[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 179 (Tuesday, September 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54243-54244]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23350]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Fire Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Grand 
Canyon National Park, AZ

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
for a Fire Management Plan for Grand Canyon National Park.

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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 (EIS) for the Fire Management Plan (FMP) 
for Grand Canyon National Park. This effort will result in a new 
wildland fire management plan that meets current policies, provides a 
framework for making fire-related decisions, and serves as an 
operational manual. Development of a new fire plan is compatible with 
the broader goals and objectives presented in Grand Canyon National 
Park's 1995 General Management Plan (GMP).
    The Environmental Impact Statement process will identify and 
evaluate the environmental impacts of several alternatives for fire 
management in the park. Alternatives will address resource protection, 
potential resource impacts, and various mitigation practices necessary 
or desirable to minimize adverse impacts to resource conditions. 
Alternatives to be considered will include no-action, and a reasonable 
range of alternatives that meet the project objectives, including 
various combinations of fire suppression, wildland fire use, prescribed 
fire, and mechanical treatments. The Environmental Impact Statement 
process will be conducted in consultation with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, 
natural resource management agencies, affiliated American Indian 
tribes, and other interested Federal, state, and local agencies. 
Attention will also be given to resources outside the boundaries that 
affect the integrity of Grand Canyon.
    Issues are expected to include protection of cultural resources, 
protection of plant and wildlife habitats, effects on native and non-
native species, protection of threatened and endangered species and 
their habitats, protection of other natural resources, wildland urban 
interface, fire in proposed wilderness, protection of park neighbors' 
property, reducing impacts to park visitors, protection of life and 
property, protection of air quality, effects on tourism, and changes in 
landscape-scale vegetation patterns.
    The public involvement process will include distribution of a 
scoping document requesting public input and comment. Several public 
meetings will be held in locations surrounding the park. The scoping 
document will describe the project in general, identify preliminary 
issues, and include specific meeting dates and locations. Information 
can be obtained from Dan Oltrogge, FMP Project Leader, Grand Canyon 
National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023, 928-638-7822.

DATES: The Park Service will accept comments from the public through 
November 17, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
in the office of the FMO, Dan Oltrogge, Grand Canyon National Park, 
P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023; 928-638-7822.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Oltrogge, FMP Project Leader, 
Grand Canyon National Park (928) 638-7822 or go to the Grand Canyon 
Compliance Web site at http://www.nps.gov/grca/compliance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment on the scoping 
document, you may submit your comments by any one of several methods. 
You may mail comments to FMP Project, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. 
Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023. You may also comment via 
electronic mail (e-mail) to [email protected]. Please submit e-mail 
comments as a text file avoiding the use of special characters and any 
form of encryption. Please also include your name, e-mail address, and 
return mailing address in your e-mail message. Finally, you may hand-
deliver comments to Grand Canyon National Park at the Headquarters 
building between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. 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

[[Page 54244]]

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: July 14, 2003.
Michael D. Snyder,
Deputy Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 03-23350 Filed 9-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-ED-M