by the 
Environmental Protection Agency. The official responsible for the final 
decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region; subsequently 
the official responsible for implementation of the plan is the 
Superintendent, Lassen Volcanic National Park.

    Dated: October 25, 2001.
Martha K. Leicester,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 01-30336 Filed 12-6-01; 8:45 am]
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