[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 141 (Wednesday, July 23, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43545-43546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18697]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the White-Tailed Deer Management Plan, Indiana Dunes National 
Lakeshore, IN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the National Park Service (NPS) is 
preparing an environmental impact statement for the White-tailed Deer 
Management Plan for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (Lakeshore). A 
deer management plan is needed to ensure the local deer population does 
not become a dominant force within the Lakeshore that negatively 
influences ecosystem components such as sensitive vegetation or other 
wildlife.

DATES: The NPS will accept comments from the public for 60 days from 
the date this notice is published in the Federal Register. In addition, 
the NPS intends to conduct public scoping open houses at the Lakeshore. 
Please check local newspapers, the Lakeshore's Web site http://www.nps.gov/indu or contact the name listed below to find out when and 
where these open houses will be held.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
at the Lakeshore headquarters located at 1100 North Mineral Springs 
Road, Porter, Indiana, and the Dorothy

[[Page 43546]]

Buell Memorial Visitor Center, U.S. 12 and Kemil Road, Beverly Shores, 
Indiana.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Resource Management Program 
Assistant, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, 219-926-7561, extension 
332.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Within eastern national parks such as 
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, landscapes have been managed to allow 
for preservation and rehabilitation of scenic, scientific, and historic 
lands. The result is a mixture of forest, shrub, and grassland, which 
constitute excellent habitat for white-tailed deer. Since deer 
management has not been part of management policies in the majority of 
parks, the population of deer has greatly increased. Impacts to 
significant park resources by the deer population could compromise the 
park's purpose as mandated by Congress in 1966, which was to preserve 
the exceptional biological diversity found within its boundaries. The 
objectives of this planning effort include determining a science-based 
and supportable vegetation and wildlife impact level and corresponding 
density of deep populations to assist in potential future management 
actions. The plan would develop and implement an adaptive management 
approach for maintaining a healthy deer population. Finally, the plan 
would prevent impacts from deer browsing to sensitive, threatened or 
endangered plant and animal species. Preliminary alternatives to meet 
these objectives include fencing, repellents, reproductive control, 
direct reduction, and a combination of these management strategies. A 
no action alternative will also be analyzed.
    A scoping brochure has been prepared that details the issues 
identified to date, and possible alternatives to be considered. Copies 
of that information may be obtained from the Resource Management 
Program Assistant, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, 1100 North Mineral 
Springs Road, Porter, Indiana 46304, telephone 219-926-7561, extension 
332, or the Lakeshore's Web site (http://www.nps.gov/indu).
    If you wish to comment on the scoping brochure 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 Resource Management, 
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, at the address given above. You may 
also e-mail comments to [email protected]. Please submit Internet 
comments as a text file avoiding the use of special characters and any 
form of encryption. Please put in the subject line ``Deer Management'' 
and include your name and return address in your message. If you do not 
receive a confirmation from the system that we have received your 
message, contact us directly at Resource Management 219-926-7561, 
extension 332. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the Dorothy 
Buell Memorial Visitor Center, U.S. 12 and Kemil Road, Beverly Shores, 
Indiana.
    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: June 24, 2003.
Ernest Quintana,
Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 03-18697 Filed 7-22-03; 8:45 am]
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