[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20592-20593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7912]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Availability for a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS) for the Feasibility Study on the Preservation of Civil War 
Battlefields and Related Historic Sites Along the Vicksburg Campaign 
Trail (VCT) in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and 
Tennessee

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and National Park Service (NPS) policy in Director's 
Order Number 12 (Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, 
and Decision-making), the NPS announces the availability of a FEIS for 
the Feasibility Study on the Preservation of Civil War Battlefields and 
Related Historic Sites along the VCT in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Tennessee. The Feasibility Study examines almost 500 
sites with a view to how they might best be preserved and linked.

ADDRESSES: Limited numbers of copies of the FEIS/Feasibility Study are 
available from Harlan Unrau, National Park Service, Denver Service 
Center--Planning, P.O. Box 25287, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, Denver, 
CO 80225-0287, or by calling (303)-969-2254. An electronic copy of the 
FEIS/Feasibility Study is available on the Internet at http://www.nps.gov/vick.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Feasibility Study identified 
approximately 500 sites in five states that were associated with the 
Vicksburg Campaign. The study then evaluated and rated each site 
according to criteria established by the Civil War Sites Advisory 
Commission Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields (1993); sites 
were rated as Tier One (Decisive/Major), Tier Two (Formative), and Tier 
Three (Limited). As of May 2003, 19 Tier One, 26 Tier Two, 131 Tier 
Three, and 315 associated sites had been identified, for a total of 491 
sites included in the VCT Feasibility Study.
    The FEIS describes and analyzes the environmental impacts of three 
alternatives, including a no action alternative, for the future 
management direction of the VCT Initiative. NPS Preferred Alternative 
is Alternative C--Comprehensive Preservation. The intent of the 
proposed action is to link all sites associated with the VCT in a 
formally designated VCT Initiative. Legislation would be needed to 
establish the VCT Initiative, modeled after the legislation 
establishing the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.
    Emphasis would be placed on protection of all sites associated with 
the VCT that have been recognized as being nationally significant, 
i.e., the Tier One Sites, through acquisition in fee or easement by 
Federal, State, or local agencies, and private organizations. It also 
anticipates that three of the sites (Champion Hill, Port Gibson, and 
Fort Heiman) encompassing approximately 2,000 acres could be added to 
the National Park System as boundary adjustments at existing units if 
authorized by Congress. In other cases the NPS could assist other 
managing authorities in the protection and preservation of other Tier 
One sites (e.g., Fort Pillow).
    Protection of the Tier One sites would be part of a comprehensive 
effort that

[[Page 20593]]

extends to the Tier Two and Three sites as well. For the Tier Two and 
Three sites, emphasis would be placed on protecting significant 
resource values through cooperation with public and private landowners 
to encourage compatible uses. Only if owners offered to sell and State, 
local, or private entities had funds available, would acquisition of 
fee or easement be considered.
    The VCT Initiative would be established through congressional 
action with an overall management entity/advisory committee 
supplemented with working task forces from each State.
    The draft Environmental Impact Statement for the VCT was released 
to the public on April 26, 2004. The public comment period ended June 
24, 2004. No substantive comments were received on the draft document; 
consequently, no changes were made to the alternatives or environmental 
consequences.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Vicksburg National 
Military Park, 3201 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183, (601) 636-0583, 
or Harlan Unrau, National Park Service, Denver Service Center--
Planning, P.O. Box 25287, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, Denver, CO 80225-
0287, (303) 969-2254.
    The responsible official for this FEIS is Patricia A. Hooks, 
Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 100 Alabama 
Street SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: February 1, 2005.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 05-7912 Filed 4-19-05; 8:45 am]
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