[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 17446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8624]



[[Page 17446]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the National Coal Heritage Area, Management Action Plan

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Availability of draft environmental impact statement for the 
National Coal Heritage Area Management Plan.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service announces the 
availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the 
National Coal Heritage Area (NCHA) in West Virginia. The National Coal 
Heritage Area Act of 1996 requires the NCHA, with guidance from the 
National Park Service, to prepare a management plan for the heritage 
area. The purpose of the Management Action Plan is to (1) set forth the 
integrated cultural, historical, and land resource management policies 
and programs in order to retain, enhance, and interpret the significant 
values of the lands, water, and structures of the Area. (2) describe 
the guidelines and standards for projects that involve preservation, 
restoration, maintenance, operations, interpretation, and promotion of 
buildings, structures, facilities, and sites; and (3) set forth the 
responsibilities of the State of West Virginia, units of local 
government, nonprofit entities, in order to further historic 
preservation and compatible economic revitalization.
    The study area, designated as the National Coal Heritage Area, 
includes the following eleven counties in the southern region of West 
Virginia Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, 
Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, and Wyoming.
    The National Park Service (NPS) maintains three park sites within 
the region: New River Gorge National River, The Bluestone National 
Scenic River and the Gauley National Recreation Area. Otherwise the 
majority of land is non-federal and the NPS assumes a management role 
only within their park units. Instead, conservation, interpretation and 
other activities are managed by partnerships among federal, state, and 
local governments and private nonprofit organizations. The national 
heritage area is managed by the State of West Virginia Division of 
Culture and History, and Division of Tourism. The National Park Service 
has been authorized by Congress to provide technical and financial 
assistance for a limited period to the state (up to 10 years from the 
time of the designation in 1996).

DATES: The DEIS will remain on Public Review through April 30th. Public 
Meetings will be scheduled and notice will be made of the meeting 
through a broad public mailing and publication in the local newspaper.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Samuel, Project Leader, 
Philadelphia Support Office, National Park Serve, U.S. Custom House, 
200 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, [email protected], 215-
597-1848.

(If you correspond using the internet, please include you name and 
return address in your e-mail message. Our practice is to make 
comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, 
available for public review. Individual respondents may request that 
we withhold their home address from the record, which we will honor 
to the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in 
which we would withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as 
allowable by law. If you wish 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: February 20, 2002.
Len Emerson,
Assistant Regional Director, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 02-8624 Filed 4-9-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M