[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 74 (Friday, April 16, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20659-20660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8713]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Environmental Assessment for the Air Tour Management Plan Program 
at Lake Mead National Recreation Area

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment and 
notice of initiation of public scoping.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in cooperation with 
the National Park Service (NPS), has initiated the development of an 
Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) for Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 
pursuant to the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (Public 
Law 106-181) and its implementing regulations contained in Title 14, 
Code of Federal Regulations, Part 136, National Parks Air Tour 
Management. The objective of the ATMP is to develop acceptable and 
effective measures to mitigate or prevent the significant adverse 
impacts, if any, of commercial air tour operations upon the natural and 
cultural resources, visitor experiences, and tribal lands of the 
subject national park unit.

DATES: Scoping Period: The 45-day scoping period will begin on April 
16, 2004 and will close May 31, 2004. Please submit any written 
response you may have no later than May 31, 2004.
    Scoping Meeting: A public scoping meeting has been scheduled for 
this project as follows:

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            Subject park                        Date                   Time                    Location
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Lake Mead National Recreation Area..  Tuesday, April 27, 2004  6 p.m...............  Henderson Convention
                                                                                      Center, 200 S. Water St.,
                                                                                      Henderson, NV 89015.
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ADDRESSES: Please submit any written response no later than May 31, 
2004. Address your comments to: Docket Management System, Doc No. FAA-
2004-17460, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room Plaza 401, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    You must identify the docket number FAA-2004-17460 for Lake Mead 
National Recreation Area at the beginning of your comments. If you wish 
to receive confirmation that FAA received your comments, include a 
self-addressed, stamped postcard. You may also submit comments through 
the Internet to http://dms.dot.gov. You may review the public docket 
containing comments in person in the Dockets Office between 9 a.m. and 
5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The Dockets 
Office is on the plaza level of the NASSIF Building at the Department 
of Transportation at the above address. Also, you may review public 
dockets on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. Additionally, comments 
will be received and recorded at the public scoping meeting. Please 
note that names and addresses of people who comment become part of the 
public record. 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, businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Armstrong, Air Tour Management 
Plan Program Manager, Executive Resource Staff, AWP-4, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Western-Pacific Region. Mailing address: P.O. Box 
92007, Los Angeles, California 90009-2007. Telephone: (310) 725-3818. 
Street address: 15000 Aviation Boulevard, Lawndale, California 90261. 
E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In developing the ATMP and any associated 
rulemaking actions, the FAA is required to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, which calls on Federal agencies to 
consider environmental issues as part of their decision making process. 
For the purposes of compliance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act, the FAA is the Lead Agency and the NPS is a Cooperating Agency. 
The FAA Air Tour Management Plan Program Office and the NPS Natural 
Sounds Program Office are responsible for the overall implementation of 
the ATMP Program.
    Environmental Assessments are being prepared in accordance with FAA 
Order 1050.1D, Policies and Procedures for Considering Environmental 
Impacts. The FAA is now inviting the public, agencies, tribes, and 
other interested parties to provide comments, suggestions, and input 
regarding: (1) The scope, issues, and concerns related to the 
development of each ATMP; (2) the scope of issues and the 
identification of significant issues regarding commercial air tours and 
their potential impacts to be addressed in the environmental process; 
(3) the potential effects of commercial air tours on cultural and 
historic resources; (4) past, present, and reasonably foreseeable 
future actions which, when considered with ATMP alternatives, may 
result in significant cumulative impacts; (5) potential ATMP 
alternatives; and (6) the potential impacts on natural resources and 
visitor experiences. The FAA requests that comments be as specific as 
possible in response to actions that are being proposed under this 
notice.
    A public scoping meeting has been scheduled for this project. The 
purpose of this scoping meeting is to describe the ATMP development and 
environmental processes, obtain public input regarding the ATMP and 
potential environmental concerns that may be appropriate for 
consideration in the Environmental Assessment, and to identify 
alternatives to be considered. Both oral and written comments will be 
accepted during this meeting. Agency personnel will be available to 
record

[[Page 20660]]

your spoken comments. All recorded and written comments become part of 
the official record. The public scoping meeting will consist of a 
presentation in which the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 
2000 is introduced, existing conditions at Lake Mead National 
Recreation Area will be described and the ATMP development process at 
the park unit will be explained. Following the presentation, the floor 
will be opened for public comments to be received.
    Park-specific scoping documents that describe the project in 
greater detail are available at the following locations:
     Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley 
Parkway, Henderson, NV
     Laughlin Library, 2840 South Needles Highway, 
Laughline, NV
     Las Vegas Library, 833 Las Vegas Boulevard 
North, Las Vegas, NV
     Boulder City Library, 701 Adams, Boulder City, 
NV
     Henderson District James I. Gibson Library, 280 
S. Water Street, Henderson, NV
     North Las Vegas Library, 2300 Civic Center 
Drive, North Las Vegas, NV
     Valle Vista Library, 7193 Concho Drive, Kingman, 
UT
     St. George Public Library, 50 S. Main Street, 
St. George, UT
     Moapa Valley Library, 350 North Moapa Valley 
Boulevard, Overton, NV
     Mojave Community College, 1971 Jagerson Avenue, 
Kingman, AZ
     Bullhead Public Library, 1170 Hancock Road, 
Bullhead City, AZ
     Phoenix Reference Library, 411 North Central 
Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
     Cedar City Public Library, 303 North 100 East, 
Cedar City, UT
     Hurricane City Library, 36 South 300 West, 
Hurricane, UT
     FAA Air Tour Management Plan Program Web site, 
http://www.atmp.faa.gov/
     FAA Docket Management System Web site, http://dms.dot.gov

    Issued in Hawthorne, CA on April 8, 2004.
Brian Q. Armstrong,
Air Tour Management Plan, Program Manager, AWP-4.
[FR Doc. 04-8713 Filed 4-15-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P