[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 141 (Wednesday, July 23, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43546-43547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18700]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


General Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Padre 
Island National Seashore, Texas

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
for the General Management Plan, Padre Island National Seashore.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332 (C), the National Park Service is preparing an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for 
Padre Island National Seashore. The effort will result in a 
comprehensive General Management Plan that encompasses preservation of 
natural and cultural resources, visitor use and interpretation, roads, 
and facilities. The plan will guide the protection and preservation of 
the natural and cultural environments considering a variety of 
interpretive and recreational visitor experiences that enhance the 
enjoyment and understanding of the park resources. In cooperation with 
local and national interests, attention will also be given to resources 
outside the boundaries that affect the integrity of park resources. 
Alternatives to be considered include a no-action and alternatives 
addressing the following:

    To clearly describe specific resource conditions and visitor 
experiences in various management units throughout the park and,
    To identify the kinds of management, use, and development that 
will be appropriate to achieving and maintaining those conditions.

    Major issues include sea turtles, southern access from a ferry 
proposal from Port Mansfield, trash along the shoreline, dredge 
material disposal, illegal activities routes to smugglers, terrorists, 
and illegal immigrants, illegal off-road vehicles, poaching, metal 
detecting, and illegal commercial fishing), beach/shoreline management, 
boundaries, and partnership opportunities with other agencies (state 
and federal). A scoping brochure has been prepared outlining the issues 
identified to date and will be available in July 2003. Electronic 
copies of the newsletter will be available on the NPS Planning Web site 
for the plan in the What's New Section: http://planning.nps.gov/parkweb/default.cfm?RecordID=143 or from, Jock Whitworth, 
Superintendent, Padre Island National Seashore, 20301 Park Road 22, 
Corpus Christi, Texas 78418. Public workshop information will be 
announced on the Web site in late August. Comments on this notice must 
be received by September 15, 2003.

DATES: The Park Service will accept comments from the public through 
September 22, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
in the office of the Superintendent, Padre Island National Seashore, 
20301 Park Road 22, Corpus Christi, Texas 78418, (361) 949-8173.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jock Whitworth, Superintendent, Padre 
Island National Seashore, (361) 949-8173.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 Padre Island National Seashore, P.O. 181300, Corpus 
Christi, Texas 78480-1300. You may also comment via the Internet on the 
Your Input Section of the Web site at:

[[Page 43547]]

http://planning.nps.gov/parkweb/default.cfm?RecordID=143
    Please submit all comments at the address above by cutting and 
pasting the comments into the comment form provided on the Your Input 
Section of our website. If you do not receive a confirmation from the 
system that we have received your Internet message, contact us directly 
at (361) 949-8173. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to Padre 
Island National Seashore, 20301 Park Road 22, Corpus Christi, Texas 
78418. 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: May 16, 2003.
Michael D. Snyder,
Deputy Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 03-18700 Filed 7-22-03; 8:45 am]
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