[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 242 (Friday, December 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 75564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27607]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Fire Management Plans, Environmental Impact Statements, Guadalupe 
Mountains National Park and Big Bend National Park, TX, and Carlsbad 
Caverns National Park, NM

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notices of Intent to prepare Environmental Assessments for the 
Fire Management Plans at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Big Bend 
National Park, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

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SUMMARY: In Notices of Intent published October 10, 2002 (67 FR 63151) 
November 15, 2002 (67 FR 69239), and June 11, 2003 (68 FR 35002), the 
National Park Service (NPS) announced its intent to prepare EIS's for 
the Fire Management Plans at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, 
Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Big Bend National Park, 
respectively. The NPS has since determined that environmental 
assessments (EA), rather than EIS's, are the appropriate environmental 
documentation to proceed with for the Fire Management Plans at those 
parks.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS had begun working on EIS's for the 
Fire Management Plans for each park following the publication of the 
Notices of Intent. Internal discussions and meetings, and comments from 
public scoping sessions helped frame the alternatives and issues 
related to each Fire Management Plan. In the development of each EIS, 
the effects of the alternatives have been examined in detail. Based on 
these findings and the input received during public scoping, the NPS 
has decided to proceed with an EA as the National Environmental Policy 
Act documentation for the update and review of these parks' Fire 
Management Plans.
    At an undetermined date following the publication of this Notice of 
Intent, the parks will release their Fire Management Plan EA's for 30-
day public comment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Lujan, Superintendent, Guadalupe 
Mountains National Park, HC 60 Box 400, Salt Flat, TX 79847-9400, 
(915)828-3251 x104, [email protected]., John King, 
Superintendent, Big Bend National Park, P.O. Box 129, Big Bend National 
Park, TX 79834-0129, (432)477-1101, [email protected], John 
Benjamin, Acting Superintendent, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, 3225 
National Parks Highway Carlsbad, NM 88220, (505)785-3027 [email protected].

    Dated: October 13, 2004.
Michael D. Snyder,
Deputy Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 04-27607 Filed 12-16-04; 8:45 am]
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