[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 4933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1102]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, New 
River Gorge National River, WV

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a General Management Plan and 
Environmental Impact Statement for New River Gorge National River.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the National Park Service (NPS) announces 
its intent to prepare a General Management Plan and Environmental 
Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for the New River Gorge National River, 
located in Fayette, Raleigh, and Summers Counties of southern West 
Virginia. The GMP will allow the park to develop a unified approach to 
managing the major changes in and adjacent to the park since the 1982 
GMP was prepared, to focus on protecting park natural, cultural, and 
scenic resources, and to identify opportunities to facilitate 
appropriate forms of visitor education, interpretation and use. The GMP 
will provide an opportunity to inform the public regarding the park's 
significance and resources, and develop partnerships with various 
stakeholder groups for their preservation. Prepared by NPS staff at the 
park and the Northeast Region, and with the assistance of consultants, 
the GMP/EIS will propose a long-term approach to managing the New River 
Gorge National River.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Calvin Hite, Superintendent, New River 
Gorge National River, 104 Main Street, P.O. Box 246, Glen Jean, WV 
25846, (304) 465-0508.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with the park's mission, NPS 
policy, and other laws and regulations, alternatives will be developed 
to guide the management of the national river over the next 15 to 20 
years. The alternatives will incorporate various zoning and management 
prescriptions to ensure resource protection and public enjoyment of the 
national river. As a part of the process, the potential for wilderness 
will be assessed; if any areas are found to be potentially suitable, 
they will be considered as a part of the GMP/EIS. The environmental 
consequences that could result from implementing the various 
alternatives will be evaluated in the GMP/EIS. The public will be 
invited to express opinions about the management of the park early in 
the process through public meetings and other media and will have an 
opportunity to review and comment on the draft GMP/EIS. Following the 
public review processes outlined under NEPA, the final plan will become 
official, authorizing implementation of a preferred alternative. The 
target date for the Record of Decision is October 2007.

    Dated: December 19, 2005.
Calvin Hite,
Superintendent, New River Gorge National River.
[FR Doc. E6-1102 Filed 1-27-06; 8:45 am]
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