[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 65594]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-27250]



[[Page 65594]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the General Management Plan (GMP), Everglades National Park, 
FL

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, the National Park Service is preparing a General Management 
Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Everglades 
National Park, Florida.
    The park's current Master Plan, approved in 1979, is no longer 
adequate to address the policy and operational issues now facing 
Everglades National Park. Conditions have changed over the last 23 
years, and that plan does not provide sufficient direction for 
protecting natural and cultural resources and offering high quality 
visitor opportunities. The Master Plan predates the Everglades National 
Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989, which increased the park by 
109,000 acres and directed further protection of valuable ecological 
resources. The GMP/EIS will identify an overall direction for park 
management for the next 20 years by clearly prescribing desired types 
and levels of resource conditions and visitor experiences to be 
achieved throughout the park.
    Determination of what should be achieved will be based on review of 
park legislation, purpose, significance and special mandates, and the 
body of laws and policies directing park management.
    The National Park Service is initiating the scoping process for the 
GMP/EIS. In cooperation with Indian tribes, local, state, and other 
federal agencies, and the public, the plan will correct existing 
management deficiencies by determining: desired natural and cultural 
resource conditions, management prescriptions for all areas of the 
park, carrying capacities for resources and visitor use, appropriate 
types and levels of development and recreational use, and new 
opportunities for working cooperatively with neighboring communities.
    Specific issues that will be addressed in the GMP/EIS will be 
determined by analyzing input from the Indian tribes; public; local, 
state and other federal agencies; public and private organizations with 
an interest in Everglades National Park; and park staff. The issues 
determined to be significant will guide development of alternatives for 
future management of Everglades National Park and will provide the 
framework for analyzing the impacts of the proposed alternatives.

DATES: To determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the GMP/EIS 
and identify pertinent issues related to the project, an introductory 
GMP newsletter that includes a public response form will be distributed 
to the public in September 2002. In addition, public scoping meetings 
will be held in the Fall of 2002. Public notice of the specific dates, 
times, and locations of the meetings will be provided in the 
newsletter, announced in local media, and posted on the Internet at 
http://www.nps.gov/ever/planning/index.htm. At each public scoping 
meeting representatives of the National Park Service will be available 
to discuss issues, concerns, and other matters related to the GMP 
project.

ADDRESSES: Additional comments or requests to be placed on the mailing 
list should be addressed to Superintendent, Everglades National Park, 
Attention: Fred Herling, 40001 State Rd. 9336, Homestead, Florida 
33034.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Herling, Supervisory Park 
Planner, Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, 
FL, 33034, telephone 305-242-7704. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft and final GMP/EIS documents will 
be distributed to all known interested parties and appropriate 
agencies. Full participation by Indian tribes, federal, state, and 
local agencies as well as other concerned organizations and private 
citizens is invited throughout the preparation of this document. At 
least six public meetings will be held to initiate the gathering of 
input for the GMP/EIS. The anticipated meeting locations are: Miami, 
Florida Keys, Florida City/Homestead, Everglades City, Naples, and 
Washington DC. Dates, times, and locations of the meetings will be 
provided in the newsletter, announced in local media, and posted on the 
Internet at http://www.nps.gov/ever/planning/index.htm.
    Everglades National Park is the largest national park east of the 
Rocky Mountains, encompassing 1,509,000 acres of land and water in 
Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties, Florida. The park includes the 
largest designated wilderness area in the Eastern United States, 
totaling 1,296,500 acres. Congress called for the park to be 
``permanently reserved as a wilderness,'' preserving essential 
primitive conditions, including the natural abundance, diversity, 
behavior, and ecological integrity of unique flora and fauna. Located 
at the interface of temperate and subtropical environments, the park 
has a great diversity of resources including our nation's largest 
sawgrass prairie and mangrove ecosystem, the most significant breeding 
ground for tropical birds in North America, and 21 federally-listed 
threatened and endangered species. The park has over one million 
visitors each year.
    The GMP/EIS will identify alternative management approaches based 
on the issues identified during the scoping phase of the project. The 
GMP/EIS will disclose to the public and decision makers the 
environmental consequences of implementing each alternative management 
approach. After reviewing the consequences and listening to public 
concerns, the decision-makers will select a preferred alternative that 
will guide management of Everglades National Park for the next 20 
years. The responsible official for the Environmental Impact Statement 
is the Regional Director, National Park Service, Southeast Region, 100 
Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. If you wish for 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: August 1, 2002.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 02-27250 Filed 10-24-02; 8:45 am]
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