[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5919-5920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2717]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


General Management Plan for San Juan Island National Historical 
Park, San Juan County, WA; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement

    Summary: In accordance with Sec.  102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.), the National Park 
Service is undertaking a conservation planning and environmental impact 
analysis process for a new General Management Plan for San Juan Island 
National

[[Page 5920]]

Historical Park. The purpose of the scoping process is to elicit early 
public comment regarding the full spectrum of public issues and 
concerns, including a suitable range of alternatives, appropriate 
boundaries, and the nature and extent of potential environmental 
impacts and appropriate mitigation strategies which should be addressed 
in preparing the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
    Background: A general management plan (GMP) sets forth the basic 
management philosophy for a unit of the National Park System and 
provides the strategies for addressing issues and achieving identified 
management objectives for that unit. In the forthcoming 
EIS[bs]GMP effort and its integral public review 
process, the National Park Service (NPS) will formulate a range of 
alternatives to address distinct management strategies for the park, 
including resource protection and visitor use. The EIS will identify 
and evaluate potential environmental impacts. The GMP will guide the 
management of natural and cultural resources and visitor use of those 
resources, serving as blueprint for park managers over the next 10-15 
years. Development concept plans for selected facilities may be 
included with the GMP.
    Scoping and Comment Process: Scoping activities involving a wide 
range of park stakeholders is of critical importance for early 
identification of issues and concerns which should be addressed in the 
forthcoming EIS[bs]GMP. Representatives of Federal, 
State, and local agencies, American Indian tribes, private 
organizations and individuals from the general public who may be 
interested in or affected by the proposed GMP are encouraged to 
participate in the scoping process by responding with written comments, 
or by providing any relevant information.
    At this time, major issues anticipated to be addressed in the San 
Juan Island National Historical Park EIS[bs]GMP 
include: (1) Substantial growth pressures on cultural and natural 
resources of the park; (2) future protection of water quality and 
quantity; (3) natural erosion of portions of the shoreline; (4) 
proliferation of exotic plant and animal species; and (4) lack of 
adequate administrative and visitor facilities and services in terms of 
location and scale. Comments on these or other concerns deemed relevant 
to the conservation planning and environmental impact analysis process, 
as well as suggested management alternatives suitable for addressing 
these factors, are encouraged and are particularly helpful as this 
early phase in the overall EIS[bs]GMP process.
    Several public scoping meetings are planned for spring 2003. 
Confirmed dates, times, and locations will be timely announced via 
local and regional press releases, in a park scoping newsletter, and on 
the park website http://www.nps.gov/sajh/gmp_sajh.html.
    All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies wishing to 
provide comments, suggestions, or relevant information (or those 
wishing to be included in the project mailing list) should contact the 
Superintendent at San Juan Island National Historical Park, P.O. Box 
429, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250, or via telephone at (360) 378-
2240. All written comments must be postmarked not later than June 1, 
2003.
    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 or businesses and from persons identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations and 
businesses; and, anonymous comments may not be considered.
    Decision Process: The draft EIS[bs]GMP is expected 
to be available for public review by summer 2004, with the final 
version of the document completed by winter 2005. As a delegated EIS, 
the official responsible for approval of the 
EIS[bs]GMP is the Regional Director, Pacific West 
Region, National Park Service. Subsequently, the official responsible 
for implementation of the approved GMP will be the Superintendent, San 
Juan Island National Historical Park.

    Dated: December 18, 2002.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 03-2717 Filed 2-4-03; 8:45 am]
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