[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 178 (Friday, September 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58071-58072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23371]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Personal Watercraft Use on Lake Powell, Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona and 
Utah

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft environmental impact 
statement for the personal watercraft use on Lake Powell, Glen Canyon 
National Recreation Area.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sec.  102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (Pub L. 91-190, as amended), and the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National 
Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior, has prepared a draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) assessing the potential impacts 
of personal watercraft (PWC) use for Glen Canyon National Recreation 
Area. The DEIS describes and analyzes three alternatives to manage 
personal watercraft on Lake Powell to provide for the long-term 
protection of park resources while allowing a range of recreational 
opportunities to support visitor needs. Specifically, this 
environmental impact statement evaluates three alternatives for 
managing personal watercraft use on Lake Powell within Glen Canyon 
National Recreation Area. Each alternative identifies proposed actions 
related to visitor use zones and accessible developed areas, facilities 
and recreational services, visitor safety and conflicts, resource 
protection, and park operations.
    This document is used to make reasoned decisions about whether to 
continue personal watercraft use at Glen Canyon NRA. NPS will make the 
determination based on the unit's enabling statute, mission, management 
objectives, resources, values, and other uses, as well as impacts from 
personal watercraft on the unit. Consistent with Bluewater Network v. 
Stanton, No. CV02093 (D.D.C. 2000) and the settlement agreement 
approved by the court on April 11, 2001, the environmental impact 
statement includes an evaluation of various personal watercraft use 
alternatives to determine their effects on water quality, air quality, 
soundscapes, wildlife, wildlife habitat, shoreline vegetation, visitor 
conflicts, safety, and other appropriate topics.
    Public meetings were initiated in August 2001 to solicit early 
input into the scope and range of issues to be analyzed. A notice of 
intent announcing the decision to prepare the Environmental Impact 
Statement was published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2001. 
Scoping comments continued to be accepted and considered within the 
planning process.
    During this comment period, the NPS facilitated several hundred 
discussions and briefings with congressional delegations, local elected 
officials, tribal representatives, public service organizations, 
educational institutions, and other interested members of the public. 
Over 3500 letters and e-mail messages concerning personal watercraft 
use on Lake Powell were received. The major issues raised during this 
period are summarized in Chapter 1, Purpose and Need for Action.
    The DEIS includes two ``action'' alternatives and one ``no action'' 
(existing conditions) alternative. Under all the action alternatives, a 
Special Regulation would be promulgated to address the continued use of 
personal watercraft in the recreation area, in accordance with 
settlement agreement signed by the United States District Court for the 
District of Columbia on April 11, 2001. This agreement between the NPS 
and Bluewater Network requires all park units wishing to continue 
personal watercraft use to promulgate special regulations after an 
environmental analysis is conducted in accordance with the 1969 
National Environmental Policy Act.
    Alternative A, Continue PWC Use as Currently Managed under a 
Special Regulation, evaluates the impacts from the continuation of the 
present management direction, as established by the 1979 General 
Management Plan for Glen Canyon NRA. Under this alternative, personal 
watercraft use would continue as currently managed under a special 
regulation and would be authorized for all areas of the recreation area 
above Glen Canyon Dam, except where previously prohibited by the 
Superintendent's Compendium.
    Alternative B, Promulgate a Special Regulation to Continue PWC Use 
with Additional Management Restrictions, the preferred alternative, 
would continue personal watercraft use in the recreation area under a 
special regulation with additional management restrictions. Personal 
watercraft use would be prohibited in portions of the Colorado, 
Escalante, Dirty Devil, and San Juan Rivers to increase protection of 
environmental values and reduce visitor conflict. To further reduce 
visitor conflict and improve visitor experience, speed restrictions 
would also be imposed in areas of the Escalante and Dirty Devil Rivers. 
Educational programs and materials would be enhanced to provide more 
information to visitors on watercraft use and safety as well as 
recreation area resources. Development of a monitoring program to 
evaluate the effects of personal watercraft on recreation area 
resources is emphasized. The preferred alternative also calls for the 
preparation of a Lake Management Plan to comprehensively consider all 
lake watercraft use.
    Under Alternative C, No Action (Personal Watercraft Use Eliminated) 
the National Park Service would not take any rule-making action to 
authorize personal watercraft use in the recreation area. Personal 
watercraft use could continue until the settlement agreement deadline 
occurs, after which time their use would be discontinued.

DATES: The National Park Service will accept comments from the public 
on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 60 days from the date 
the Environmental Protection Agency posts its notice of filing in the 
Federal Register. The NPS will conduct public meetings to facilitate 
public review and comment on the DEIS. The meeting dates and times will 
be made available through press releases and on the Glen Canyon NRA Web 
site at http://www.nps.gov/glca/plan.htm. Or, you can get specific 
meeting locations, times, and dates by contacting Park Planning, Glen 
Canyon NRA, P.O. Box 1507, Page, Arizona, 86040, or by telephone at 
(928) 608-6200.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center, Glen Canyon Dam, 1000 Hwy. 89, Page, 
Arizona, 86040, (928) 608-6404, in the office of the Superintendent, 
Park Headquarters, 691 Scenic View Drive, Page, Arizona, 86040, (928) 
608-6200, and at the following Web site http://www.nps.gov/glca/plan.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Wright, Glen Canyon National 
Recreation Area, (928) 608-6339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS is now available for public review. 
Interested persons and organizations wishing to express any concerns or 
provide relevant information are encouraged to send comments to 
Superintendent, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 1507, 
Page, Arizona 86040, or contact Park Planning

[[Page 58072]]

via telephone at (928) 608-6200. The document may be obtained from the 
park (printed copy or CD copy) and is also available at area libraries. 
You may also comment via the Email to [email protected]. Please submit 
Internet comments avoiding the use of special characters and any form 
of encryption. Please also include ``Attn: Park Planning'' and your 
name and return address in your Internet message. If you do not receive 
a confirmation from the system that we have received your Internet 
message, contact us directly at (928) 608-6200.
    All written comments must be postmarked no later than 60 days from 
the date the Environmental Protection Agency posts its notice of filing 
in the Federal Register. The end date for the comment period is not 
known at this time. Once the end date is established, a notice will be 
sent to agencies and individuals on the mailing list.
    If individuals submitting comments 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 and business; and, anonymous comments may not be 
considered.
    Following the formal DEIS review period, comments received will be 
considered in preparing the Final EIS (FEIS). The FEIS is anticipated 
to be complete in January 2003. Its availability will be similarly 
announced in the Federal Register. Subsequently, a Record of Decision 
may be approved by the Regional Director, Intermountain Region, no 
sooner than 30 days after the release of the FEIS. The official 
responsible for the final decision is the Regional Director, 
Intermountain Region; subsequently the official who will be responsible 
for implementation will be the Superintendent, Glen Canyon National 
Recreation Area.

    Dated: August 2, 2002.
Karen Wade,
Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 02-23371 Filed 9-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P