[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4932-4933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-838]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


National Park Service

AGENCY: National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Elkmont Historic 
District General Management Plan Amendment.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and National Park Service (NPS) policy in Director's 
Order Number 2 (Park Planning) and Director's Order Number 12 
(Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and 
Decisionmaking) the NPS announces the availability of a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan Amendment (Draft 
EIS/GMPA) for the Elkmont Historic District within Great Smoky 
Mountains National Park. The authority for publishing this notice is 
contained in 40 CFR 1506.6.
    The document provides a framework for management, use, and 
development options for the historic district by the NPS for the next 
15 to 20 years. The document describes seven management alternatives 
for consideration, including a no-action alternative that is tiered to 
the existing Park GMP, and analyzes the environmental impacts of those 
alternatives. The Elkmont Historic District is located within the 
Little River Watershed in Sevier County, Tennessee, approximately 6 
miles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center and approximately 8 miles from 
the city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

DATES: There will be a 90-day comment period beginning with the 
Environmental Protection Agency's publication of its notice of 
availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Draft EIS/GMPA are available by contacting the 
Park Superintendent at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park 
Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738. An electronic copy of 
the Draft EIS/GMPA is available on the Internet at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/pphtml/documents.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS held public and stakeholder meetings 
and consulting party meetings as outlined in 36 CFR 800.3 to gather 
advice and feedback on desired outcomes for the future management of 
the Elkmont Historic District. The meetings assisted the NPS in 
developing alternatives for managing the cultural and natural 
resources, creating interpretive and educational programs and ensuring 
traditional uses are maintained. Responses from the meetings were 
incorporated into the alternative described in the plan.
    The No-Action Alternative is tiered to the GMP and calls for all 
structures to be removed and building sites to be returned to a natural 
state. Alternative A is similar to the No-Action Alternative but 
proposes active restoration of natural resources upon removal of all 
structures. Alternative B calls for the retention of 12 buildings for 
use as a museum community, and the Appalachian Clubhouse for use as a 
day use facility. Alternative C would retain 17 buildings for use as a 
museum community, including one cabin granted to a figure prominent in 
the creation of the National Park, and the Appalachian Clubhouse for 
use as a day use facility. Alternative D adds to the number of 
buildings retained and uses described in Alternative C by retaining 18 
cabins for use as a museum community, including an additional building 
associated with a prominent figure from the Lumber Company that 
operated during the period of significance. Additionally, six cabins 
would be retained for overnight administrative use by visiting 
scientists participating in Park research programs, also included would 
be two options for the Wonderland Hotel and Annex, by either removing 
both or reconstructing the hotel and rehabilitating the annex for Park 
curatorial use for cultural resource collections. Alternative E would 
retain 17 buildings for use as a museum community and the Appalachian 
Clubhouse for use as a day use picnic facility. Additionally, six 
buildings would be retained for overnight use by visiting scientists as 
described in Alternative D and seven cabins would be retained for 
overnight use by visiting public operated by a private concessionaire. 
Two options for the Wonderland Hotel and Annex include either removing 
both or reconstructing the hotel and rehabilitating the annex for 
lodging by the visiting public also operated by a private 
concessionaire. Alternative F proposes retaining 17 buildings for use 
as a museum community and the Appalachian Clubhouse for use as a day 
use facility. In this alternative, 37 buildings would be retained for 
lodging by visiting public operated by a private concessionaire. Two 
options for the Wonderland Hotel and Annex include either removing both 
or reconstructing the hotel and rehabilitating the annex for lodging by 
the visiting public also operated by a private concessionaire. 
Alternative C is both the environmentally preferred and the agency 
preferred alternative.
    Following the public comment period, all comments will be available 
for public review during regular business hours. Our practice is 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 
rulemaking record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. 
There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the 
rulemaking record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you 
wish us to withhold your

[[Page 4933]]

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 businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ian Shanklin at 865-436-1318, or Amy 
Wirsching at 404-562-3124, extension 607.
    The responsible official for this Draft EIS/GMPA is Patricia A. 
Hooks, Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 100 
Alabama Street, SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: December 7, 2005.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 06-838 Filed 1-27-06; 8:45 am]
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