[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 4794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2086]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Availability of a Supplemental Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Supplemental Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for Big South Fork 
National River and Recreation Area, Kentucky and Tennessee.

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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 Supplemental 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan 
(SDEIS/GMP) for Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area 
(NRRA), Kentucky and Tennessee.
    The SDEIS/GMP analyzes three action alternatives and one no-action 
alternative for guiding management of the park over the next 15 to 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.

DATES: The comment period will extend until April 30, 2003. A series of 
public meetings will be held in surrounding communities during this 
period. Dates, times, and locations of the meetings will be announced 
in the local media, posted on the internet at http://www.nps.gov/biso/gmp, and the park may be contacted for this information. 
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 SDEIS/GMP.

ADDRESSES: Limited numbers of copies of the SDEIS/GMP are available 
from the Superintendent, Big South Fork NRRA, 4564 Leatherwood Ford 
Road, Oneida, TN 37841. Public reading copies of the SDEIS/GMP will 
also be available for review at the following locations, including 
others to be announced:
    [sbull] Office of the Superintendent, Big South Fork NRRA, 4564 
Leatherwood Ford Road, Oneida, TN 37841. Telephone: (423) 569-9778.
    [sbull] Division of Planning and Compliance, Southeast Regional 
Office, National Park Service, Attention: John Fischer, 100 Alabama 
Street, 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Telephone: (404) 562-
3124, ext. 607.
    [sbull] An electronic copy of the SDEIS/GMP is available for 
download in .pdf format on the internet at http://www.nps.gov/biso/gmp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Big South Fork NRRA, 
4564 Leatherwood Ford Road, Oneida, TN 37841. Telephone: (423) 562-
9778.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement/General Management Plan is being distributed for public 
review based on comments received on the initial draft document. Those 
comments indicated that additional information was needed to allow for 
more meaningful public participation in the area's management planning. 
This led to more data collection and the development of a new 
alternative.
    This plan examines and reaffirms Congress' purpose and direction 
for the National Area. It identifies the management requirements placed 
on the National Area as a unit of the national park system. The plan 
then considers different alternatives for managing the National Area 
along with an environmental evaluation of the alternatives. A no-action 
alternative is included for comparison. Development sites, roads, and 
trails within the National Area are examined.
    In addition to Alternatives A and B identified in the previous 
draft, a new, more detailed alternative is presented in this 
supplemental document. This new alternative, Alternative D, is the NPS' 
preferred alternative. More localized areas are identified for 
different zone types, with particularized management prescriptions. A 
greater degree of guidance for resource management and visitor use is 
achieved. This is augmented with information, proposals, and 
alternatives for development of facilities, including roads and trails. 
Many existing facilities are reaffirmed as appropriate for inclusion in 
an official system; a number of new facilities are proposed to fill 
gaps and to provide for areas more recently acquired; and some existing 
facilities would be removed. Overall, the scale of development and 
types of facilities proposed over the planning horizon of 15 to 20 
years would remain essentially the same. Special provisions are 
proposed for hunting access and for off-road vehicles. All routes 
proposed for use by off-road vehicles would be designated, according to 
Executive Order.
    Special projects including management of oil and gas activities, 
reclamation of contaminated mine drainage, native species management, 
cultural landscape identification and management, and increased 
monitoring would be continued or initiated. Interpretation of National 
Area resources would be increased and more focused through completion 
of comprehensive interpretive planning.

    Dated: November 15, 2002.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 03-2086 Filed 1-29-03; 8:45 am]
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