[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 17079]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8547]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Final Environmental Impact Statement/Lake Management Plan, Lake 
Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona; Notice of Approval 
of Record of Decision

    Summary: Pursuant to Sec.  102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the implementing 
regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 
part 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park Service has 
prepared, and the Regional Director, Pacific West Region has approved, 
the Record of Decision for the Lake Management Plan for Lake Mead 
National Recreation Area, in southeast Nevada and southwest Arizona. 
The requisite 30 days no-action period was officially initiated January 
17, 2003, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Federal 
Register notification of the filing of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS).
    Decision: As soon as practicable the NPS will begin to implement 
the Lake Management Plan described and analyzed as Alternative C (the 
Preferred Alternative) contained in the Final EIS. The selected plan 
features a deliberate, long-term strategy to protect significant 
cultural and natural resources, while allowing for a spectrum of 
recreational use. Boating carrying capacity is established at 5055 
boats, waters are zoned for a variety of recreational settings 
including a shoreline flat wake zone to improve shoreline safety, and 
new sanitation and public education measures will be initiated. 
Carbureted two-stroke engines will be prohibited beginning December 31, 
2012, and personal watercraft use is authorized in specified zones (the 
final rulemaking to authorize personal watercraft use is scheduled to 
be published immediately, while separate rulemaking will be pursued to 
implement other components of the selected plan). This plan was deemed 
to be the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative, and it was further 
determined that no impairment of park values would ensue based on its 
implementation.
    This course of action and three alternative plans were identified 
and analyzed in the Final EIS, and previously in the Draft EIS (the 
latter was distributed in April 2002). The full spectrum of foreseeable 
environmental consequences were assessed, and appropriate measures to 
minimize harm were identified, for each alternative. Beginning with 
early scoping, through the preparation of the Draft and Final EIS, 
numerous public meetings were conducted, and media (local and regional) 
and Web site updates were regularly produced. All written comments 
responding to the Draft and Final EIS were duly considered, and are 
maintained in the administrative record of the overall conservation 
planning and environmental impact analysis process. Key collaborations 
which aided in the preparation of the Draft and Final EIS involved (but 
were not limited to) numerous county and city agencies and boards in 
Arizona and Nevada, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game 
and Fish Dept., Nevada Div. of Wildlife, all interested native American 
Tribes, affected Colorado River law enforcement agencies, Nevada and 
Arizona State Historic Preservation Offices, and the U.S. Geological 
Survey.
    Copies: Interested parties desiring to review the Record of 
Decision may obtain a complete copy by contacting the Superintendent, 
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 
89005; or via telephone request at (702) 293-8986.

    Dated: March 18, 2003.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 03-8547 Filed 4-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P