[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4931-4932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1101]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, 
Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for 
the General Management Plan, Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is terminating preparation of 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the General Management 
Plan, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma. A Notice of Intent 
to prepare the EIS for the Chickasaw National Recreation Area General 
Management Plan was published in Vol. 67, No. 184, of the September 23, 
2002, Federal Register (59530). The National Park Service has since 
determined that an Environmental Assessment (EA) rather than an EIS is 
the appropriate environmental documentation for the general management 
plan.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The general management plan will establish 
the overall direction for the national recreation area, setting broad 
management goals for managing the area over the next 15 to 20 years. 
The plan was originally scoped as an EIS. However, few public comments 
were received in the scoping process. Although several concerns were 
expressed during the public scoping process, particularly on the future 
of the recreation area's water resources, no issues were identified for 
the general management plan that have the potential for controversial 
impacts.

[[Page 4932]]

    In the general management planning process the NPS planning team 
developed three alternatives for the national recreation area, none of 
which would result in substantial changes in the operation and 
management of the area. The two action alternatives primarily focus on 
maintaining and protecting resources, upgrading several existing 
visitor facilities, addressing park maintenance/operations needs, 
implementing selected treatments from the recreation area's recent 
cultural landscape report, and conducting several future studies. The 
preliminary impact analysis of the alternatives revealed no major 
(significant) effects on the human environment nor impairment of park 
resources and values. Most of the impacts to the recreation area's 
resources and values were negligible to minor in magnitude.
    For these reasons the NPS determined the appropriate National 
Environmental Policy Act documentation for the general management plan 
is an EA.

DATES: The draft general management plan/EA is expected to be 
distributed for a 30 day public comment period in the summer/fall of 
2006 and a decision is expected be made in the fall of 2006. The NPS 
will notify the public by mail, Web site, and other means, and will 
include information on where and how to obtain a copy of the EA, how to 
comment on the EA, and the length of the public comment period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Rudd, Superintendent, Chickasaw 
National Recreation Area; 1008 W. 2nd, Sulphur, OK 73086, telephone: 
(580) 622-2161, extension 1-200; e-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: January 5, 2006.
Michael D. Snyder,
Director, Intermountain Region.
[FR Doc. E6-1101 Filed 1-27-06; 8:45 am]
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