[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 174 (Friday, September 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53685-53686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17854]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Environmental Impact Statement; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Stream Management Plan, draft 
environmental impact statement, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, 
Iowa.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) announces the 
availability of the stream management plan draft environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, Iowa.

DATES: There will be a 60-day public review period for comments on this 
document. Comments on the EIS must be received no later than 60 days 
after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of 
availability in the Federal Register. A public open house for 
information about, or to make comment on, the draft EIS will be 
announced in the local media and the Herbert Hoover National Historic 
Site's (Park) Web site when it is scheduled. Information about meeting 
time and place will be available by contacting the Park at 319-643-
2541, visiting the Park's Web site at: http://www.nps.gov/heho/creek.htm, and at the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment 
(PEPC) Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov/. The document will also be 
available for review at each of these Web sites; the latter Web site 
allows the public to review and comment directly on this document.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft EIS are available by request by writing 
to the Superintendent, Stream Management Plan Draft EIS, Herbert Hoover 
National Historic Site, P.O. Box 607, West Branch, Iowa 52358, by phone 
319-643-2541, at the Web site addresses mentioned above, and by e-mail 
message at [email protected]. The document can be 
picked-up in person at park headquarters at 110 Parkside Drive, West 
Branch, Iowa.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Stream Management Plan 
Draft EIS, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, P.O. Box 607, West 
Branch, Iowa 52358, or by calling 319-643-2541.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During Herbert Hoover's early childhood, a 
small meandering stream ran near his birthplace cottage. This tributary 
of the west branch of the Wapsinonoc River has no official name and for 
ease of reference, it will be called Hoover Creek throughout the plan. 
Hoover Creek runs through the center of the historic site and has 
overflowed its banks and flooded park facilities 18 times in 11 years. 
These facilities include all of the prime historic structures 
associated with President Hoover as well as the visitor center and 
maintenance facility. Hoover Creek bank erosion and stream migration 
threaten to destabilize historic structures identified in the enabling 
legislation and the foundation of the Hoover Presidential Library and 
Museum. Slippery mud banks rise vertically 8 to 10 feet above the water 
level and present a safety hazard to visitors and employees. The 
Cultural Landscape Report (1995) states: ``* * * the stream is a 
degraded, yet character defining feature of the site * * *'' and 
recommends the restoration of the natural characteristics of the 
stream. Stream rehabilitation would restore stream and riparian 
function and protect critical resources.
    Therefore, the Park is proposing to restore the riparian area and 
proper functioning condition of the stream to allow for reduction of 
the power of the stream and create greater holding capacity with a 
meandering stream and floodplain. The draft EIS describes and analyzes 
the environmental impacts of alternatives and their associated impacts. 
In the Park's Preferred Alternative (Alternative 5--Provide 50-year 
protection), this alternative would include changes to the stream 
channel dimensions, re-meandering and channel relocation, and 
installation of a grade control structure to control down cutting. This 
alternative would also include construction of a detention basin in the 
upstream reaches of Hoover Creek. Three additional action alternatives 
and a no action alternative are evaluated in this EIS.
    Persons wishing to comment may do so by any one of several methods. 
They may attend the public hearing or open house noted above. They may 
mail comments to the Superintendent, Stream Management Plan Draft EIS, 
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, P.O. Box 607, West Branch, Iowa 
52358. They also may comment via e-mail to [email protected] (please include name and return address in the e-
mail message). They may review and comment on the document directly at 
the PEPC Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov/. Finally, they may hand-
deliver comments to the Superintendent, Stream Management Plan Draft 
EIS, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, 110 Parkside Drive, West 
Branch, Iowa.
    It is the practice of the NPS 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. However, we 
will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or

[[Page 53686]]

businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses available 
for public inspection in their entirety.
    The responsible official is Ernest Quintana, Regional Director, 
Midwest Region, National Park Service.

    Dated: July 28, 2005.
Ernest Quintana,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 05-17854 Filed 9-8-05; 8:45 am]
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