[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44616-44617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16828]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ030-2800-ER-00; AZA-28734]


Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for The Diamond Bar Road Improvement Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Diamond Bar Road Improvement Project.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Kingman Field Office, 
Arizona, has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) in 
response to an application for a right-of-way across public lands. The 
EIS analyzes the effects of a proposal to realign and improve 
approximately 11 miles of the Diamond Bar Road across public lands to 
access the Hualapai Indian Reservation. The EIS was prepared with 
assistance from Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and National Park 
Service (NPS) as cooperating agencies. The BLM will be making the 
decision to grant a right-of-way, BIA will be making the decision on 
the expenditure of Federal Highway Trust Funds to construct the road, 
and NPS has special expertise concerning the effect on the National 
Natural Landmark, which the proposed road traverses. The analysis was 
prepared under the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.

DATES: BLM and BIA will issue separate Records of Decision no earlier 
than 30 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes the notice of filing for the final EIS in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the final EIS may be obtained from the Bureau of 
Land Management, Kingman Field Office, 2475 Beverly Avenue, Kingman, 
Arizona 86401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don McClure, phone: (928) 692-4400; e-
mail, [email protected]; address, BLM, Kingman Field Office, 2475 
Beverly Avenue, Kingman, Arizona 86401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Diamond Bar Road provides access to Grand 
Canyon West, mainly for commercial and private vehicles originating 
from Las Vegas. Grand Canyon West is a development on the Hualapai 
Indian Reservation near the rim of the Grand Canyon. This development 
now consists of an airport and terminal building, a food service 
facility, restrooms, and a permit office. Implementing the 1994 Master 
Plan for Grand Canyon West is expected to increase the number of 
visitors up to sixfold over a 10-year period. This increase would 
greatly increase the number of vehicles on Diamond Bar Road. The 
proposed road improvement would accommodate this increased volume by 
providing a roadway designed for up to 2,400 vehicles per day.
    Management concerns that have been addressed in the final EIS 
include impacts on vegetation, visual quality, recreation, cultural 
resources, socioeconomic conditions, public safety, and the Joshua Tree 
Forest Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Studies conducted 
include a native plant inventory, biological evaluation, cultural 
resource survey, traffic study, and visual impact analysis. Tribal 
consultation is ongoing under section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The EIS has been prepared by an 
interdisciplinary team of resource specialists in vegetation, wildlife, 
visual quality, archaeological and traditional cultural resources, 
soils, range management, realty, and roadway design.
    There were 41 comment letters received on the draft EIS. The 
concerns in these letters have been addressed in the final EIS. Most of 
the concerns were about the Entrance Realignment Option and related to 
the following: Building the road through a residential area and 
impacting residential quality of life; traffic, including traffic 
safety; noise; air quality; wildlife and Joshua trees; visual impacts; 
private property; access; and economics and efficiency. The BLM 
Preferred Alternative in the final EIS documents the preference of not 
using the Entrance Realignment Option. The final EIS addresses the 
above concerns as well as providing responses to individual comments.
    If you wish to comment on the final EIS, please mail or hand 
deliver comments to the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice. Comments will be accepted during this

[[Page 44617]]

30-day period with the comments being conveyed to the BLM Field Manager 
in Kingman, Arizona, who is the person authorized to make the decision 
for BLM on this project. The public may review the comments, including 
names and street addresses of respondents, at the above address from 
7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. The 
comments may be published as part of the project record or other 
related documents. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. 
If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review 
or disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
request prominently at the beginning of your written comment. BLM will 
honor such requests to the extent allowed by law. The public may 
inspect in its entirety any submission from organizations or businesses 
or from representatives or officials of organizations or businesses.

    Dated: June 3, 2002.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental, Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 02-16828 Filed 7-1-02; 1:09 pm]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P