[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4192-4193]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-708]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Actions To Substantially Restore Natural Quiet to the Grand 
Canyon National Park and Public Scoping

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration and National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice of Intent: Request for scoping comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National 
Park Service (NPS), as co-leads in the environmental process, intend to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the provisions of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended. The EIS will 
address environmental and related impacts that may result from actions 
to be proposed and alternatives to be developed to achieve the 
statutory mandate of Public Law 100-91 (``commonly know as the 
Overflights Act''); to provide for the substantial restoration of the 
natural quiet and experience of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). The 
Presidential Memorandum dated April 22, 1996, Earth Day Initiative, 
Parks for Tomorrow calls for substantial restoration of natural quiet 
in the GCNP to be achieved by 2008. ``Substantial restoration of 
natural quiet'' has been defined by the NPS to mean that 50 percent or 
more of the park will achieve natural quiet (i.e., no aircraft audible) 
for 75 to 100 percent of the day.
    This undertaking is a follow-on to previous actions taken by the 
FAA, in cooperation with the NPS, since December 1996.
    The FAA and NPS are inviting the public, agencies, and other 
interested parties to provide comments, suggestions, and input 
regarding: (1) The scope, issues, and concerns related to the 
development of proposed and alternative actions at Grand Canyon 
National Park that provide for the substantial restoration of the 
natural quiet and experience of the park and protection of public 
health and safety from significant adverse effects associated with all 
aircraft overflights; (2) past, present, and reasonably foreseeable 
future actions which, when considered with any alternatives, may result 
in significant cumulative impacts; and, (3) potential alternatives.
    The scoping process for this EIS will include three public meetings 
and a ninety-day comment period for interested agencies and parties to 
submit oral and/or written comments representing the concerns and 
issues they believe should be addressed. Please submit any written 
comments within ninety-days from the date of this Notice, or no later 
than April 27, 2006. Address your comments to: Docket Management 
System, Doc No. FAA-2005-23402, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room 
Plaza 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    The purpose of this Notice is to inform Federal, State, local 
government agencies, and the public of the intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and to conduct a public and agency 
scoping process. Information, data, opinions, and comments obtained 
throughout the scoping process will be considered in preparing the 
Draft EIS.
    To maximize the opportunities for public participation in this 
environmental process, the FAA and NPS will also publish notices in the 
major local newspapers in the vicinity of the study area.

DATES: The scoping period, and the opportunity to provide written 
comments will extend from publication of this Notice for a period of 
ninety-days. The forecast period of public and Agency scoping is 
January 20, through April 27, 2006.
    Public Meetings: Public scoping meetings will be held in Phoenix, 
Arizona (AZ) on February 21, Flagstaff, AZ on February 22, and in Las 
Vegas, Nevada (NV) on February 23. Following are the specifics for each 
of the public meetings:

Phoenix--February 21, 2006; 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Glendale Community 
College, 6000 W. Olive Ave., Glendale, AZ 85302;
Flagstaff--February 22; 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Museum of Northern Arizona, 
3101 N. Ft. Valley Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86001; and,
Las Vegas--February 23; 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Henderson Convention Center, 
200 Water St., Henderson, NV 89015.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Questions concerning the 
environmental process should be directed to either the FAA or the NPS. 
The FAA contact person is Mr. Barry Brayer. Mr. Brayer can be contacted 
in writing at Federal Aviation Administration, Executive Resource Staff 
(AWP-4) 15000 Aviation Blvd., PO Box 92007, Los Angeles, CA 90009-2007; 
or via telephone at (310) 725-3800.

[[Page 4193]]

    The NPS contact person is Ms. Mary Killeen. She can be contacted at 
Chief, Office of Planning and Compliance, Grand Canyon National Park, 
P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023; or via telephone at (928) 638-
7885.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA and NPS, with a working group 
established under the auspices of the National Parks Overflights 
Advisory Group (NPOAG) and any cooperating agency(ies), will develop 
alternatives to meet the statutory mandate for substantial restoration 
of natural quiet to the GCNP.
    In accordance with section 805 of the National Parks Air Tour 
Management Act of 2000, the Administrator of the FAA and the Director 
of the NPS jointly established the NPOAG on April 5, 2001. The NPOAG 
provides continuing advice and counsel with respect to commercial air 
tour operations over and near national parks. On October 10, 2003, the 
FAA Administrator signed FAA Order 1110.138, the NPOAG Aviation 
Rulemaking Committee Charter. The NPOAG is comprised of a balanced 
group of representatives of general aviation, commercial air tour 
operators, environmental interests, and American Indian tribes. 
Additional information related to the NPOAG can be found on their Web 
site at http://www.atmp.faa.gov/npoag.htm.
    At the request of the FAA and NPS, the U.S. Institute of 
Environmental Conflict Resolution (USIECR) began working with the two 
agencies in 2003 to help develop a cooperative working relationship to 
facilitate the resolution of issues surrounding the implementation of 
the Overflights Act at Grand Canyon National Park. The agencies agreed 
to move forward with an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process 
and through the USIECR, the firm of Lucy Moore Associates, Inc. was 
contracted to assist in the ADR process. Additionally, the two agencies 
decided to create a working group, under the authority of the NPOAG, to 
assist in the process. Through notice in the Federal Register, the 
agencies invited nominations from individuals, who met certain criteria 
established for participation on the working group. The result was the 
establishment of the Grand Canyon Working Group that consists of 
representatives from FAA, NPS, air tour operators, environmental 
groups, American Indian Tribes, commercial and general aviation, 
recreational interests, and other federal agencies. The working group 
is specifically tasked with developing recommendations for proposed 
actions to meet the statutory mandate contained in the Overflights Act. 
Information obtained during the public scoping process will inform and 
assist the working group in developing recommendations. The working 
group will participate in the development of the EIS and in any 
rulemaking that may be required with respect to a final overflights 
plan.
    Further, the FAA and NPS are aware of American Indian Tribes with 
ties to the GCNP. The FAA, NPS, and Tribes will interact on a 
government-to-government basis, in accordance with all executive 
orders, laws, regulations and other memoranda. They are also being 
invited to participate in the environmental process as Cooperating 
Agencies in accordance with NEPA and section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act. To the extent practicable, compliance with 
section 106 will be combined with the NEPA process, pursuant to Title 
36, Code of Federal Regulations, part 800, sections 800.3(b), and 
800.8.
    The environmental process of developing and reviewing alternatives 
to achieve the substantial restoration of natural quiet at the GCNP 
began in 1996. This is also the timeframe when consultation with 
American Indian Tribes with traditional cultural ties to the park 
began. Data and documentation from these previous actions have been 
retained and will be utilized, as necessary, as part of this current 
undertaking. As a result of the final rulemaking of December 31, 1996, 
flight free zones, air tours and reporting requirements were defined.
    In February 2000, the FAA issued a Supplemental Final Environmental 
Assessment (SFEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) 
associated with a final rule to modify the airspace over the GCNP, and 
a final rule to limit the number of commercial air tour operations that 
could be flown in that airspace. In May 2000, the FAA implemented the 
final rule limiting commercial air tour operations. However, the FAA 
determined that implementation of the airspace and proposed commercial 
air tour route changes for the east end of the GCNP should be delayed 
to address safety concerns that had not been previously raised by the 
commercial air tour operators.
    Additionally, in late-spring 2000, litigation related to the SFEA 
and FONSI was initiated. The litigation related to the final rule for 
airspace was stayed by the court pending FAA resolution of the safety 
issues. However, the Court remanded the SFEA, as it pertained to the 
limitations final rule, back to the FAA for resolution of several 
issues of concern between the FAA and NPS. Those issues have been 
substantially resolved and the FAA and NPS are ready to move forward 
with this EIS to develop and evaluate alternatives for a final 
overflights plan to substantially restore natural quiet in the GCNP.
    Since 1996, there has been considerable public participation in the 
environmental processes associated with these actions. The FAA, in 
cooperation with the NPS, held numerous meetings with the Tribes and 
the public. Copies of the previous environmental documents from 1996 
through 2000 were mailed to numerous Federal, State, and local agencies 
and elected officials; Tribes; private and public organizations and 
individuals; and libraries within the study area.
    As this undertaking will be a follow-on to the previous actions, 
the December 1996 Final Environmental Assessment and the February 2000 
Final Supplemental Environmental Assessment may be reviewed for 
additional supplemental information at one of the following libraries 
to which it was mailed:

Librarian, 113 South 1st St., Williams, AZ 86046.
Flagstaff Public Library, Public Service/Reference Room, 300 W. Aspen, 
Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
Fredonia Public Library, Director, P.O. Box 217, Fredonia, AZ 86022.
Grand Canyon Community Library, Librarian, P.O. Box 518, Grand Canyon, 
AZ 86023.
Phoenix Public Library, Government Documents, 1221 N. Central Ave., 
Phoenix, AZ 85004.
Phoenix Public Library, Arizona Room, 1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 
85004.
Washington County Library, Reference Department, 50 South Main, St. 
George, UT 84770.
Kanab City Library, Director, 13 South 100 East 129-6, Kanab, 
UT 84741.
Mohave County Library, ATTN: Lee Smith, P.O. Box 7000, Kingman, AZ 
86402-7000.

William C. Withycombe,
Western Pacific Regional Administrator, Federal Aviation 
Administration.
Steve Martin,
Deputy Director, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 06-708 Filed 1-20-06; 2:48 pm]
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