[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 35002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14638]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Fire Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Big Bend 
National Park, Texas

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for the Fire Management Plan, Big Bend National Park.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, the National Park Service is preparing an environmental impact 
statement for the Fire Management Plan for Big Bend National Park. This 
cooperative effort among park staff, other Federal and State agencies, 
non-profit organizations, and the public, is expected to result in a 
comprehensive management plan that protects life, property, and 
cultural resources; provides opportunities for visitor interpretation; 
and returns natural processes to park ecosystems. In cooperation with 
neighboring property owners attention will also be given to resources 
outside the boundaries that affect the integrity of Big Bend National 
Park. The international border forms the park's southern boundary, and 
coordination with Mexico is also integral to the fire management 
program. There are four Fire Management Alternatives being considered. 
These are No-Action, Full Suppression, Full Wildland Fire Use, and 
Progressive Fire Use. The No Action alternative maintains the current 
management direction of suppressing fires in the high Chisos and on 
park boundaries, along Rio Grande and around inholdings. Fire may be 
allowed to burn under pre-determined conditions in the rest of the 
park. The Full Suppression alternative suppresses all ignitions, while 
the Full Wildland Fire Use alternative allows for the use of naturally 
ignited fires to reduce fuels and benefit ecosystems except around 
developed areas, sensitive resources, and portions of the park 
boundary. The final alternative is Progressive Fire Use. It is similar 
to the Full Wildland Fire Use in that sensitive areas receive 
protection, and allows the use of prescribed and natural ignitions in 
the park. Unlike the Full Wildland Fire Use alternative; however, its 
application would be initially limited with expansion based on 
monitoring of prescribed fire projects and research results. Such 
information would help managers develop effective prescriptions for 
managing fires to meet ecological goals.
    Major issues for fire management in the park include:
    [sbull] Safety of firefighters, the public, and park staff;
    [sbull] Persistence of unique habitats;
    [sbull] Preservation of high quality visitor experiences;
    [sbull] Maintenance of populations of threatened and endangered 
species;
    [sbull] Control of the spread of exotic plant species;
    [sbull] Concerns of neighboring landowners;
    [sbull] Impacts on local communities and their economies;
    [sbull] Protection of historic and prehistoric cultural resources 
and cultural landscapes.
    A scoping newsletter has been prepared that details the issues 
identified to date. The newsletter will also announce the locations, 
times and dates of public scoping meetings that will be held in Alpine, 
TX and Study Butte, TX. The newsletter is available for downloading as 
a pdf document from Big Bend National Park's expanded Web site at 
www.nps.gov/bibe/press.htm or to obtain a paper copy call or write 
Richard Gatewood, Fire Ecologist, P.O. Box 368 Alpine, Texas 79830, 
Phone: (915)837-7056 e-mail: [email protected].

DATES: Public scoping meetings are to be held in the towns of Study 
Butte, TX and Alpine, TX at locations, times and dates to be published 
in the scoping newsletter mentioned above. The National Park Service 
will accept comments from the public for 30 days from the date this 
notice is published in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
in the Office of the Superintendent, Frank Deckert, Big Bend National 
Park, P.O. Box 129 Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 phone: (915) 477-
2251.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Gatewood, Fire Ecologist, Big 
Bend National Park, P.O. Box 368 Alpine, TX 79830, phone: (915) 837-
7056, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment on the scoping 
newsletter or on any other issues associated with the plan, you may 
submit your comments by any one of several methods. You may mail 
comments to Superintendent P.O. Box 129 Big Bend National Park, TX 
79830. You may also comment via the Internet to [email protected]. Please submit Internet comments as an ASCII 
file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. 
Please also include ``Attn: Superintendent'' and your name and return 
address in your Internet message and please indicate if you want 
confirmation that we received your comments. If you do not receive a 
confirmation that we have received your Internet message, contact 
directly Richard Gatewood, Fire Ecologist at (915) 837-7056. Finally, 
you may hand-deliver comments to Visitor's Center and Park 
Headquarters, Route 11, Panther Junction, Big Bend National Park. Our 
practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of 
respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. 
Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address 
from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. 
There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the 
record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to 
withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at 
the beginning of your comment. 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: April 14, 2003.
Michael D. Synder,
Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 03-14638 Filed 6-10-03; 8:45 am]
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