[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 246 (Friday, December 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65989-65990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31397]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Stiltsville, Management Plan, Biscayne National Park, FL

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement for the Stiltsville Management Plan, Biscayne National Park, 
Florida.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a draft 
environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Stiltsville Management 
Plan for Biscayne National Park. This effort will result in a 
management plan to guide public use and management of 7 stilt 
structures located in the northern end of Biscayne National Park in 
Biscayne Bay, Florida. Management options being considered include 
public use of the structures consistent NPS policy and best management 
practices for environmental protection (the preferred alternative), and 
private lease under NPS management.
    Major issues include potential impacts on water quality, biological 
resources, soundscape, visual resources, cultural resources, and the 
visitor experience.
    To facilitate sound planning and consideration of environmental 
resources, the NPS intends to gather information necessary for the 
preparation of the Management Plan/DEIS and to obtain suggestions and 
information from other agencies and the public on the scope of issues 
to be

[[Page 65990]]

addressed in the Management Plan/DEIS. Comments and participation in 
this scoping process are invited. Participation in the planning process 
will be encouraged and facilitated by various means, including 
newsletters and open houses or meetings.

DATES: The NPS will conduct public scoping meetings to explain the 
planning process and to solicit opinions about issues to be addressed 
in the Stiltsville Management Plan/DEIS. Locations, dates, and times of 
public scoping meetings will be announced in the local press, in NPS 
newsletters and on the park website, http://www.nps.gov/bisc and may 
also be obtained by contacting Biscayne National Park.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and information concerning the scope of the 
Management Plan/DEIS and other matters should be sent to the following 
address, Stiltsville Management Plan, Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW 
328th St., Homestead, Florida 33033. Requests to be added to the 
project mailing list should be directed to the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Biscayne National 
Park, 305-230-1144 ext. 3002

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS is developing a management plan for 
the 7 stilt structures located in the northern part of Biscayne 
National Park in Biscayne Bay. In 1980, the park's northern boundary 
expanded and Biscayne National Monument became Biscayne National Park. 
In 1985, when the State of Florida transferred ownership of the bay 
bottom within the expansion area to the park, it also transferred the 
leases for the property, which the structures occupy. The leases 
expired in July 1999. The park's 1983 General Management Plan, 
Development Concept Plan, Wilderness Study, and Environmental 
Assessment recommended removing the structures before the leases 
expired. Because of numerous expressions of public interest in 
maintaining the structures, the NPS initiated a multi-stage planning 
process to identify and recommend future public uses of the structures 
consistent with NPS policy.
    In January 2001, the National Park System Advisory Board 
established the Stiltsville Committee directing it to identify and 
recommend future public use of Stiltsville and to develop 
recommendations to guide the future operations of the structures. The 
committee made several recommendations based upon an understanding that 
the structures and the surrounding aquatic environment are critical and 
important to the citizens of south Florida and to the visitors to 
Biscayne National Park. These comments are available on the Biscayne 
National Park web site: http://www.nps.gov/bisc
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and 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: August 24, 2001.
Paul Winegar,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 01-31397 Filed 12-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M