[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53150-53151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17711]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Gold Camp Road Final Plan/Environmental Impact Statement and 
Record of Decision

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and decision.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the 
Pike National Forest of the Rocky Mountain Region of the Forest Service 
announces availability of the Final Plan and Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (Final Plan/EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the Gold 
Camp Road. The Forest Service is also announcing the agency's decision 
to restore and reopen a collapsed railroad tunnel and reopen a closed 
section of Gold Camp Road to one-way traffic, with a third party 
partner to operate the segment of road (Modified Alternative E). The 
objective of the management plan for the road is to best accommodate 
public use and access to National Forest System lands and nearby 
private in-holdings while maintaining public safety and the historic 
character of the road. The affected road segment has been closed since 
1988 for safety reasons.

DATES: The appeal period for the decision will be 45 days from the date 
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes the notice of 
availability and decision in the Federal Register. The notice of 
availability will be published in the Federal Register on September 9, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: The Final Plan/EIS and ROD are available on the Internet at 
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/projects/gold_camp/. Copies of the Final 
Plan/EIS and ROD may be obtained by contacting the Pikes Peak Ranger 
District, 601 S. Weber St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903. Notice of 
Appeal must be sent to: USDA-Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, 
Attn: Appeals Deciding Officer, P.O. Box 25127, Lakewood, Colorado 
80225.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Landis, Supervisory Outdoor 
Recreation Planner, Pikes Peak Ranger District, at the address listed 
above or by telephone at 719-477-4203.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final Plan/EIS and ROD are also 
available for inspection at the following public libraries in Colorado:

Penrose Public Library--20 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
East Library--5550 N. Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918

    The Forest Service announced in the Federal Register (69 FR 39401, 
June 30, 2004) that the agency intended to prepare an EIS addressing 
the possible federal action of preparing a plan for the Gold Camp Road 
and inviting comments on the scope of the EIS. Comments were received 
from April 12 through August

[[Page 53151]]

17, 2004 and were considered in the Draft Plan/EIS.
    Notices of availability were published in the Federal Register for 
the Gold Camp Road Draft Plan/EIS by the Forest Service (70 FR 2605, 
January 14, 2005) and the EPA (70 FR 4119, January 28, 2005). Comments 
were accepted on the Draft Plan/EIS through March 29, 2005. Comments 
were considered and the Final Plan/EIS was prepared based on agency and 
public input. The Final Plan/EIS contains a new preferred alternative 
that incorporates elements of three of the other action alternatives.
    A ROD accompanies the Final Plan/EIS. The ROD accompanying the 
Final Plan/EIS is subject to appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 215.
    Reviewers are obligated to structure their participation in the 
National Environmental Policy Act process so that it is meaningful and 
alerts the agency to the reviewer's position and contentions, [Vermont 
Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDS. 435 U.S. 519, 553, (1978)]. 
Environmental objections that could have been raised at the draft stage 
may be waived if not raised until after completing the Final EIS [City 
of Angoon v. Hodel (9th Circuit 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages Inc. v. 
Harris 490 F. Suppl. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980)].
    This notice is provided pursuant to federal regulations 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 1506.6).

    Dated: August 30, 2005.
Robert J. Leaverton,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 05-17711 Filed 9-6-05; 8:45 am]
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