[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 184 (Monday, September 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59539-59540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24060]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Fire Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Saguaro 
National Park, Arizona

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for the Fire Management Plan for Saguaro National Park.

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

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, the National Park Service is preparing an environmental impact 
statement for the Fire Management Plan for Saguaro National Park. This 
effort will result in a new wildland fire management plan that meets 
current policies, provides a framework for making fire-related 
decisions, and serves as an operational manual. Development of a new 
fire plan is compatible with the broader goals and objectives derived 
from the park purposes that governs resources management. Alternatives 
to be considered include no-action, the Fire Management Unit Based Plan 
Natural Ignition, and Landscape Plan. The no-action alternative 
maintains the current 1991 fire management plan strategy of 
suppression, prescribed natural fire, and prescribed burning. The Fire 
Management Unit Based Plan Natural Ignition alternative would allow 
fires to burn in certain areas of the park under conditions which meet 
resource objectives. Prescribed fires would be carried out by park 
personnel to reduce hazardous fuel accumulations around developments 
and near park boundaries. The Landscape Plan calls for the National 
Park Service and adjacent U.S. Forest Service to jointly formulate a 
fire management plan that covers the entire landscape of the Rincon 
Mountains or a more naturally bounded portion of the range.
    Major issues include environmental effects of the FMP that are 
potential problems and include depression of plant and wildlife 
populations,

[[Page 59540]]

disturbance of unique sites, increased erosion or debris flow, 
increased air pollution, hazards to life and property, visitor 
inconvenience, and damage to cultural resources.
    A scoping brochure has been prepared describing the issues 
identified to date. Copies of the brochures may be obtained from Sarah 
Craighead, Superintendent, Saguaro National Park, 3693 S. Old Spanish 
Trail, Tucson, AZ 95730, (520) 733-5153.

DATES: The Park Service will accept comments from the public for 30 
days from the date this notice is published in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
in the Fire Management Office, Saguaro National Park, 3693 S. Old 
Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730, (520) 733-5130.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chuck Scott, Fire Management Officer, 
Saguaro National Park, (520) 733-5130.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment on the scoping 
brochure, or any other issues associated with the plan, you may submit 
your comments by any one of the several methods. You may mail comments 
to Chuck Scott, Fire Management Officer, Saguaro National Park, 3693 S. 
Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730. You may also comment via the 
Internet to [email protected]. Please submit Internet comments as an 
ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Please also include ``Attn: Fire Management Plan'' 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 the Fire Management Office (520) 733-
5130. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the above address. Our 
practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of 
respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. 
Individual respondents may request that we withheld 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 preeminently at 
the beginning of your 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.

Karen P. Wade,
Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 02-24060 Filed 9-20-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M