[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 65688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-27244]



[[Page 65687]]

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Part V





Department of the Interior





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National Park Service



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Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan 
for Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2002 / 
Notices  

[[Page 65688]]


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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

National Park Service


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management 
Plan for Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental impact 
statement for the General Management Plan for Carl Sandburg Home 
National Historic Site, Flat Rock, North Carolina.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and National Park Service policy in Director's Order 
Number 2 (Park Planning) and Director's Order Number 12 (Conservation 
Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-making) the 
National Park Service announces the availability of a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan (DEIS/GMP) 
for Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Flat Rock, North 
Carolina.
    The DEIS/GMP analyzes three action alternatives and one no-action 
alternative for guiding management of the park over the next 20 years. 
The three action alternatives incorporate various management 
prescriptions to ensure resource protection and quality visitor 
experience conditions. The no-action alternative would continue current 
management practices and policies into the future.

DATES: The DEIS/GMP will be available for public review from October 
15, 2002, through December 15, 2002. Public meetings will be held in 
November 2002. Representatives of the National Park Service will be 
available at the public meetings to receive comments, concerns, and 
other input from the public related to the DEIS/GMP. Public notice of 
the specific dates, times, and locations of the meetings will be 
provided in a newsletter, announced in local media, and posted on the 
Internet at http://www.nps.gov/carl/gmp_info.htm.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DEIS/GMP are available from the 
Superintendent, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, 1928 Little 
River Road, Flat Rock, North Carolina, 28731. Public reading copies of 
the DEIS/GMP will also be available for review at the following 
locations:
    [sbull] Office of the Superintendent, Carl Sandburg Home National 
Historic Site, 1928 Little River Road, Flat Rock, North Carolina, 
28731. Telephone: 828-693-4178.
    [sbull] Division of Planning and Compliance, Southeast Regional 
Office, National Park Service, Attention: Tim Bemisderfer, 100 Alabama 
Street, 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Telephone: 404-562-3124 
ext. 693.
    [sbull] An electronic copy of DEIS/GMP is available for download in 
.pdf format on the Internet at http://www.nps.gov/carl/gmp_news.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Carl Sandburg Home 
National Historic Site, 1928 Little River Road, Flat Rock, North 
Carolina 28731. Telephone: 828-693-4178.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS/GMP analyzes three action 
alternatives and one no-action alternative for guiding management of 
the park over the next 20 years. Environmental consequences anticipated 
from implementing the various alternatives are addressed in the DEIS/
GMP. Impact topics include cultural resources, natural resources, 
interpretation and museum operations, park operations and 
administration, and quality of life and the socioeconomic environment. 
The action alternatives are described as follows:
    In the Sandburg Center alternative, the park serves as a national 
and worldwide focal point for learning about Carl Sandburg. Access to 
Sandburg information, literature, and research would be enhanced 
through an extensive internet database and traveling exhibits of 
Sandburg related historical objects. Visitors who come to the site in 
person would find extraordinary opportunities to learn about the life 
and works of Carl Sandburg. The alternative provides high quality 
museum space where visitors can gain additional access to information 
and objects currently housed in the museum preservation facility. 
Additional interpretive program areas would be created by 
rehabilitating the interior of one or more historic structures near the 
main house or barn, renovating the existing visitor contract station to 
improve its interpretive and visitor services function, and creating a 
visitor center outside the current authorized boundary of the park. The 
Sandburg Center alternative includes a Congressionally legislated 
boundary expansion of 110 acres for scenic view and boundary protection 
and up to 5 acres for construction of a visitor center and new parking 
area.
    The Paths of Discovery alternative encourages park managers and 
local government leaders to collectively identify and address common 
needs. The concept supplements the park's traditional high quality 
interpretive program and provides additional community walking 
opportunity by constructing a new 3/4 mile interpretive trail parallel 
to Little River Road and the Back Drive. In turn, the park would 
encourage a community partnership strategy to address common needs like 
additional parking and multi purpose meeting space. The Paths of 
Discovery alternative includes a Congressionally legislated boundary 
expansion of 110 acres for scenic view and boundary protection and up 
to 5 acres for construction of a visitor center and new parking area.
    In the Connemara Lifestyle alternative, visitors would experience 
the site much as Carl Sandburg knew it. Park management would focus on 
maintaining the site's historic landscape, structures, and furnishings 
and providing interpretive programs on site and at local schools. 
Primary access to the objects and information contained in the museum 
collection would occur at the amin house, an expanded visitor contact 
station, and through the internet or other mass media formats. 
Opportunities for access to objects and information would be greater 
than existing conditions but less than the Sandburg Center or Paths of 
Discovery alternatives. The Connemara Lifestyle alternative includes a 
Congressionally legislated boundary expansion of 25 acres for scenic 
view and boundary protection and up to 2 acres for construction of a 
new parking area. The Connemara Lifestyle alternative acknowledge 
uncertainty about increased federal funding by taking a conservative 
approach to proposing new infrastructure, additional staff, and 
increased maintenance responsibility.
    In all action alternatives, the park would continue to provide 
guided tours of the Sandburg residence and maintain the historic 
landscape at a high level of integrity. Opportunities for walking would 
be available and closely managed to maintain the historic character of 
the site. The existing amphitheater would be relocated to a less 
intrusive location and the trailer restroom would be replaced by an 
appropriately designed modern facility at the same location. Any 
additional property interest acquired by the park would be acquired 
under a willing sell/willing buyer arrangement.

    Dated: September 6, 2002.
W. Thomas Brown,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 02-27244 Filed 10-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M